MPHO.WAV Releases Two Singles Ahead of The Wav

<p> </p><h3><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><b> UPCOMING RELEASE | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  </b></span></h3><h1><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Think In Electronic  | MPHO.WAV Releases Two New Singles Ahead of Sophomore Album</span></h1><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div trbidi="on"><span><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald;"><i>Featuring Thakzin and Nelia on “Morwa Masingilo” and Shimza on “Mamano”, the South African producer’s latest releases offer a preview of his upcoming album, The Wav. </i></span></h2><div><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKX4GH-Ru-X3btO8uOB3mYap9seZ7i3Z3Bwim6-cpErlk-Xb8bV2EwCG6PdptpmotMljVuPLQqXCws3naAScoJCOUAqs1syTU8fAGuuebe_4Eob1csl69u_D7W-QphMH4SXn_W2TYNnUvB4sv6Cj2ZTkc-HMen9_65JvHjEW9DH9muSUP8KaSbT8DJmaO/s2000/MPHO.WAV_THE_WAV_ALBUM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="MPHO.WAV releases Morwa Masingilo with Thakzin and Nelia and Mamano with Shimza ahead of his album The Wav." border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="2000" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKX4GH-Ru-X3btO8uOB3mYap9seZ7i3Z3Bwim6-cpErlk-Xb8bV2EwCG6PdptpmotMljVuPLQqXCws3naAScoJCOUAqs1syTU8fAGuuebe_4Eob1csl69u_D7W-QphMH4SXn_W2TYNnUvB4sv6Cj2ZTkc-HMen9_65JvHjEW9DH9muSUP8KaSbT8DJmaO/s1600-rw/MPHO.WAV_THE_WAV_ALBUM.png" /></a></div><br /><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: justify;">South African producer, DJ and vocalist MPHO.WAV has released two new singles, “Morwa Masingilo” with Thakzin and Nelia, and “Mamano” with Shimza. Both tracks arrived on 9 October ahead of his forthcoming sophomore album, <em>The Wav</em>, scheduled for release on 30 November 2026 via Platoon.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The two collaborations explore different themes, with Xitsonga phrases providing a central thread between the releases.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">On “Morwa Masingilo”, MPHO.WAV joins forces with Thakzin and Nelia for a track inspired by the celebration of new life. The idea came from a TikTok video showing Nelia surrounded by family and friends celebrating the birth of a child.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rjDrkJAa8uI" width="320" youtube-src-id="rjDrkJAa8uI"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Its central phrase, “Amutaswivona kwe!”, translates to “Behold, a new generation is born”, reflecting the collective joy of welcoming a new arrival. The track brings together African rhythmic influences and an uplifting electronic sound.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />“Mamano”, meanwhile, sees MPHO.WAV collaborate with Shimza on a more dance-floor-focused production. Built around the Xitsonga phrase “Teka Mamano!”, meaning “Here, take it”, the track combines vocal chants, driving rhythms and an energetic drop.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The collaboration also brings together MPHO.WAV and an artist he has long admired. Shimza has built an international profile through his DJ performances and contributions to South Africa’s electronic music scene.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A67NHFabibA" width="320" youtube-src-id="A67NHFabibA"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The singles follow MPHO.WAV’s debut album, <em>Book of Wav</em>. His music draws on Afro-house, deep house, jazz, soul and gospel, influences he continues to explore as he prepares to release his second full-length project.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />With <em>The Wav</em> due next month, “Morwa Masingilo” and “Mamano” introduce two collaborations from the forthcoming album, bringing together different creative perspectives within South Africa’s electronic music landscape.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />Both singles are available now on major digital streaming platforms. <em>The Wav</em> arrives on 30 November 2026 via Platoon.</div></span></div></span></div></div></div></div>

MPHO.WAV Releases Two Singles Ahead of The Wav

   UPCOMING RELEASE | THINK IN ELECTRONIC   Think In Electronic  | MPHO.WAV Releases Two New Singles Ahead of Sophomore Album Featuring Thak...

DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2026: The Real Ranking

<p> </p><h3><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><b> NEWS | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  </b></span></h3><h1><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Think In Electronic  | DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2026: Does It Still Matter?</span></h1><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" trbidi="on"><div trbidi="on"><span><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald;"><i>David Guetta is No.1 again. Black Coffee is No. 14. Shimza  makes his debut at No. 75. But after 33 years, what is the DJ Mag Top 100 actually measuring?</i></span></h2></span><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznNYnuC2oWU1-UcyM-fUp_rfNPGvyH8RlXDKVeU2oAX2PLBwbqj0ggaHa9NqGRbPuS5nL-5gI-cO7l19sCqeS3wmm5FYeIPBauAeWgWFLIKVy_6B6kuV7kKzGq9VWYepBV8P067PhCi1ozoFxrPL-UOFgtTZIXuWBmt-D-C7zFi_LpI-SJOgqd5Ay8SLb/s1440/dj_mag_top_100_2026.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2026 ranking featuring David Guetta, Black Coffee and Shimza" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgznNYnuC2oWU1-UcyM-fUp_rfNPGvyH8RlXDKVeU2oAX2PLBwbqj0ggaHa9NqGRbPuS5nL-5gI-cO7l19sCqeS3wmm5FYeIPBauAeWgWFLIKVy_6B6kuV7kKzGq9VWYepBV8P067PhCi1ozoFxrPL-UOFgtTZIXuWBmt-D-C7zFi_LpI-SJOgqd5Ay8SLb/s1600-rw/dj_mag_top_100_2026.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Here we go again. The DJ Mag Top 100 has landed, <b><i>David Guetta</i></b> is No. 1 for a record sixth time, and the annual debate has already begun. <b><i>Martin Garrix</i></b> is No. 2, <b><i><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2026/05/anyma-aeden-shanghai-review-setlist-social-media-crowd.html" target="_blank">Anyma</a></i></b> jumps to No. 3, <b><i>Charlotte de Witte</i></b> is No. 6, <b><i>Armin van Buuren</i></b> No. 7 and <b><i>FISHER</i></b> No. 9. <b><i>Black Coffee </i></b>moves up three places to No. 14, while <b><i>Shimza</i></b> makes his debut at No. 75.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The strange thing about the list is how quickly those numbers become treated as fact. Is Black Coffee really the 14th-best DJ in the world? Is Shimza 75th? Has Anyma genuinely become seven places “better” than he was last year?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There isn't really a way to answer that. A DJ set isn't a measurable competition, and what makes one artist exceptional can have very little to do with what makes another one work. The Top 100 doesn't attempt to solve that either. It is a public vote, with fans choosing five DJs, and this year votes came from 234 territories.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That becomes more revealing when you look at the movement. Fred again.. climbs 17 places to No. 16. John Summit, Mau P and CHRIS STASSY each jump 22 places, while The Martinez Brothers rise to No. 28. At the other end, Eric Prydz falls 25 places and Vini Vici drops 39. New names including Josh Baker, Mahmut Orhan, Prospa, Cloonee, Joseph Capriati, Sonny Fodera and KI/KI also make their way into the list.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It's difficult to read those changes as a scoreboard of DJ ability. They make much more sense as a picture of where audiences are putting their attention.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That is particularly interesting for South Africa. Black Coffee remains inside the top 20, while Shimza's first appearance puts another South African artist on the global list. South Africa was also one of the biggest voting countries in Africa, alongside Algeria and Morocco.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is also a more practical reason artists still care about where they land. A Top 100 placing travels well. It works in a biography, a press release or a booking pitch, giving promoters an immediate sense of an artist's profile. It doesn't tell them what will happen when the DJ actually plays, but it does tell them there is already an audience behind the name.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Which brings us back to Guetta.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Whether he is the world's best DJ is almost beside the point. More than four decades into his career, he is still selling out major shows, holding two Ibiza residencies and drawing audiences on a scale most artists can only dream of. His three sold-out Stade de France shows this year moved more than 240,000 tickets.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The number at the top of the list doesn't settle the argument about who is best. What it does show is the scale of the audience still paying attention.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Maybe that's why the Top 100 has survived for so long. It isn't really a definitive answer to the question of who is the best DJ in the world. It's a yearly snapshot of who has the reach, the audience and the profile to make the biggest global electronic music poll matter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And every October, we come back to see who made the cut.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: justify;">DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2026</h3><div style="text-align: justify;"><ol><li>David Guetta</li><li>Martin Garrix</li><li>Anyma</li><li>Alok</li><li>Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike</li><li>Charlotte de Witte</li><li>Armin Van Buuren</li><li>Timmy Trumpet</li><li>FISHER</li><li>Vintage Culture</li><li>Calvin Harris</li><li>Don Diablo</li><li>Peggy Gou</li><li>Black Coffee</li><li>Afrojack</li><li>Fred again..</li><li>Lost Frequencies</li><li>Steve Aoki</li><li>KSHMR</li><li>W&W</li><li>Reinier Zonneveld</li><li>Tiësto</li><li>Carl Cox</li><li>John Summit</li><li>Skrillex</li><li>Indira Paganotto</li><li>Nicky Romero</li><li>The Martinez Brothers</li><li>Hardwell</li><li>Illenium</li><li>Keinemusik</li><li>Alan Walker</li><li>Jamie Jones</li><li>Swedish House Mafia</li><li>Paul van Dyk</li><li>Korolova</li><li>Michael Bibi</li><li>Dom Dolla</li><li>Oliver Heldens</li><li>Josh Baker</li><li>Solomun</li><li>Mahmut Orhan</li><li>Claptone</li><li>Joel Corry</li><li>R3hab</li><li>Mochakk</li><li>Amelie Lens</li><li>HUGEL</li><li>Lilly Palmer</li><li>GORDO</li><li>James Hype</li><li>Maddix</li><li>Marshmello</li><li>Zedd</li><li>Mau P</li><li>Alesso</li><li>Boris Brejcha</li><li>Bassjackers</li><li>CHRIS STASSY</li><li>DJ Snake</li><li>Miss Monique</li><li>Eric Prydz</li><li>ATB</li><li>Sara Landry</li><li>Kölsch</li><li>Ben Nicky</li><li>Sub Zero Project</li><li>Joseph Capriati</li><li>Liu</li><li>ARTBAT</li><li>Vini Vici</li><li>Wade</li><li>Nora En Pure</li><li>B Jones</li><li>Shimza</li><li>Quintino</li><li>Lucas & Steve</li><li>Giuseppe Ottaviani</li><li>Padre Guilherme</li><li>Sonny Fodera</li><li>Deborah De Luca</li><li>Nico Moreno</li><li>Ferry Corsten</li><li>Cloonee</li><li>Mosimann</li><li>PAWSA</li><li>Above & Beyond</li><li>Marnik</li><li>The Chainsmokers</li><li>Plastik Funk</li><li>Deadmau5</li><li>MATTN</li><li>Nils van Zandt</li><li>Prospa</li><li>¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U</li><li>Cuebrick</li><li>Marlon Hoffstadt</li><li>Honey Dijon</li><li>DubVision</li><li>KI/KI</li></ol></div></span></div></div></div></div>

DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2026: The Real Ranking

   NEWS | THINK IN ELECTRONIC   Think In Electronic  | DJ Mag Top 100 DJs 2026: Does It Still Matter? David Guetta is No.1 again. Black Coff...

It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 Review

<p> </p><h3><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><b> EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  </b></span></h3><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Think In Electronic  | It's Personal Picnic Should Have Been Personal And Deep. Instead, It Was Divided And Interrupted.</span></h1><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Celebrating 15 years on paper, Johannesburg’s latest electronic outing had the artists, but somewhere between late gates, sound cuts, the rugby, and a crowd more interested in socialising than dancing, the music struggled to become the main event.</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFN8dj2XT0xZtarX2yP963bVyy0V53byP2HelJbWxBNrQd-dNmHy40fchrozHOcBUY33TPEJFn1bCKNIF3wRGdrVc46GB37zdS-Cyq6pcylM3fAWEbpwGOw9RypCrSWxp6gHQO1H4D9aF66cHqOB23Rk5g40rrHvVuzv_RF1F4qmPk11zr78RPLqI7TeP/s1440/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_REVIEW_2026.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 electronic music crowd." border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFN8dj2XT0xZtarX2yP963bVyy0V53byP2HelJbWxBNrQd-dNmHy40fchrozHOcBUY33TPEJFn1bCKNIF3wRGdrVc46GB37zdS-Cyq6pcylM3fAWEbpwGOw9RypCrSWxp6gHQO1H4D9aF66cHqOB23Rk5g40rrHvVuzv_RF1F4qmPk11zr78RPLqI7TeP/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_REVIEW_2026.png" title="It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 electronic music crowd." /></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">There was a moment when <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2026/08/hvob-its-personal-picnic-johannesburg-2026.html" target="_blank">It’s Personal Picnic</a> looked like it might really live up to its name and to its </span><span data-index-in-node="104" data-path-to-node="11" style="font-family: times;">15th birthday milestone</span><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The weather had threatened to kill it before it even started. Friday brought relentless rain and gale-force winds, while forecasts for Saturday were still throwing around rain and thunderstorms. The organisers went ahead anyway, setting up a stretch of covered tenting across the grounds. While the rain ultimately stayed away, the grey skies, freezing temperatures, and biting wind remained, leaving the cover feeling slightly small and token against the wide, exposed space.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">None of that seemed to matter much. People came, paying anywhere from R350 early-bird passes up to R650 for final-phase tickets (or close to R1,500 for a pair of GA entries).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The lineup was strong enough to pull them in: <span data-index-in-node="46" data-path-to-node="14">Indigo</span>, <span data-index-in-node="54" data-path-to-node="14">Abby Nurock</span>, <span data-index-in-node="67" data-path-to-node="14">FKA Mash B2B Julian Gomes</span>, <span data-index-in-node="94" data-path-to-node="14">Shimza</span>, <span data-index-in-node="102" data-path-to-node="14">Ryan Murgatroyd</span>, <span data-index-in-node="119" data-path-to-node="14"><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2015/04/hvob-present-their-second-album-trialog.html" target="_blank">HVOB</a></span>, and <span data-index-in-node="129" data-path-to-node="14">Sona</span>, with the day beginning at midday and running through to the advertised 10:30pm finish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients were there. What wasn't always there was the connection.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCFeCdiOqc68GGfIq8B8yTY7Tx9mKoHa4wCh96w2PCG4Cov7mY4iLmskQdjCYv-jN48O8qkROlFWbRSTIDQp7Xmx69nlnFnEzhQJM6ngtgfaA5ehu9VVibWLCetFrfzhwn0-kBEkkBHKfw5YIpDF4qV7LNpYD1QQNF0Xp3civojvIlUVzI8bDx_TTj94Q/s3913/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Early afternoon atmosphere at It's Personal Picnic 2026" border="0" data-original-height="3913" data-original-width="2935" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCFeCdiOqc68GGfIq8B8yTY7Tx9mKoHa4wCh96w2PCG4Cov7mY4iLmskQdjCYv-jN48O8qkROlFWbRSTIDQp7Xmx69nlnFnEzhQJM6ngtgfaA5ehu9VVibWLCetFrfzhwn0-kBEkkBHKfw5YIpDF4qV7LNpYD1QQNF0Xp3civojvIlUVzI8bDx_TTj94Q/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="Early afternoon atmosphere at It's Personal Picnic 2026" /></a></div><h3>THE FIRST SIGN WASN'T THE WEATHER</h3><div>The friction started at the gates. Despite doors scheduled for 12:00 PM, attendees took to Instagram complaining that by 12:30 PM, gates were still firmly locked out in the cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>By around 3:45 PM, the site was filling up ahead of Shimza's 4:30 PM slot. Arriving at this time, the layout was clear: the area directly in front of the stage had gathered a decent, tight crowd, but beyond that pocket, the rest of the venue felt surprisingly open and empty. It never quite built that dense, charged atmosphere you expect from an event celebrating 15 years in dance culture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Getting through security took about 20 minutes. The checks themselves were thorough, bags were fully opened, belongings pulled out and searched. But without dedicated lines for different search types, the flow choked.</div><div><br /></div><div>For those who made it in early enough to catch the tail end of FKA Mash B2B Julian Gomes, there was a glimpse of what the day could have been. Catching roughly 30 minutes of their back-to-back set, the music was absolute fire. Both artists stayed completely true to their distinct sonic identities, and the early crowd locked in front of the stage was visibly enjoying every minute of it. It proved that when the music got the focus, the event clicked.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once inside the broader site, though, a different question emerged: what exactly had everyone arrived for?</div><div><br /></div><div>Because as the day progressed, it became increasingly difficult to tell whether this was an electronic music crowd that happened to be socialising, or a social crowd with electronic music playing around it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPwiaDlgggeBNNSN7des02_6TFWmNVTDUxK066Sut181JS5Z_c5uGSvEoAjDLvIXlLD4IhBP6ymRnvtJ1QIwYOs7Rm58D47RSC3fWPCw75kvpTl5ulhErln9AsjI-5ewMjBVU2QCaUavOEx-Dy0b0jGe9AQQBk-hGdnQHV-oOga7XDDtdRXrxQoxHQ8j7/s3544/FKAMASH_JULLIAN_GOMES_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="FKA Mash and Julian Gomes performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3544" data-original-width="2658" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPwiaDlgggeBNNSN7des02_6TFWmNVTDUxK066Sut181JS5Z_c5uGSvEoAjDLvIXlLD4IhBP6ymRnvtJ1QIwYOs7Rm58D47RSC3fWPCw75kvpTl5ulhErln9AsjI-5ewMjBVU2QCaUavOEx-Dy0b0jGe9AQQBk-hGdnQHV-oOga7XDDtdRXrxQoxHQ8j7/s1600-rw/FKAMASH_JULLIAN_GOMES_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="FKA Mash and Julian Gomes performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><h3>WHEN THE MUSIC STOPPED, EVERYONE NOTICED</h3><div>The sound system didn't exactly make things easier. Music cut out completely for several minutes at different points, while some changeovers came with long stretches of silence. The interruptions continued through the afternoon and right into the evening headline sets.</div><div><br /></div><div>When <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/11/lane-8-south-africa-debut-favorite.html" target="_blank">Ryan Murgatroyd</a> stepped up and kicked off his set, the technical issues struck immediately, a track got caught in an endless loop right out of the gate. As the technical crew stepped in to intervene, they seemed completely clueless as to what was causing the glitch, dragging out a grueling 10 to 15-minute struggle on stage just to get the system operational. The sheer frustration was visible on Murgatroyd's face before he could establish any rhythm. For an artist performing live, that's a particularly painful and awkward way to begin.