MEET THE RESIDENTS
We received 5,000 applications for Pirate Residency 2023, but only 36 artists were chosen to become our Pirate Residents. They will have their music played on the radio and will perform at venues and festivals across the UK, US, and Germany.
2023 RESIDENTS
OLIVER - MANCHESTER
Oliver is a Manchester-based DJ exploring all things deep house, jungle cuts, intricate dubs and serious BRUK- all universal sounds that cut through to the core of the soul. Follow his record label @rendezvousrecords_ and event BRUK It Down for sonic explorations of all things broken.
Catch Oliver playing at Mint Festival 16-19 September
ANJ – LEICESTER
ANJ is a self-taught DJ of 4 years. R&B has her heart, and she’s a huge fan of bringing people together through her music. ANJ is passionate about helping young people–especially young women–build their confidence through DJing.
Catch ANJ playing at Cross the Tracks 28 May
BLUCK – LEEDS
Inspired by the underground scene from her time in Leeds, Bluck is a drum and bass DJ now based in London studying cognitive neuroscience at UCL. In the last year, Bluck has played in various clubs around Leeds, including Hifi and Beaverworks, and after a short break to focus on her masters, she has plenty of exciting things lined up over the next few months.
Catch BLUCK playing at Better Days 30 April
KINDAL TATE – LOS ANGELES
Kindal Tate is a Los Angeles-based artist. Her unique sound draws inspiration from her early days surrounded by the sounds of country and classical music alongside her deep connection with the works of artists such as Billie Holiday, Amy Winehouse, Erykah Badu, Count Basie, Cab Calloway, and more.
Catch Kindal Tate playing at Hotel Cafe LA 30 May
A VIBE CALLED B – BIRMINGHAM
A Vibe Called B, the Birmingham-born DJ now based in South London, brings a unique blend of eclectic, soulful, and trappy sounds that pay homage to her Caribbean heritage and love for hip-hop soul. A Vibe Called B has played for the likes of BOXPARK, Reprezent Radio, BBC WM, No Signal, and Soho House – cementing her status as a rising star in the UK and Europe's music scene.
Catch A Vibe Called B playing at Cross the Tracks 28 May
DJ SILHOUWET – LOS ANGELES
Olivia Davis aka DJ Silhouwet is a multi-disciplined artist and musician based in Los Angeles, CA. She currently specializes in deep house, afro-house, afrobeats, trance, DnB, and jersey.
Catch DJ Silhouwet playing at Bass n Babes in June
WINNIE AMA – LONDON
Winnie Ama is part of a new breed of electronic artists. She blends conscious lyrics, soulful vocals with pop and dance rhythms. The Northern-Irish-Ghanaian artist has had success with multiple MusicWeek UK Club Chart top 10's. The emerging artist is one to watch on RTE2FM’s 2023 Rising list and was nominated as BBC ATL’s 2022 Artist of the Year.
Catch Winnie Ama playing at Gotobeat London in June
EMMA LOU – LONDON
Emma Lou is a DJ from London known for her sound selections that incorporate new vibes with the classics, your favourite album cuts and those forgotten gems. Featured on both Reprezent Radio and Rinse FM with her versatile guest mixes, she’s also played at events and venues across London including Colour Factory, Boxpark Shoreditch and Google HQ UK.
Catch Emma Lou playing at Cross the Tracks 28 May
DYLAN ANDERSON – YORK
Dylan Anderson is from York and co-founder of York-based event label INSTINCT. He’s been DJing recreationally for a few years and has played in venues across York and more recently Leeds at Distrikt, supporting acts such as PACH, Ash-R and Anthiago.
Catch Dylan Anderson playing at Mint Warehouse 30 April
SAM WRAY – MILTON KEYNES
Sam Wray is a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Milton Keynes. Coming off the back of recent performances at Bedford Festival, The Half Moon and a sold-out Sofar sounds show in Paris, he blends his favourite elements of folk, jazz and rock into his own unique sound.
Catch Sam Wray playing at Gotobeat London 29 June
ENEEKS – LONDON
Eneeks, the South London-based artist, captures the truth in his words and music through the sounds of new soul hip-hop. Through Eneeks’s music, the listener will hear stories of lost love, redemption, relationships, street life and everyday living.
Catch Eneeks playing for 432
HELLO AMNESIA – LONDON
Hailing from all corners of the world, this eclectic group of musicians have come together to bring their unique styles and influences to the rock genre. With a sound that spans the globe, Hello Amnesia's music is a melting pot of rock, pop, and alternative styles, creating a dynamic sound that's earned them a reputation as one of the most exciting up-and-coming bands on the live music circuit.
