DJ/Producer Charlie Hedges is no stranger to the big stage as she has performed to thousands of clubbers and fans across the world at parties like Sundance Festival, and on her home turf in the UK at iconic venues like Electric Brixton, the Ministry of Sound and Pacha, where she had a residency. Charlie’s also played to the festival scene at some of the biggest festivals including Global Gathering, V Festival, Wireless and the Isle of White Festival. She is currently in the middle of her first UK #CharlieSays tour with dates in Ibiza this summer.
When she's not performing she presents the Skiddle ‘Weekends Matter’ podcast each month featuring guests like Max Chapman, Josh butler and 99 Souls, and she has her own monthly podcast on all British Airways flights worldwide. Charlie is also getting ready for her debut release which will be out on July 8th on Armada Deep. There are a lot of big things to come from Charlie Hedges.
Instead of a traditional interview or guest mix, we decided to do things a little different and have Charlie Hedges review some popular tracks. I hand selected the 10 tracks for her to review which are mostly of the house variety. There is even a wildcard pick as well as a classic track to spice it up even more. This is something exciting and unique by getting her own thoughts and opinions on fellow DJ/Producers tracks. I hope you all enjoy and be sure to support Charlie by following her on social media (see links below).
Joe Stone – Man Enough
You can always rely on Joe Stone making a decent house track. At the time of writing, this one was currently #2 in the Beatport charts and rightly so. I think it makes for an amazing crossover from club to radio and if you guys are wondering where you've heard this before it’s a rework of Tony Braxton's classic ‘He Wasn't Man Enough'.
The Magician – Shy
The one thing you can guarantee with any Magician production is that it’ll be a) Catchy and b) Bouncy – and guess what? ‘Shy' is 100% both of those. I love how uplifting it is and contagious with its vocals. Can you expect to hear this in Ibiza this year? Definitely.
SNBRN – Raindrops
This tune just screams ‘summer’ to me. It's fresh-sounding and catchy, and I can easily imagine hearing it blasting out of people's car radios and on the beach! This is probably a little more commercial than I would play in my club sets, but it’s perfect for the next day’s chill out.
Oliver Heldens & Throttle – Waiting
True to form you can hear the Oliver Heldens sound coming through with his noticeable piano stabs and another amazing vocal. I think this one has got a bit of a new disco sound to it too which could easily become a big summer sound. It’s interesting to listen to this compared with his new track – Space Sheep. He really does know how to tick boxes in every style.
Kaskade & CID – US
I absolutely LOVE the drop on this one, such a tune! With Grammy-nominated artist Kaskade, you just know you're always going to get something that’s of the highest level of quality, and with a strong list of remixes including one from Doorly, this release is definitely up there with my favorites this month.
Max Chapman – How I Work
A slightly deeper, techy sound, Max Chapman absolutely smashes the groove on this one. The UK producer has been knocking out so many stellar productions this year, including an artist album – put How I Work in an underground venue in Ibiza at 4am and this track sits perfectly amongst it.
Michael Woods – Take My Love
Hands down one of my favorite DJs and producers, this is just an AMAZING take on a classic. It's upbeat, new-sounding and brings the original come to life again on a tribal house tip – not many remixes I believe get way with that, especially if the original was so good. I love this and can't wait to play it out in a club as part of my UK #CharlieSays tour!
GotSome – Colours
This is a bit of a filthy bassline banger from GotSome! It’s got the lot – squelchy bass, and amazing breakdown which really draws you in, and then that drop… Again, another track for the more underground nights, get your bass face on: I love it!
Classic Track: Frankie Knuckles – Your Love
There’s not much more to say about this other than it’s a genuine classic! The Frankie Knuckles version of this track came out in 1987 and brings back so many memories to any oldskool ravers, being played in Chicago Nightclubs all those years ago. It’s one of those tracks that send shivers when you hear the tell-tale riff at the start – don’t pretend like it doesn’t!
Wild Card: AC Slater – Jack Got Jacked (Jack Beats Remix)
Ok, this one’s a bit of a curveball! It's not something I would play out in clubs personally but it's a massive tune with that oldskool house vibe, a seriously heavy bassline which I love, and a track good enough to get anyone on the dance floor. This one was one of those tracks that came out and was like nothing else – very much a ‘wtf is that’ kinda sound! Big!
A big Thank You to Charlie Hedges for taking the time to review these tracks. Be sure to support her by following her on social media and check her out if she comes to a city near you (click here for tour dates).
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