Mention Sway’s name and people start getting excited. Derek Safo was destined for greatness from the moment he used his school’s kit to produce tracks for local artists. Realising he could do just as good himself, he soon put his immense musical talent to work at open mic nights across London.

Combining college, work and producing music in his bedroom studio payed off when his track On My Own found its way to the A list of newly launched 1Xtra. Sway DaSafo was high on the radar of esteemed taste-makers like Tim Westwood and DJ Semtex and has stayed there ever since, treating audiences to magnificent appearances at events such as last year’s 1Xtra Soundclash.

In 2004 he established his own label, Dcypha Productions, which produced the hugely influential debut This Is My Demo featuring the single Flo Fashion. He went on to record several mix tapes on Akon’s Konvict Muzik record label, winning MOBO and BET awards plus collaborating with a variety of artists from Chamillionaire, Mr Hudson, The Streets, Kaiser Chiefs and Stanton Warriors.

New single Level Up is taken from the eagerly awaited album The Deliverance. With sharp, witty lyrics, complete control over his recordings and a strong belief in the power of good music, come watch the past, present and future of hip hop as Sway triumphantly performs in June.

Stooshe are pretty much the model modern pop band – charismatic and funny, but polite and hard-working. All three members (Karis, Courtney and Alex) write their own material and have been whipping up a bit of a storm with their infectiously catchy, very sweary and distinctly British brand of urban pop. A support slot on a tour with N-Dubz and a free download (The Stoosh Tape) generated a lot of buzz and before long the trio were paired with producer Futurecut (Wretch 32, Lily Allen, Prof. Green, Plan B) and had landed a deal with Warners.

Although unsigned, Danny Shah is causing major excitement in the music industry after the video of his single WE ARE CONNECTED attracted artists like Rihanna, Katy Perry, David Guetta and Justin Bieber to appear in it and received over 20,000 views in the first day. Chris Moyles & Andi Peters have been fueling the hype of this very talented artist.

‘Far From the Maddening Crowds’ was the debut album from Chicane when Nick first burst onto the scene back in 1997. Featuring ‘Offshore’, the album has since become unavailable and is now highly sought after.

Chicane was later cast further into the public consciousness in 1999 with the release of the epic ‘ Saltwater’ which featured Maire Brennan of Clannad. Then in 2000 with the number 1 smash hit ‘Don’t Give Up’ featuring the gravely vocal tones of legendary rocker Bryan Adams, Nick found himself a regular fixture on radio. The release of his second album ‘Behind the Sun’ followed reaching the Top 10 and becoming a major success across Europe.

The Chicane concept is one of a nomadic band which doesn’t conform to the traditional approach of having a single lead singer, working with many different artists and producers. It is a common mistake to think Nick is a DJ – he is actually the writer and producer within the band and the hub of all the live performances.

Aside from his own projects, Nick took time out to lend his famed production talents to a string of other artists, including co-writing and producing tracks for Cher’s ‘Living Proof’ album. He performed remixes for the likes of ‘Everything but the Girl’, ‘BT’ and also wrote and produced a song for previous collaborator Bryan Adams called ‘Eastside Story’ which would later appear on Adams’ ‘Room Service’ album.

With the impending release of the third Chicane album in 2003, Nick suffered a major setback when he became a victim of internet bootlegging. “Amongst many others a wretched character in Russia was peddling my wares on his personal website, rendering two years of work completely useless” explains Nick.”I was not best pleased”.

Chicane returned in 2006 with a new sound. ‘Stoned in Love’ , the first single to be taken from forthcoming album ‘Somersault’, is not so much a departure but in many ways an evolution of the classic Chicane sound. Although the dance element is still alive and well, the track displays a new rock/indie edge and signals a change in direction towards more ‘song based’ tracks incorporating strong melodies. It also features the unmistakable voice of Tom Jones.

For years Chicane has tended to be pigeon holed as a dance act, however the current live show and new material confirm that Chicane is far more diverse with the band continuing to push the boundaries of electronic music live.

Over the years the Chicane live experience has travelled far and wide, from the relative sanity of London’s Islington Academy, to the vastness of Moscow’s Red Square. An appearance at the The World Trade Centre in Manila in 2006 was a similarly bizarre experience. “It was a great gig” Nick reminisces. “Thousands of fans watching us become dehydrated and shriveling into little more than cornflakes on stage in the unbearable heat”.

2007 saw the release of Chicane’s third album ‘Somersault’, and the first single taken from that album – ‘Come Tomorrow’, along with many more crazy gigs around the world.

