Beat-Herder Festival Review 2016

So here we are for Beat-Herder number 11. How do you follow last years’ amazing 10th Birthday celebrations I wonder, surely there can’t be more naked camel riders? With more fireworks, new venues and a cracking line up featuring huge names from across the dance spectrum Claude Vonstroke, Booka Shade, Miike Snow, Todd Terje, Jesse Rose, Justin Martin, Marshall Jefferson and Riton to name but a few. This is my sixth time at this small but perfectly formed festival in the Lancashire Dales; you could say I’m huge fan of what the brothers do. BH is different to other festivals; there’s attention to detail and creativity everywhere you look, and sixteen unique stages dotted around the site provide something for everyone.

Beat Herder 2016

Friday

Friday greeted us with all-day rain, which turned the main arena into a mud fest as soon as the gates opened. Not that little bit of mud is going to deter the Beat Herder loyal posse. They have also been coming here for years too and have a tattoo to prove it.

A quick pitch of our tent and were off to go on a tour of the new site. There're a couple of new venues to take in. Bubba Gumma is a 60s Barbarella-esque, bubblegum disco box that you enter from a long dark bunker. The DJ spins rhythmic Afro disco beats, and the party gets going. Psychedelic hippy den Sunrise boasted a thumping sound system. The Illustrious Society is home to the good, the bad and the glitterati. You can only enter if you are suitable dressed. Steampunk, monocles, and Victorian cloth to be precise.

Avoiding the soupy mud and relentless rain we hide out at the undercover venues Trash Manor, BH&DWMSC (working men's club) and Maison D’etre until the evening.

On the main stage on Friday night we catch German duo Digitalism, Swedish band Miike Snow, who drew large crowds and James. Booth enters the stage and delights the crowds with the promise of a decidedly dancy set. He shouts ‘This is dance festival isn’t it.' They performed a number of songs from their new offering ‘Girl at the End of the World’ alongside classics ‘Come home’ and ‘Laid’.

Miike Snow

James

On to Pratty’s ring and we catch A Skillz. The whole of the ring is erupting with his face-paced turntable trickery. The crowd was jumping and singing along. The rain pelted down again, and performances from Dirtybird founder Claud Vonstroke, and Radio one’s B-traits suffered smaller numbers than they should, save a few hardcore fans. We took shelter once again in the Parish Church and spent the night dancing away on the pews.   

A Skillz

 

Saturday

Salvage came on Saturday morning in the form of the sun, a welcome relief from Friday’s heavy downpours. Trudging around in what now is a soupy smelly quagmire is quite a workout. It's times like this that I remind myself that this is exactly why I like small manageable festivals and couldn't deal with the trauma of glasto. We take a bit of respite in the only bit of green grass we can see. We were swooped on by the Samaritans who are keen to talk to anyone in trouble. That certainly wasn’t us, unless they could resolve the mud, we just needed somewhere to eat our yummy cheese Raclette. It’s reassuring to know that they are there for people who needed it over the weekend.

Scottish singer, songwriter Donovan took to the main stage Saturday afternoon, an older crowd waved their arms to ‘Mellow Yellow’. Not really my cup of tea and he seems oddly placed for a predominantly dance festival, but that’s the beauty of the Beat-Herder offering. They are plenty of curveballs from folk, gypsy, indie, reggae and downright weird.

Local lad Paul Taylor brings with him an array of followers, and it is heaving inside The Fortress as fans scrambled to get on shoulders. I do like DJ, who knows how to work the crowd, and this was mightily evident in his set.

Paul Taylor

As the late afternoon cracked on, we saw the annual fancy dress come into play. This year’s theme was the letter ‘R’. We caught glimpse of Ron Burgundy’s, Ronald McDonald's, the Red Arrows, and an abundance of rodents and robots. Groups of revellers played paint powder fights in the afternoon glow, covering me and my camera. It's all good fun and warm vibes and I join in the banter. Gentleman's Dub Club and the Easy All Stars provided a particularly bouncy evening on the main stage, bringing some much needed energy to the fatigued crowd.

