In an announcement of cosmic proportions, RockNess today confirms a constellation of electronic acts guaranteed to unleash an unearthly level of dancefloor devastation this June. What’s more, the stratospheric celebrations are set to land on the Scottish Highlands for three days in a brand new stage concept – THE ARCADIA UFO – the likes of which Scotland has never seen!
Brought to RockNess by Arcadia, originators of the now legendary Afterburner, THE ARCADIA UFO is a 360 degree rave machine from outer space, based on a flying saucer, and guaranteed to get the party people well and truly moving! Loaded with an armoury of brand new high powered effects and a thunderous sound system, this incredible new sculpted arena, which replaces the Afterburner, will crash land into the festival radiating fire, light, lasers and intergalactic vibrations. Head there as dusk falls for a truly space age experience for 2012! And the soundtrack to THE ARCADIA UFO is suitably galaxy-spanning too.
Having thrown the mother of all birthday parties at RockNess last year to celebrate an output of outstanding electronica spanning 20 years, our friends at SOMA RECORDS are back with an almighty bang for 2012, assuming control of THE ARCADIA UFO on Friday and Saturday and with a line up set to eclipse last year’s now legendary birthday euphoria.
First up is an artist who enjoys one of the most loyal & die-hard fanbases of all, JAMES HOLDEN. Founder of the Zeitgeist Border Community label, and hugely in demand as a remixer extraordinaire, HOLDEN’s record releases – including his recent rave reviewed DJ Kicks compilation on the K7! Label – plus packed out globetrotting DJ sets are as forward thinking as house and techno gets. It is a great honour and pleasure to have him on the bill.
Known as the '3 Deck Master' and 'The Machine', BEN SIMS is an unstoppable force on the global electronic circuit. His Theory Recordings imprint, much of which enjoys cult status, is highly regarded by the scene’s mightiest players, and the skill and dexterity of his mixing knows no bounds. With a signature of tough funk and hard grooves, it is with much excitement that RockNess and SOMA RECORDS welcomes BEN SIMS to play his first ever set in the Scottish Highlands.
ANDREW WEATHERALL is one of the world’s most respected and dedicated DJs, an exponent of consistently cutting edge, genre defying music. Throughout the decades he has been a driving force at the heart of the most seminal movements. Where WEATHERALLleads others follow. His set last year as part of the SOMA RECORDS birthday party was of such blistering repute that, by popular demand, he’s back for more. And what a treat we have lined up as ANDREW WEATHERALL & SEAN JOHNSTON present ‘A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE’ – a five hour set incorporating cosmic disco and house in its many different guises but never exceeding 122 BPM. Having started life in an intimate East London basement (The Drop) to showcase "an oasis of slowness in a world of increasing velocity", ‘A LOVE FROM OUTER SPACE’ has built its reputation as London’s best mid-week club night. Now in a Scottish festival exclusive, SOMA RECORDS bring the maestros to Dores for what will be the perfect start to the party.
Picking up the pace after the sun sets with their deep and warming house sound will be Glasgow legends SILICONE SOUL aka Craig Morrison & Graeme Reedie. Expect an abundance of new tracks dropping at RockNess as the duo will have just released their Soma20 Remixes album complete with reworks from the biggest names in house music, plus a much anticipated new EP this summer.
This sublimely curated line up join the other recently announced SOMA RECORDS acts; ‘Baron of Techno’ DAVE CLARKE, Dirty Bird and Mothership boss CLAUDE VONSTROKE and the fast rising forward thinking ANIMAL FARM.
Speaking about this year’s proposition on the brand new UFO, Soma Records boss DAVE CLARKE said "it's almost time for more unforgettable experiences around the Soma stage at RockNess. Last year was truly special and we aim to make this year's shenanigans even more so. Bring your stomping boots. Make no mistake, this is going to Rock."
Twenty five years ago the SUB CLUB opened in Glasgow. Since then, it has carved a reputation as one of the greatest clubs on the planet, always at the forefront and never compromising on its ethos of exceptional music. Now, following its inaugural landing on Dores last year, the SUB CLUB SOUND SYSTEM is back as we celebrate the club’s 25 YEARS with a line up oozing quality and class and more incredible names still to be revealed.
Formerly known as Ramadanman and head honcho of the esteemed Hessle Audio label, PEARSON SOUND pushes the boundaries from garage to deep house vibes with a masterful execution and clarity that has seen him hailed one of the most influential producers around. A regular at Fabric where his blinding sets never fail to demolish the dancefloor, PEARSON SOUND at RockNess is not to be missed.
