East Londoner Hak Baker has released his new single, ‘Task Master’, marking his first new music since the critically acclaimed debut album Worlds End FM. The track, a collaboration with producer Toddla T, premiered on Steve Lamacq’s BBC Radio 6 show and is part of Baker’s planned vibrant summer lineup, which includes headlining the Somerset House Summer Series on July 20, 2024.
Over the past year, Hak Baker has supported Jamie T and Idles at Finsbury Park, caused roadblocks at Glastonbury, supported Pete Doherty at Royal Albert Hall and played the same venue the week after at Windrush 75, all whilst achieving a #1 debut album for Worlds End FM on the OCC Breakers Chart.
READ MORE: Hak Baker: ‘People took me seriously after Worlds End FM’
Hak went on to host his first ever podcast, the BBC World Service’s Music Life podcast, on race, heritage and success with Benjamin Zephaniah, Celeste and Baxter Dury, and brought out the BRIT-winning artist Celeste at KOKO, for their reimagined version of The Pet Shop Boys’ ‘West End Girls’.
Having taken an unconventional, rebellious career path to get here, Hak continues to pick up fans spanning culture and genre, from Fontaines DC to Skepta, Joy Crookes to Little Simz, Martin Par and Reuben Dangoor.
Releasing Worlds End FM in June this year, the critically acclaimed record was written through the prism of a pirate radio station when the world is on the brink of collapse (sound familiar?). The East End poet, musician, and spokesman for his community today confirmed he is a vital, inimitable voice for those often denied one.
Rip it up and start again is Baker’s message. The end of the world has never sounded so bold, imaginative, and thrillingly full of the glorious, chaotic wonder of life. Interspersed with skits from Connie Constance to Allan Mustafah, aka Kurupt FM’s MC Grindah, as well as intimate phone conversations with his brother and best friends, it was Busta Rhymes’ Extinction Level Event that provided the unlikely partial inspiration for a suite of spiky, quintessentially British modern folk songs, and tells you something about the eclectic and unconventional nature of Hak Baker.
Even set against Baker’s recent career achievements, it is a gigantic artistic swing that recalls other iconic, high-wire creative accomplishments. The personal is political, and Worlds End FM stares modern Britain in the eye and says, we can do better by our community.Â
Hak Baker’s 2024 live dates include:
- Sailor Jerry’s DJ Tour: April 29th – May 3rd across various UK cities
- Theatron Pfingstfestival, Munich: May 18th
- Somerset House, London: July 20th (Headline Show)
- Camp Bestival, Dorset: July 26th
- All Together Now Festival, Ireland: August 3rd
- Boomtown: August 9th
- Gretchen, Berlin: August 14th (Headline Show)
- Alte Feuerwache, Mannheim: August 15th (Headline Show)
- MS Dockville Festival, Hamburg: August 16th
- Camp Bestival, Shropshire: August 17th
- Reading & Leeds Festival: August 23rd-25th
- Forwards Festival, Bristol: August 31st
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