Hannah Wants

Last updated

Hannah Wants
HW Curl Forward (cropped).jpg
Background information
Birth nameHannah Alicia Smith
Born (1987-06-19) 19 June 1987 (age 37)
Birmingham, England
Genres Electronic, house, minimal
Occupation(s)DJ, producer
Years active2002–present
LabelsDefected Records, Virgin, Mixmag, Fabric, CR2, Food Music, Dirtybird, Stealth
Website hannahwants.com

Hannah Alicia Smith (born 19 June 1986) [1] [2] is a British house music DJ and producer better known by her stage name Hannah Wants, and a former professional footballer.

Contents

Early life and education

Hannah Alicia Smith was born in Birmingham, England. [1] Her grandfather was a DJ at parties in the 1940s and 1950s. [1] In 2002, when she was 16, she attended her first rave and immediately wanted to become a DJ. [1] [3] She was also inspired by DJ EZ's mixing. [1] She started practicing alone in her room playing speed garage, bassline house and old school UK Garage. [4] By 18, she was playing local bars and spent two seasons in Ibiza to pursue a DJ career. [1]

She earned a degree in sports studies at Wolverhampton University. [5]

Professional football career

Prior to her musical career Wants played football for England's youth teams and for Aston Villa L.F.C. She was also on the England women's national football team for over a decade. [1] [5] She scored a hat trick in her debut for Villa Ladies enabling the team to come back from being down 0–2 at Liverpool to win the game 3–2. [6] She scored a team-leading eight goals in the 2003–2004 season when Aston Villa L.F.C. won the Northern Division title. [7] As a striker for Aston Villa she played from U10 through to the senior team level until retiring at the age of 23 [6] to pursue a career as a DJ. [8]

Music

DJ career

Wants began DJing in 2002 [8] starting out playing speed garage before moving toward bass-influenced house blending new and old music. [2] [9] After three years of performing in small pubs she landed her first paid gig. [2] Her breakthrough came in 2010 in Ibiza while on vacation from university, she was asked to fill in for a DJ to headline at the Es Paradis club. This was to be her first superclub gig after a series of competition wins at Viva! workers' bar in Ibiza. [10] [5] This performance helped her land her first UK residency at the Rainbow Warehouse in Birmingham which led to regular bookings around England. [2] [5]

In 2010, Wants started creating bi-monthly mixtapes which she distributes on SoundCloud. Her early music was co-produced with Chris Lorenzo of Cause & Affect. [1] [11] Their single "Rhymes", inspired by the 2006 Busta Rhymes song "Touch It", [12] reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart in February 2015. [13]

Wants was named Best Breakthrough DJ in 2012 by both Mixmag and DJ Magazine . [5] [9] Mixmag named her 2014 Star of the Year [10] and she won the 2015 DJ Award for Best Bass DJ [14] and Best DJ at the 2015 Bass Music Awards. [15]

In 2015, she had a residency on BBC Radio 1. [1] [16] She was also invited for a Radio 1 Essential Mix by Pete Tong which aired on 30 May 2015. [17] Her 2015 Mixmag cover was the highest selling issue that year. [18]

Also in 2015, Wants launched her brand 'What Hannah Wants', which she designed to showcase up-and-coming DJs with an annual DJ competition and tours. [1] [2] [3]

In 2016, she released three singles on Cr2 Records: "Hidden Love" (featuring vocalist Detour City), "Just" and "Dot Com" [19] (DJ Magazine's most played premiere of 2016). [20] Wants produced the track "Dreamers" for the 2016 Katy B album Honey . [21]

In September 2016 the blog Data Transmission premiered Wants' new track "Found the Ground". A few days later DJ Patrick Nazemi posted a Facebook video comparing the track to the Boddika VIP version of the 2012 track "Mercy" by Boddika and Joy Orbison, stating that the songs were nearly identical and accusing Wants of plagiarism. [22] [23] Others noted that there is a video of Wants playing the Boddika VIP version of "Mercy" in 2014 at a show in Leeds. [24] Wants responded to the allegation stating that it was "no secret that the inspiration for the track was Joy O & Boddika – Mercy (VIP)" and that, while the tracks have similarities, she did not sample or plagiarize "Mercy (VIP)". [22] [25] The comparison video was removed by Nazemi shortly thereafter. [22] "Found the Ground" appears on Wants' mix Fabriclive 89 , released on 16 September 2016. [26]

