FEATURE:
A Modern-Day Icon
Recognising the Brilliant Broadcaster and Free Your Mind Label
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ONE of the finest and most important…
voices in broadcasting belongs to Arielle Free. As presenter of the essential Radio 1’s Future Artists, she is part of this vital group of tastemaker broadcaster introducing us to the finest talent of the future. Alongside her station-mate Clara Amfo, Free lets us know about the sounds that we need in our life. The most interesting and innovative rising artists around. There have been some recent changes at BBC Radio 1. Arielle Free used to present Early Breakfast, but that has been shifted. One of the reasons that I am writing about her is that I think she is on the cusp of getting a huge presenting role. Having shown her value and incredible talent at BBC Radio 1, of course she will continue there, but I see her going to another station like BBC Radio 6 Music or Apple’s Music 1 schedule. A huge reason why I tuned into BBC Radio 1, she has this wonderful future ahead. In March, she peddled across the U.K. in a gruelling challenge to raise money for Red Nose Day. It was an amazing challenge that raised a load of money! Born in Stirling, Scotland, Arielle Free is a major talent who is a successful artist and D.J. I have recently posted a feature asking why there is not another music T.V. show to sit alongside Later… with Jools Holland. I think that Free would make an excellent co-presenter on a new format. She has that passion for music that is infectious and undeniable. I did feature her relatively recently but, since there have been developments and things I missed out, I wanted to return. I shall come to her music label soon enough.
Before getting there, there are some interviews that I want to bring in. You might not know about Arielle Free and where she has come from. Undoubtably a modern broadcasting icon, I think she has so many years ahead. Big success and huge shows. An extraordinary producer, Free spoke with Headliner last year about an exciting new single:
“Esteemed BBC Radio 1 DJ, presenter and now producer Arielle Free chats to Headliner about her recently released debut single, Soul Full, featuring Joe Killington with Mortimer via Defected’s D4 DANCE label, and her excitement about returning to the stage for some big festival sets this summer…
Despite only just starting her music production journey during the first UK lockdown, Arielle Free’s trajectory from radio DJ to beatmaker is one that makes a whole lot of sense.
Released on Defected’s D4 DANCE label, Soul Full is a big, unapologetically fun, soulful house number that is sure to get feet tapping – a track that its creator likes to think all generations can enjoy. But how does Free feel about kicking off her career as a full-fledged producer?
“It’s a bit weird,” she responds. “Because when I first started dabbling, I felt like I was hitting my head off a brick wall. I was using Ableton at the time, and then a friend recommended I try Logic, which I just got a lot better at and allowed me to learn more. I was working with my friend who works for Community Music, an organisation based in Brady Arts Centre on Brick Lane, and I was really lucky because I used to do pirate radio in that building…
“I did a few lessons online, and I was put in touch with an amazing mixer in Bristol who I went to learn with in the studio. We soon started a little project, and by the end of day we had Soul Full, just without the vocals.”
When it came to finding someone to sing on the track, Free had just the person in mind.
“I love Joe Killington, and he’d just done vocals for the Disciples track Solid Gold, so I slid into his DMs and he was up for it!” she recalls excitedly. “Rather than getting a deep, gravelly vocal like on Solid Gold [she proceeds to give an excellent impression of this lyric], he actually sent me more of a falsetto vocal with a house/disco edge. It just took the track to another level.”
Soul Full has received a lot of love on the radio, and although you’re unlikely to find Free on any kind of underground lineup, “I’ve never been one of the cool kids”, she’s accepted that she works best sticking to what she knows and loves: big, uplifting vocal house and disco numbers.
“I'm learning so much and getting such lovely feedback from my peers and friends [including Calvin Harris!], so I feel really blessed,” she continues. “I think the track helps people, who’ve maybe never seen one of my DJ sets, to understand what they should expect from my gigs.
“I'm a big percussion fan, and I like to lean towards latin house and sometimes afro house vibes, but I also really enjoy vocals leading me down a path. It's been great to get those muscles working again.”
Around five or six years ago, things were quite different for the palpably ambitious producer; she would host her own radio shows every week for no pay and with hardly any break in an attempt to build her online audience. Testament that natural talent and hard work quite often pays off, she eventually found herself working the early morning slot on BBC Radio 1.
“During covid I went down to just one live show, we got a pre-recorded show for Saturday, and I lost my Sunday show completely, but I was really lucky that I worked within the BBC because we really became a public service during that time,” she laments. “It really showed me how valuable it was to people's lives. In the morning, our listeners used to be the straight through crews; delivery people, people on their way to the airport for their holidays, and those who had been out clubbing. We almost lost that audience entirely, and gained listeners who were up in the early morning who were anxious, or maybe were sitting on their own terrified of what this thing was, that none of us knew about at the time.
“Keeping everyone company and making things entertaining for people to provide a bit of a distraction, and then coming out of that feeling more united and hopeful was a real journey. It felt like we really needed the listeners as much as the listeners needed us.”
Already in-demand on the live circuit with her own label and club night, ‘Free Your Mind’, Free reveals that things are starting to move when it comes to festivals this summer. Her Parklife journey has been one of the particular highlights so far.