Catch Hello Amnesia playing at Farrago 10 June
PU$$YRAP – HOUSTON
Jody Simms, under the alias of PU$$YRAP, is a Houston-based DJ, that prioritizes femme-centric music. Her iconic DJ sets embrace tracks that empower, uplift, and inspire all that listen while elevating the voices of women and femmes of color through music.
Catch PU$$YRAP playing at QSTV
SASHA ROME – NEW YORK
Brooklyn-based Sasha Rome is bringing vintage sounds back to the dancefloor through his fresh indie-disco sound with releases on Kitsuné Musique, Dome of Doom, and Playitlouder and performances supporting artists like Myd, Channel Tres, Claptone, Classixx and Tinlicker. His unique sound fuses nostalgically funky four-on-the-floor rhythms with his own hypnotic guitar riffs.
Catch Sasha Rome playing at Grapenut Brunch Club
DJ FEFE – NEW YORK
Chicago-raised, Brooklyn based. Brandon is one of the founders of Internet Hotspot (@internet.hotspot), an event series that aims to bring people together from different walks of life to party and enjoy themselves. Brandon grew up listening to rap and R&B and has dove into the vast world of electronic music with one goal – to make the people dance.
Catch DJ Fefe playing at One Night NYC
DJ CHIEDZA – BRISTOL
Bristol-based DJ Chiedza is known for playing bass-heavy sounds of UKG, Funky and Amapiano. After graduating from Saffron Records' Mixnights course in 2021, she has performed at various clubs and festivals in Bristol and had her first Keep Hush debut last March.
Catch DJ Chiedza playing at El Dorado 6-9 July
ROOM D – MANCHESTER
Room D is a 5-piece from Manchester, England. Creating a distinct and classic pop-rock sound with melodic guitars and punchy drums.
Catch Room D playing at Truck Festival 21-23 July
PARKAS – BRISTOL
A garage rock quartet hailing from Bristol, specialising in dirty, disillusioned and maliciously unapologetic rock and roll. Enjoy only at maximum volume.
Catch PARKAS playing at Gotobeat London 14 June
J. CHAMBERS – MANCHESTER
J.Chambers is a Reggae/Hip-Hop artist and Dub poet from Manchester, whose work unpacks notions of liberation, identity and social issues such as race and class. Pensive and intricate, the MC’s work has led to coverage from BBC, Radio 1, Amazing Radio, CNN, Sky News and other outlets.
Catch J. Chambers playing for 432
JUNODEF – LONDON
Fans of PJ Harvey and Young Fathers will feel at home with Junodef. The three best friends Karin Grönkvist (guitar and vocals), Norea Persson (drums and electronics) and Tyra Örnberg (Bass and vocals) moved the band over from Sweden to London in 2016 to reach new heights and emerge themselves in music.
Catch Junodef playing at Tramlines Festival 21-23 July
PERRIN – LONDON
Perrin has been DJ'ing for 15 years, playing a mixture of styles and influences from his collection. He’s currently based in London and holds a residency with a Leeds-based event, Set One Twenty. Perrin is also involved with several London-based radio stations and has a monthly slot on Aaja Music.
Catch Perrin playing at Music Molto Group
RYAN DE LA CRUZ – LONDON
Ryan De La Cruz is a Congolese/Brit independent artist bubbling up out of London. Bridging R&B and Afro-infused sounds.
Catch Ryan De La Cruz playing at Boomtown 9-13 August
LVT – LEICESTER
LVT is a multifaceted artist with an energetic presence and has absorbed sounds from her home country Zimbabwe as well as Leicester and influences from the UK and America. Her exceptional versatility as a rapper, singer/songwriter has made her a needle in the haystack in the entertainment world.
Catch LVT playing at Boomtown 9-13 August
RODNEY – LONDON
East London-based DJ, junglist and emo, Rodney, explores a variety of high-speed genres. From jungle to hardcore, footwork to sambass, her sets are a mixture of old-school rave anthems and contemporary breakbeat sounds.
Catch Rodney playing at Boomtown 9-13 August
ESME BIRDIE – LIVERPOOL
Esme Bridie is a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Liverpool. She creates raw and honest songs with intricate guitar lines and emotive vocals and has just released her debut EP ‘Something In Your Teeth’.