Performances

Wants played in Maputo, Mozambique in 2013. [4] In 2014, she toured Australia [10] and played Hideout Festival in Zrće. [10] In 2015 Wants headlined her first North American tour – the Night Bass tour. [1] [5] She also played at HARD in the US, Exit in Serbia, Lost & Found in Malta, and Glastonbury. Hannah has had a summer residency at Amnesia in Ibiza for three years. In the UK she has headlined festivals including Lovebox, Parklife, We Are FSTVL and Creamfields. [5] [27]

In early 2016 Wants embarked on a five-week tour across the UK joined by the 2015 winners of her What Hannah Wants DJ Competition. [27] She played Electric Daisy Carnival New York in May 2016, [28] Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas in June 2016 [29] and Mamby on the Beach in Chicago in July 2016. [30] She played Coachella 2017 in April following a 14-date North America tour [31] and South West Four Festival in London in August 2017. [32] In November 2016, Wants announced a new tour series for 2017 called PLAY, focused on "dark, raw raves with a contemporary twist," featuring a diverse group of new and established DJs. [33] The lineup for the 2017 PLAY tour in the UK included My Nu Leng, Shadow Child and Mak & Pasteman. [34]

Awards

Discography

Mixes

TitleDetails
Mixmag Presents: What Hannah Wants
Fabriclive.89: Hannah Wants
  • Released: 23 September 2016
  • Label: Fabric
  • Format: CD, digital download

Singles

YearTitle UK
[13]
2013"Dappy" (with Chris Lorenzo)
"What I Want" (with Chris Lorenzo)
"Kneadin" (with Chris Lorenzo)
2014"Girls" (with Chris Lorenzo)
"Signs" (with Chris Lorenzo)
"Rhymes" (with Chris Lorenzo)13
2016"Dot Com"
"Just" (feat. Kristine W)
"Hidden Love" (feat. Detour City)
"Dreamers" (with Katy B)
"Found the Ground"
2022"Cure My Desire (feat. Clementine Douglas)"
2023"The One" (feat. ARA)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judge Jules</span> Musical artist

Julius O'Riordan, better known by his stage name Judge Jules, is a British dance music DJ, record producer and entertainment lawyer. He is known for his DJ activities, music production and long-running radio show which achieved global success. He was voted best DJ in the world by DJ Mag in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carl Cox</span> British DJ

Carl Cox is a British house and techno club DJ, radio DJ and record producer. He is based in Frankston, Victoria, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annie Mac</span> Irish presenter and DJ

Annie Macmanus, known professionally as Annie Mac, is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and Future Sounds. She also DJed in various locations, including hosting her AMP Lost and Found venues in places like Ibiza.

Balearic beat, also known as Balearic house, Balearic, Ibiza house or Ibizan chillout, is an eclectic blend of DJ-led dance music that emerged in the mid-1980s. It later became the name of a more specific style of electronic dance/house music that was popular into the mid-1990s. Balearic beat was named for its popularity among European nightclub and beach rave patrons on the Balearic island of Ibiza, a popular tourist destination. Some dance music compilations referred to it as "the sound of Ibiza", even though many other, more aggressive and upbeat forms of dance music could be heard on the island, such as Balearic trance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fergie (DJ)</span> Musical artist

Robert Ferguson, known professionally as Fergie, is a Northern Irish DJ and electronic music artist from Larne. He has been an internationally touring DJ and a music producer for over 20 years. He presented a radio show on BBC Radio 1 for over four years while recording 13 Essential Mixes for the station. He was featured in the DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll seven consecutive years and currently holds the record for the highest new entry since the poll began, achieved when he was voted 8th in 2000.