“I played one of the smaller tents a few years ago, and that’s where you learn resilience and gain an understanding of what you should play in a festival environment when it could be pouring with rain and there’s headliners you’re competing with,” she says. “This year is the first time I’ve actually made it onto the artwork of a festival bill.
“I’m also playing One Out which is one I've always wanted to be on, and that's alongside my pal Chloé Robinson – we've never been at a festival together on the same bill so I’m buzzing for that. I've got all these ambitions for places that I want to play, so I'm really hoping that 2022 is just another year of going to cool places far and wide, including Ibiza…” she trails off with anticipation.
Free is currently working on getting a sample cleared in time for her next summer track, and is also working on the follow up to Soul Full, “which is a wicked sample of an old ‘60s track, and is very me,” she says. “I’m also excited to put out more tracks on my label, because we put a bit of a pause on that, but now everything's set up”.
I have not really seen or heard an extensive interview with Arielle Free. She has achieved so much, and she has such a versatile career. Surely, it must only be a matter of time before we get this deep dive into the life and times of an amazing broadcaster, D.J., producer, T.V. presenter and hugely influential and inspiring person! Sunday Post interviewed Free last year:
“So, it’s a case of choosing a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life?
I love being on the radio, I love DJing and I love music, so I think I’m really fortunate. I know how much of a privilege it is to be my position, where I can broadcast and DJ on the radio and gig all weekend. It hasn’t felt like hard work. There’s been occasions where I’ve been tired, but I just look forward to the next one.
Your remix of Gorgon City’s Tell Me It’s True is out this month. How did that come about?
Amazon are doing this amazing series where they get DJs to remix other DJs and producers they have always really aspired to or idolised. I’ve been the biggest fan of Gorgon City, so it’s been just a total privilege. Tell Me It’s True is a song I fell in love with from the album Olympia, and I’ve given myself a bit of a reputation for loving it.
PHOTO CREDIT: ITV
Is it true your vocals are on the record, too?
Yes! I couldn’t find the “woops” that I wanted to highlight points within the track, so my friend helped to record me doing them!
You supported Calvin Harris at Hampden Park in July – was that a career highlight?
It was pretty surreal as Hampden is huge. When I did Glastonbury this year, I was in a tent with the crowd pretty much on top of me, it was so electric, amazing – I knew instantly that gig had gone well. But because Hampden is so big when I came off stage, I couldn’t tell. It wasn’t until people tagged me in videos after and I saw the sea of people that I knew they had enjoyed it.
It was also so special as I was able to invite my whole family along. Having my grandpa come and witness what I do on a daily basis, in Hampden, was really huge because he’s a big football fan. He couldn’t believe that I was playing in Scotland’s national stadium!
You also host Love Island: The Morning, the official podcast. Can we expect you back for the winter series in January?
I don’t know, actually – but I hope so! We had a really nice summer spending eight weeks together on the show. It was a really great series, so I’m keen to see what the winter one is going to be like, whether it’s going to be in South Africa and who is going to be hosting”.
Apologies for shifting around a bit in terms of subjects but, before I get to one of the big reasons for writing this feature, I want to mention Free’s incredible D.J. work. It takes her around the world however, she is a bit of a legend on Ibiza. DJ Mag profiled Arielle Free last year and asked her about her experiences and time on the island:
“Future Rave is currently one of the biggest nights on the island, how did you get your residency there?
“Last year, when there were still restrictions in place, Ushuaïa were doing a thing called Palmarama, and it was tables only. At that point you could dance at your tables, but you weren't allowed to mix and whatnot. It was their way of trying to open up in some capacity. I was invited out to play for David — it was me, Riton and him. Riton was running a bit late and I played for about two-and-a-half hours, and my set went really well. I was only meant to play for an hour-and-a-half I think. And honestly, for this I will forever be grateful to the Ushuaïa family, the staff fed back to the booker on how they loved my set and how good I was, and they told me that I had really impressed the staff and that they would like to book me. Word got back to David, and here we are.”
What advice do you have for other up and coming DJs to land a slot like this?
“I really wish I knew the answer to that. I think it's just being in the right place at the right time, or just constantly playing to the best of your ability. Hustle — I think just taking those opportunities that are given to you. And you do have to do that thing, say hello and thank you to everyone you speak to. You really do have to make the most of the opportunities that you are given, regardless of if you are playing to 50 people or 6,000 people, and going out of your way to say how much fun you had. You've got to really stand out by giving the most of your time and seizing the big opportunities that you find yourself in.”
How have the nights been going?
“It is a brand-new night on the island, we are there for 18 weeks every Friday. Friday night in Ibiza is a really busy night on the island, you’ve got Marco Carola’s Music On, Trick at DC-10, Amnesia also — we’ve been fortunate as to how good the crowds have been.”
What are your favourite nights on the island?