In 2008, Chicane was set to have two further major collaborations – resulting in the single “Bruised Water” featuring Natasha Bedingfield (blending elements of ‘Saltwater’ with the vocals of “I Bruise Easily”) and “Wake Up” featuring Keane.

These tracks and the myriad other classics were all brought together in October 2008 with the release of “Chicane – Best Of (1996-2008)” – a carefully-selected compilation of the very finest Chicane cuts from those 12 years of music.

Live work has been Chicane’s strong point and continues to be as varied as ever to this day, with bookings for the Red Bull F1 Team in Singapore and for Diesel Jeans’ 30th Anniversary. Chicane has toured worldwide; Australia, Russia, Europe, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Ukraisne , Africa, Scandinavia, Singapore, and of course the UK. North Wales will be their destination on Saturday 18th August at Glass Butter Beach. WATCH CHICANE LIVE and you’ll get an idea of what a treat we have lined up!

The career of DJ Grandmaster Flash began in the Bronx with neighborhood block parties that essentially were the start of hip-hop—the dawn of a musical genre. He was the first DJ to physically lay his hands on the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward or counterclockwise motion, when most DJs simply handled the record by the edges, put down the tone arm, and let it play. Those DJs let the tone arm guide their music, but Flash marked up the body of the vinyl with crayon, fluorescent pen, and grease pencil—and those markings became his compass.

He invented the Quick Mix Theory, which included techniques such as the double-back, back-door, back-spin, and phasing. This allowed a DJ to make music by touching the record and gauging its revolutions to make his own beat and his own music. Flash’s template grew to include cuttin’, which, in turn, spawned scratching, transforming, the Clock Theory and the like. He laid the groundwork for everything a hip hop DJ can do with a record today, other than just letting it play. What we call a DJ today is a role that Flash invented.

By the end of the 70s, Flash had started another trend that became a hallmark of hip-hop: emcees asked to rap over his beats. Before long, he started his own group, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Their reputation grew up around the way the group traded off and blended their lyrics with Flash’s unrivaled skills as a DJ and his acrobatic performances—spinning and cutting vinyl with his fingers, toes, elbows, and any object at hand.

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five went Platinum with their single, “The Message.” Meanwhile, the single “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” introduced hip hop DJing to a larger listening audience than it had ever known before; it became the first DJ composition to be recorded by a DJ. The group’s fame only grew with “Superappin,” “Freedom,” “Larry’s Dance Theme,” and “You Know What Time It Is.” Punk and new wave fans were introduced to Flash through Blondie, who immortalized him in their hit, “Rapture.”

The rock n’ roll establishment also recognized Flash with an honor no one else in hip hop has received: Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip hop group ever inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Flash is also the only hip hop DJ to ever receive that honor.

By the time the 90s rolled around, Flash was hand picked by Chris Rock to spend five years as the music director for his groundbreaking HBO series, The Chris Rock Show. More recently, Flash has played for audiences as large as the Super Bowl and as elite as Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Today, Flash has a weekly show on Sirius Radio, The Flash Mash on Hot Jams 50. The show is a kaleidoscopic mash-up of Flash’s tastes, spanning just about any genre from just about any corner of the world; it airs on Saturdays from 5-8pm.

On top of his induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Flash has been the recipient of many awards, including VH1 Hip Hop Honors; The Icon Award from BET in honor of his contribution to hip hop as a DJ; The Lifetime Achievement Award from the RIAA; and Bill Gates’ Vanguard Award.

Although Flash has been in the business for many years, he shows no sign of slowing down: this coming year promise, a new album, and he will began his descent from the analog vinyl world of DJing to enter the digital world of DJing. His DJ application of choice will be “Traktor Scratch” by Native Instruments.

Grandmaster Flash’s memoirs, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash – My Life My Beats is slated to hit bookstores on June 10. The book is penned by David Ritz, author of both Marvin Gaye’s and Ray Charles’ biographies. In this extraordinary book, Grandmaster Flash sets down Hip Hop history,sharing for the first time his personal and difficult life story—along with no small amount of wisdom and experience.

The Smithsonian Museum of American History in honor of Black History Month has opened its exhibit RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture that Grandmaster Flash along with other hip hop artist such as LL Cool J, Erykah Badu and Common will be featured. The exhibition opened on February 8 and will be throughout October 8, 2008.

