Freshly Social

Katherine Ellis, arguably dance music’s most in-demand and dynamic singer/songwriter, has just completed a rather different gig, after blipfoto.com asked her to be the voice of its photo-diary-sharing social media site.

More used to contributing chart-topping lyrics and vocals to global floor fillers for the world’s leading producers, such as ‘When you touch me’ by Freemasons, ‘Lost’ by Roger Sanchez and ‘Make a move on me’ by Joey Negro, Ellis took up the role with typical finesse after Bafta Award-winning blipfoto were said to love her ‘dulcet tones.’ And why wouldn’t they? Ellis has consistently led the industry for over a decade with her poetic sounding vocals that pack more than a punch, as well as with her decadent and enticing sense of style.

The master of the guitar, Carlos Santana will be strutting his stuff on the stage of Malta in an exciting concert that is sure to never be repeated! He will be performing on stage at the Granaries on July the 24^th as part of his European tour call ‘Guitar Heaven’. His new album is filled with classics and new hits alike, as well as covers such as Whole Lotta Love from Led Zeppelin; Deep Purples Smoke on the Water and tunes from Jimmy Hendrix. Santana has been in the game for fifty years and burst onto the music scene back in the 60’s during the time of Woodstock. Now he brings his particular talents to the stage of Malta for one night of pure mayhem!

Robots are all the rage yet again at this year’s Robot: Extreme Wars which will be opening from Saturday the 23^rd of April at the 02 arena. Robot Wars is an explosive event which pitches your most fevered childhood dreams out of the realm of fiction and into a terrifying reality of gears, chainsaws and blinking lights! For more than a decade, Robot Wars has managed to entertain a niche market of robot lovers the world over and thanks to unparalleled success they have moved over into the mainstream appeal, evident by the new stage show which will soon be displayed to the public who is hungry for the clash of robots!

Commercial house prince Eddie Thoneick is the cover star of this month’s Future Music magazine, within which he indulges fans with some spectacular insights into what it takes to make a dance floor anthem.

Along with a seven episode DVD, which delves deep into the hit making process, German DJ/producer Thoneick is interviewed by the production publication on his collaboration with Erick Morillo on the soon-to-be-released song, ‘Live your life’. The track, which features the vocal talents of Shawnee Taylor, who is still electrifying clubs worldwide with the current Richard Grey vs Erick Morillo & Jose Nunez smash ‘Life goes on’, is destined to become a global dance chart hit, with DJ’s everywhere already excited by its combination of sincere melody and twisted beats.

Influential British DJ Danny Rampling has re-launched his acclaimed e-book, ‘Everything you need to know about DJing & success’, in hard copy on the back of fan demands and following a much-attended book tour earlier this month.

Credited by many as one of the “Godfathers” of dance, Rampling has inspired and energised the UK club scene since the early eighties. A BBC Radio 1 and Kiss FM legend, Rampling continues to mix his iconic style every Saturday evening on a new weekly radio show on Time 107.5. This is in addition to humbly keeping his place amongst the most in-demand DJ names on the global A-club circuit.

With the print copy of ‘Everything you need to know about DJing & success’ now available from Aurum Press, Rampling is hoping to give something back to the fans and amateur DJs that have consistently driven him to excel in his art.

UK fans of Danny Krivit, one of the most influential DJ/producers ever to emerge from New York’s dynamic dance music scene, have had their prayers answered after confirmation he will make his only Scottish appearance at Glasgow’s Electric Frog festival, taking place on 23/24 April.

Danny joins long-term friend and collaborator, seminal French dance maestro François Kevorkian, on the recently announced line-up, which also includes DJ Yoda, Erol Alkan, Green Velvet and Dave Clarke to create one of the hottest live dance playlists of the season.

Electric Frog describes itself as “Scotland’s premier urban & electronic micro-festival”. Taking place in the heart of Glasgow, indoor and outdoor venues are mixed-up amongst a huge covered street party, as well as the atmospheric studio/warehouse complex, SWG3.

For a stunning night of poetry, art and music; the Cheltenham Poetry Festival is the place to be. This event will be hosted at the surrounding area of the Francis Close Hall Chapel during the month of April. This is an exceptionally atmospheric setting and will most assuredly appeal to all lovers of the arts. During the course of the evening, some of the UK’s and Americas most talented poets and singers will be lending their voices and their imaginative musings to the rhythm of the crowd. Some of the singers include Nigel Mcloughlin, George Szirtes and American Georgian singers Kviria to name but a few.

As part of French dance maestro Antoine Clamaran’s April dance floor assault, the dynamic DJ/producer has confirmed he will play Pacha, Marrakech, with none other than his favourite electronic-pop vocalist, Soraya.

The news will come as a welcome spring surprise to Clamaran’s significant international fan base, who are familiar with Spanish singer Soraya after her spectacular vocals laced Clamaran’s current floor filler ‘Stick shift’. In addition, Clamaran took on production duties for Soraya’s 2010 album, ‘Dreamer’, and featured on the standout smash track, ‘Live your dreams’ – a dance chart hit Europe-wide that continues to break new ground as DJs across the world work it into their sets. The performances of both tracks are likely to be highlights of the much-anticipated Pacha appearance, which promises to include phenomenal Ibiza-style production, kick-starting the city’s renowned party season with Euro-dancehall flair.

Sustainable technology is more important than ever before, and UK businesses are getting behind green initiatives, from fashion outlets that reuse and recycle their belt hangers, to construction companies investing in eco-friendly materials. Ecobuild is a London exhibition designed to promote “the future of design, construction and the built environment”. The Ecobuild 2011 exhibition has only just wrapped up, and already plans are underway for a bigger and better even in March 2012.

Andy Bell and Vince Clarke, the powerhouse synth duo behind eighties super group Erasure, have delighted fans with news that disco princess Sophie Ellis-Bextor will provide an electric warm up to their upcoming Total Pop! Tour.

Erasure’s highly anticipated return to the live stage comes at an exciting time for the band, who are currently in the studio with top producer Frankmusik, recording a new album due for release later this year. The Total Pop! Tour will see the seminal act reignite their significant fan base with shows across Britain and Ireland, as well as in Germany, Denmark, Russia and Ukraine. More dates are likely to be announced, but an exciting addition already confirmed is Erasure’s premier slot at GuilFest on 17 July.

Thrillingly for fans, some of the tour’s UK leg will form part of the UK Forestry Commission’s yearly summer concert series – with shows taking place in rural, idyllic and extremely atmospheric venues, such as Bedgebury Pinetum & Forest in Kent and Staffordshire’s Cannock Chase Forest.