Catch Esme Birdie playing at Jimmys Liverpool
CLEO REED – NEW YORK
Cleo Reed is a sound composer, performer, and multi-disciplinary artist based in Brooklyn, NY. Since they self-produce their own music and collaborate with artists such as Jon Batiste, Nick Hakim, they are truly one artist to watch right now.
Catch Cloe Reed playing at QSTV
NOT BAD FOR A GIRL – MANCHESTER + LONDON
Not Bad for a Girl is a collective of female and non-binary DJs based in Manchester and London. They are award-winning promoters who run sell-out events, radio presenters on stations across the UK, and headline DJs who bring 100% energy to every set.
Catch Not Bad for a Girl playing at Sounds from the other city
GRACE KINTER – LOS ANGELES
Grace Kinter is an LA-based soul singer whose vocal-heavy music is smothered with clean riffs and raw lyricism. Having been compared to Amy Winehouse, Kinter's modern, dreamy R&B style and groovy instrumentals are an enticing backdrop to the serious topics she touches on lyrically like mental health and loss.
Catch Grace Kinter playing at Hotel Cafe LA 30 May
DARIA V – LOS ANGELES
Daria V is a Pop Artist and a DJ, based in Los Angeles, California. Mainly making pop and house music, Daria has a few great singles in her pocket and can't wait to share my work with the world in the coming months.
Catch Daria V playing at Ill Behaviour
JUMP STREET – LONDON
They create dark dreamscapes and haunting harmonies, with gritty guitars, soaring synths and dazzling drums, likening them to artists such as PJ Harvey, Warpaint and Slowdive.
Catch Jump Street playing at Farrago
TWEAKS – LOS ANGELES
A pioneering approach driving their nonlinear creative vision, this polymath lives on the outskirts of binary thinking and relishes in the details and nuances of identity. Their work is grounded in a constant exploration sprouting from their love of STEM; paired with their bottomless appreciation of experimental expressionism, it’s clear that TWEAKS is a deep well of creativity that spans over a myriad of mediums and practices.
Catch TWEAKS playing at Shesaid.so
WOWASHWOW – LONDON
“Rising hip-hop artist and female powerhouse,” Wowashwow has a flare for the theatrical, a freestyling fluency fierce enough to threaten the male-dominated hip-hop scene and brings an “unbridled bravado through no holds barred unapologetic rhymes.” With the visual surrealism of Missy Elliot, the untamable “energy of Tina Turner meets Mick Jagger,” and the genre-fluidity of Radiohead, our South Jersey/Philly-raised visionary is paying homage to her punk rock heritage
Catch Wowashwow playing at Hotel Cafe LA
Jaz – LONDON
A Singapore-born, London-based Buntai baby, Jaz plays bass at no set pace. From sets at Fabric London to Rinse FM, Jaz blends the roots of jungle, grime and dubstep with modern dance music.
Catch Jaz playing at Boomtown 9-13 August
ZJ – MANCHESTER
A producer & DJ of a variety of genres, aiming to fuse club sounds from the UK & around the globe in my tracks and sets. ZJ is also part of Kultura Collective in Manchester, where they've been putting on events since 2017.
Catch ZJ playing at Boomtown 9-13 August
SACHA T – LONDON
South London singer-songwriter, Sacha T, is known for writing songs in her favourite creative refuge, crouched on her Mum’s stairs with her trusty guitar. A diverse range of influences, combine with Sacha’s uplifting lyrical storytelling, drawn from personal experience, to create an evocative sense of positivity and possibility.
Catch Sacha T playing for 432
CONVICT JULIE – NEW YORK
Originally hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Convict Julie has developed a sound reflective of Atlanta Hip-Hop culture and dark, alternative R&B. A classical composer, commercial producer, audiovisual and multi-genre artist, Convict Julie combines film and music to give listeners an immersive experience, releasing her debut visual album "Exquisite Pain" in 2022. She is scheduled to release two EPs this summer and a sophomore visual album in 2024.
Catch Convict Julie playing at Empire State Music and Arts Festival
SEBASS – LONDON
Born and raised in the Coachella Valley. Sebass comes from Latin roots to spice up the house scene.
Catch Sebass playing at Catch One this summer
ROOF – LEEDS
Roof plays everything from 140 to 170, but is most known for her high-energy selections of ghetto, acid, bass and breakbeat. She currently has residencies on both Balamii and Konrad, and has supported big names like Mixtress, Bluetoof, Jossy Mitsu, DJ ADHD, Vanessa Maria, Gracie T and Hamdi.
Catch Roof playing at Better Days Festival on 30 April
