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14/7/08 Having stormed Rockness festival in June, the Rizla Arena is heading to The Big Chill festival (Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire, on 1st-3rd August) with a line-up that promises to put on a mammoth three-day party.
This year’s collective of party hosts; the Rizla Invisible Players, feature; Greg Wilson (Wigan Pier, Legends, Hacienda), Annie Nightingale (Radio One, Breakspoll), Justin Robertson (Lionrock, Spice, Most Excellent) and Kid Acne (Lex, Invisible Spies).
The bill features an exclusive UK Festival set from the legendary Chicago house legend Derrick Carter, who headlines the Rizla Arena on Saturday night and promises to be one of the highlights of the festival.

Other highlights include Richard Norris (Beyond the Wizard Sleeve), Horse Meat Disco, a Stuart Patterson Deviant set and the mighty Disco Bloodbath.

Confirmed line-up, Rizla Arena, The Big Chill, 2008:

Friday 1st August:

12 – 3: Heavenly Jukebox
3 – 4: Broader Than Broadway
4 - 5.30: Annie Nightingale
5.30 – 8: Richard Norris (Beyond the Wizards Sleeve / Time and Space Machine)
8 – 11: Greg Wilson (2020 Vision set)
11 – 2: Justin Robertson

Saturday 2nd August:

12 – 3: Heavenly Jukebox
3 – 6: Stuart Patterson (Deviant set)
6 – 9: Greg Wilson
9 – 12: Horse Meat Disco DJ’s
12 – 2: Derrick Carter

Sunday 3rd August:

12 – 3: Heavenly Jukebox
3 – 6: Kid Acne
6 – 8: Andy Blake (Dissident Records)
8 – 11: Disco Bloodbath
11 – 1: Greg Wilson (Credit to the Edit set)

The updated Rizla Arena features a 1920’s speakeasy inspired design, complete with musical van where the decks are based, creating the ideal space to chill during the day and party from late pm to early am.

The bar is set high for this year’s Rizla Arena having been described by punters in 2007 as; “The most amazing music in one of the most amazing settings I've ever been in. The Rizla area was without doubt the one place with a real club vibe happening. I was shaken*.”

Graeme Park voted his set at Rockness in Scotland among the top five sets he has ever played, confirmation if any was needed that the Rizla Arena is the place to party.

Playing from a unique musical van, a recreation of the original Rizla touring van of the 1920’s, The Invisible Players will play spontaneous and inspiring sets from a diverse record collection. There are no prepared set lists, just pure improvisation and the creation of a unique vibe in the Rizla Arena. The sound could vary from Dub, Electrofunk, Balearic, Hip Hop, Breakbeat to Northern Soul and Acid House – the roots of popular music as we know it.

Greg Wilson had this to say: "Last year was really special, the whole tour received such an energetic and positive reaction, culminating in the memorable finale at Bestival, undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2007 for me and the perfect way to top off the summer. Given the success of last year, and the anticipation that's built up towards this years dates, 2008 could be even better! Needless to say that I'm very much looking forward to playing in the Rizla van again."

2008 will see the Rizla Invisible Players play a series of club nights across the country as well as going to three of the UK’s best festivals. Rockness (6-8 June) Big Chill (1-3 August) and Bestival (5-7 September) will all play host to the Rizla Arena.

For more information visit http://www.rizla.co.uk/

Kid Acne Q&A:

How you got involved with the new Invisible Players project?

I know Andy Votel and Pete Fowler who did the Invisible Players last year and speak highly of it. They said it was good fun so when I was asked to do it I said yes!

Are you looking forward to hitting the festival circuit this summer?

Yes, more so now that I’ve met the other Invisible Players and realise exactly what I’ve been asked to do, which is play records. The project involves my art work in some capacity too.

So you’re an artist as well as a DJ?

I do illustration. I started painting graffiti in about 1991 when I was 12 and made fanzines and designed record labels from 1996 onwards. I also designed skateboards, flyers and t-shirts, and I’m designing some toys at the moment for Kid Robot in New York. The illustration work has come from doing the graffiti. I started as a teenager and came out the other side as a creative adult. I’m going more into Quentin Blake inspired work at the moment. Raw, single-line illustration.

How did you first get into Djing?

I started playing records at NY Sushi in Sheffield. I started there doing live graffiti then began to play records with my mates, doing tag team sessions. From this I started my own nights in Sheffield and now it’s turned into me playing live music more.

What inspired you to get in Djing?

I had a bunch of records and someone asked me to play them. Everything I do has happened because of a coming together of events and people, I never really planned any of it.

Does your music complement your artwork and vice versa?

The only thing that links the music and the artwork is that I do them. The project this summer though will be nice because I will incorporate both in some capacity and hopefully they will flatter one another.

What’s your take on the current music scene?

I’ve tended to listen to more and more old stuff and less new stuff. There are some new things that I’m interested in, but I really enjoy going back through hip hop and rave and finding a sample then going back further and finding the original artist. I’m as interested in someone like Tortoise as I am in Ghostface, for example.

Where is the most random place you’ve DJ'd?

I once played in a Chinese restaurant in Helsinki. It actually went really well, I got laid!

What are your festival survival tips?

Baby wipes, air bed, waterproof tent, someone who can drive, generous mates and disposable barbecues. The best thing to do is just drink through it. Plug yourself up on meat, drink lots of snakebite then worry about it when you get home.

www.myspace.com/kidacne123


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