Beat Herder Fancy Dress

Gentleman's Dub Club

We headed up to the Toiltrees to catch one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, house legend Marshall Jefferson.  He belted out house classics Peter Brown’s ‘Miracles’, Derrick May’s ‘Strings of Life’ and of course ‘Move your body’. He certainly didn’t disappoint and was one of my highlights of the weekend.

Firework cannons boomed before house veterans Booka Shade took to the stage. Despite playing their hit seminal hit 'Body Language’, it was a rather lack lustre set for a Saturday night headline act. Anyway onwards and upwards to Pratty’s Ring and the Fortress, which had a distinctly heavy bass and DnB feel to it. The evening sun played out and the parties across the site got dark and dirty.

Marshall Jefferson

Sunday

Sundays are for lie-ins, and we arose to the sounds of Mama Jerk and the Lady Fingers. The energy of jungle gypsy band Ushti Baba made us head to the main stage. Crowds started to gather and swing each other around to hypnotic trans-European melodies. There was an unmistakably chilled vibe to Sunday and everyone seemed smiley. 

Next up was Essex folk singer Beans on Toast who opened his main stage set with apt track called ‘2016.' “It’s got a short shelf life” he claimed. The emotional song brought unexpected tears to my eyes.  He recalled the unfathomable news that we have had to deal with this year; (Bowie, Prince, Paris, Victoria Wood, Lemmy, Turkey, Syria and the migrants, Brexit and our current state of political affairs). He jumped down into the crowd to get closer to the audience, pulling the leads behind him. He ran through an hours worth of his best from ‘Outlaws’, ‘The Chicken Song’ and ‘MDMA’. Like the 2pm slot at Glasto he drew the largest crowds. It was satirical commentary and storytelling at it’s best. Another festival highlight and surprisingly standout set that perfectly sums up the true spirit of festivals. 

Beans on Toast

In somewhat of a tradition at BH, we head up to the Toil to catch the laid-back grooves of Mr Scruff, and have one last boogie in the church. There’s a nun in the pulpit kissing her cross, as she waves and raves. It’s gone all heavy hip hop and breakbeat as they blast out Ice Cubes’ ‘You can do it’. Back to the main stage, we catch London reggae singer Kiko Bun's, before heading to the Fortress Krafty Kuts is kicking up the mud with a storming set. Taking to the stage in the Toil is the man of the moment Riton. A favourite for many, and drawing a largely youthful crowd. His mega hit ‘Rinse and Repeat’ pounds out of the Toil Trees system. 

Mr Scuff
 

It's difficult for any solo headliner to stand behind a desk of kit on their own, but Norwegian producer Todd Terje commands stage presence with ease. His set plays like one long soundtrack that undulates & bounces, with good visuals to boot. Girls get on shoulders for 'Delorean Dynamite', 'Disco Circus', 'Inspector Norse' and a superb mix of Stevie Nicks 'Stand Back' bleeds out into the night sky. At 12am dead on all the music across the site concludes and punters scurry off looking for sound systems across the camp area large enough to carry on the party. Many huddle round the fire not wanting it to end.

That’s it for another cracking Beat-Herder. Despite the mud, the organisers have done themselves proud and put on another party to remember. I hate that pang of sadness and a heavy heart that's it's all over you feel as you pull away from the site. You've had an incredible weekend, left the cares of the world at the door and entered into the spirit of abandonment. But soon enough it's back to reality, more politics and a Turkish coup. Take me back Beat Herder I don’t want to go home. See you 2017!

 
 

Beat Herder first wave line up announced.

