Carl Hanaghan is not only one of Hed Kandi's touring artists he is also their A&R Manager, so who better to find out what the popular party brand has in-store for us this season. With their 10th anniversary fast approaching this summer we find out how they plan on celebrating and get to know a little bit more about this multi-talented man...
How did you get into DJ'ing?
It has always been about the music; I have been collecting vinyl since I was 10 but I never had a pair of turntables until I was 17. At this time in my life I entered the DJ world whilst the funky house scene was at the strongest it was ever known to be. An inspiration to me, Fatboy Slim had just played his first Big Beach Boutique in Brighton and I just knew that there was no better time to get involved in the music industry. After achieving several residencies along the South Coast, I had the honour of playing across the UK alongside D.Ramirez, ATFC, Michael Gray, Seamus Haji, StoneBridge, The Soul Avengerz, Tall Paul and Gareth Wyn to name but a few. From here came the next chapter in my career, touring for Hed Kandi.
How did you first get involved with Hed Kandi?
Hed Kandi was bought by the Ministry of Sound at the start of 2006 and at the time I was working in the A&R department; with this merge the brand started to grow. Hed Kandi was looking for new talent to join their DJ roster; having been a fan of the label for such a long time I had to get involved. I was very fortunate to have been one of the chosen few to represent the brand at events worldwide.
With the brand celebrating their 10th anniversary this year, tell us what you think it is that is so appealing about it...
As I mentioned before, I was a huge fan of the brand and I had one of the best moments of my life at a Hed Kandi party in Ibiza. I know that it isn't just me that has these memories to share, not just with our parties but the Hed Kandi albums have really left their mark on many global clubbers as the brand truly does make the moments that people live for.
How will Hed Kandi be marking their milestone this season?
Imagine the best birthday party that you have ever been to, that's how! This year, Hed Kandi will be celebrating our Ibiza heritage, bringing together the vibe and experiences from our previous residencies at El Divino and Space, to our home at Es Paradis where we will bring a lot of new concepts to the show. Our resident DJ's will be on rotation and this year we have the honour of having US based producer and DJ Treasure Fingers performing at our opening party. We also have the crème de la crème of live musicians who will perform for us this year. These include our Ibiza based saxophonist, The Lovely Laura, The Drum Warrior aka Dean Oram, Chris B and Steve Lewis both on percussion respectively. There will be a lot of surprises for the clubbers that come to experience our ultimate party!
How has Hed Kandi evolved over the last ten years to keep things new and exciting?
Ten years in the music industry is a very long time and even with changes to the current music trends Hed Kandi has always been known for their niche sound, which has evolved but remains true to the brands ‘good times' ethos. As we've grown we've moved venues to enable us to really put on a show that is more than just DJ's playing one record to another.
What do you think it is about Es Paradis that keeps Hed Kandi coming back year after year?
For me, Es Paradis is one of the most beautiful nightclubs in the world. The size of the venue also enables Hed Kandi to put on the show that Ibiza truly deserves.
You are playing at Hed Kandi events this summer, what can clubbers expect from their parties?
Hed Kandi has always been renowned for being a summer lifestyle brand. From Ibiza to the US, from London to Sydney, we will continue to bring the best club experiences to crowd's world over.
Any plans for the rest of the year?
I work as an A&R manager for Hed Kandi so I will be very busy putting together our compilation albums. This is an amazing job! It's incredible to be the person that gets to listen to our albums first. I also produce music and I plan to work on several records and remixes whilst also touring for the Hed Kandi brand.
Finally, for someone who is coming to Ibiza this season what would you say to them to encourage them to go to Hed Kandi?
Hed Kandi will only celebrate it's tenth Ibiza season once, this is a huge milestone and the party that comes with it will be even bigger.
Here is a little taster of last years HK action...
