Hello London,

Last Friday, my phone was blowing up with friends scrambling for summer festival tickets. Not everyone scored. If like them, you’re waiting for the next drop, I’ve rounded up a stack of alternative festivals for your consideration (and yes, the line-ups are serious). Plus, you’ll find a few essential gigs and art bits you shouldn’t sleep on this month.

This weekend kicks off early with local talent takeovers at M.O.T and Planet Wax on Thursday. Solomun added an extra date at Ally Pally on Friday (and sold out again), but if you want it raw and underground, Richard Sen’s vinyl-only set at Hoxton Cabin is the move. Dubstep royalty Mala lands at HERE, and if you’re pacing yourself, Back2Back DJ Battle will bring early-doors DJ-comp chaos.

Saturday goes full pressure: FOLD is hosting deep, hypnotic techno with Semantica, while the newly opened Palais is serving a spicy mix of Latin club, UK bass, and house. Bass heads should lock into dBridge or Aloka; for electro and house lovers, it’s Nan’s Basement in a warehouse or Audio Werner on a boat.

Sunday rounds off with Ellen Allien’s techno sermon at fabric Continuum, or ease into it with a late-afternoon vibe with Giant Steps.

Stay hydrated,
Afaan

PS: If any of the above are sold out (very likely), it’s always worth checking TicketSwap or Twickets for legit resale tickets.

Festival Signups

  1. Lovebox Festival @ Dreamland, Margate (29th -30th May)
    The celebrated festival returns with a mix of DJs and live acts
    Line-up: Rudimental, Armand Van Helden, Groove Armada, Scissor Sisters

  2. Multi Multi @ Hackney Wick, London (27th June)
    Multiple location festival curated by Secretsundaze
    Line-up: Dar Disku, Secretsundaze, Beirut Groove Collective

  3. Wild Wood @ South Cambridge, (19th - 21st June)
    Intimate and independent festival in South Cambs’ magical woodlands
    Line-up: Auntie Flo, Call Super, Erol Alkan, Lukas Wigflex

  4. Junction 2, Boston Manor Park, London (26th - 27th July + 2nd August)
    Three days of house, techno, and underground sounds with iconic stages
    Line-up: Nina Kravis, Jeff Mills, I Hate Models

  5. Boomtown @ Winchester, Hampshire (12th-16th August)
    Multi-genre fest with immersive storytelling, art & performance
    Line-up: Ahadadream, Eats Everything, Faithless, Four Tet, VTSS

  6. Waterworks Festival @ Gunnersbury Park, London (12th September)
    Multi-stage electronic music day fest with a stacked lineup.
    Line-up: TBA, last year they had Two Shell, Max Cooper, John Talabot, Sweely

Gigs & Exhibitions

  1. Art After Dark @ West End, 3rd - 10th Feb
    Large-scale public artworks, late-night gallery openings and music experiences

  2. Peter Doig: House of Music @ Serpentine Gallery, till 8th Feb
    A project that explores the role of music, film, and sites of communal gathering, listening, and creative exchange

  3. Materials of sound: S Castonguay @ Iklectic 8th Feb
    Live performances and immersive listening that explore sound as a physical force

  4. Chiharu Shiota: Threads of Life @ Southbank Centre, 17th Feb onwards
    Immense web-like installations, exploring the body, memory, consciousness, and the fragility of existence.

London Raves This Week

Thursday

  1. Into The Teknoverse & Techno In London
    @ Planet Wax (Techno, Dubstep)

  2. Radar 02: Teecra, DELARA, TURN_T
    @ M.O.T. (Progressive House, Trance)

  3. FADED PRESENTS PROJECT: 369
    @ Club Makossa (UKG, Future Beats, Global Sounds)

Friday

  1. HVYWGHT: Mala In Session
    @ Here (Dubstep, Grime, UKG)

  2. Labyrinth presents: Solomun (Sold Out)
    @ Alexandra Palace (Deep House, Melodic)

  3. Crazy P Residency: Crazy P, James Holroyd & More
    @ Night Tales (Slinky underground disco, every Friday this month)

  4. Back2Back DJ Battle: Live Audience DJ comp
    @ Alaska Waterloo (Multi-Genre DJ Battle)

  5. The Beirut Groove Collective Club-night
    @ The Jago (Middle-Eastern Funk, Soul & Disco)

  6. Hoxton Cabal: Richard Sen, ARLYSS & Benebe
    @Hoxton Cabin (Vinyl Only, 90s Deep & Tech House)

  7. SEXTOU EDITION XIII
    @ Number 90 London (Sexy, Queer Techno)

Saturday

  1. FOLD presents Semantica (EXTENDED)
    @ FOLD (9 hours of Deep, Hypnotic Techno)

  2. Palais: Bitter Babe, DJ Python, Pearson Sound, rRoxymore
    @ Palais (Latin Club, UK Bass, Minimal Techno & House)

  3. dBridge & Client_03
    @ The Fox & Firkin (OG Jungle, D&B, UK Bass)

  4. Aloka + Carré, Ottomani Parker (live), Kincaid (live)
    @ The Old Blue Last (Breakbeats, Dubstep, Dubtechno)

  5. Nan’s Basement - The Warehouse
    @ Deptford Junction (Banging House, Electro)

  6. Audio Werner, Desuba & Harold
    @ The Goose (Deep, Minimal, Electro Vibes)

  7. Stimulation: Love
    @ The Post Bar (Neuroqueer Art Rave)

  8. SUBLiME & Friends - Exhibition & Party
    @ The Grehound (House, Tech, Trance, Hard House)

Sunday

  1. fabric Continuum: Ellen Allien, Oscar Mulero, Adie
    @ fabric (Techno, techno, more techno)

  2. Giant Steps: John Gómez
    @ The Bath House (Global Sounds, Souse, Disco, Balearic)

  3. Fragment
    @ The Glove That Fits (Late afternoon driving techno rave)

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