The group formed in Castrop-Rauxel, Germany, in 2010, but their big break didn’t come until clean vocalist Nico Sallach joined in 2020. The music they make is a riotous combination of various electronic dance music styles and metalcore, made all the more fun by the band’s wicked comedic themes and humorous co-ordinated outfits. The sound was fully unlocked by Sallach’s voice, which would sound at home in any pop or EDM track, and when his first single with the band, 2020’s ‘Hypa Hypa’ released, it instantly became their most-popular song and opened them to a far-wider audience.

Since sixth studio album ‘Tekkno’ released in 2022, Electric Callboy’s ascent has been unstoppable. Backed by high-energy singles and their brilliant music videos like the 80’s-inspired ‘Hypa Hypa’, ‘We’ve Got The Moves’ with its bonkers hardstyle drop, and the outrageous ‘Tekkno Train’, they have over 600 million views on Youtube and nearly 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their live show full of lights, pyrotechnics and costume changes has also become one of the wildest around, balancing all the features of both a heavy metal show and a rave into one exciting package. Since career highlights including a co-headline set at the UK’s Slam Dunk festival and a sold-out show at London’s Alexandra Palace last year, Download Festival have taken notice and given them a prime main stage slot this year.

In the current climate for recorded music, Electric Callboy adopted the now-common approach of releasing multiple singles over a stretch of time in favour of building to an album, having put out 4 singles and two covers since 2024. After releasing the single ‘Tanzneid’ last October and wrapping up their last world tour, the band took to social media to build suspense for a prospective announcement this week. Behind-the scenes clips showed them tracking vocals in the studio, as well as unboxing clothes to be used in their music videos.

New album ‘Tanzneid’ was unveiled on Tuesday the 14th of April, with a tracklist including the past singles ‘Tanzneid’, ‘Revery’, ‘Elevator Operator’, ‘RATATATA’ featuring Babymetal, and their cover of Sum 41’s hit ‘Still Waiting’. Further information came on the 15th about their new single ‘Hypercharged’ releasing on the 16th as a promotional crossover with mobile game Brawl Stars, advertising a new character for the game with the accompanying music video.

‘Hypercharged’ released today, and is every bit an Electric Callboy single, from its eurobeat intro that builds to its heavy, screamed pre-chorus, and its saccharine pop-metal chorus. The band’s fearless approach to smashing genres together works so well with the mix of both metal drumming and EDM drum machine tracks here. The music video is one of their less playful, shifting between footage of the band members and footage from the game Brawl Stars. In the 10 hours since it was uploaded to Youtube, it has already been viewed over 5 million times, a popularity unseen for most heavier acts.

In a statement the band spoke about the album, describing how after ‘Tekkno’’s extensive campaign, they refocused themselves for the new material: “With TANZNEID, we wanted to create something special, for our fans and for ourselves. Every track surges with energy. We took what we loved about TEKKNO and pushed it further, adding new elements, new sounds, and new extremes. Heavy beats, explosive drops and moments that hit you right in the chest. The last singles RATATATA and Hypercharged were just the beginning. Now it’s raw, loud and alive, in every pulse, every scream, every melody. We wanted to match our music with your adrenaline, to create a record that pulls you onto the floor, makes your heart race and doesn’t let go.”

‘Tanzneid’ is scheduled to release on the 7th of August 2026, and Electric Callboy say it’s “built for the stage. So turn it up, lose yourself and dance like no-one’s watching.” Physical and digital pre-orders are live now on the band’s website, and new single ‘Hypercharged’ is up on streaming platforms. On the concert front, they’re bringing their one-of-a-kind show to the US through April and May, before a summer festival tour of Europe, finishing with a run of dates in Japan and Australia. UK fans can catch them at Download Festival on Friday the 12th of June. Their final announcement is an album release show at Berlin’s Escalation Fest this August, where fans can book a ride on the ‘Tekkno Train’ to the festival and hear all of the new tracks live.