Credited as one of the key figures to have pushed the NYC house music scene of the 00’s into a new era with a consistently unmatched vitality and coherence, LEVON VINCENT’s star continues to rise. Although anything but a newcomer. VINCENT’s recent fame can be seen only as welcome payoff. Through his outstanding imprints, Novel Sound and Deconstruct Music (with Anthony Parasole) and alongside Jus-Ed’s Underground Quality stable, VINCENT’s raw sound epitomizes the very essence of house music. Early arrival strongly recommended. LEVON VINCENT will smash the SUB CLUB SOUND SYSTEM.
Hailing from Paris, and one of France’s most wanted radio hosts and selectors, IVAN SMAGGHE has the ability to play music like a raw conduit between his famously obscure records and the dancefloor’s strobe-soaked bodies. Belonging to a top table often described as “The DJ’s DJs, SMAGGHE’s genre defying/defining production work originally in Blackstrobe and now in ‘It’s a Fine Line’, sees him injecting something of himself seamlessly into every mix. Having held residencies at both Fabric and The Rex Club in Paris, IVAN SMAGGHE commands respect of the highest order and RockNess is extremely pleased to be welcoming him this year.
Bristol boy EATS EVERYTHING (aka Dan Pearce) loves solid booty shaking beats and basslines, house "with a little more grunt". Continuing to set the pace for heavy releases in 2012 through San Francisco’s tech funk Dirtybird label, and winning support from the likes of Seth Troxler, Claude VonStroke, Pete Tong along the way, EATS EVERYTHING will descend all guns blazing on the SUB CLUB SOUND SYSTEM this summer.
Regarded as one of the most forward thinking club nights in the world, the Sub Club’s weekly SUBCULTURE residency is an institution that reigns supreme. HARRI and DOMENIC are revered by the electronic music fraternity the world over and week in week out bodies are well and truly jacked at this over two-decade-strong residency. Expect a storming party at RockNess as we celebrate 25 years of exemplary house music from the much respected duo, and toast the prospect of many more future treats.
Serving up lashings of deep, soulful house against a tech laced, percussion driven set, the brilliant SENSU comprises of Barry Price, Esa Williams and Chris ‘Junior’ Ingram. The trio nearly blew the roof off last year’s inaugural SUB CLUB SOUND SYSTEM as they unleashed a sensational live performance to a packed out audience. This year promises to be every bit as special, remaining true to theSENSU motto of good music, good people and good times.
THUNDER DISCO CLUB provide a stylistic disco-infused aphrodisiac to Glasgow’s brimming scene that clubbers will have been hard pressed to have missed. As one of the most recognisable brands in the city, and now a monthly fixture at the SUB CLUB, the collective brings a succession of on-point bookings, inspired themes and an ever-lasting lust for all things devious to its audience. Expect a set brimming with sunshine grooves come June.
Armed with Serato, two quick hands and the most diverse crate of dance floor fillers you’re likely to hear, BOOM MONK BEN is a frenzied fanatic of all things bass. From hip hop, dancehall, funk and breakbeats to house, dubstep and drum and bass if it makes theBOOM BEN move you’ll be hearing it this summer at RockNess. His monthly HYP? night at the Sub Club welcomes the foremost exponents of all things electronic and his Mixed Bizness music promotion agency is much respected.
Sub Club director MIKE GRIEVE commented “Rockness 2012 provides the perfect platform for the Sub Club to take the underground overground. With 25 years under our belt and a line-up of exceptional quality ready to represent in our anniversary year, we are raring to go – can't wait!!"
Finally, for now at least, taking to the ARCADIA UFO decks on Sunday as part of MYLO’s very special one off EPP PARTY will be mysterious duo TIGER and WOODS. The pair have been causing a commotion of late through the strength of a series of hand-stamped white labels and outrageously groovy mixes largely pulled from the disco boogie universe, so it with much excitement we await their sonic treats.
Joining the EPP PARTY is French DJ and producer YUKSEK. Ladled with sumptuous, buzzy electronic vibes, heard in all their glory on excellent recent album ‘Living on the Edge of Time’, a sublime soundtrack of top notch tunes await the RockNess crowd.
And bringing Sunday night’s UFO experience to an almighty superlative-defying climax will be MYLO. Expect a full scale hip wiggling, nu disco inferno mixed up with trademark genius throwbacks as we welcome Scotland’s beat loving electro wizard back to RockNess for his first appearance since the very first RockNess seven years ago.
Speaking about today’s announcement, Festival Director JIM KING said, “It’s birthday greetings all round at RockNess this year and there are some must see DJs coming to celebrate with Soma and the Sub Club. The Arcadia UFO Stage is brand new and takes off from where the Afterburner left last year. The Arcadia have promised it’s even better than the Afterburner and we know it’s one of the best stages at the festival and the perfect place for Weatherall to return with ‘A Love from Outer Space’. Tiger & Woods and Ivan Smagghe are super hot and I can’t wait to see them as well. Sub Club is already looking really great and good news is there is still more for them to announce.”