LISTEN TO WHITE LINES and LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE

Forget fast tracking via X Factor only to flop a year down the line – Charlotte O’Connor is somewhat of a rarity in this day and age; someone who has put in the work to create an album that she truly believes in. “I’ve been singing since I was really young but I started taking it seriously when I was 15,” she explains. “My dad could see how passionate I was about music so he booked guitar lessons behind my back. I definitely owe him one as I got addicted straight away. I became a total music geek.”

Despite her folky, soulful sound, Charlotte admits that her musical influences are far reaching. Growing up in Blackburn with a half-Malawian/half-Indian mum and an Irish father, she was exposed to all kinds of sounds. “My dad was in the Merseybeats for a while and he was even on Top of the Pops. He was very involved in the Liverpool music scene, so he has taught me a lot. And on my mum’s side were the old soul records she used to love playing. I take so many different genres on board, but my own sound is romantic and fun, with a lot of energy. When I’m on stage it’s almost theatrical.. My mum took me to my first concert to see Alicia Keys and I was enthralled by her performance – watching her on stage I knew that was where I wanted to be.”

The now 21-year-old has since become a global ambassador for Quiksilver, and last autumn she embarked on a tour which saw her perform at Quiksilver stores across the continent, as well as everywhere from the Quiksilver Pro New York in Long Island to Quiksilver Pro France in Hossegor, South-West France. “I’ve been working with Quiksilver since I was 16 when I became an ambassador for Quiksilver Woman’s. They have seen me grow and they’re so supportive. They’re not trying to make me into something generic.”

As well as performing for Quiksilver worldwide, Charlotte has supported a number of high-profile artists, including Newton Faulkner, James Morrison, The Script and Lissie, and is already a firm favourite with the likes of Radio Two and MTV.

After several rollercoaster years, Charlotte is finally one hundred percent ready to unleash For Kenny in all of its melodic glory onto the public. “It’s taken a little while but I believe that everything happens for a reason and I feel like the time is right. I’ve learnt so much and I’m so happy with the album. It’s exactly how I’ve imagined it since I was five years old. The most important thing for me throughout this whole process is that I stayed true to myself. And I know I have.”

CHICANE is well known for many huge singles played out in clubs & festivals all over the world. The singles “Offshore”, a massive Ibiza dance anthem included in many compilations ; “Saltwater”, which featured vocals by Clannad member Máire Brennan and is one of the most well-known and popular singles of the trance genre; and the UK number-one hit “Don’t Give Up”, featuring vocals by Bryan Adams, which became a top ten hit on singles charts across Europe.

To get a sample of what you can expect on Glass Butter Beach’s main open air stage when they play live overlooking a ‘sun-kissed’ crowd & the stunning Cardigan Bay. Click here to WATCH CHICANE LIVE

GRANDMASTER FLASH. There are lots of stories about the birth of jazz and the beginning of rock n’ roll, but hip-hop has founding fathers: one of them is DJ Grandmaster Flash. The career of DJ Grandmaster Flash began in the Bronx with neighborhood block parties that essentially were the start of hip-hop—the dawn of a musical genre. He was the first DJ to physically lay his hands on the vinyl and manipulate it in a backward, forward or counterclockwise motion, when most DJs simply handled the record by the edges, put down the tone arm, and let it play. Those DJs let the tone arm guide their music, but Flash marked up the body of the vinyl with crayon, fluorescent pen, and grease pencil—and those markings became his compass.

To get your fix of Grandmaster Flash and understand how much he’s going to rock GBB.12 then LISTEN TO WHITE LINES and also LISTEN TO THE MESSAGE

CHARLOTTE O’CONNOR is somewhat of a rarity in this day and age; someone who has put in the work to create an album that she truly believes in. The 21-year-old is a global ambassador for Quiksilver, and last autumn she embarked on a tour which saw her perform at Quiksilver stores across the continent, as well as everywhere from the Quiksilver Pro New York in Long Island to Quiksilver Pro France in Hossegor, South-West France. “I’ve been working with Quiksilver since I was 16 when I became an ambassador for Quiksilver Woman’s. They have seen me grow and they’re so supportive. They’re not trying to make me into something generic.”

As well as performing for Quiksilver worldwide, Charlotte has supported a number of high-profile artists, including Newton Faulkner, James Morrison, The Script and Lissie, and is already a firm favourite with the likes of Radio Two and MTV. So picture this. You at GBB.12, on our beach, with your friends, in the sun, sipping a cocktail with your toes dipped in the lush Cardigan Bay. WATCH CHARLOTTE O’CONNOR and imagine it now!