</div><div><br /></div><div>But Ryan Murgatroyd recovered.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, his set became one of the strongest moments of the day. His live performance, track selection, and mixing felt considered and purposeful. There was real narrative and movement in the music, and for a while it felt like the kind of set that could pull the entire field into focus.</div><div><br /></div><div>The room just wasn't always willing to focus.</div></div><div><h3>SHIMZA HAD THE CROWD. THE MOMENT NEVER QUITE ARRIVED</h3><div>If there was one artist who clearly had the audience behind him, it was Shimza.</div><div><br /></div><div>His 4:30 PM slot drew one of the biggest crowds of the day, and the set had enough familiar material to give them plenty to work with. Embers with Camelphat and Julia Church appeared early. There was another familiar <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2014/10/3rd-remix-of-otto-knows-parachute-this.html" target="_blank">CamelPhat </a>track with Köyé, Yellowitz's Goddess, an edit of Biscits Bringing Me Down, and Shimza's own edit with Darque of <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2013/11/the-chainsmokers-own-night.html" target="_blank">The Chainsmokers</a> and Coldplay Something Just Like This.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then came the  Afrojack & Shimza vs Rüfüs Du Sol – Innerbloom vs Fire Fire Mashup. This was the crowning moment the audience had anticipated all night, marking the ultimate crescendo of his performance.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fire Fire got people moving. But this was where something felt slightly off.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3FNKLfkrDboKTNTRIpcEyzqFNuzc6FGylUFgMS96n4DXmbsf4nXhVVnWR3CxV9hhI1CtaC4XbeRIEi7AOIQNDOGP0Q1UA173gRZoCG9f8yKMoQIHGEox5vSWwKeVP-h-7ke65GVcU_DgvUQ7kNUjZ6Oc0Up5dNNwPJUmEhhWYZi6lhQSTqc9cXMJKXEu/s3096/SHIMZA_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shimza performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3093" data-original-width="3096" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3FNKLfkrDboKTNTRIpcEyzqFNuzc6FGylUFgMS96n4DXmbsf4nXhVVnWR3CxV9hhI1CtaC4XbeRIEi7AOIQNDOGP0Q1UA173gRZoCG9f8yKMoQIHGEox5vSWwKeVP-h-7ke65GVcU_DgvUQ7kNUjZ6Oc0Up5dNNwPJUmEhhWYZi6lhQSTqc9cXMJKXEu/s1600-rw/SHIMZA_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="Shimza performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><div><br /></div>For a track with that level of familiarity, the huge collective singalong never really arrived. There was energy, but not the kind of crowd response that takes a moment from being good to being unforgettable. At points, the ambient chatter of the crowd actually drowned out the lyrics, making it feel more like a background conversation than a shared peak moment</div><div><br /></div><div>And that became a pattern for the day: the ingredients for a moment were there, but the moment itself kept slipping away.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sound cutting out during peak sections certainly didn't help Shimza. But it would be too convenient to blame the equipment for a set that, compared with the peak-time performances he has delivered elsewhere, felt surprisingly restrained.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, when Shimza finished, people left. A noticeable portion of the crowd simply disappeared.</div><div><br /></div><div>The frustration around the running order was already visible online when the set times were announced on prior to the event. One attendee commented: “What is this even? How can you put Shimza on at 16:30 but you give the main set times to someone no one has ever heard of and the last set to Black Coffee's son...this is why people want the set times before buying tickets.”</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a blunt assessment, and a wildly uninformed one, Ryan Murgatroyd is a foundational name in South African electronic music (having previously dominated as one half of <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2013/10/crazy-white-boy-ghettotech.html" target="_blank">Crazy White Boy</a>), while HVOB were the international headliners. But the comment exposed a massive disconnect between the lineup as programmed and the lineup as understood by a section of the crowd.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another attendee told us directly on the day that they were “just there for the vibes” and had only come to see Shimza.</div><div><br /></div><div>Taken alongside the crowd that arrived specifically around Shimza's set and the sudden drop-off once he finished, it was difficult to ignore the feeling that a sizeable part of the audience had come for a general social outing with the music being purely secondary.</div><h3>RYAN MURGATROYD DESERVED A ROOM THAT WAS LISTENING</h3><div>Ryan Murgatroyd's set deserved far more attention than it got. After surviving the 10–15 minute ordeal of a looping track and a seemingly clueless tech team, he found his footing and delivered a set that understood exactly how to build a journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>But around him, attention was constantly being divided.</div><div><br /></div><div>People were talking, moving constantly between the bar and food areas, or congregating around the large rugby screen positioned toward the back of the site, which broadcast the match right through Murgatroyd's set. People left the dancefloor, wandered back, and drifted off again. The music was forced to compete for attention in a place where it should have been the sole reason everyone was there.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggg92mDI2lFJVrMX58O9ineqm4dQx9f3wZ2BOf9FlDphu4S7DP2LpqQR5fX3ctYKBACxiiHQFSi9XT0i2NC8_88IK-zlnG9t8EwDwxNT7mvHye-xpxmcSAvULZvPMTDLqsxa9Gm8d4P6_r1LocmjvuFOc6_xjUXJReDgolLFctaSGEmZoydiFQlzNxw_-/s3666/RYAN_MURGATROYD_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ryan Murgatroyd performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3666" data-original-width="2750" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggg92mDI2lFJVrMX58O9ineqm4dQx9f3wZ2BOf9FlDphu4S7DP2LpqQR5fX3ctYKBACxiiHQFSi9XT0i2NC8_88IK-zlnG9t8EwDwxNT7mvHye-xpxmcSAvULZvPMTDLqsxa9Gm8d4P6_r1LocmjvuFOc6_xjUXJReDgolLFctaSGEmZoydiFQlzNxw_-/s1600-rw/RYAN_MURGATROYD_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="Ryan Murgatroyd performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><div></div><h3>HVOB WERE GOOD. THE CROWD WAS THE DISTRACTION</h3><div>Then came HVOB.</div><div><br /></div><div>The international headline act didn't suddenly become a different band because they were in Johannesburg. They brought the exact same atmospheric, hypnotic live quality that has made their show work globally.</div><div><br /></div><div>The set included Cool Melt, The Last Song Written, Let's Keep This Quiet, Panama, Dogs, and Clap Eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having caught HVOB three times previously in Beijing (including their November 2025 show), the familiarity was noticeable. Several tracks appeared again, and the overall set felt close to what they delivered on tour. That isn't a criticism, touring live acts have a precise show, and HVOB delivered theirs cleanly.</div><div><br /></div><div>The problem was the physical chaos happening all around them.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>During some of the set's most subtle, delicate moments, you couldn't get through a single track without someone walking directly in front of you. Tall people stood right in your line of sight, blocking the stage entirely. Friends pulled each other backward through the crowd, bumping into anyone trying to listen. Phones were held up everywhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>Groups stood in tight circles with their backs completely turned to the stage, drinking, smoking, vaping, chatting, and taking selfies while entirely ignoring the music. You had to physically shift locations just to try and hold onto the set's momentum.