DJ Paulette is an English house music DJ. She is currently a resident for two radio programs on FG DJ Radio: Underground FG and Radio FG Paris France and hosts Space Bass on Dash Radio. In addition to her Radio broadcasts, she also has a two-hour monthly show on Pacha FM. She was Voted 'Best DJette' in the Burn FG MTV Dance Awards

Peter O'Grady, better known as Joy Orbison or Joy O, is an English electronic musician. His style is a coalescence of house, dubstep, UK funky, UK garage and oldschool jungle. O'Grady achieved underground success with his debut single "Hyph Mngo", released via Hotflush Recordings in September 2009. He is also known for his collaborations with Boddika.

Tristan Ingram is an English House DJ and EDM music producer & remixer from Kent, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya Jane Coles</span> British musician

Maya Jane Coles is a British music producer, audio engineer and DJ, born in London. Under her real name, she mostly composes and plays house and techno music, while her alias Nocturnal Sunshine creates darker, more bass-driven productions with a heavy hip-hop and dub influence. She was previously part of an electronic dub duo called She Is Danger with Lena Cullen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Solomun (musician)</span> Bosnian-German DJ

Mladen Solomun, better known under his stage name Solomun, is a Bosnian-German DJ. He is a four-time DJ Awards winner for Best Producer, Best DJ and Best Melodic House DJ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Kraviz</span> Russian DJ, music producer, and singer

Nina Kraviz is a Russian DJ, music producer and singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicole Moudaber</span> Musical artist

Nicole Moudaber is a Lebanese/British event promoter, record label founder, radio personality, and DJ/producer. She is the head of her own imprint MOOD Records and runs an award-winning weekly radio show, In The MOOD.

Daley Padley, also known as Hot Since 82, is a British DJ, house music producer and DJ Awards winner currently based in Holmfirth, UK. He has been releasing music under the Hot Since 82 moniker since 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Martinez Brothers</span> American music duo

The Martinez Brothers are a duo of disc jockeys, music producers, and remixers from The Bronx, New York known for their long-term residencies at clubs in Ibiza. In 2014, they were named as DJs of the year by Mixmag, who wrote that "no other DJ or DJ duo encapsulates house music in 2014 like the crown princes of DC10."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixon (DJ)</span> Musical artist

Dixon is a German musician, best known as a house and techno DJ and producer, as well founder of record label Innervisions, based in Berlin. In recent years, he has also made endeavours into fashion and technology, and is the joint owner of club-wear clothing brand Together We Dance Alone. In 2019 he launched an Ibiza residency and digital platform of the same name, Transmoderna. Dixon was voted as the number one DJ on Resident Advisor's Top 100 DJ Poll every year from 2013 to the last annual poll in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midland (DJ)</span> Musical artist

Harry Agius, known professionally as Midland, is a British DJ, producer and record label owner who began his career in Leeds and is now based in London. He founded his label Graded in 2013 as an output for his own productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Blessed Madonna</span> American DJ (born 1977)

Marea Stamper, better known by her stage name The Blessed Madonna, is an American DJ, producer and musician. Mixmag named her the DJ of the year in 2016. She founded her own record label called We Still Believe.

Sherelle Camille Thomas, known mononymously as Sherelle, is a British DJ and electronic musician. With a background in dancehall and rave music, Sherelle is best known for her DJ sets and mixes. Sherelle is also known for co-founding the label Hooversound with Naina and for founding Beautiful, a label and musical project for Black and LGBT musicians.

Emma Kirby, known as Elkka, is a Welsh producer, vocalist, and DJ. With a background of songwriter and vocalist for Elkka is best known for winning the Essential Mix of the Year (BBC1) in 2021. She is also known as the co-founder of femme culture, which she founded with her partner Alex Lambert, an inclusive queer platform. The label organizes the annual HeForShe compilation, and all profits go to the charity U.N. Women.