BEAT-HERDER FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FIRST ACTS FOR 2016
 
 
RIBBLE VALLEY, LANCASHIRE
15TH – 17TH JULY 2016

www.beatherder.co.uk
 
 
PRIMAL SCREAM
CHRONIXX & ZINCFENCE REDEMPTION
DONOVAN
ANDHIM
CLAUDE VONSTROKE
DERRICK CARTER
CLEAN CUT KID
DOORLY
DUB PISTOLS
EASY STAR ALL STARS
GENTLEMAN'S DUB CLUB
GENERAL LEVY

FORMAT: B / JAUZ / JESS ROSE / JUSTIN MARTIN
MARSHALL JEFFERSON / RITON / SONNY FODERA

A.SKILLZ / BEATANGERS / DELTA HEAVY / DR ALEX PATTERSON (THE ORB) / KRYSKO / MOOQEE / UTAN SAINTS / WILL TRAMP / BROADWAY SOUNDS / CASH + DAVID / CAPTAIN HOTKNIVES / COSMO SHELDRAKE / FORMATION / KIKO BUN / LOUIS BERRY / OTHERKIN / TANTZ

DOHNUT / ED STONES & THE BD3 / EDDIE EARTHQUAKE & THE TREMORS / FANDJANGO / THE FOLKESTRA / FOXES FAUX / J-BEAR & THE GIANTS / PETE FOXON'S SOUL TRAIN / RARE ELEMENT / RUBBER KAZOO / FATHER FUNK / JAMIE BERRY / JAY NEWMAN / MAFIA KISS / NICOLA BEAR / SKAPES

 
 
The jewel in the crown of Northern England's festival calendar, the beloved Beat-Herder Festival, is back with a much-anticipated cheer from the 12,000 set to attend. Following its huge 10th birthday celebrations last year, Beat-Herder returns with its first line up announcement for 2016.

What sets this festival apart from all the rest – in addition to its entirely hand-made site and unpretentious atmosphere – is its wealth of musical diversity. True to form, in 2016 Beat-Herder will once again celebrate all genres of music, with a genuinely diverse line up that features household names across rock, house, techno, dub, reggae, drum & bass, folk, indie – with even a spot of EDM and dubstep thrown in for good measure.

Taking to the main stage will be veteran Scottish psych-rockers Primal Scream, folk-pop troubadour and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Donovan, reggae legend Chronixx, who will perform with his Zincfence Redemption Band, high octane party upstartsGentleman’s Dub Club and firm favourites Dub Pistols.

Over at the magical Toil Trees stage, the house and techno heartland of the festival nestled deep in the woods, Beat-Herder will play host to some of today's biggest DJs, including Riton – whose current track Rinse & Repeat  ft. Kah-Lo is riding high in the charts – Dirtybird co-founder Justin Martin, Andhim, Defected stalwart Sonny Fodera and a special Doorly & Friends takeover, featuring fellow Dirthybird ead honcho Claude VonStroke, Derrick Carter, Will Tramp and many more.

Beat-Herder's very own 60ft x 60ft rave Fortress – complete with its own lasers, ramparts and fire breathing turrets – will be headlined by LA-based dubstep superstar Jauz, who has been garnering support from the likes of Skrillex, Zedd and Diplo. Living ragga legendGeneral Levy is also confirmed for The Fortress and will no doubt bring his encyclopedic knowledge of ragga, jungle and dancehall to the Ribble Valley this July.

 
 
Originating from roots as a free rave on the Lancashire moors in 2006, Beat-Herder Festival has grown to where it is today thanks to a swift word-of-mouth growth and a devout army of fans who come back year on year. Despite its increasing popularity, the organisers intentionally cap the tickets at an intimate 12,000 to maintain it’s egalitarian feel. Beat-Herder is a friendly, barmy, hedonistic oasis hidden amidst the relative calm of the Ribble Valley

So much more than a music festival, Beat-Herder houses a Working Men's Club, comedy stage, a tattoo parlour, yoga classes, workshops including knitting and woodturning, mass-participation games, pop-up performances, a fun-fair and many more surprises round every corner, giving the punter an entirely holistic experience.

The entire site is made from scratch, by hand, including the tunnels in the woods leading to secret raves (look out for a red telephone box…) and a chapel, complete with SundayService. With so many secrets round every corner, including a secluded on-site swimming pool nestled in the heart of the woods, it’s no wonder the festival is such a special and magical experience for those lucky enough to attend, described by Gigwise as a ’northern secret and a magical wonderland.’  

