Summer Festival Guide

The impressive Dance Arena line-up gets even bigger and better with it's eclectic line up. Critically aclaimed act Knife Party are first up and will be performing on July 15th. A side project from Pendulum’s Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen, this Australian electro-house-dubstep duo launched to stratospheric heights after remixing Swedish House Mafia, pumping their high octane fuel injection to the public sonisphere, they are smashing dancefloors worldwide, and will for sure be tearing up the fortress walls in a similar fashion. Jacques Lu Cont, a man with many names – Les Rythmes Digitales, Paper Faces, Man With Guitar and Thin White Duke, gained the current super-popularity mostly thanks to his decade-long collaboration with Madonna, and whose renowned album "Confessions on a Dance Floor" was produced by none other than him. Jacques Lu Cont’s splendorous career has been crowned with three Grammys up to this date, thanks to his original scores as well as his remixes and will be performing on Thursday July 12th. Thursday will also feature Eats Everything, the British producer who has recently exploded in the underground house scene, made his mark on the famous Essential Mix on BBC Radio1, and is currently under Hot Creations, dirtybird, Hypercolour, Greco Roman to name a few labels. His tour bus will have to make another stop – at this year’s Exit Festival along with label mate American producer Claude Von Stroke, whose tracks "Deep Throat", sold in over 10,000 copies, and "Who's Afraid Of Detroit", turned him into a touring machine. His label, symbolically named "dirtybird" became the primary exporter of electronic music in the United States, with over 50 EPs released since the foundation in 2005. The same night Saturday 14th July, Benoit & Sergio start the proceedings with their inimitable take on house and techno, expect a juxtaposition of pristine production and lyricism which will prove why they are one of the most unique and interesting outfits in dance music today. They will be joined by German and London underground stalwarts, Tobi Neuman b2b Geddes. Stemming both from the uber cool underground scenes in Germany and London respectively, Tobi Neuman resident of Berlin’s Watergate and Weekend and Geddes heading mulletover, London’s biggest and longest running underground warehouse party. Both mix a myriad of music that develops its own soft, dark gravity, balancing on the fine, almost irrecognizable line between house and techno: sexy and friendly, finishing off the Saturday night perfectly.

After 2AM program traditionally welcomes some of the greatest Drum’n’ Bass and Dubstep scene. The second day of our festival features one of the leaders of the new d’n’b talents in Europe, and a star for Hospital Records, Netsky. We have enough time to prepare for his second studio album, starting with his latest single “Come Alive” which is due May 21. Drumsound & Bassline Smith, will also present their work at the festival on the second day. The British production team, consisting of Andrew Wright, Benjamin Wiggett (Drumsound), and Simon 'Bassline' Smith, who release their work under their very own Technique Recordings are BBC Radio 1’s favourites. They released their single “Close“ in August last year, which won the award for the Best Song and Best Video at this year’s “Official Drum & Bass Awards“. Both acts are featured by MC Dynamite, a globetrotter and the jungle, drum'n' bass, hip hop, dubstep and reggae dancefloor preacher. On July 14, After 2AM program hosts the Israeli Dubstep producer and DJ, Asaf Borger, hiding under the alias Borgore. A self-proclaimed “ young man following big dreams, a private beach and the olsen twins.“ classifies his musical genre, a mixture of drum beats with Heavy Metal influences as “Gorestep“. The last, but not the least, we welcome Goldie, on the last day of the festival. Goldie is an English musician, DJ, visual artist, actor and a celebrity, who will be accompanied by one of the most innovative and wanted MCs of the world, SP:MC.

