Joining our team for Supersonic Festival 2022 is Sadie Barnett, an intern from the University of Birmingham.
Sadie Barnett is a South Londoner (who will remind you of this very often) and multidisciplinary creative. They are currently an undergraduate in their final year of English and Creative Writing. They co-host a weekly radio show called ‘Femme.FM’ which highlights female and nonbinary artists, as well as DJing as ‘Sadie.HD’.
We asked Sadie to hand-pick some of their highlights from this year’s line-up…
THE BUG feat FLOWDAN “The Bug is one of those projects I would describe as ‘your favourite alternative artist’s favourite alternative artist’. Fronted by Kevin Martin, The Bug is one of his longest-standing musical projects, with his own eclectic production style – which ranges from electronic to hip hop to dub – often being used to highlight other vocalists. The songs I’ve chosen for my playlist highlight different periods of this project; Skeng featuring Flowdan (who will be performing alongside him at Supersonic) comes from his 2008 album London Zoo, Fuck a Bitch featuring Death Grips comes from his 2014 follow up Angels and his hypnotically dark remix of On Man’s Squares and Triangles was released as single only this year. So many people I’ve spoken to about this year’s line-up have told me how excited they are for The Bug, and with decades worth of songs and plethora of genres and styles to choose from, it is clear that this performance is one that will live up to its hype.”
DJ AWKWARD BLACK GIRL “one of those artists for whom I think I may be the exact perfect demographic. On Instagram she describes herself succinctly, saying ‘Loves Chips. Dyspraxic. Queer. Awkward. Black.’ The first time I read this I did a double take – I had never seen a more accurate description of myself! As someone who is just starting up as DJ it is so inspiring to see someone so similar to me make a name for themselves. In an industry that is so often overrun by straight white men it is so refreshing to see black queer womxn take up space – not to mention the added difficulties that arise when DJ-ing with dyspraxia! She is also a founder of ‘Sister Shack’, a feminist Black and Queer CIC which works to promote women and nonbinary creatives. Their set for Sister Shack’s ‘Sister Sounds International Womxn’s Day 2022’ event – which seamlessly blends a mix of old school funk classics such as Chaka Khan with rock acts like Big Joanie and high-energy rap such as London’s Little Simz – can be found here.”
GROVE “With influences ranging from drum and bass, jungle, dancehall and even hyperpop, the most concise way to describe Grove’s music is as music that you simply cannot help but dance to. This philosophy is important to Grove, who places the dance community at the centre of their music, often playing unreleased versions of new songs to crowds in Bristol to gauge reaction. Proudly black and queer, Grove aims to make music that champions their identity within these contexts. Sticky, for example, the first track on their 2022 EP Queer+Black, was written as an ode to popular black queer club night Pxssy Palace. An addictive blend of electronic, hyperpop-infused dancehall production the bouncing bass and fast-paced drums set the stage for seductive lyrics about dancing with a girl at the club. With new singles coming out in rapid succession, Grove’s Supersonic performance is sure to be an exciting one, I know I, for one, will be trying my best not to get lost in the crowd.”
NEKRA “I am incredibly excited to see Nekra this year. The all-female hardcore punk band have been making waves in the London underground scene since their 2017 Demo, conveniently titled Demo 2017. Nekra is the kind of band that immediately draws you in with their perfect-to-mosh-to energetic style but keeps you listening with their thought-provoking lyrics. On their most recent project, 2020’s EP Royal Disruptor, singer Spooky Runo’s uniquely raspy voice goes from angrily calling out predators in Groomer to heartbroken screaming on closing track Amang. It is clear that, in each of their songs, Nekra has a point to make, whether it concerns their own experiences or wider political issues. Their live performances are energy filled spaces designed to be a safe outlet for uniquely female anger, and I’m sure I’m one of the many people excited to be absolutely furious with them at Supersonic this summer.”
