Freshly Social

For theatregoers the opening of a new production instils a feeling of excitement akin to a child being promised a new toy. West End musicals are perhaps the most popular productions and many of them are family friendly. London is one of the best places in the world to experience musicals and the West End is renowned for its collection of theatres. However, choosing which musical to go and see can be a difficult decision. After careful consideration we present to you our top three current West End musicals.

Hot new DJ queen Maya Jane Coles releases phenomenal new track ‘O’so’ this week, through the Leftroom label managed by none other than house music maestro Matt Tolfrey.

Having moodily risen from twinkling starlet in 2008 to one of 2010/11’s hottest properties, Coles’ ‘O’so’, on Inxec & Mark Chambers’ ‘Sports EP‘, is a rhythmic floor filler, illuminated by authentic vocals and a pounding baseline that snares everyone from the wall, to the foot of the DJ booth.

Londoner Coles, regally adorning the cover of this month’s MixMag, continues to delight tech-leaning house fans with a consistent string of inventive EPs. However, it was the 2010 smash ‘What they say’ that truly announced the emergence of one of the brightest British stars of house for years. The track filled DJ bags worldwide and saw Coles sit atop the Beatport Deep House, Traxsource and Resident Advisors charts – and led to her nomination for Best Breakthrough Producer at DJ Mags Best of British Awards. Similarly, having already collaborated with the likes of Massive Attack and Gorillaz, and with a host of tracks and productions ready to drop, Maya Jane Coles is about to raise the bar she set last year.

Momentum is building for what is likely to be the dance anthem of the summer, as premier production outfit Full Intention confirm release dates for their spectacular new track, ‘I’ll be waiting’.

Featuring legendary vocalist Shena, ‘I’ll be waiting’ showcases the full, Full Intention magic amidst a package of phenomenal club and dub mixes.

With Beatport exclusive club mixes released on 30 May, and a full digital release due on 27 June, ‘I’ll be waiting’ is already getting top industry names excited. Leading UK radio stations KISS and Capital FM are playing the track, and super producer Nic Fanciulli’s mix is getting rave reviews from dance king Pete Tong, who plans to include it in his weekend playlist.

Top Chicago-house vocalist Robert Owens has delighted fans following the remaster and reissue of his 1992 worldwide smash, ‘I’ll be your friend’, in a three-part package that includes an array of remixes from some of today’s most innovate producers.

 Part 1 of the series witnesses eclectic mix maestros Jamie Jones, Soul Clap & Gadi and Inxec & Matt Tolfrey take on remix duties for ‘I’ll be your friend’ – in addition to the ‘original’ 2011 remaster. Also released through 1trax, Parts 2 and 3 are due in July, and include further dizzying remixes from the likes of Dyed Soundorom, Claire Ripley, DZeta N’ Basile, Paul Loraine and Jay Tripwire.

The reissue of the house classic, which shot to the top of US dance charts following its original release, marks a continued creative high for Owens, who has been busy reaffirming his credentials as one of the voices in electronic music.

Fresh from the success of their worldwide smash hit ‘Call my name’ with disco queen Nadia Ali, dynamic production duo Sultan & Ned Shepard have taken on remix duties for Dutch dance maestro Fedde le Grand’s latest track, ‘Running’.

Sultan & Ned Shepard, who have recently signed to international artist booking agency, MN2S, have produced the ‘Festival Mix’ of le Grand’s track – the original of which has already sped into the Beatport Top 10. Similarly, ‘Running’ has been championed by some of the biggest names in dance music, including BBC Radio 1’s Pete Tong, who recently premiered the track to much fanfare.

Now with the ‘Festival Mix’, Sultan & Ned Shepard have taken ‘Running’ into the stratosphere, with a euphoric blend of house music magic that promises to escalate the atmosphere for crowds across the world this summer.

Fresh from the continued success of his ‘Ocean Drive Hotel’ chill-out compilation, Munich-born super DJ/producer Tom Novy is back with a smashing new album, ‘Nouveau Niveau Vol 1 – Good morning bitches’.

Available now, ‘Good morning bitches’, which is released under Novy’s own label Nouveau Niveau, features an extended Novy DJ mix, and exclusive tracks from the likes of Jerry Ropero, Abigail Bailey, Toni del Gardo and Paula Pedroza.

Having created some of the biggest hits in clubland for nearly twenty years, fans have not been disappointed by Novy’s latest piece of work. Already supported by some of the industry’s brightest talents, followers of Novy have swamped his Facebook with praise; whilst a sampler of the album has already received thousands of hits on YouTube.

Seminal UK dance outfit Utah Saints are set to re-release their pioneering rave anthem, ‘What can you do for me’, after the original 1991, floppy disc-recorded classic became corrupted, prompting a reproduction and an astonishing refresh.

Although the release date of the track is unconfirmed, remix duties for 2011’s ‘What can you do for me’, which samples the semi-euphoric Eurythmics classic ‘There must be an angel (playing with my heart)’, come from the likes of Doorly, Drumsound and Bassline Smith, Herve and Felix Leiter. What’s more, the tune is already getting play by the UK’s biggest radio stations, including BBC Radio 1, KISS, XFM and Capital, with top DJ’s Annie Mac, Kissy Sellout and Steve Smart, to name three, throwing their support behind it.

KISS FM’s top DJ Steve Smart is preparing a massive set for this weekend’s highly anticipated Kiss Weekender in Great Yarmouth, in support of talented dub/breakbeat/funky house DJs Example and Yasmin.

Along with KISS FM DJs EZ, Rickie, Melvin, Charlie, Swerve, Michael Lewis and Neev, Smart will be sound-tracking the story of KISS FM, with the tunes that have made the radio station one of the most successful in Britain, and electrifying an expectant and up-for-it crowd.

Tickets are available now for the event, taking place at the popular seaside destination’s Vauxhall Holiday Park, and DJ Smart is pulling out all the stops to ensure this weekend will go down in KISStory.

Top UK vocalist Robbie Craig has been signed to international artist booking agency MN2S, and is exclusively available for worldwide bookings, now.

Best known for his mesmerising contribution to the chart-busting Artful Dodger hit ‘Woman trouble’, Craig has gone on to work with some of the biggest names in music, including Victoria Beckham, Craig David, Shola Ama and Gary Barlow.

A genuine troubadour, Craig is known for Motown infused pipes that soar through cutting-edge and often innovative melodies, highlighting his innate skill to impress the most demanding of producers.

Whilst his performances never fail to astound, igniting audiences with a raw, electric power, Craig is also noted for his critically acclaimed song writing prowess – he was awarded a highly coveted Ivor Novello Award for Best Song from the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters in 2001, for breakthrough hit ‘Woman trouble’. The song also featured in the box office smash hit film, ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary.’

Dutch DJ/producer Hardwell has not disappointed expectant fans following a smashing remix of Swedish electro outfit, Dada Life’s, latest track ‘Fight club is closed (it’s time for rock n roll)’.

Championed by house music heavyweights David Guetta (“Hardwell on fire”) and Dimitri Vegas (“Hardwell for me”), the young DJ’s latest mix complements a growing fan base, which follows his current successful North American tour with house music legend Tiesto.

With an innovative and progressive take on dance, Hardwell has enticed an industry awash with acts eager to stand out. Productions include the recent mesmerizing collaboration with his fellow Dutchman Tiesto on ‘Zero 76’, to his acclaimed ‘Eclectic Beatz’ sessions, which have fast-tracked his graduation to one of the most sought after DJs on the scene.