Reflecting the eclectic programming the festival is known for, Beat-Herder have also confirmed multi-instrumentalist and singer Cosmo Sheldrake, who creates beautifully unique folk-tinged tunes, Dr Alex Patterson of the legendary house group The Orb, breakbeat dance artist A.Skillz, Ram Records regulars, drum & bass metal duo Delta Heavy, house producer Jesse Rose and reggae singer/producer Kiko Bun.

 
 
Broadway Sounds will be showcasing their Australian psych-pop sound, with rising UK band Clean Cut Kid also on the billing. Bringing their ‘hard-hitting klezmer’ to Beat Herderare Leeds-based band Tantz, as well as Irish grunge-pop outfit Otherkin. On the Maison D’Etre stage – aiming to showcase a hand-picked selection of upcoming and unusual artists – are guitarist and singer Louis Berry and electro-pop duo Cash and David

Stay tuned for more exciting line up announcements to come…

We Are FSTVL 2015 Review

Essex isn’t the typical location which global-touring DJs and electronic music figureheads Carl Cox, Seth Troxler and Steve Angello are used to playing. Though arguably more familiar with Vegas, Ibiza and European crowds, Upminster-based We Are FSTVL attracts the biggest names in house, techno and on Sunday, EDM.

Now in its third year, We Are FSTVL brings in 30,000 music lovers over its weekend. Think of it as the electronic music equivalent of V Festival. Cleverly targeted at the Essex party-going population, for an extra £40, a VIP ticket allows access to the VIP area – a regular festival feature offering that little bit more; there’s a separate VIP stage (Mark Knight’s Toolroom Records and MK’s Area10 host it respectively), hot tubs, hair salon, glitter and face paint stations and remarkably cleaner toilets, as well as higher viewing platforms back on the main site.

As one of the year’s first proper festivals, Saturday unsurprisingly sold-out in advance, while last remaining Sunday tickets were available on the door. Despite a windy start with grey clouds looming above, the weather stayed dry and summery; rare for a UK festival in late May.

Whilst the generously-sized main stage hosted the likes of Gorgon City and Solomun under sunny skies, Summer Festival Guide found itself at the Used & Abused stage for a great deal of the weekend. Creatively, the industrial design of an aircraft hanger made it seem as though we’d been teleported to an underground club in Europe; fitting for the dark and deep techno acts it showcased. A gargantuan three-hour set from Loco Dice made it near impossible to leave, while Drumcode Records founder Adam Beyer later delivered a set of intense, unrelenting techno. Most notable, its impeccable sound quality, remaining consistent throughout the weekend.

Elsewhere on Saturday’s bill, house sets from Simon Dunmore and Oliver Dollar on the Defected Records stage, and Redlight and Waze & Odyssey in the What Hannah Wants tent, ensured both were permanently filled. Meanwhile, globally-renowned DJ’s Seth Troxler and Carl Cox closed out the opening night on the main stage, respectively, each proving memorable highlights.

Seth’s acidic, techno-heavy set, complete with hypnotic swirling red and black visuals, saw the sun go down, before house music legend Carl Cox took the helm. Opening strongly with Deetron’s piano-house builder ‘Photon’, a sea of mobile phones lit up the night sky. The first person to majorly interact with the crowd, Cox encourages, “Carl Cox is in the house. Who’s ready?” as laser lights scour the audience and confetti explodes from cannons.

The only downside with We Are FSTVL though, is the non-camping policy, meaning that thousands of people need to be transported from the site back to wherever they may be staying. According to social media comments, people were reportedly left for hours on the roadside as shuttle buses and taxis struggled to cope with the number of attendees, though by Sunday this was far less of an issue.

As Sunday morning falls, so does the rain; but luckily only on SFG’s commute to the site. Once on-site, the ground is mostly dry as the sun steadily rears its head. The day’s first highlight comes from Dirtybird boss Claude VonStroke who, rare that he comes to the UK, delivers a crowd-pleasing set on the Paradise stage, dropping his own ‘Make A Cake’, ‘Barrump’ and Jesse Rose-collaboration ‘Bare Mountain’, proving Dirtybird as one of the finest electronic labels around; their forward-thinking, unique sound a clear hit with the Essex punters. Later, another Dirtybird affiliate, J Phlip, goes back-to-back with Huxley over in the VIP village, each dropping bass-heavy productions to a growing crowd.