Since their inception in 2003, vocalist Rou Reynolds, guitarist Rory Clewlow, bassist Chris Batten and drummer Rob Rolfe have continuously evolved their sound. Enter Shikari is best known for a lively fusion of rock, hardcore punk, and electronic dance music. In the early days, they leant heavily into the hardcore and rave elements, but ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’ saw them embrace a vibrant synth-pop style while still maintaining a strong rock presence. The band has also been lauded as one of the top British live acts of the last 20 years, since their breakthrough as rowdy rave-rockers through to their current era of arena-crushing rock with a heart.

Since announcing their tour dates for the UK, Europe and North America back in January, Shikari returned to radio silence. The group had not released any material since ‘A Kiss For The Whole World’, which was a UK Number One Album in 2023, and its remixed companion piece ‘Dancing On The Frontline’ in 2024. Last night however, their Instagram account was again cleared of content, save for one post revealing the surprise release of ‘Lose Your Self’, which had snuck its way onto the internet at midnight.

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In a newsletter, Reynolds explained the rationale behind its low-key launch: “We’re delighted to present LOSE YOUR SELF, and give people the chance to hear a Shikari record like never before – as a cohesive whole. We want people to go on a proper journey with this album, and see where it takes them. No lead up, no singles, and no explanation. Forcing the listener to actually listen, without being drip-fed ideas out of context, or spoon-fed explanations. We simply present it all, for the listener to immerse themself in. Releasing in this way was also a decision to not be distracted by chart races, or accolades and things. We got the No.1 album on our last record. This is simply about the music being presented in a natural way.”

Enter Shikari have always packed their albums and live shows with messages of hope, critiques of the state of the world and urgent pleas for causes like environmental sustainability and peace. The theme of this one seems to be a stark look at the current affairs around AI, with a heavy emphasis on introspection and a cultural loss of humanity. Reynolds finishes the post with the statement “Despite turning out to be one of our darkest and heaviest albums to date, it also preaches hope and offers answers. Shikari will always offer hope, because without hope there is no action. We’ll just always offer it with a dose of realism.”

The title track ‘Lose Your Self’ is a classic Enter Shikari opener, blasting in with big riffs and an EDM feel reminiscent of the band’s live cover versions of Faithless’s ‘Insomnia’. Later songs like ‘Find Out The Hard Way’ are upbeat anthems, while the darkness and negativity comes through in ‘I can’t keep my hands clean’ and both parts of ‘The Flick Of A Switch’. The peak of the album is its genius three-part closing suite ‘Spaceship Earth’, where the feelings of hope begin to flutter up and the boys really get to show off their composing chops on a progressive-rock movement.

Shikari played their first live show of the year in Manchester this week, making an intimate return to the 400-capacity venue Satan’s Hollow on the 9th of April. Their last show there in 2006 stuck with the members as a significant milestone in their ascent to the big leagues. Last night, they announced an April run of small-venue launch shows, which they promise will “give fans a unique experience to see the band up close and personal, and a chance to see the brand new songs live for the first time.” Then, they’re back on the road for their North American tour through the summer, before finishing in November for their Europe, UK and Ireland headlining dates.

‘Lose Your Self’ is out now on streaming platforms, as well as on physical releases available from their official sellers. Catch Enter Shikari touring the album this year on these dates:

April Release Shows:

• 21 – The Academy, Dublin
• 23 – The Cavern, Liverpool
• 24 – The Fighting Cocks, Kingston
• 25 – Signature Brew, London

November UK Tour With Holding Absence & The Callous Daoboys:

• 13 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
• 14 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
• 15 – Connexin Live, Hull
• 18 – Hydro, Glasgow
• 19 – Co-op Live, Manchester
• 20 – Alexandra Palace, London
• 21 – Alexandra Palace, London

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Opening its doors in 1931, it was a Georgian townhouse repurposed to fit three massive studios. A merger between The Gramophone Company and the Columbia Gramophone Company formed the Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI), giving the venue its former name of EMI Recording Studios. The first recording was made by Sir Edward Elgar, who led the London Symphony Orchestra to track his legendary piece ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.

