Beatnik caught up with several of the artists at this year’s Soundwave Festival on the shores of Croatia. We also had a stupidly fun time; here’s our recap of Day 2.

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Main Stage:

Host: Homecut | Charlee Brown | Taste The Difference | Fife | Milly Blue | Stuart Mccallum | Homecut | Nathan Flutebox Lee | DJ Format vs Mr Thing | Smith & Mighty | Channel One Soundsystem | DJ Cheeba Live A/V Set

Beach Bar

Hobbes | Zero7 | DJ Suhaid | Put Me On It Beach Party: Illum Sphere, Alex Nut & Kidkanevil | Bullion & Paul White | Debruit & Blue Daisy

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With the tunes from Friday night still ringing in our heads, we got an easy start to our Saturday, recharging the batteries with some Croatian pizza (carrots? really?) before heading over to the festival.

Once there, we had to slip some work into our play, but before doing so we caught some rays by the water. A slight hangover can add a touch of focus to a work day, that’s for sure, but it can also be well-nursed in the anti-septic Adriatic.

For those not yet ready to mash by the main stage, us included, Put Me On It’s beach party provided the perfect alternative. Next to the bar was a sizeable dance floor, and next to the dance floor was the sea. Just above these, Kidkanevil, Alex Nut and Illum Sphere were spinning anything from upbeat electronica to westcoast hip-hop classics.

As all this transpired, the heavy coastal winds dwindled a bit to let the Soundwave boat party get underway. Here, Russian globetrotter DJ Vadim set the mood off right alongside DJ Cheeba and Mr. Thing. Our video footage, which will be with you soon, will just make you jealous.

By the time the late afternoon rolled around, a familiar mood settled over the festival area. Everywhere we went, content and slightly dazed faces greeted us. This is where we were last night.

Helping the transition from slow start to momentum-powered partying was Fife, a music and radio producer out of London. His set on the main stage mixed some deep house with his early hip-hop influences, while the strokes of dancehall helped us absorb the sunshine.

MC Chunky got hype on the mic during the set – we’re not quite sure how he mustered the energy to do that two days in a row – and the evening was declared open.

Chunky was followed by another impressive emcee: Homecut. As he entered the sage alone without his live band, the Leeds native charmed everybody with some flawless and imaginative beatboxing. In absence of his band, Homecut built up his tunes from scratch with his mouth. Only a born entertainer could get a sizeable crowd moving by talking, making sound effects and busting a capella verses.

And his presence was felt for the rest of the evening, as Homecut stayed on stage as host. That job gave him the honour of introducing the main event; a heavyweight meeting between two of the UK’s best DJ’s. DJ Format and Mr. Thing went at it on the decks, letting their instincts decide where the battle-cum-joint gig was going.

Apart from an excellent taste in breaks and knowledge of exactly what tune might set the crowd off right in a given moment, the two humble crowd-pleasers showcased a pretty ridiculous set of DJ’ing skills. There was something for everyone – sonic snobs and unassuming spectators alike.

All parts of the crowd greeted London’s legendary Channel One Sound System to the main stage after the two giants’ set. Their dense set of riddims showed that hip-hop classics or the latest electronic grooves were not necessary to keep Soundwavers moving – the mushiest of reggae worked too.

The legendary roots duo delivered the crowd perfectly to DJ Cheeba’s audiovisual set. The Bristol native had the welcome task of keeping a content crowd happy on their second day of partying.

That he played a set tantamount to this only made the task easier as stunning visuals graced the stage. The second day of Soundwave was slowly coming to an end, and in one continuous emotional sequence, more than half our time there had been spent.

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