Back at SFG’s favourite stage, the aircraft hanger, now hosted by Cocoon, Ten Walls and Sven Vath each deliver building techno sets; Sven’s hard-hitting sound complimented by female dancers spread across the stage.

At the complete other end of the electronic music spectrum, the main stage welcomes Radio 1 DJ Danny Howard before Oliver Heldens takes over, delivering an unexpectedly stand-out set. Mixing his own ‘deep house’ tracks ‘Gecko’, ‘This’ and ‘You Know’ with tracks from EDM’s biggest names the young producer’s clearly having a great time as he bopps around and shuffles in front of the DJ decks. It’s like watching a child in a sweet shop. “Let me see your hands Essex”, he shouts excitedly, before closing with an EDM remix of Ellie Goulding’s Love Me Like You Do. Unpretentious and heaps of fun, Heldens’ set is a great warm-up for the bombastic sounds of Knife Party.

Older fan –favourites ‘Bonfire’ and ‘Internet Friends’ mix well with a newer track which we are told is “for the UK family”; it sounds somewhat influenced by Major Laser. 15 minutes late, Steve Angello’s set begins with dramatic orchestral sounds and visuals as the former Swedish House Mafia member reveals that he’s travelled all the way from Sweden. Appearing like a silhouette throughout the show because of the strobe lights, he works the crowd with Robin S’ ‘Show Me Love’ and later, new single ‘Children of the Wild’ impresses.

Over in the Paradise tent, the sound parallels as Jamie Jones lays down chunky tech-house rollers by the dozen, whilst Mele’ closes out the Hospitality stage, leaving Shadow Child and DJ S.K.T to continue the party for VIP ticket-holders only in the Area 10 tent.

As We Are FSTVL comes to a close nearing 1am, luckily there’s a London-located after-party being taking the festivities through until 6am Monday!

We Are FSTVL continues to thrive as one of the UK’s best medium-sized festivals, offering a diverse range of electronic music over a usually sunny weekend. Here’s to 2016!

Electric Daisy Carnival UK announce the kineticCATHEDRAL stage

Creators and co-producers of Electric Daisy Carnival UK, Insomniac, are giving EDC headliners a special treat this year. For the first time ever, Insomniac will fly in the the awesome kineticCATHEDRAL Stage, modeled after the incredible stage that premiered during EDC Las Vegas in June 2014 to over 400,000 headliners. 

This revamped version stands at 90 feet tall and 240 foot wide, featuring huge 45-foot tall twin owls, with expressive eyes that are illuminated by LED lighting. Twenty multi-coloured lasers on the stage, multiple massive LED screens, and multiple fountains shooting water into the air will wow the crowd, creating the illusion of detailed stained glass windows and displaying the latest in visual design. 

Photo by ALive

It is a spectacular sight, not to be missed, a perfect masterpiece within Insomniac’s phenomenal production portfolio. The twin owls will be flying over the kineticCATHEDRAL stage at Electric Daisy Carnival, July 11th at the Milton Keynes Bowl. 

LINE UP 

Art Department 

Carnage 

Claude VonStroke 

Cosmic Gate 

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike 

Ferry Corsten 

Friction 

Hardwell 

High Contrast ft. MC Wrec 

Ilan Bluestone 

Jamie Jones 

John O’Callaghan 

Jordan Suckley B2B Bryan Kearney 

Kove 

Linguistics 

Marco Carola 

Markus Schulz 

Matrix & Futurebound 

Miguel Campbell 

Mistajam 

Paul van Dyk 

Pendulum (DJ Set) + Verse 

Philip George 

PureNRG Live 

Richy Ahmed 

Robin Schulz

Route 94 

Shy FX ft. Stamina MC 

Sigma 

Simon Patterson 

Steve Aoki 

Sub Focus 

Tiësto 

Visionquest 

wAFF 

Will Aktinson 

Electric Daisy Carnival returns for its third year to the UK in 2015

Today the world-famous dance music festival Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) announced that, for the third year in a row, it will return to the UK on Saturday 11 July, 2015.