Over the last 95 years, it’s been home to the biggest artists in world music. Studio Three has given rise to timeless records like Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side Of The Moon’, in addition to modern staples like Florence + The Machine’s ‘Ceremonials’ and Frank Ocean’s ‘Blond’. Studio One saw use for the biggest movie scores of all time, including John Williams’ Star Wars and Harry Potter soundtracks. Lastly, Studio Two became the most famous due to its contributions to records by The Beatles, Kate Bush, Oasis and Massive Attack.

EMI became a hub for innovation, pioneering echo-chamber systems and novel recording methods with an expert team of engineers. The past century has yielded defining sonic art across popular music, film scores, and game soundtracks, as well as mastering systems designed to give their signature mixing style to music recorded elsewhere. Their website lists a fascinating account of both the past, present and prospective future of the studios.

Following a six-month refurbishment break, Studio One reopened in April last year. Today, Abbey Road Studios announced that it would be the host to a one-off event, an ‘after hours’ rave headlined by electronic act Soulwax. The Belgian duo consists of brothers David and Stephen Dewaele, who perform under various other banners and pseudonyms together.

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The event will see Soulwax enter Studio Two on Thursday the 20th of February, where they will record new music and press it to vinyl on site, before playing it for the first time at the rave from 8PM to 1AM on Friday the 21st. Abbey Road are touting a new custom-made speaker setup in honour of the event, posting on their site that “’Abbey Road After Hours’ will see the first major outing of the DEEWEE Soundsystem, a unique speaker array based on the system at New York’s legendary Paradise Garage, which the Dewaele brothers acquired for their popular DEEWEE night.”

The poster for the event advertises Soulwax, in addition to the Dewaele brothers’ other project 2manydjs, as well as “special guests to be announced soon”. Tickets can be claimed by 300 lucky people for free through a public ballot system here, with Abbey Road also offering a “Soulwax rave hotline” on 07886 072699 for a chance of securing entry. The event will also be filmed and uploaded to YouTube on the 5th of March for those who miss out.

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This move aims to eliminate distractions and foster deeper connections between clubbers and DJs, allowing for a more authentic and engaging nightlife experience. According to the club’s founders, the policy has received overwhelming support, with many attendees praising the initiative for enhancing the communal energy of the dance floor.

Amber’s is not the first venue in the UK to enforce such a policy. Clubs like Berlin’s infamous Berghain have long maintained a strict no-phone rule, but similar approaches are now emerging across the UK. In London, Fabric has encouraged guests to minimize phone use, whilst Glasgow’s Sub Club has also experimented with no-camera policies to maintain a more organic clubbing environment.

@its.kmo_ Inside Berghain The most iconic building of Berlin about which everyone whispers tips how to get in. The easiest way is to visit one of the exhibition in Halle am Berghain #berlin #berghain #berlinart #exhibition ♬ C-Quence Of Calamities – Sedef Adasi Remix – BASHKKA

The rise of phone-free nightlife reflects a broader trend of nostalgia for the pre-smartphone club era, where music and human interaction were at the heart of the experience. As social media continues to shape nightlife culture, more venues may adopt this approach to create more intimate and memorable experiences for clubbers.

Cellphones & Social Media changed Partying & Club Life Globally. You see ppl on their phones, taking pics, texting & posting pics on social media. We DANCED in the 90’s. We sat at the BAR & had drinks w/Women & actually TALKED, then Danced again. The Club use 2B an experience. pic.twitter.com/NPmTjHOttU

— TonyDaDome (@TonyDaDome) February 19, 2022

Phones shouldn’t be allowed in clubs or bars. We should be there to meet NEW people, not text people we already know.

— Nēv Schulman (@NevSchulman) June 7, 2014

Whether Amber’s sets a lasting precedent for UK nightlife remains to be seen, but early reactions suggest that clubgoers are ready to put their phones away and get lost in the music once again.