</div><div><br /></div><div>And there was very little actual dancing. There was movement, people shifting around, drinking, vaping, smoking, and chatting, but very few people looked absorbed in what was happening on stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>The front-of-house sound had also become heavily bass-driven by this point, making HVOB's delicate live vocals difficult to hear. It's an issue noticeable at their last Beijing show as well, but for an act whose atmosphere relies heavily on vocal presence, it further eroded the experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>HVOB were doing what HVOB do. The room just wasn't listening.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXEzFoOwG27BsMZjo4uZRbrlmz_T0i6jgMPmPRHJbCtr4GlJPT2gn291i_vv1TE7amWWIJCjPWu2Cl7ygbXivri8BlEWkgZ1n1C1efmfcPOPIGL9c_JJMf2lUdBvVvREdI6V7OT9BYGw9UnxzST_r_EWdLBywk2Jy5WLMAWRsKYI-cIQendUKadiJt_WZ/s3362/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_HVOB_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="HVOB performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="2522" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXEzFoOwG27BsMZjo4uZRbrlmz_T0i6jgMPmPRHJbCtr4GlJPT2gn291i_vv1TE7amWWIJCjPWu2Cl7ygbXivri8BlEWkgZ1n1C1efmfcPOPIGL9c_JJMf2lUdBvVvREdI6V7OT9BYGw9UnxzST_r_EWdLBywk2Jy5WLMAWRsKYI-cIQendUKadiJt_WZ/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_HVOB_2026.jpg" title="HVOB performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><h3>BY SONA, THE DAY HAD LOST A LOT OF ITS CROWD</h3><div>Sona came on at 9:00 PM, but by then It’s Personal Picnic felt like a completely different event.</div><div><br /></div><div>The crowd had thinned considerably after HVOB, and more people continued to leave during Sona's set. Musically, Sona took things in a heavier, darker, techno-leaning direction than what had come before.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the people still on the field, it was a definite gear shift, but it didn't pull the crowd back in. Leaving the venue, one attendee told us directly that he felt the event wasn't all that great, explaining that the sounds felt repetitively similar and that he needed far more vocal hooks and lyrics to actually get into it. Sona also played Talk to Me, a massive track across Instagram, but it failed to trigger the kind of recognition that might have anchored the remaining crowd.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was an opportunity to give the remaining audience an iconic final moment. Instead, the floor kept clearing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, at 10:00 PM, it ended.</div><div><br /></div><div>The advertised finish was 10:30 PM. Sona had played for just an hour, while earlier DJs had been given 90-minute slots.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was no final release, no crescendo, no nod to 15 years of history. Just a sudden cut of sound, a field already half-abandoned, and a crowd left to drift out in the dark.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVF6PQtB-rZdI5sNL4vhrkzbhnxDjnyRNUaFRZ74ovfjMsVkBhiUTqw8loycN6Mv3pyZN-wmPvf7StkNYRANBdJr0MS-Zu5GB7Etn931sm4ZUOE3eP7y6wBi_0dMQSxLaiZZw3qlpI4JHriWCgaZxM2dCdFxt5VA62MN5tn_DaacSDCMr7Q0e7VOXjZgxp/s2901/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_SONA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Sono performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="2901" data-original-width="2481" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVF6PQtB-rZdI5sNL4vhrkzbhnxDjnyRNUaFRZ74ovfjMsVkBhiUTqw8loycN6Mv3pyZN-wmPvf7StkNYRANBdJr0MS-Zu5GB7Etn931sm4ZUOE3eP7y6wBi_0dMQSxLaiZZw3qlpI4JHriWCgaZxM2dCdFxt5VA62MN5tn_DaacSDCMr7Q0e7VOXjZgxp/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_SONA.jpg" title="Sono performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><div></div><h3>SO WHAT WAS IT’S PERSONAL PICNIC ACTUALLY MISSING?</h3><div>Not the artists. Not the track selection. Not even the potential of the venue.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was missing was cohesion.</div><div><br /></div><div>The strongest parts of It’s Personal Picnic existed in isolation. FKA Mash B2B Julian Gomes delivered a sharp early set to a small crowd; Shimza drew the biggest turnout and played great records, but couldn't turn it into a shared moment; Ryan Murgatroyd delivered a brilliant live performance to a distracted field; and HVOB gave their fans a refined live show while much of the crowd stood with their backs turned, drinking, vaping, and watching the rugby screen.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time Sona came on, the site was winding down. The sound dropouts kept interrupting the flow, and the dancefloor functioned more like a social lounge than the focal point of an electronic music gathering.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There were enough standout moments to prove why It’s Personal Picnic has reached 15 years. The frustration was that those moments never locked together into one convincing, collective experience.</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFHyTL-sTDuAvrFeFIBLDIEofkhfP2dEVtqJI9cckrr8dVz8Esfm2zenxQWYUQ3htUT0dTUm55SHelsOO12rBtGrbFSrjv4hlubyL60XCnyi3A5el1pfqFPCeuumGUGHbLF-fRTPqD4e5iQiZVdHJt-z4m2go2WthgOJgu_V7HqE9t3SZuaXbJYunNwSN/s2989/HVOB_JOHANNESBURG_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crowd watching HVOB perform at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="2242" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFHyTL-sTDuAvrFeFIBLDIEofkhfP2dEVtqJI9cckrr8dVz8Esfm2zenxQWYUQ3htUT0dTUm55SHelsOO12rBtGrbFSrjv4hlubyL60XCnyi3A5el1pfqFPCeuumGUGHbLF-fRTPqD4e5iQiZVdHJt-z4m2go2WthgOJgu_V7HqE9t3SZuaXbJYunNwSN/s1600-rw/HVOB_JOHANNESBURG_2026.jpg" title="Crowd watching HVOB perform at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div></div><br /><div></div><h3>THE BOTTOM LINE</h3><div>It’s Personal Picnic should have been personal and deep. Instead, it was divided and interrupted.</div><div><br /></div><div>The artists were there. The setting was there. The audience was there. But an electronic music event lives or dies on what happens when all three lock together. At It’s Personal Picnic 2026, they kept missing each other entirely.</div><div><br /></div><div>The music deserved a room that was ready to listen. The room never quite got there.</div><br /></div></div></span></div><response-element class="no-md" ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" style="font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----><code-block _nghost-ng-c2071998203="" class="ng-tns-c2071998203-44 enable-luminous-code-block ng-star-inserted"><!----><!----><div _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="code-block ng-tns-c2071998203-44 ng-animate-disabled ng-trigger ng-trigger-codeBlockRevealAnimation" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQhtANahgKEwio2I2q896WAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQigE" decode-data-ved="1" jslog="223238;track:impression,attention;BardVeMetadataKey:W1sicl8yNDFjZWM2NjA4ZjA0MDNhIiwiY184ZmQ3YjI1MWEzMDc4ODNkIixudWxsLCJyY19jOTdjZjQ5NDA2OGIzMDAwIixudWxsLG51bGwsImVuIixudWxsLDEsbnVsbCxudWxsLDEsMF1d"><!----><div _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="formatted-code-block-internal-container ng-tns-c2071998203-44"><div _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="animated-opacity ng-tns-c2071998203-44"><!----><pre _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="ng-tns-c2071998203-44"><code _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="code-container formatted ng-tns-c2071998203-44 no-decoration-radius" data-test-id="code-content" role="text"></code></pre></div></div></div></code-block></response-element></span></div>