A legendary venue, Milton Keynes Bowl provides the perfect setting for EDC UK, while the brightest stars in dance music will light up four breathtaking stages/arenas, each possessing their own unique vibe.  DJs will converge from the four corners of the world to celebrate the enduringly popular genre of techno at neonGARDEN, keeping it deep and dark from dawn to dusk. kineticFIELD presents an exciting mix of big arena electro-house artists, and circuitGROUNDS brings a seminal lineup of drum & bass pioneers who have progressively deconstructed the genre into the cutting-edge sounds and subgenres of today. At cosmicMEADOW, a stellar array of favorites has been assembled to transport Headliners straight to the stratosphere.

LINEUP SO FAR: Critically acclaimed Art Department is deep, dark and minimal. Los Angeles-based Carnage deftly fuses electro, hip-hop, pop and trap into an intoxicating brew that’s dirty, defiant, and diverse. Detroit-born Claude VonStroke, owner of Dirtybird Records and now living the life in Venice Beach, remixes everyone from Kenny Larkin to London Grammar. Cosmic Gate feed off one another’s turntable creativity to whip up a frenzied digital supernova. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike have enjoyed a continuously upward trajectory from celebrated DJs to dominating figures in the electronic music industry. Dutch legend Ferry Corsten coaxes maximum emotional impact from his records, ensuring his place at the top of the electronic music Hall of Fame. Showing his masterful skills behind the decks, BBC Radio 1’s very own Friction will be mesmerizing Headliners on four decks with unreleased cuts. Dutch DJ and producer Hardwell won the DJ Mag Top 100 poll for the last two years. High Contrast will be joined by MC Wrec and Ilan Bluestone.

Jamie Jones, leader of the new sound of house, is renowned for his pioneering music, his cross-genre band Hot Natured, his groundbreaking Hot Creations label, and his world-famous event series, Paradise. In less than a decade, he has catapulted himself to stardom by shattering genres and breaking out of the confines of minimal techno. Jamie’s revolutionary sound is an instrumental part of his success, being both artistically innovative, yet easily accessible. Also appearing will be John O’Callaghan, Jordan Suckley B2B Bryan Kearney, Kove and Linguistics—as well as Marco Carola, widely regarded as one of techno’s true pioneers. From his stellar Ibiza residency each summer to his shows across the world, Carola and his Music On parties and record label have become synonymous with cutting-edge music. Markus Schulz is a regular at EDC events around the world and known affectionately by his fans as “the Unicorn Slayer.” 

Matrix & Futurebound have defined a whole new era in drum & bass via their skillful fusion of epic, melodic soundscapes with heavyweight dancefloor production and original vocals. Rising star Miguel Campbell and BBC Radio 1’s Mistajam will be in attendance. The debonair Paul van Dyk—German DJ, musician, producer, Grammy winner and torch-bearer for the scene—had the longest unbroken run at #1 in the DJ Mag Top 100 poll, was the first DJ ever to be voted as #1 in Mixmag, and boasts remix and production credits for the likes of U2, Depeche Mode and New Order.

This festival lineup wouldn’t be complete without drum & bass kingpins Pendulum (DJ set) with Verse. Raw and controversial, with momentous killer beats, they are not to be missed. One of the UK’s hottest new talents, Philip George, had the biggest breakout record of 2014 with “Wish You Were Mine.” PureNRG Live and Richy Ahmed will be performing live. Route 94 has quietly yet forcefully established himself as a distinctive young figure in the house music scene. For his latest album project, Cornerstone, Shy FX revisits old-school studio techniques and collaborates with a mouthwatering lineup of special guests. Drum & bass duo Sigma need little introduction; from early releases on labels such as Hospital and Viper Recordings, they have cemented themselves as an integral part of the scene. Steve Aoki head label Dim Mak, and Simon Patterson is a star of UK electro house. Sub Focus’ single releases span a plethora of electronic genres, from drum & bass and dubstep to house music and beyond. One of Holland’s most prized exports, DJ and producer Tiësto is a Grammy nominee and multiple winner of the celebrated DJ Mag poll. His legendary progressive electro house sound—along with his uncanny ability to read a crowd’s energy—makes him a perfect deck magician. Visionquest, wAFF and Will Aktinson round out the lineup, with more to be announced.  