FLASH WARNING LET’S RAVE pic.twitter.com/h1MSaiQD8J

— Charli (@charli_xcx) January 30, 2024

Joining Charli XCX on stage are the likes of A.G. Cook, George Daniel of The 1975, and Easyfun, with promises of more special guests to be revealed. The announcement came alongside a snippet of her new track, with a sneak preview of her upcoming album preliminarily referred to as ‘xcx6′, offering fans a glimpse into her ever-evolving artistic direction.

Scheduled for February 22, the highly anticipated Boiler Room event has already ignited speculation regarding its venue. While the location remains under wraps, rumours suggest a likely setting in London, these rumours beckoning the possibility of The Colour Factor in Hackney Wick. As excitement builds, tickets for Boiler Room events are notorious for being elusive due to their overwhelming popularity. Fans eager to attend can attempt to secure their spots by signing up for guest list access via the official Boiler Room website here.

In a recent text alert, Charli XCX personally invited fans to join the revelry, stating, “LET’S RAVE – BOILER ROOM 2/22. gonna play some stuff from the album. think i’m also giving away tickets later this week.” Those seeking updates and exclusive alerts can subscribe to text notifications by dialing ‘1-310-861-2831′, as advertised on the artist’s Twitter feed.

This marks Charli’s return to Boiler Room after her memorable live-streamed performance in 2020, where she showcased tracks from the pandemic-inspired album ‘how i’m feeling now.’ A groundbreaking project, the album was among the first major artist releases entirely crafted during the COVID-19 lockdown, reflecting 38 days of intense collaboration with her dedicated fanbase.

Charli XCX’s artistic endeavours extend beyond her solo career, as she is reportedly contributing to the upcoming Britney Spears album. Additionally, she recently announced her engagement to George Daniel, the drummer for the 1975 and her Boiler Room collaborator, via Instagram in November of last year.

Amidst her return to Boiler Room and engagement bliss, Charli XCX has also garnered a nomination for a BRIT Award in the Best Pop Act category, a testament to her enduring influence and innovation in the industry. Fans and industry insiders alike eagerly await Charli XCX’s resplendent return to the hallowed halls of Boiler Room on February 22.

Coming off an extremely busy festival season, DJing at some of the largest festivals in the UK and finishing a stint in Ibiza, this rising superstar has 2024 in his sights. Performing his signature mix of house, trance and rave music, Ben Hemsley is sure to excite.

He took to instagram to share his excitement, “Liverpool, I’m coming back for the biggest headline show I’ve ever done… 12,000 of you at the legendary Waterfront with me. You can’t beat this man. I feel so honoured to be a part of this ridiculous event. Without a doubt one of the best shows in the U.K. and we are gunna make it so special for yas.”

For Hemsley, the quick rise to stardom came after his legendary 2021 Creamfields set where he only performed due to another artist backing out because of COVID-19 restrictions. Since this set, he has often lauded Creamfields as the reason for his successes.

“Last year [Creamfields 2022] I ended up crying because of the love,” he stated on social media, “In 2021 my dream became reality and I went from playing shows in front of less than 100 people, once a month to selling out the biggest venues and doing shows around the world and then 2022 took it to another level.”

Ben Hemsley’s conquering of the rave circuit has continued in 2023 after a myriad of career defining moments. Hemsley’s first Ibiza residency saw the Geordie artist gain the opportunity to support monumental names in the electronic music arena: Eric Prydz at Hï Ibiza, and Calvin Harris at world famous Ushuaïa.

Ben has seen similar success and adoration. Manchester’s premiere club, and possibly one of the UK’s biggest raves, Warehouse Project, invited Ben Hemsley to headline their venue with his Connection tour. This show was the first to be announced for The Warehouse Project’s new season which sold-out.

Ben stated, “There’s a video of me in 2017, steaming after a night at Warehouse Project with my mates telling them I’d deadline it in 5 years… It might have taken 6 but on Friday I eventually did it and sold it out… Can’t thank you enough. A night I’ll remember forever.”