It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 Review

   EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC   Think In Electronic  | It's Personal Picnic Should Have Been Personal And Deep. Instead, It Was ...

HVOB to Headline It’s Personal Picnic in JHB

<h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><b> EVENT | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  </b></span></h3><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Think In Electronic News | HVOB to Headline It’s Personal Picnic’s 15-Year Celebration in Johannesburg </span></h1><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">The Austrian duo will bring their immersive live show to James & Ethel Gray Park this September</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo86FrpwYbLNOiBpGPtznYtsF2xViHwCMkHM7oGwTKSU8H5QyRhY8MFOqPfPD7FICljAG-gjED98Ido7NqdlupjTgPGa4qcfjwwdOVtptosXIXYUkoKzvBvmJeqtd-EA91hVQssspKxP74yE-9nfyFJ7ih3blTZD69yZ5VnZTGfUJ71TsCZWWH0VA1UEPD/s1440/HVOB_SHIMZA_HEADLINE_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HVOB to headline It’s Personal Picnic’s 15-year celebration in Johannesburg on 5 September 2026" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo86FrpwYbLNOiBpGPtznYtsF2xViHwCMkHM7oGwTKSU8H5QyRhY8MFOqPfPD7FICljAG-gjED98Ido7NqdlupjTgPGa4qcfjwwdOVtptosXIXYUkoKzvBvmJeqtd-EA91hVQssspKxP74yE-9nfyFJ7ih3blTZD69yZ5VnZTGfUJ71TsCZWWH0VA1UEPD/s1600-rw/HVOB_SHIMZA_HEADLINE_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.png" /></a></div></span></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>Johannesburg</b> is getting an international electronic music booking with some serious weight behind it. <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2015/04/hvob-present-their-second-album-trialog.html" target="_blank"><b>HVOB</b></a> will headline <b>It’s Personal Picnic’s</b> 15-year celebration, taking over James & Ethel Gray Park on 5 September 2026.<br /><br />The Austrian duo will sit at the top of a bill that also brings together some of South Africa's most recognisable electronic names, including <a href="http://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2015/04/boiler-room-and-ballantines-present.html" target="_blank"><i>Shimza</i></a>, <a href="http://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/11/lane-8-south-africa-debut-favorite.html" target="_blank"><i>Ryan Murgatroyd</i></a>,<i> Jullian Gomes</i>, <i>SONA </i>and <i>Abby Nurock.</i><br /><br />For anyone familiar with <b>HVOB's</b> live shows, the setting feels particularly well suited. Their music has always thrived on atmosphere, patient builds, pulsing low-end and intricate electronic textures that unfold rather than rush towards the obvious payoff. In a park, with Johannesburg's afternoon light gradually giving way to sunset, there's plenty of room for that sound to breathe.<br /><br />We've caught HVOB live three times in <i>Beijing</i>, and each performance has reinforced the same thing: their show is less about delivering a collection of tracks and more about creating a space for the music to take over. It's immersive without being overstated, with the duo allowing tension and repetition to do much of the work.<br /><br />That makes their<i> Johannesburg</i> appearance one of the more intriguing international bookings on the city's September calendar.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XxSmY7VNaCk?si=4p1zfuXgF6l1IoCP" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br />For It’s Personal, the booking arrives during a significant chapter. The 2026 edition marks 15 years of the Beautiful Picnic, celebrating a brand that has become closely associated with bringing electronic music into open-air spaces and building an experience around the people as much as the music.<br /><br />The daytime event is scheduled to run from 12:00 until 22:30, giving the celebration plenty of time to move through the familiar arc of an outdoor electronic gathering — afternoon warmth, increasingly loose energy, golden hour and the inevitable push towards the final tracks of the day.<br /><br />And this year, there's somewhere else to go afterwards.<br /><br />The 15-year celebration continues with <b>It’s Personal: Afterdark</b> at <i>Truth Nightclub</i>, extending the anniversary from the park into Johannesburg's nightlife. The organisers are presenting the two experiences as part of a wider celebration rather than treating the picnic as an isolated daytime event.<br /><br />It's a fitting way to mark 15 years: start outside, let the music build, then carry the night somewhere deeper.<br /><br />Alongside HVOB, the lineup brings together artists whose sounds have helped shape the country's contemporary electronic landscape.<br /><br /><b>Shimza </b>arrives with his globally recognised Afro-house sound, while <b>Ryan Murgatroyd</b> brings the melodic and progressive side of South African electronic music.<b> Jullian Gomes</b>, meanwhile, has long occupied his own space between deep house, broken beat and the wider South African house continuum.<br /><br /><b>SONA</b> and<b> Abby Nurock </b>round out the announced lineup, giving the day enough range to move naturally between different moods and tempos.<br /><br />Rather than chasing a single genre, the bill reflects the way Johannesburg's electronic scene actually sounds: fluid, cross-pollinated and comfortable moving between house, Afro-influenced sounds and more atmospheric forms of electronic music.<br /><br />And then there's HVOB.<br /><br />Their appearance gives the anniversary a genuine international focal point, but it's the contrast between the duo's immersive live sound and the depth of the local lineup that could make this edition particularly interesting.<br /><br />Fifteen years is a long time in electronic music. Styles change, venues disappear, scenes evolve and audiences move on. The fact that It’s Personal is still gathering people around music  and can bring an act of HVOB's calibre into that space says something about the staying power of the format.<br /><br /></span><h4><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b>It’s Personal Picnic: 15 Years </b></span></h4><h4><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwJkA3nvxk69gXE6Wix08tuYccpyKumBlTWioqfjB9JYM6kvc0FlCO8GzsC9fFrZYjioDm_DpL7t_fciIN86YspHRMnEwyu7Gx9x6HWTGoiPOC5MLxPqx-eFXHjNRGrHwcrsApnSe6uOLcpRAlidIn4yoUFnEAuNcBRkyDK6djx93tPvajpW8gBHAQM0X/s640/it's%20personal%20picnic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HVOB It’s Personal Picnic’s 15-year celebration in Johannesburg on 5 September 2026" border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwJkA3nvxk69gXE6Wix08tuYccpyKumBlTWioqfjB9JYM6kvc0FlCO8GzsC9fFrZYjioDm_DpL7t_fciIN86YspHRMnEwyu7Gx9x6HWTGoiPOC5MLxPqx-eFXHjNRGrHwcrsApnSe6uOLcpRAlidIn4yoUFnEAuNcBRkyDK6djx93tPvajpW8gBHAQM0X/s1600-rw/it's%20personal%20picnic.jpg" /></a></div><br /> </b></span></h4></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: times; font-size: small;">Date :</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"> Saturday, 5 September 2026.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: times; font-size: small;">Location :</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"> James & Ethel Gray Park, Melrose, Johannesburg.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: times; font-size: small;">Time : </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;">12:00 to 22:30.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: times; font-size: small;">Line-up : </span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;">HVOB, Shimza, SONA, Ryan Murgatroyd, Abby Nurock and Jullian Gomes.<br /></span><span style="color: #ffd966; font-family: times; font-size: small;">Tickets</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times; font-size: small;"> : howler.<br /><br />The celebration continues after dark at <i><b>Truth Nightclub.</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; font-size: small;"><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div>