EVENT INFO

Electric Daisy Carnival UK 

Date: Saturday 11 July 2015 

Venue: The Milton Keynes National Bowl, Watling Street, Milton Keynes, MK5 8AA

Doors: Midday–11pm

Age Restrictions: The event is strictly 18+ (valid Photo ID is required) 

LINEUP 

Art Department 

Carnage 

Claude VonStroke 

Cosmic Gate 

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike 

Ferry Corsten 

Friction 

Hardwell 

High Contrast ft. MC Wrec 

Ilan Bluestone 

Jamie Jones 

John O’Callaghan 

Jordan Suckley B2B Bryan Kearney 

Kove 

Linguistics 

Marco Carola 

Markus Schulz 

Matrix & Futurebound 

Miguel Campbell 

Mistajam 

Paul van Dyk 

Pendulum (DJ Set) + Verse 

Philip George 

PureNRG Live 

Richy Ahmed 

Route 94 

Shy FX ft. Stamina MC 

Sigma 

Simon Patterson 

Steve Aoki 

Sub Focus 

Tiësto 

Visionquest 

wAFF 

Will Aktinson 

+ more to be announced 

Steve Angello, Knife Party, Steve Aoki join We Are FSTVL 2015 lineip

Adding to the palpable excitement, further acts have been revealed for FSTVL 2015 including Steve AngelloKnife PartySteve AokiMarco CarolaClaude VonStrokeRedlightThe Martinez BrothersOliver HeldensAmine Edge & DANCEArt DepartmentCyril HahnHuxley b2b J.PhlipOnebitAndrea Oliva.
 
On Sunday 31th May, We Are FSTVL’s Main Stage will be headlined by Nordic house heavy-weight Steve Angello. Following a sonic campaign for world domination as one third of dance phenomenon Swedish House Mafia, his Main Stage performance will bring an explosive close to the final day. Further dance music luminaries join the Main Stage billing with enigmatic duo Knife Party and the unstoppable Steve Aoki also announced.

French ‘G House’ pioneers Amine Edge & DANCE bring their bass-heavy style to the ‘Field of Dreams’ for the second year running, whilst hot new property Oliver Heldens will deliver his infectious brand of future house. Bronx-born tech house duoThe Martinez Brothers will also feature, and indie-electronic pair Onebit will round off the main stage line-up.

 
Elsewhere at Sunday’s FSTVL, Jamie Jones’ welcomes two esteemed figures to complete the billing for Paradise; Music On’s Marco Carola, will bring a hefty dose of techno to We Are’s Very Big Top, while Dirtybird head honcho Claude VonStrokeadds a ghetto-tinged house flavour to proceedings. Those treating themselves to some Area 10 VIP action will be rewarded with a rare back-to-back set from Dirtybird label-mate J.Phlip alongside Huxley, hot off the back of releasing debut album “Blurred”.
 
Joining Defected’s ‘Very Big Top’ on Saturday 30th May is Swiss upstart Andrea Oliva, whose Ibiza residency for ANTS at Ushuaia has made him a serious one to watch for 2015 – whilst underground mainstays Art Department are set to join Saturday’s Used + Abused Techno Warehouse. Representing Hannah Wants’ bass-tinged stage is Bristolian pioneer Redlight, with the hazy pop sounds of Cyril Hahnrounding off We Are FSTVL’s phase 3 announcement.  

South West Four adds Laurent Garnier and more to lineup

London's premier electronic music festival South West Four reveals another batch of artists for this years summer festival at the iconic Clapham Common.

Hot on the heels of the last announcement, the latest additions include Laurnet Garnier, Maya Jane Coles, Heidi, Claude Vonstroke, Catz N Dogz and Kim Ann Foxman.