Tickets for The Waterfront festival can be found here.

His connection tour is ongoing and you can find the dates here:

27/10/2023 – Royal Highland Centre – Edinburgh
28/10 – The Telegraph Building – Belfast
11/11 – The Telegraph Building – Belfast
22/06/2024 – Liverpool Pier Head – Liverpool

dj sweet6teen, Ahadadream, Hannah Holland, Aloka, Nadine Noor, Niks, Retromigration Marie Malarie, and DJ Wawa are just some of the DJs also on this year’s bill. For the full line up see the poster above.

Doncaster-born London-based artist I.JORDAN will be one of the headliners and commented on Instagram that they “cannot wait”. The DJ, who has worked with Fred Again.., played sets worldwide, and appeared on the cover of NME and DJ Mag, is sure to deliver an unforgettable set. Watch their boiler room performance below:

The location of the festival will only be revealed to ticket holders. Currently, the final tier of tickets is on sale. For remaining tickets see here.

“We are gassed to announce this line-up,” The Field Maneuvers team wrote on Instagram and Twitter. “It’s our 10 year anniversary of surviving by the skin of our teeth so we thought we’d pull out all the stops… Some of our absolute FM die-hard favourites are making a return and we’ve got some names that we have admired from a distance making their debuts.”

FM2023 line-up lesssgo

It’s our 10 year anniversary of surviving by the skin of our teeth so we thought we’d pull out all the stops… Some of our FM die-hard favourites make a return and some names that we have admired for a while making FM debuts. pic.twitter.com/0N6X4JFmPq

— Field Maneuvers (@fieldmaneuvers) June 1, 2023

The organisers continued: “This party is a labour of love and to see the beautifully considered curation from each of our stage hosts come to fruition is a delight. Stage splits, exclusive b2bs and full takeover line-ups will all be revealed soon.” Several artists have shared their excitement on Twitter such as creative director at Rye Wax Rachel Williams who will be doing a takeover alongside other Rye Wax stars.

This will be my third year playing FM and maybe my 5th or 6th time attending! And I’m really excited to be doing our very own @Ryewax stage takeover Rye Wax All Stars + @yo_watson + @j_pdre + me + dj wawa is kinda the lineup of dreams no? https://t.co/Gm2ltOYZR3

— ambient babestation meltdown (@rachaelwilliams) June 1, 2023

DJ/producer Chrissy shared his joy at his spot on the bill writing “Coming back to the best rave on earth”.

Coming back to the best rave on earth FM 2023 I can’t waaaait https://t.co/9gy5dk8j2j — Chrissy (@chrissytrax) June 1, 2023

Bored Lord, aka Memphis-born multidisciplinary artist Daria Lourd, also wrote “see yall out on in the field”.

see yall out in the field https://t.co/WuAJOLYV1j

— Daria (@bored_lord) June 1, 2023

Last October, the Field Maneuvers organisers launched a Crownfunder page asking attendees and rave lovers to help save the independent festival after last year’s event failed to break even. Thankful the campaign received huge support from the community and the festival managed to reach its target of £40,000 before its deadline ensuring the future of the festival is safe.

Co-owned by Factory Records and Manchester heroes New Order, the club first opened its doors in 1982 and saw many long nights before closing its doors in 1997. The area was later converted into the Haçienda Apartments in 2002 and has not seen much action like the mad old days.

However, as reported in the Manchester Evening News, the 40th-anniversary celebration will see the club’s founder invite residents of the area to come and share in the revelry, with letters signed by Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), Aaron Mellor and James Masters.

The letter detailed; “The Hacienda is revered as part of both Manchester’s and the UK’s musical history, returning to the original site of the club for the 40th anniversary will be very special for everyone, undoubtedly enhancing the reputation of the building. As you might be aware, FAC51 The Hacienda celebrates its 40th anniversary in May 2022, having opened its doors in May 1982 to create the legacy which has given the apartments their unique heritage and history. Some might remember or may even have attended the event which we did for the 30th anniversary in 2012 which was much praised and this event will be generally similar to our previous event in the car park. All proceeds from the event are to be donated directly to charities.”

