Northern Bass announces first series of acts bound for Mangawhai

`Festival Director Gareth Popham says that Northern Bass is an amazing New Year experience for music fans, combining an incredible location with the best music line-up possible.

Northern Bass announce the first contingent of acts bound for Mangawhai this summer.

Northern Bass is a three-day music festival set in beautiful farmland just north of Auckland. The soundtrack features musicians, DJs, and producers from around the globe playing on two main stages and a lagoon-side mini stage.

`Festival Director Gareth Popham says that Northern Bass is an amazing New Year experience for music fans, combining an incredible location with the best music line-up possible.

"We've come a long way since the first Northern Bass in 2011, with a really loyal base of supporters who come back every year with their mates. Even before today's first line-up announcement, Northern Bass 19/20 is our fastest selling festival yet. We're really excited to announce some big names and emerging acts today, and can't wait to share the rest of the line-up in the next couple of months."

There’ll be over a dozen food outlets catering to all tastes from our friends Burgerfuel, Fatimas and Hell Pizza as well as boutique vendors.

To start it off we’re stoked to share that electro-grime lord's Foreign Beggars will make their way to Northern Bass one last time, after announcing that they’ll part ways following the release of their final album later this year. US rapper Freddie Gibbs makes his Northern Bass debut fresh from the release of Bandana, his latest critically acclaimed collaboration with Madlib.

It wouldn’t be Northern Bass without local legends taking the stage and we cannot wait to welcome back Fat Freddy’s Drop with their full-energy, full-noise set. Breakout Kiwi bass producer QUIX is going to take time out from his relentless international touring schedule for a headline set at the festival.

For the drum & bass fans we’ve got no less than four international hard hitters to whet your appetite - Austrian superstars Camo & Krooked are set to make their festival debut, Dutch Northern Bass faves Noisia head back down under with brand new music, producer Friction will swap the Brighton seaside for the New Zealand summer, and UK production icon Shy FX will team up with Stamina MC for what will be an unforgettable set.

Next up is one of the biggest names out of Manchester right now - the queen of urban jazz/trap IAMDDB, who is going to bring her spiky, elastic flow to New Zealand for the first time. There’s also London grime MC D Double E, the always brilliant Chali 2na with Krafty Kuts and Mungos HiFI with Eva Lazarus are set to bring their reggae vibes all the way from Glasgow.

Our international electronic acts include not one but two of London’s most in-demand D&B producers Benny L and Break, alongside Amsterdam’s Lenzman and English duo Ulterior Motive. We can't wait to welcome Bristol's dubstep DJ Pinch, UK producer, MC, and DJ Coki and Andy C protégées DC Breaks. The return of outstanding West Coast producer TOKiMONSTA will be music to the ears of her many fans.

We’re proud to have many of our Kiwi faves taking the stage at Northern Base this summer - the brilliant Ladi6 and Berlin-based RnB wonder Noah Slee, plus local hip hop stars JessB and Melodownz and emerging talents - Silver Scroll long-listed Chaiiand newcomer Vayne.

Rounding out the first line-up drop are Montell2099, who has been honing his trap game all over America this year, Opiuo who’ll be heading home from Melbourne, State of Mind representing the best of local drum and bass, plus Dan Aux, Dylan C,Ben Soundscape and Collette Warren, Emma G & Tali, Chiccoreli, J’Dubs and Rhyas.