Having enjoyed a meteoric rise up the electronic music ladder since 2011, Maya Jane Coles returns to South West Four this year. Her deep and enticing sounds have resulted in huge interest in her underground productions and performances at the world’s most discerning nightclubs. With an ability to seduce the mind into unchartered territory, Maya’s work as a DJ, producer, audio engineer and artwork designer has been echoed around the planet. The 2013 release of ‘Comfort’ backed this up to dramatic effect, as did her superb ‘Easier to Hide’. This will be Maya’s first performance at SW4 since 2012 and her first set in London in seven months. When it comes to females leading the charge in electronic music, Maya is definitely at the forefront. We cannot wait to welcome her back.

As one of the finest musicians to have ever graced the world of dance music, it’s an honour to welcome back the legendary Laurent Garnier for his third performance at SW4 in four years. Laurent has kept the world grooving for nearly thirty years with one of the most celebrated back catalogues of electronic productions known to exist. After destroying Clapham Common with an exquisite set last year, every effort has gone into bringing this SW4 favourite back for another dose of his enthralling techno. Garnier’s ability to keep his sets as fresh and original as possible can be is reflected by his relentless quest to unearth the very best new music. Returning to SW4 in a London festival exclusive for 2014, we cannot wait to welcome this godfather back for another masterclass.

As one of most respected and influential figures over the past decade, Dirtybird Records boss Claude VonStroke returns to our hallowed turf on Sunday 24th August for his first SW4 performance since 2008. Born and raised in Detroit, Claude’s electrifying sounds, combined with his contagious personality, makes him one of the industry’s most exciting players. Having relentlessly toured every major city, festival, basement and after party around the world, last summer witnessed the launch of his Dirtybird residency at Sankey Ibiza where he hosted one of the White Isle’s most popular weekly parties. Building on thisremarkable success for 2014, Claude’s status as a pioneering game-changer will again be illustrated via his outstanding multi-deck wizardry at SW4.

Whether it’s through performing at the scene’s most dominant clubs and festivals, her worldwide Jackathon parties or her BBC Radio 1 residency show, it’s clear that Heidi’s hard-hitting grooves will go down a storm when she makes her SW4 debut this summer. As a firm favourite on the White Isle, 2013 witnessed Heidi play at Space for Carl Cox’s ‘The Revolution’, Richie Hawtin’s ‘Enter’, and ‘We Love’, in addition toSolomun’s party at Pacha and Jamie Jones’ ‘Paradise’ at DC10. With releases on Jackathon Jams and Get Physical, Heidi’s sets are a mixture of the freshest house, techno and disco around, with her South West Four debut on course to be one of the weekend’s most memorable highlights. SW4 get ready to Jack, as we welcome Heidi for a performance you simply won’t forget.

As we continue to keep things as fresh as possible for 2014, Clapham Common will welcome one of the dance music’s favourite duos for their SW4 debut and exclusive London festival performance. After heightening their esteemed reputation even further throughout the past twelve months with pivotal tracks ‘Evil Tram’ and ‘Hush’ gaining monumental support from the likes of Eats Everything and Justin Martin, we can confirm that Pets Recordings bosses and Dirtybird favourites Catz N Dogz are finally on their way to South London. With an insatiable appetite for success, Catz N Dogz are one of house music’s most dominating forces, with huge interest in their talents. As the pair look forward to an even bigger twelve months, backed up by the recent release of ‘Bones Shakin’ and ‘Booty Comes First’, we are delighted thatSW4 has been selected as their London festival of choice. 

Recognised as one of the most sought after up-and-coming DJs in dance music, we are delighted to announce that the formidable Kim Ann-Foxman will also be joining us this August. Having made a name for herself in her hometown of New York, Kim’s natural ability was quickly picked up as vocalist for the Hercules & Love Affair’s two hugely successful albums. She has since gone onto tour the world’s finest clubs and festivals as a solo artist. Boasting some of the most intense grooves you are likely to hear at SW4 this summer, this will be the first time that Kim returns to London after her stellar performance at Eats Everything’s XOYO residency. Her production ability is improving by the hour with her latest track ‘Burning Bright’ alongside long-term friend Maya Jane Coles receiving unconditional support, whilst her remix duties are also being exercised to the max.