Arielle Free has been along for the ride with us during every sunrise set and soulful meltdown we've had on the dance floor. Her year hasn't just been about marrying tracks; it's been about bridging gaps, shining light on the new and the fearless, and pushing sounds to the point of disintegration. Now, she's concluding in style with a residency at the Rise Festival in the French Alps, where she will be curating two unmissable events with a backdrop of snow-capped peaks and pulsating sound systems.
"Oppidan has been the ultimate breakthrough producer of the year for me," she says firmly. And it's easy to hear why. Married to garage nostalgia, razor-sharp production, and relentless forward momentum, Oppidan doesn't simply tip a hat to the past as it kicks the door into the future. "She's been giving us a masterclass on how to keep the sound fresh," Arielle says with an adherence. "It's hard to make your lane in the scene with such fat roots, but Oppidan's done it.
And in good company, too, since Oppidan has not been traveling alone. She's been traveling the globe with fellow school garage titan Sammy Virji, making corners of the earth her little slice of paradise on the dance floor. "Cannot stop their energy," Arielle says. "I nearly picked 'WHERE'S MY VAPE?' to be honest. Just for the title alone. It's… relatable."
For those periods in between, ATRIP's TANZPARTEI II (Mixtape) provided Arielle with the sonic getaway she so craved. "It's sonically sumptuous," she says, her eyes lighting up. Tracks like "Friday (Alone Right Now" found their way into constant rotation on her Rave Up radio show, while "And then it came together again" became the sound of her travel days and mind resets. "It's a mixtape for all walks of life, a proper exhibition of ATRIP's euphoric production and soulful finesse," she adds.
With heavy hitters like Disclosure and Barry Can't Swim already snapping up ATRIP for their tours, there's no doubt that 2025 is going to be his for the taking. "He's one to watch," Arielle says, grinning. "Festival lineups take note."
From warehouse raves to the peaks of the Alps, Arielle Free has not only chronicled the journeys' impact on it. And with the bass of 2024 a dimming memory, she's already cueing up next week. So, where were you when dance music blew open in 2024? If you were watching Arielle Free, you were in the right place.
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