After four years, London’s beloved electronic music festival, Junction 2 returns to its inaugural home of Boston Manor Park for two days across 21st and 22nd of July. It’s hard to think of an unluckier event in recent memory than Junction 2, suffering three years of cancellations in a row – two due to the pandemic and last year’s edition at Trent Country Park was pulled at the last minute due to train strikes. However, they’re now back with a bang with a huge lineup that includes some of the industries largest names.
Boston Manor Park gave Junction 2 the opportunity to design their iconic Bridge stage which sees revellers dance underneath the M4 motorway, a scene that’s now become synonymous with the event. This time around we see the likes of Jeff Mills, Charlotte De Whitte and Nina Kraviz take to that stage, but Junction 2 has four other stages – Grid, Quad, Blackout and Woods – and has partnered with Ticketswap, Phonica, Fuse and ION festival, who each host a stage.
Separating their curation between a house leaning Friday and a darker, techno infused Saturday, Junction 2 offers a slice of everything for dance music enthusiasts. Featuring the likes of Dixon, Adam Beyer and Mall Grab, the festival has become a highly sought after event in 2023’s calendar and tickets are close to selling out. For those making their way to West London in a few weeks time, we’re here to highlight five artists that you definitely won’t want to miss.
Underworld
The electronic duo of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith have been making dance music since the late 80s and have ten albums to their name. Best known for their hit record ‘Born Slippy’ that soundtracked Trainspotting, Underworld are pioneers of the UK dance scene and their impact on dance music today cannot be understated. With a rare live performance at the Grid stage on Friday, you can expect all the hits and boundless energy. One for the books!
Daphni B2B Hunee
Daphni is the dancefloor alter-ego of Caribou and on the occasions where he comes together with beloved DJ Hunee, they always deliver a good time. On the last edition of Junction 2 they took the Fabric afterparty by storm and we’re sure much of the same will occur this year at Quad on Friday. Expect a delve into the left-field of dance music, with nu-disco and house being the point of call.
Ben UFO B2B Helena Hauff
Two household names in the electronic scene come together to play back to back at the Bridge on Friday. Ben UFO has been at the top of the UK scene for over a decade and his Hessle Audio label is much heralded for it’s forward thinking approach to the genre. German DJ and producer Helena Hauff has been at the forefront of the EBM revival in recent years. Consistently standing out for her exclusive use of vinyl within her sets, expect this set to weave in many directions.
Sama’ Abdulhadi
Palestinian DJ Sama’ Adulhadi brings the sounds of her Middle Eastern homeland with her to Junction 2. That heritage is the key to her alternative take on Techno and her subsequent rise in popularity in recent years. There are political undertones to Sama’s music and her fans always come in force with Palestinian flags at her shows. Sama is certainly one to see at Blackout on Sunday because it’s a delve into a world you’re very likely to never witness otherwise.
Astra Club (Carlita B2B DJ Tennis)
Astra Club is the newfound partnership of Carlia and DJ Tennis which is currently taking the festival circuit by storm. DJ Tennis runs the Italian label Life and Death and Carlita was taken under his wing initially as a protege. However the Turkish artist has since blossomed and now has a growing back catalogue of dance hits to her name, last years ‘Bon Trip’ and ‘Cinecitta’ are particular highlights. The duo’s chemistry is there for all to see. Expect a journey into acid house and techno when Astra Club play at the Bridge on Saturday.
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Words: Jake Wright