The second-biggest Exit electronic music stage, Happynovisad, hot spot for the alternative electronic acts, is preparing this year’s programme for the fans of the most progressive musical genres. Friday, July 13 welcomes performers from the highly influential, top quality Hotflush Recordings label. The British producer, currently residing in Berlin, Sigha, is one of the leading techno producers of the label. Alongside these two icons, Happynovisad stage is, on Friday, also hosting Tim Van de Meutter a.k.a. Locked Groove, who carries his own signature – an explosive blend of industrial techno and a melancholic deep house which assign a star-status to him. Finally, another Hotflush baby, George Fitzgerald, famous for his original house-garage-techno-dubstep cocktail will make Friday 13th on Happynovisad unforgettable!  Saturday, July 14 will see the dawn of a young Belfast-based producer Jack Hamill, who gained his popularity under the aliasSpace Dimension Controller. Claiming to be born in the 24th century, he returned through time, accidentally crashing his Electropod to be stuck here with nothing but presenting his funky electro sound. He will just have to stick with our outdated airplanes and dancefloors before he gets back to 2352.

Elektrana stage, the place of all jovial electro lovers, announces its marvellous and abundant line-up for this year, alongside the already announced Sneaky Sound System and When Saints Go Machine. Thursday, July 12 will see the appearance of a dancefloor favourite, Christian Strobe, an 80s music baby, who ended up as a child of indie music, cosmic house and nu-disco. A day later, Elektrana stage welcomes Thieves Like Us, a five-piece band who manages to combine post-punk, new wave, italo disco, synth pop, and yet sound so electro-poppish that it makes you wan to dance all night! The same day, the stage welcomes Greek musical genius Nikkon, whose opus is described as a chill-out Electro sound paired with dreamy female vocals who give his music an additional, deep and refined note.

The striking festival day, Saturday, will be reserved for Tapeaters. A Russian Electro-Pop/Funk duo formed in 2009 features a sound created by warm vintage synths, funky vibe and a vocal polyphony all in one big emotion. The same day, something completely different strikes the fortress – DAT Politics, one of the most important electro-exatic bands on the planet. They are characterized by a precisely-sharpened turbo pop mood, while their computers create some of the catchiest melodies you have ever danced to.

Franz + Shape, Detachments and A Terrible Splendour will crown the festival on the last day, Sunday, July 15. The unique sound of Franz + Shape is created from a mix of acid wave and electro music. Their live performances are packed with a great electro sound combined with synths, drums and samplers, and the crowded dancefloor is their natural habitat! The Detachments, led by a creative mind – an artist, graphic designer, DJ and actor hailing from Lancaster, Bastien Marshal, is an interesting post – post- electroclash specimen. Currently, they are preparing a new album which will be mixed by none other than Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order). Finally, tales of blackmailing, desperation, cruelty and hopelessness will be told by London’s MM Lyle and Martin Block, who are served together under the name A Terrible Splendour. They call their genre “new romantic cabaret“, and are inspired by the artistic creations from the likes of Automelodi, Fisherspooner, Visage and Gina X. It shouldn’t take a long time to figure out their sound – under a dark and gloomy synth pop veil.

LINE UP SO FAR:
Guns N’ Roses, Duran Duran, New Order, Erykah Badu, Plan B, AVICII, Richie Hawtin, Gossip, Wolfmother, Luciano, Laurent Garnier LBS, Knife Party, Miss Kittin, Hercules & Love Affair, The Toy Dolls, Skindred, Little Dragon, Felix Da Housecat, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Azari & III, Buraka Som Sistema, Sneaky Sound System, Claude Von Stroke, Netsky & MC Dynamite, Goldie & SP:MC, Jacques Lu Cont, Art Department, Maceo Plex, Borgore, Reboot live, Thieves Like Us, Brodinski, Kenny Larkin, Drumsound & Bassline Smith & MC Dynamite, Robert Dietz, Citizens!, D.R.I., When Saints Go Machine, Eats Everything, Tobi Neuman b2b Geddes, Benoit & Sergio, Maayan Nidam, Street Dogs, Space Dimension Controller, George FitzGerald, Sigha, Lone, Pariah, Teengirl Fantasy live, The Chain, Locked Groove, Nikonn, The Tapeaters, DAT Politics, Franz + Shape, Detachments, A Terrible Splendour, Christian Strobe