HVOB to Headline It’s Personal Picnic in JHB

 EVENT | THINK IN ELECTRONIC   Think In Electronic News | HVOB to Headline It’s Personal Picnic’s 15-Year Celebration in Johannesburg  The A...

Success of Boiler Room’s SA Showcase Culminates In Documentary

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div> <h2 style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #ff0072; font-size: x-large;">OBOILER ROOM AND BALLANTINE’S PRESENT STAY TRUE SOUTH AFRICA DOCUMENTARY</span></h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNY_UGrWjcflQBDNwM-hH1E0LXRnCoXMUNJ0XvuVOZLh7iU_H3C99pMtRfFN6j_NMFjVMO8awhbRHIRgSLvF2HZNNhSY88qT4Z6XyNJAgws-EEdGwR0resqZ-PQqbCdBbn68bc9uzeCYX/s1600/boiler+room+south+africa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="boiler room south africa documentry 2015" border="0" height="428" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNY_UGrWjcflQBDNwM-hH1E0LXRnCoXMUNJ0XvuVOZLh7iU_H3C99pMtRfFN6j_NMFjVMO8awhbRHIRgSLvF2HZNNhSY88qT4Z6XyNJAgws-EEdGwR0resqZ-PQqbCdBbn68bc9uzeCYX/s1600-rw/boiler+room+south+africa.jpg" title="boiler room south africa" width="640" /></a></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <i><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></i></div> </div> <div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky and Boiler Room presented ‘Stay True South Africa’ this past March – a one-night-only house music experience held at Constitution Hill in downtown Johannesburg featuring global and local legends <b>Black Coffee</b>, <b>Okmalumkoolkat</b>, <b>Culoe de Song</b>, <b>Shimza</b> and <b>Black Motion</b>.<u></u><u></u></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">The world’s leading underground music event saw over 600 house-music fans from all walks of life </span><span style="color: #222222;">partying until midnight. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;"> to the show’s format is its live broadcast to a global audience via </span><a href="http://www.boilerroom.tv/StayTrue" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">Boilerroom.TV/StayTrue</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: inherit;">.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Hundreds of thousands of people watched the show live from 141 different countries, with 15% of viewers coming from South Africa alone.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">As with other Stay True countries around the world, Stay True South Africa culminated in the production of an online documentary, shot on location in Johannesburg in the lead up to the event.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">That documentary, entitled “Stay True South Africa – A Dancing Nation” has just been released at<a href="http://boilerroom.tv/staytrue/south-africa/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">http://boilerroom.tv/staytrue/<wbr></wbr>south-africa/</a> and highlights SA’s house music (r)evolution as it is thrust more and more into the global spotlight.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x2lf4ci" width="480"></iframe><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2lf4ci_boiler-room-ballantine-s-present-stay-true-south-africa-a-dancing-nation_music" target="_blank">Boiler Room & Ballantine's Present Stay True...</a> <i>by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/brtvofficial" target="_blank">brtvofficial</a></i> </span></div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The eight-minute film, produced and directed by Lebogang Rasethaba from Egg Films, takes people on a journey through South Africa’s house music scene. It features interviews with global and local musicians and leaders in the industry. The film explores the ideas of South African music, its genesis and evolution – and in particular the influence of dance, how it shapes and is shaped by the music our homegrown talent produces.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Says Rasethaba: “South Africa is rich with stories, many of them untold and undocumented. So to continue to discover such exciting stories through film is an honour for me; it comes with a lot of responsibility and it’s something I take very seriously.”<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“When I make a song I always picture how people will dance to it” – Black Coffee<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Dance is a language. I am saying stuff with my body” – Okmalumkoolkat<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">“The Stay True South Africa activation in Johannesburg was a staggering achievement, a high watermark for the global Ballantine’s and Boiler Room partnership,” says Steven Appleyard, Boiler Room Commercial Director.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">“Together we spent a week in South Africa showcasing grassroots local talent broadcast from off beat locations, culminating in a spectacular tent pole live show at Constitution Hill that had the crowd going wild - both those at the event and people tuning in online.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">“The spirit and energy of the event at Constitution Hill was on another level, and the reception of local attendees was truly humbling. Stay True South Africa showcased the very best in authentic South African electronic music to the world, which is precisely what the Stay True Journeys is all about,” adds Steven.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The SA event continues the global partnership between Ballantine’s, the world’s no. 2 Scotch whisky, and Boiler Room, one of the world’s most popular and authentic online music channels. Launched in early 2014 with its first event in Mexico, this partnership saw the creation of the ‘Boiler Room & Ballantine’s Stay True Journeys’, which explores and celebrates the stories of the world’s most vibrant music scenes.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Music brings everybody together” - Culoe de Song<u></u><u></u></span></i></b></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Links<u></u><u></u></span></b></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Ballantine’s SA Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BallantinesSA" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>BallantinesSA</a> <u></u></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Ballantine’s SA Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/BallantinesSA" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>BallantinesSA</a> <u></u><u></u></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Boiler Room Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/boilerroom.tv" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>boilerroom.tv</a> <u></u><u></u></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Boiler Room Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/boilerroomtv" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>boilerroomtv</a> <u></u><u></u></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Boiler Room website: <a href="https://boilerroom.tv/staytrue/" target="_blank">https://boilerroom.tv/<wbr></wbr>staytrue/</a> <u></u><u></u></span></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: inherit;">#StayTrueToTheMix<span style="color: #f1c232;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div> </div> </div> <div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div> </div> </div>

Success of Boiler Room’s SA Showcase Culminates In Documentary

OBOILER ROOM AND BALLANTINE’S PRESENT STAY TRUE SOUTH AFRICA DOCUMENTARY Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky and Boiler Room presented ‘S...

