Idris Elba makes his return to Defected Records once again, this time from a high-rise building overlooking Amsterdam’s riverside. In his latest endeavor, Elba channels an aura of feel-good house anthems in an hour long set to celebrate the return of soccer season for “The Kick Off,” a virtual livestream celebration in partnership with Heineken and the UEFA Champions League. 

Along with Elba, Defected Records curated a lineup of heavy-hitters for the one-day streaming event, which included artists like Purple Disco Machine, Low Steppa, and Ferreck Dawn, along with secret appearances from soccer stars sprinkled throughout the stream. 

In Defected Records’ journey of championing the digital livestream landscape, the label has excelled with ease through their ongoing slew of online events. In 2020 alone, they’ve boasted a series of weekly radio shows hosted by Sam Divine, the debut of their Defected Virtual Festival events, and an upcoming three-part livestream series dubbed ‘We Dance As One’, looking to bring awareness to the shutdown and lack of government support surrounding the UK nightlife and music industry.

Featured image: Heineken

Tags: Amsterdam, Defected, Defected Records, idris elba

Categories: Music