Monday 26th January 2015 by Alexandra Pollard | Photos by Splash

The Prodigy, Florence + The Machine + more for Benicassim

The first wave of acts for the Spanish festival has been announced

Guests: We're not particularly referring to Calvin Harris, with whom Florence has already made two collaborations. Those were fine, but something a little more left field would be preferable. MNEK, for example, tweeted in 2013 to say that he'd written some songs with Flo. Let's hope those surface.

UK festival slots: To be honest, we'd be requesting this with or without new material - but there is a new album is in the pipeline, and she's already booked every European festival under the sun. Without wishing to evoke Nigel Farage too much, it's about time she played in her own country. British festivals for British singers.

Hip hop / R&B influences: There's just something about Florence's sound and trajectory that seems to fit the idea of heading a little more towards these genres. Plus, she's toured with The Weeknd, released a song with her friend A$AP Rocky, and performed an impromptu cover of Kendrick Lamar's 'Backseat Freestyle' on a London tube.

Covers: This request is much less a sleight against her own songwriting abilities than a recognition of her ability to completely transform pre-existing material. Be it with the chilling and disturbing 'Girl With One Eye' or the pained euphoria of 'You Got The Love', Florence manages to breathe new life into both old classics and undiscovered gems.

Restraint: Most of Florence's big hits involve at least some degree of hugeness - be it the forceful punch of her wailing vocals, the urgent drums, or the soaring strings. There have been moments throughout her career though, when she's demonstrated her capacity for restraint. Her recent cover of Sam Smith's 'Stay With Me', for example, showcased her ethereal strength without a single one of her signature "big notes." A few of these on the album would add some interesting shades.

Lyricism: There's a timeless quality to Florence's lyrics which is due in no small part to their Renaissance inspiration. She revels in opaque beauty ('If Only For A Night'), buoyant, conflicted aggression ('Kiss With A First') and downright creepiness ('My Boy Builds Coffins'). We have utter faith that her third offering will continue this.

Orchestral elements: There's a reason why Florence + The Machine's music has been included on such a plethora of film and TV soundtracks. She manages to lace an intricate pop sensibility over a huge orchestral spectacle. The result is beautifully cinematic. Ceremonials included a harp, bells, piano, viola, cello, violin and the one-woman power choir that is Florence Welch.

Tags: The Prodigy

The Prodigy, Florence + The Machine and Portishead are among the first batch of artists announced for this year's Benicassim Festival.

The Prodigy will headline the main stage of the Spanish festival, with acts such as Bastille, Florence + The Machine, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and Portishead also on the bill.

Completing the first wave of artists are Los Planetas, Public Enemy, Crystal Fighters, Clean Bandit and MØ.

The Prodigy recently revealed the first track, 'Nasty', from their long-awaited new album The Day Is My Enemy.

Listen to 'Nasty' by The Prodigy below

Benicassim takes place between 16-19 July 2015 at Costa del Azahar. Buy tickets here. See the full line-up below.

The Prodigy
Florence + The Machine
Portishead
Los Planetas
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Bastille
Public Enemy
Crystal Fighters
Clean Bandit
MØ

The Prodigy, Florence + The Machine + more for Benicassim

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