BALLANTINE’S AND BOILER ROOM PARTNER TO BRING GLOBAL UNDERGROUND MUSIC EVENT TO SA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h2 style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> <b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;">BALLANTINE’S AND BOILER ROOM PARTNER TO BRING GLOBAL UNDERGROUND MUSIC EVENT TO SA, STAY TRUE SOUTH AFRICA</span></span></b></h2> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> <i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">SA’s house music (r)evolution is in the global spotlight.<u></u><u></u></span></span></i></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"> <i><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“It’s our time now.”</span></span></i></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAaOtzZE5UrkInbbMIHmtmhCtNKav00ktlwWaKTSEg0W4DS0pRGQbomeilm19Anzdwhlp9zjp47EB1LL42MFLDOFxdF5XqilAWDrrLUUqqbPnJw60_8g9O9KZal9VkHWvFw36rE6d0Yjm/s1600/boilerroo,+stay+true+south+africa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="BOILER ROOM SOUTH AFRICA" border="0" height="234" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAaOtzZE5UrkInbbMIHmtmhCtNKav00ktlwWaKTSEg0W4DS0pRGQbomeilm19Anzdwhlp9zjp47EB1LL42MFLDOFxdF5XqilAWDrrLUUqqbPnJw60_8g9O9KZal9VkHWvFw36rE6d0Yjm/s1600-rw/boilerroo,+stay+true+south+africa.jpg" title="" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The world’s leading underground music platform, Boiler Room, is coming to South Africa. On <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_397526025" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">5 March 2015</span></span>, Ballantine’s Scotch Whisky and Boiler Room will present ‘Stay True South Africa’ – a one-night-only house music experience in Johannesburg featuring global and local legends <b>Black Coffee</b>,<b>Okmalumkoolkat</b>, <b>Culoe de Song</b>, <b>Shimza</b> and <b>Black Motion</b>.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">This local event continues the global partnership between Ballantine’s, the world’s no. 2 Scotch whiskey, and Boiler Room, one of the </span><span lang="EN-US">world’s most popular and authentic online music channels. Launched in early 2014 with its first event in Mexico, this partnership saw the creation of </span><span lang="EN-US">the </span><span lang="EN-US">‘Boiler Room & Ballantine’s Stay True Journeys’, which explores and celebrates the stories of the world’s most vibrant music scenes. The Stay True Journeys have already travelled to three continents – and </span><span lang="EN-US">Boiler Room will be the first show of this scale in South Africa and the first time it will be broadcast live online from the country </span><span lang="EN-US">via the microsite </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.boilerroom.tv/StayTrue" target="_blank">Boilerroom.TV/StayTrue</a></span><span lang="EN-US">.</span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Boiler Room lands on SA soil at a time when our house music (r)evolution is in the global spotlight. Pioneering producers, artists and DJ’s are touring the world taking our sound to eager international ears. The world has taken notice. The world is listening.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“We always thought that house was big internationally, because that’s where we got it from. But I’ve realized that we have the biggest house scene in the world in South Africa,” says Black Coffee.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Culoe De Song adds<i>: </i>“There is a lot of energy, a lot of hunger, a lot of kids getting into house music. It’s our time now and it’s exciting.”</span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Stay True South Africa will </span><span lang="EN-US">culminate in the production of an online documentary, shot on location in Johannesburg, that </span><span lang="EN-US">will </span><span lang="EN-US">take our country – and the world – on a journey through South Africa’s house music, </span><span lang="EN-US">featuring global and </span><span lang="EN-US">local musicians exploring the stories and the people that create our unique music culture. </span><span lang="EN-US">The documentary will be available early April on Boilerroom.tv.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“We are very excited to be involved with bringing Boiler Room to South Africa,” says <b>Daryl Dixon</b>, Ballantine’s SA Brand Manager. “Ballantine’s is about authenticity, self-belief, staying true to yourself and leaving an impression. This fits perfectly with Boiler Room’s ethos of uncovering and showcasing genuine talent from a diverse range of music genres around the world – and now here at home too.”<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Blaise Bellville</span></b><span lang="EN-US">, founder of Boiler Room added:  “Boiler Room and Ballantine’s partnership is all about exploring and documenting the world’s most authentic and original underground music scenes. We’ve watched the South African electronic scene explode in recent years with artists like Black Coffee, Okmalumkoolkat and Culoe De Song gaining widespread international recognition. All of this made Johannesburg, the beating heart of South Africa’s house scene, a very obvious choice for the fifth stop on our global Stay True Journey."<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq_4ZnZXPBBGjvErWglfmRHmQKOC-nukIutgC7fOjaqE-IWusJrmeBJ6OtX4xreDYceEzhuC1ZJbhtUTAY7b-ASlQWEXUPpVZ1erE1xvsEkxoE96XOvjB1lxMuSu_bj8rkEgS0oBpJ-W-/s1600/boiler+room+south+africa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="STAY TRUE SOUTH AFRICA 2015" border="0" height="234" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbq_4ZnZXPBBGjvErWglfmRHmQKOC-nukIutgC7fOjaqE-IWusJrmeBJ6OtX4xreDYceEzhuC1ZJbhtUTAY7b-ASlQWEXUPpVZ1erE1xvsEkxoE96XOvjB1lxMuSu_bj8rkEgS0oBpJ-W-/s1600-rw/boiler+room+south+africa.png" title="" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">WIN your limited Stay True South Africa Boiler Room tickets!<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Tickets are not for sale and fans stand the chance to WIN tickets exclusively through Ballantine’s SA and Boiler Room channels.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">From <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_397526026" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2 February</span></span>, </span><span lang="EN-US">Ballantine’s SA Facebook fans are invited to be a part of telling South Africa’s own house music story. When fans share a piece of #StayTrueToTheMix content, they’re given the opportunity to register to be in line to win double tickets to the exclusive Boiler Room & Ballantine’s experience. Click <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BallantinesSA" target="_blank">here</a> to enter. The venue will be revealed to ticket holders just days before the event.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;">Links<u></u><u></u></span></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Ballantine’s SA Facebook: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/BallantinesSA" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>BallantinesSA</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Ballantine’s SA Twitter: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://twitter.com/BallantinesSA" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>BallantinesSA</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Boiler Room Facebook: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/boilerroom.tv" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>boilerroom.tv</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Boiler Room Twitter: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://twitter.com/boilerroomtv" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/<wbr></wbr>boilerroomtv</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Boiler Room website: </span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://boilerroom.tv/staytrue/" target="_blank">https://boilerroom.tv/<wbr></wbr>staytrue/</a></span><span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: inherit;">#StayTrueToTheMix</span></span></b></div> </div>

BALLANTINE’S AND BOILER ROOM PARTNER TO BRING GLOBAL UNDERGROUND MUSIC EVENT TO SA

BALLANTINE’S AND BOILER ROOM PARTNER TO BRING GLOBAL UNDERGROUND MUSIC EVENT TO SA, STAY TRUE SOUTH AFRICA SA’s house music (r)evoluti...

