Somerset House’s Skate Lates
When: 16th November 2017 – 12th January 2018
Where: Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court, Somerset House, Strand, London WC2R 1LA
£: Tickets cost £17 (+ booking fee). Other sessions start from £7.50 (+ booking fee)
What is it?
Skate Lates, a series of evening events celebrating music from across the globe, will bring nightlife to the ice rink at Somerset House in London.
17 selected evenings throughout the season will feature a host of DJs, musicians and artists taking to the rink-side decks. Beyond the rink, unique musical installations and activities will take place on a number of evenings, including a pop-up record shop, live music, and unheard music for skaters.
From grime and hip-hop, to funk, soul and afrobeats, late skaters can enjoy an eclectic line-up of musical genres as they take to the ice. Several evenings will draw inspiration from Somerset House’s winter programme of contemporary culture. Field Day founders Eat Your Own Ears will pay homage to Somerset House’s free exhibition Hassan Hajjaj: La Caravane, a solo multimedia show of vibrant works by the British-Moroccan artist.
Manchester-based station Unity Radio will reflect on major winter exhibition North: Fashioning Identity, showcasing fresh and popular music from the city, and British-Ghanaian Somerset House Studios artist Larry Achiampong, whose special flag commission is flying over Somerset House, will also take to the decks as part of Skate Lates with sounds from West Africa.
Skate Lates will launch with an opening night presented by Peckham-based record shop and music venue Rye Wax, with guest DJs to get the party started.
Three leading industry insiders have been invited to hold three-day residencies at the rink-side decks. The first will be Eat Your Own Ears, who will kick-start their residency with an evening of vibrant North-African-inspired tracks. Continuing Somerset House’s winter celebration of the north of England, Mercury Prize nominees Wild Beasts (DJs) will present a special evening of their favourite tracks on 7th December, ahead of their final tour as a band next year. On 8th December, You’re A Melody, a popular night run by Sam Shepard (aka Floating Points), will bring soul and funk to the rink, with DJs reviving forgotten records for contemporary audiences.
The second residency will be from South London and New York based radio station Balamii, who will present three nights of upbeat mixes from 29th November to 1st December, showcasing the station’s diverse range of musical styles.
For the final residency, three acts programmed by Euphonica will come to Somerset House, sharing a range of local sounds and cultures. On 13th December, Manchester based station Unity Radio will take inspiration from exhibition North: Fashioning Identity, showcasing a blend of local electronic and urban artists. On 14th December, international record label BBE will present Disco Spectrum, an evening of soulful 70s records, drawing on 20 years’ dedication to disco re-issues. Finally, on 15th December, London’s Nice Up! Records will offer skaters a taste of reggae, dancehall and soca.
Last Night in Paris, a unique art collective with a focus on print as well as music, will adapt their popular Hotel Soirée series for the ice on 17th November, staging an evening of hip-hop.
On 22nd November, Soho-based vinyl specialists Phonica Records, will showcase a range of fresh sounds and classic records, with Somerset House Studios artist LoneLady joining their in-house DJs on the decks. There will also be a pop-up record stall stocked with vinyl from a wide selection of artists.
Down the Road, a project showcasing emerging UK music talent, will bring fresh sounds to Somerset House on 23rd November by international DJ Just Geo, as well as Kamakaze and Massapeals. Skaters will receive a mixtape of new music, created exclusively for this Skate Late by the artists.
On 24th November, Somerset House Studios artist Larry Achiampong will perform as his alter-ego Black Phoenix, bringing a feel of Africa to winter in the capital, with West African mixes alongside his own work.
Club night Supa Dupa Fly will bring its mix of ‘90s, ‘00s, hip-hop, R&B and garage to skaters on 5th January. DJ Emily Rawson, a monthly resident on BBC Radio 1Xtra, will take over the decks to help revellers kick off 2018 in style. And, to celebrate the end of Skate Lates, there will be a two-night closing party, complete with special guest DJs and performances.
Before each Skate Lates evening, visitors will be able to enjoy a unique sound installation created by Somerset House Studios artist Anna Meredith.
More info: www.somersethouse.org.uk