A similar bash was put on for the Haçienda’s dirty 30, which was attended by a who’s who of Manchester music royalty, including names such as Bez (Happy Mondays), Mark E Smith (The Fall), and the original Haçienda DJs Graeme Park, Dave Haslam, Jon DaSilva and Hewan Clarke.

The vast underground basement car park space hosted around 500 people and this next decade will bring a new crowd to relive the glory of days gone by. The letter continues that they hope; “enthusiastic about the event” and adds; “It will generate worldwide attention and media on the building and be a great event for all concerned.”

Any official dates are yet to be released however formerly “The events, which are named X1, X2 and X3, will take place in late May and early June.”, with extra sets taking place in Sankeys to cap off proceedings at the party 10 years ago.

Somewhat overwhelmed by the extent of the raves’ scale, and the rapidity with which they were organised, Manchester Police Assistant Constable Chris Skykes has said to the Manchester Evening News that the two events “came on us really quickly.” Responding to the ill-fated raves on their official Twitter account, @gmpolice, Greater Manchester Police have shared a link to a Statement in relation to gatherings across Greater Manchester last night. Establishing “these raves were illegal and I condemn them taking place – they were clearly a breach of Coronavirus legislation and guidelines, and have had tragic consequences,” Sykes proceeds to outline the present strain put upon Manchester Police in the current lockdown.

#Statement from Assistant Chief Constable Chris Sykes in relation to the raves the took place in #Carrington and #Oldham last night…https://t.co/yxqWf2Gjlj pic.twitter.com/pvwQGrUKsv

— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 14, 2020

“The gatherings were carefully monitored by officers but, like all forces,” he said, “we needed to balance the present public health emergency and our overall demand with ongoing incidents.” He was disheartened, also, by the violence with which “officers attempting to engage with participants of this gathering were met,” adding that “this is absolutely not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Our officers are working incredibly hard to keep people safe and should never be met with inexcusable violence whilst carrying out their duties.”

The statement ends with the Assistant Constable’s assertion that “our top priority will always be the safety of the public, who we are here to serve and protect,” and that the coronavirus is still a threat.

A lot of people were eager to attend the rave, after the night life has been shut down for weeks. 750 people signed up to the mailing list to request their entry to the event, but only 40 were lucky enough to experience it. For the party to happen, a lot of restrictions and rules had to be made. In order to keep it safe, people had to stay 2m apart at any time, except for those living in the same household, with a special area for the different households. Face masks and hand sanitizers were handed out, the DJ equipment had to be cleaned with antibacterial wipes on a regular basis. Even though a lot of people are excited to have found a legal way to party, some are critizing the idea: When mixmag first published the story and tweeted a link to it, one user replied: “This ain’t raving just sanitised and sterile. Illegals are the alternative now. Sad really but the way it is.”

This ain't raving just sanitised and sterile. Illegals are the alternative now. Sad really but the way it is.

— Craig (@CraigStirling14) June 5, 2020

Sets by artists such as Latmun, Ben Sterling and Dafs were featured. The rave took place as a part of a documentary which explores socially distanced events and parties in the UK and asks how the hospitality industry is going to adapt to new restrictions and rules.

To inform the local public that the event is indeed legal and was allowed by the council, signs were placed around the area to spread awareness. Nevertheless, some concerned locals still called the police multiple times. The organisers of Nitty told mixmag that permission documents were shown to the police and explained that the rave would be over by 10pm. According to the organisers, police were satisfied that everyone was taking care of the social distancing rules and allowed the party to continue, they also said “to have fun.” Organisers also told the magazine that they left absolutely no trace, they had bins everywhere to not leave any trash in the woods, as well as a fire extinguisher.

People are now hoping for more of those socially distanced raves in order to have some sort of party life again.