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Northern Bass is the New Year’s Eve dance event everyone raves about, especially drum and bass (DnB), and jungle fans.
This year, the festival has some of the most exciting names in electronica from Aotearoa and around the world, who will converge on Worsfold Farm in Kaiwaka to farewell 2024 and welcome in 2025.
Established over a decade ago, this is now New Zealand’s premier electronic dance music (EDM) festival and it’s being held right here in Rodney, about a 20-minute drive from Mangawhai.
It’s guaranteed to be one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties in the country.
Festival director Gareth Popham says they are incredibly excited to bring such a talented line-up to Northern Bass this year.
“Despite last year’s weather challenges, the spirit and energy of our attendees and performers were unmatched. We can’t wait to create more unforgettable memories together,” he said.
Indeed the line-up is so strong that it seems even old-school UK DnB pioneer Roni Size can’t get his name in bold on the festival flyer.
EDM fans on social media posted that with so many superstars appearing at Northern Bass there wouldn’t be anyone left to play at other NYE gigs.
Meanwhile some of the older dance devotees were trying to organise babysitters for the three days.
If you’re looking for a three-day party bookended by bangers with big beats and tunes man, make the pilgrimage to Northern Bass this New Year’s Eve.
What: Northern Bass
When: Sunday, December 29 – Wednesday, January 1
Where: Worsfold Farm in Kaiwaka
https://northernbass.flicket.co.nz
Northen Bass must-sees
A.M.C and Phantom
UK-based founder of DnB label Titan Records and winner of Best DJ in the world at the Drum&BassArena Awards three years in row (2019 to 2021), A.M.C (Alex Mark Calvert) is famous for his four-deck sets and technical mastery of the genre. He’ll be dropping energetic DnB to get the dancefloor moving with his partner-in-crime and hype man, the renowned MC Phantom.
Bou and B Live 247
Bou is a Manchester producer and DJ, who has quickly made a name for himself flying the flag for the new generation of DnB artists with his unique beats, thumping bass and frenetic sounds. He teamed up with B Live 247 aka MC Evil B post-lockdown in the UK and the duo has been lighting up the DnB scene ever since.
EMWA
Under her moniker EMWA, Kiwi producer and DJ Emma Davies has seen her star continue to rise. Her debut single Crush dropped in 2021 and charted alongside some of her heroes’ tracks reaching number 38 on the Dubstep Beatport Top 100. EMWA’s idiosyncratic sets with her signature basslines have also been getting a lot of attention and are only getting stronger – unmissable!
Hybrid Minds and Tempza
English production duo and DJ partnership Hybrid Minds have been the poster boys of the DnB renaissance since they started putting out music back in 2011. But they’re not just doing DnB – they’re famous for embracing an eclectic mix of musical styles, which has endeared them to EDM audiences across Europe. They’ll be joined by MC Tempza for a set that is sure to deliver dance classics and fan favourites alongside fresh releases.
Lee Mvtthews
Introducing one of Aotearoa’s preeminent DnB acts, the award-winning Lee Mvtthews (Tom Lee and Graham Matthews). Featuring the vocals of UK acts Degs and Phantom and NZ legend Tiki Taane, their second album ‘Exit’ came out in March, 2024 and reached number seven on the New Zealand Top 40 Album Charts. Unsurprisingly they’re a firm favourite on the NZ festival circuit – so check out their set and support local!
Shy FX and MC Rage
Legendary London producer and DJ Andre “Shy FX” Williams has, just quietly, been one of the most influential DnB and jungle producers of the last 30 plus years. His debut record “Jungle Love” came out in 1992 and he hasn’t missed a beat since, starting the Digital Soundboy label and pushing the boundaries of the genre decade after decade. Don’t miss him as he teams up with American musician, former hardcore producer and present day hype man MC Rage.