LOCO DICE TOURS SOUTH AFRICA

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="color: #f1c232;">LOCO DICE TOURS SA WITH NPO BRIDGES FOR MUSIC TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS</span></h2> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjwmir1WLRWoqKE-9QUEtjPOMNqKKR4ZyYQjxLiEaTgogd-YJj6l1k9gHKjlCEZMqnxddsVLyh6aTbZV8eGJKVmSZ1EyAc4SVIWMCNSfzaWrDhB5nV3oFDR0qqs0-a5HztSXOzMvgCdnq/s1600/loco+dice+south+africa+tour+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="LOCO DICE TOURS SA" border="0" height="338" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfjwmir1WLRWoqKE-9QUEtjPOMNqKKR4ZyYQjxLiEaTgogd-YJj6l1k9gHKjlCEZMqnxddsVLyh6aTbZV8eGJKVmSZ1EyAc4SVIWMCNSfzaWrDhB5nV3oFDR0qqs0-a5HztSXOzMvgCdnq/s1600-rw/loco+dice+south+africa+tour+2015.jpg" title="LOco Dice" width="640" /></a></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://t.co/IHNGIjtGwU" target="_blank">Click </a></span><a href="http://t.co/IHNGIjtGwU" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;" target="_blank">to win tickets </a></div> </div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;"> <span style="font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Announcing the first official fundraising tour for this year, <b>Bridges for Music</b> is proud to welcome <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">German DJ and electronic music producer</span> <b>Loco Dice</b> on his first visit to South Africa this February. Loco Dice’s tour forms part of Bridges for Music’s fundraising initiatives for educational projects like its music and multimedia school in Langa -- or the various scholarship programmes that have already helped underprivileged South African artists to perform on global stages like Tomorrowland or Glastonbury.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Loco Dice has wanted to re-connect with his African roots for some time, and this opportunity provided the perfect opportunity. Some of his tracks are huge hits among the South African house scene, like "El gallo Negro". He will also take it beyond the gigs and support the local scene on a grassroots level.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> The tour will consist of a debut set at the Cape Town Electronic Music Festival (CTEMF) on Friday, February 6th at the emblematic Cape Town Town Hall and two fundraising shows in Johannesburg. Loco<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Dice will also be hosting a workshop in Cape Town in the township of Gugulethu. The second show will be held on Saturday, February 7th, at Truth, where he will be playing alongside <b>Anja Schneider </b>(Mobilee)<b> </b>and some of South Africa´s most promising artists like <b>Culoe de Song</b>, <b>Ryan Murgatroyd, Jazzuelle</b> and <b>Trancemicsoul</b>. On Sunday February 8^th, Soweto’s Zone 6 will be the venue for the third show, a special night supported by local icons <b>Black Coffee</b> and <b>DJ Shimza</b> with the participation of local icons <b>Vinny Da Vinci</b>, <b>Jullian Gomes</b> and <b>Da Capo</b>. Loco Dice will host a special workshop at the Kliptown Youth Centre, located in the heart of Soweto.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">All of the proceeds from the fundraising shows will go directly to Bridges for Music, thanks to support from Red Bull Studios in Cape Town, who are covering all expenses of the tour, and Loco Dice, who is committing his time to support this cause. The public can support the initiative by purchasing tickets to the show or donating via a special crowd funding platform created for this tour: <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/locodice" target="_blank">www.justgiving.com/locodice</a>.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Bridges for Music have been raising money to build a music and multimedia school in the township of Langa, Cape Town with the goal of empowering the community through music. The non-profit organisation’s main goal for 2015 is to ensure the music school is sustainable over the next three years by securing additional funding. The school aims to become a creative hub where these young, talented individuals are able to pursue their dreams and develop skills, through a shared passion for music. The aim is also for the school to become a landmark in the community of Langa.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Through various fundraising initiatives BFM has already raised over R2-million in funds, which covers the initial build of the school. Most notably a highly successful charity cycle in 2014 organised by Resident Advisor from London to Amsterdam (during ADE) raised over £100,000 (R1,8m) with the support of over 2,800 donors and the sponsors of the cycle (Native Instruments, ADE, Pioneer DJ and SONOS). Thirty riders in total were able to take part in the challenge thanks to Resident Advisor who covered the costs of the cycle to enable 100% of the donations to go to the Langa music and multimedia school.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">BFM have more exciting fundraising events planned for the year, including the Tale of Us tour and The Breathe Sunshine Unity Jam Festival.  Further details will be announced closer to the time.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Tickets</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">:<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Get your tickets for the Truth show on <a href="http://www.residentadvisor.net/to/bridgesformusic" target="_blank">www.residentadvisor.net/to/<wbr></wbr>bridgesformusic</a> </span><br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;">and for<span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Zone 6 (Soweto) show on Computicket here: </span><br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://online.computicket.com/web/event/loco_dice_black_coffee_and_shimza/890208255/0/64099237" target="_blank">http://online.computicket.com/<wbr></wbr>web/event/loco_dice_black_<wbr></wbr>coffee_and_shimza/890208255/0/<wbr></wbr>64099237</a><u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Cape Town Electronic Music Festival (CTEMF) Tickets: </span><br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.webtickets.co.za/event.aspx?itemid=830476583" target="_blank">http://www.webtickets.co.za/<wbr></wbr>event.aspx?itemid=830476583</a><u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">If you can´t come to the shows but you still want to support, donations can be made here: <a href="http://www.justgiving.com/locodice" target="_blank">www.justgiving.com/locodice</a><u></u><u></u></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <br /> Friday 6 February at CTEMF Cape Town Town Hall 00:30-02:30<br /> Friday pass: R250.00<br /> <br /> Saturday 7 February at Truth 21:00 – 03:00<br /> Early Bird Ticket: R100.00<br /> Standard Advance:  R120.00<br /> <br /> Sunday 8 February at Zone 6 Soweto 21:00 - 03:00<br /> Advance Ticket: R100.00<br /> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Perform</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">:<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Are you a rising artist? Want to play at one of the shows? Send a letter of motivation and Soundcloud links of your music to </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="mailto:connect@bridgesformusic.org" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">connect@bridgesformusic.org</span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">.<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Workshops</span></u></b><b><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">:<u></u><u></u></span></b></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">Workshop will be held on:<span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> CPT: Friday 6th -3pm-6pm in Gugulethu<br /> JHB- Sunday 8th 2pm-4pm – Kliptown (Soweto) - SKY Youth Center<br /> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">The aim of these workshops is to create a cultural exchange between an international artist and the local producers. We will talk about life, music, career, and more. We want to inspire the youth in those communities. The workshop in Kliptown will be followed by a small braai and jam session with local producers.<u></u><u></u></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">To book a seat at the workshops please email: <a href="mailto:workshops@bridgesformusic.org" target="_blank">workshops@bridgesformusic.org</a> or reach out via Bridges for Music's website.<span lang="EN-US"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> <br /></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Other links<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">For more information on Bridges for Music please visit: </span><span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://www.bridgesformusic.org/" target="_blank">www.bridgesformusic.org</a></span><span lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Facebook:</span><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/bridgesformusic" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/<wbr></wbr>bridgesformusic</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 16px;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Soundcloud: </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 16px;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/bridgesformusic" target="_blank">https://soundcloud.com/<wbr></wbr>bridgesformusic</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="line-height: 16px;"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">Twitter: @bridgesformusic</span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;">#PLAYFOREDUCATION</span><span lang="EN-GB"><u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="background-color: white; text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Instagram: bridgesformusic<u></u><u></u></span></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: windowtext; font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></div> </div>

LOCO DICE TOURS SOUTH AFRICA

LOCO DICE TOURS SA WITH NPO BRIDGES FOR MUSIC TO SUPPORT EDUCATIONAL PROJECTS Click to win tickets  Announcing the first off...