THE KICKBACKS are a three piece acoustic band, originating from Abersoch, North Wales. Formed back in 2009 they have since been gathering a following through playing gigs locally and in the North West of England. Aaron, Tom and Sam are three friends who have grown up together so they have a natural feel for the music they are creating which is a new sound they like to call Rockska blues.

Influences vary from bands such as Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones and AC/DC to more modern bands such as The Black Keys, Kings Of Leon, Sublime and Seasick Steve. The band’s sound combines a mixture of Rock, Ska and Blues which in turn creates a unique style of music that carries it’s self well without the use of percussion. Their sound really shines through in their live shows where their rock/bluesy rhythms get you on your feet in no time. LISTEN TO THE KICKBACKS

STOOSHE are on fire at the moment. After making the BBC Acts of 2012 list they have since released their first single LOVE ME that went straight into the UK charts top 10 and received massive airplay through every major radio station & Music TV. Their album is due out in June and 2nd single soon after.

Stooshe are pretty much the model modern pop band – charismatic and funny, but polite and hard-working. All three members (Karis, Courtney and Alex) write their own material and have been whipping up a bit of a storm with their infectiously catchy, very sweary and distinctly British brand of urban pop. A support slot on a tour with N-Dubz and a free download (The Stoosh Tape) generated a lot of buzz and before long the trio were paired with producer Futurecut (Wretch 32, Lily Allen, Prof. Green, Plan B) and had landed a deal with Warners.

WATCH STOOSHE ‘LOVE ME’

SWAY is a hugely successful UK hip hop artist with a string of awards to his name. His latest single LEVEL UP is currently in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart & joins a whole stack of huge singles that Sway has released in the past. Mention Sway’s name and people start getting excited. Derek Safo was destined for greatness from the moment he used his school’s kit to produce tracks for local artists. Realising he could do just as good himself, he soon put his immense musical talent to work at open mic nights across London.

Combining college, work and producing music in his bedroom studio payed off when his track On My Own found its way to the A list of newly launched 1Xtra. Sway DaSafo was high on the radar of esteemed taste-makers like Tim Westwood and DJ Semtex and has stayed there ever since, treating audiences to magnificent appearances at events such as last year’s 1Xtra Soundclash. In 2004 he established his own label, Dcypha Productions, which produced the hugely influential debut This Is My Demo featuring the single Flo Fashion. He went on to record several mix tapes on Akon’s Konvict Muzik record label, winning MOBO and BET awards plus collaborating with a variety of artists from Chamillionaire, Mr Hudson, The Streets, Kaiser Chiefs and Stanton Warriors.

Click here to WATCH SWAY ‘LEVEL UP’

DANNY SHAH is the next challenger for the hotly contested crown of acoustic king of Scotland. Formally of heavy metal band The Detours, Danny decided to go it alone in his quest for indie stardom, and seems to have come up trumps.

Although unsigned, Danny Shah is causing major excitement in the music industry after the video of his single WE ARE CONNECTED attracted artists like Rihanna, Katy Perry, David Guetta and Justin Bieber to appear in it and received over 20,000 views in the first day. Chris Moyles & Andi Peters have been fueling the hype of this very talented artist.

Click here to WATCH DANNY SHAH ‘CONNECTED’

Everyone that buys their tickets on the first day of sale goes into a draw to win 5 packs of signed albums from some of the acts performing at GBB.12, and for 1 lucky winner, you”ll get to go back stage and enjoy a meet and great with the festival headliner and other acts on the bill.

Tickets will be available through HMV, Ticketscript or via the Glass Butter Beach Abersoch Office, with full details being made available on Tuesday.

We’ve got so much to announce over the coming months, and we’re going to enjoy telling you about everything we have lined-up for you for this years festival. Don’t miss out, it’s gonna be epic!

Friday 17th & Saturday 18th August, with the stunning campsite opening at 2pm on the Thursday (17th) and closing 2pm on the Sunday (19th). This new date also allows us to plan a much stronger event with a great line-up coming together. The fairground is booked along with a whole host of pimping entertainment to get you reveling in the summer beach festival vibe. The new steps to the festivals own beach are being built as we speak and we’ve got some great plans for the beach bar & stage.

As for the action sport side of GBB.12! We’ve got a whole host of big names to add to your extreme sports eye candy and of course you’ll have the chance to get involved again yourselves. The sun has promised to give everyone deep tans this weekend too, so get the sun cream ordered now!

We’ve got a lot to announce over the coming weeks as we run up to tickets going on general sale on Monday 2nd April. Keep checking the website for all the news.

GBB.12 is going to rock!