"If you ask me what is one of my favourite nights in Ibiza, I have to say Glitterbox at Hï. It has to be one of the most amazing nights on the island — the detail that goes into it, nothing beats it for me. There's the mix of the disco and the classics, and also you get the harder stuff in the second room — and the dancers and the spectacle. It’s such a visual experience as well as a sonic experience. I love it. I mean, not just because of the production levels — visually it blows my mind. They change it every week. This is what blows my mind, the fact that they change the production every week. Every week they’ve added something to the visuals, they do something different that is just going to make it pop even more. It's just a huge production. I'm impressed by it all. I mean, I know I do sound like I'm shouting up Hï, but they blow my mind every time with the production — and not just at Glitterbox, at the other nights as well. They really put so much into it.”
What would be the perfect weekend in Ibiza for you?
“Okay. We're landing. I don’t know, say Thursday, shall we say I dive straight into the club? What happened Thursday? I mean, you’ve done Tale of Us, which is huge and an experience like no other. Then it is Friday morning, you want to get up, get out to the beach, go for a nice swim in that gorgeous ocean. Soak up all the energy. Get ready, maybe treat yourself to a nice dinner or something like that late Friday evening.
“I've recently discovered Terra Masia, which is like a farm to table experience — just beautiful. I’m a big fan of actually just doing the classic Cafe Mambo sunset, and dinner and drinks. Afterwards, then you’ve got to get yourself down to Future Rave, obviously. If you've got time before maybe pop into Calvin Harris at Ushuaïa, because it's such a huge show and the production levels blow my mind.
“Then on Saturday you’ll be a wee bit hungover, so feel like you just need to have a pool day. Get yourself some jamon flavoured Raffles, and some Fanta lemon and lots of fizzy water, agua con gas, then dive into Ants late in the afternoon when it's not too hot, and get yourself dancing. If you do have some energy, you can always pop into Black Coffee if you wanted. Then there’s the Sunday, you want to get yourself down to Bora Bora beach, and then you're going to go into Glitterbox because Glitterbox is the only way to wind up the Ibiza experience. When I say you need to have your energy for Glitterbox, you will need to have your energy because you'll go thinking, ‘I'm probably not going to make it because everyone's burst by the time they get to Sunday’. But no. There you are and you're alive, it is one of the most thriving, most wonderful sensational experiences on the island. And if you are still there on Monday night, maybe pop in to see Danny Howard at Amnesia.
"I mean, it's going to cost you a fortune, but if you can do, go down the street and grab yourself some discount tickets from the promotional teams — that will help. You've got to do the full Ibiza clubbing experience as much as you can, especially if it's your first time — you’ve got to dive right in. Oh, and if you do get a chance, you've obviously got to pop into Pike’s for a little cheeky cocktail, because Pike's cocktails are absolutely delicious”.
I am going to round things up soon. I would suggest you check out this brilliant playlist Free suggested recently. Her Free Your Mind label is a home and haven for the best uplifting new House and cuts. I can see this label expanding and having a big impact on the scene. There is also her Free Your Mind club. Olivia Stock from DJ Mag spotlighted Free and an amazing new single, Technicolour Kenny, where she joined Jake Shears. It is clear that the BBC Radio 1 legend is breaking out into the world and has this phenomenal future ahead:
“BBC R1’s Arielle Free has teamed up with Jake Shears for a new single, ‘Technicolour Kenny’, released via her new house imprint, Free Your Mind. Listen to it below.
The single, which samples Kenny Loggins 1977 track ‘I Believe In Love’ and features vocals from Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, is the first release on the new label. Described as a “massive slice of summery disco house”, the track sees the BBC Radio 1 Dance and R1 Early Breakfast host venture further into the world of production.
Speaking on the origins of the tune, Free said: “Technicolour’ was the first track I ever made. I fell in love with the original after hearing it on a US Radio station on the way to my brother's wedding. It samples a Kenny Loggins track, the yacht rock radio station my car was stuck on played it THREE times and every time I heard it, I thought this would make an unbelievable dance track!”
The Glaswegian creative force made her producer debut in 2022 with a string of highly collaborative releases including ‘You Can’t Stop Me’ on Eats Everything’s Edible label, and ‘Release I Need’ out on Nervous Records, featuring London-vocalist, Kelli-Leigh.
With her new label and club night, Free hopes to “provide an all-encompassing home that will support house and electronic producers from across the spectrum… I’m so happy this moment is finally here. There’s been a lot of blood, sweat and tears but the Free Your Mind record label is a go and I couldn’t think of a better track to launch than the first production I ever made.” Releases on the imprint are already in the pipeline from Jenn Getz & Alfie, Toriah, and fellow radio host, Tiffany Cornish”.
A magnificent D.J., broadcaster, producer, label owner and all-round music queen, I wanted to salute the awesome Arielle Free. She is someone I have immense respect for. I can see her going on to manage a stable of artists changing the face of Club and House music. One of the most respected D.J.s out there, her BBC Radio 1 work also keeps her busy. Beyond this, she will be in demand from other stations. Apart from Love Island, there will be other T.V. work too. It is a moment where these new possibilities and avenues will be ahead. An exciting time for someone everyone should follow. She also recently did some presenting from the Glastonbury Festival. This amazingly nimble, broad and effortlessly talented presenters and broadcast, it is not long until queen Arielle Free conquers the world. I wanted to salute one of this country’s…
GREATEST and most important talents.