Ben Hemsley is an electronic dance music disc jockey and record producer from Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. He won the DJ Mag Best Producer award in 2023, and has performed at events such as Creamfields and for the BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix show.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Brailey, Louise. "Hannah Wants: 2015's DJ phenomenon". Mixmag. 15 September 2015. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Ohanesian, Liz (7 July 2015). "She Just Tore It Up: 5 Women Ruling the Electronic Music World". Paper .
  3. 1 2 "Fatboy Slim bows down to DJ Hannah Wants ahead of Scottish shows," Daily Record , 6 March 2016.
  4. 1 2 Jemayel Khawaja, "Hannah Wants Nearly Died in a Plane Crash in Mozambique," Vice , 10 December 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Hannah Wants: to Want and to Have". djmag.com. 7 June 2015. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  6. 1 2 Harrison, Dan. "Feature: From matchdays to Madonna".Aston Villa FC. 7 October 2015. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  7. Women's Football News Archive Archived 19 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine . Womenssoccerscene.com. 7 May 2003. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  8. 1 2 "Hannah Wants Interview: 'The pressure is high'," Skiddle, 12 September 2016.
  9. 1 2 Tim Hughes, "What Hannah Wants... is global DJ fame. Meet dance music's latest superstar ahead of O2 Academy oxford gig," Oxford Times , 18 March 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Byers, Ally. "Star of the Year: Hannah Wants". MixMag. 23 December 2014. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  11. Khawaja, Jemayel. "Chris Lorenzo Ghostwrote Your Favorite Bassline Anthems". thump.vice.com. 21 April 2014. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  12. Gabrielle Nicole Pharms, "Hannah Wants Talks DJing, Producing, and BBC Radio 1 Residency," Life + Times, 6 March 2015.
  13. 1 2 "Hannah Wants and Chris Lorenzo". Official Charts. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  14. Nick Jarvis, "Here are all the winners of the 2015 Ibiza DJ Awards," In the Mix, 1 October 2015.
  15. "Bass Music Awards Winners Announced," DJ Magazine , 16 November 2015.
  16. "Hannah Wants, BBC Radio 1's Residency – BBC Radio 1". BBC. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  17. Hannah Wants – Essential Mix – 0515 , retrieved 14 December 2016
  18. "Mixmag Records to release 'What Hannah Wants'". Mixmag. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  19. Valerie Lee, "Hannah Wants," Mixmag , 4 July 2016.
  20. "DJ Mag's Top Premieres of 2016: Most Played," DJ Magazine, 30 December 2016.
  21. Morgan Lee, "Katy B announces new album Honey, it features everybody," Fact , 28 January 2016.
  22. 1 2 3 Sophie Weiner, "How the Alleged Hannah Wants Plagiarism Scandal Became a Conversation About Gender," Vice, 14 September 2016.
  23. Black, Billy. "Hannah Wants Accused of Plagiarising Boddika and Joy Orbison's Mercy". Crack Magazine. 12 September 2016. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  24. Wilson, Scott. "Hannah Wants accused of plagiarising Boddika and Joy Orbison track". Fact. 12 September 2016. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  25. Hawthorn, Carlos. "Hannah Wants responds to 'Mercy' plagiarism claims".residentadvisor.net. 12 September 2016. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  26. Scott Wilson, "Boddika responds to Hannah Wants plagiarism controversy," Fact, 13 September 2016.
  27. 1 2 "Hannah Wants Is Touring the UK". djmag.com. 25 November 2015. Accessed 12 September 2016.
  28. Elias Leight, "EDC New York 2016 Day 2 Highlights: Kaskade, Jauz, Nicole Moudaber & More," Billboard , 16 May 2016.
  29. Lisa Brown, "EDC Las Vegas 2016 Lineup Revealed: Kaskade, DJ Snake, The Chainsmokers & More," Billboard, 23 May 2016.
  30. Kat Bein, "Mamby on the Beach Announces 2016 Lineup & Expansion: Chet Faker, Chromeo & More," Billboard, 12 April 2016.
  31. Bruce Fessier, "Coachella 2017: Radiohead, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar to headline," The Desert Sun , 3 January 2017.
  32. "SW4 Festival 2017 Announces Pendulum, Hannah Wants, Mistajam, More," DJ Magazine, 1 January 2017.
  33. "Hannah Wants announces PLAY tour concept," Skiddle, 17 November 2016.
  34. Louis Anderson-Rich, "Hannah Wants Reveals Lineup for Play Tour," Mixmag, 17 January 2017.