Eastern Electrics returns this weekend

Returning to Morden Park over ​Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August​, Eastern Electrics will include a ​pool party​, vamped up VIP area and a host of top DJs. 

These include heavyweights like MK, Goldie, Orbital, Skream, Claptone and more. 

This weekend will again see the construction of the impressive Switchyard stage and a host of other arenas catering to varied electronic tastes. 

With variety in mind, day two will have a garage vibe with legendary UKG jock DJ EZ leading the charge, joined by DJ Spoony, Matt ‘Jam’ Lamont and many more. 

This year will also feature an after party at legendary London venue, Fabric, which will feature a DJ set from M25 rave icons, Orbital. 

Weekend tickets are priced at £57.50, plus booking fee, Saturday-only tickets are from £39.95 and Sunday from £20.

Tickets are available HERE

elrow Town brings the surreal and stupendous to London

Elrow Town breezed into London last weekend in a blaze of psychedelic colour, animatronics and banging tunes.

It is now a week since the second day kicked off and the hedonistic musical mayhem is still fresh in the memory.

Great sets from Claptone, Fatboy Slim and Idris Elba were the order of the day, seven days ago.

And last Saturday saw Paul Kalkbrenner, Paco Osuna and Steve Lawler entertaining up-for-it revellers across the Psychedelic Trip and Sambodromo do Brasil arenas.

Both main stages were incredible feats, with inflatable giraffes and other critters looming over the dancefloor in the Sambodromo and awesome ‘walking’ praying mantises stalking the massive pyramidal Psychedelic Trip.

The event, in the shadow of the Olympic stadium, in Stratford, brought a hefty dose of the surreal to this corner of East London, with smiles on faces wherever you looked. It was a timely reminder not to take life too seriously.

Here’s hoping elrow Town is now a regular feature.

VIDEOS: South West Four 2017 Review and Pictures

South West Four continues to go from strength to strength, with increasingly impressive light shows – and DJ sets -making this wonderful event an audio-visual feast for dance music fans. 

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That is helped significantly by headliners Luke deadmau5, whose entire schtick is the awesome marriage of breathtaking incandescent stage decor and whomping synth-laden aural fodder. 

But support acts also pitched in, with Markus Schulz's terrific Dakota concept bringing visual storytelling alongside his riff and bass heavy neotrance madness.

On Sunday's headliner – deadmau5 has maintained a bleeding cool edge in an era of throwaway EDM and a proliferation of festivals – much like SW4 itself.

His set was a tour de force uptempo crowd pleasers like Ghosts N Stuff were tempered with euphoric dreamstates like Phantoms Can't Hang, and some hip-hop and DJ tool-like samples were thrown in as the Mau5 pitched it up as well as down.

Deadmau5 makes you work, he won't throw you euphoric bones track after track and the overall effect is that he creates a mood, a nose-thumbing meta journey, where occasionally you're in on the joke and occasionally you're the butt of it – but you don't mind either way.

His set here was quite simply fantastic. 

I also particularly enjoyed Ferry Corsten's set in The Gallery tent, where the Dutch maestro appeared to revel a greater freedom to play his beloved trance to an equally ecstatic crowd.

Honourable mention must also go to Gareth Emery.

The main stage was also busy throughout as top talents like Martin Soveig, Example and DJ Wire and Sub Focus veered closer to the overground. 

But is simply too much to list in terms of the stellar line-up, so I'll concentrate on my overriding impressions.

South West Four has never felt so sure of itself to me, it is how an event like this should be – no unnecessary gimmicks, just solid entertainment aimed squarely at the punters.

Long may this jewel in the summer crown continue.

Eastern Electrics 2017 review and pictures

Well what a great event Eastern Electrics was!

On the way out of the festival I overheard someone saying: “It wasn’t as good a venue as Hatfield House.”

But, I must say, I disagree.

As much as I don’t want to criticise the beautiful grounds of Hatfield House, it always seemed an odd fit to me and the whole event seemed cramped at the Hertfordshire site.

That was not the case at the latest home of EE – a sun-kissed Morden Park.

Whilst not exactly the most salubrious part of our fair capital, the expansive park offered Eastern Electrics room to breathe.

It was a triumph, with great line-ups, sensible position of arenas and an up-for-it crowd.

Sets from Steve Lawler, Carl Cox, Ninetyone, everyone in the Defected tent, Terry Farley and DJ Pierre were excellent.

This must be the biggest one-day incarnation of EE I’ve been to and it was great to have a voyage of musical discovery, as I ambled from tent to tent eager to hear more cutting edge electronic music.

I also felt there was more variation this time round, with great minimal fayre in the always brilliant Switchyard, and funkier and uplifting offerings in other arenas.

My only minor gripe was with the increasingly prevalent festival RFID wristband system (queue up to put cash on it, then queue up to get a drink using it – why?!).

That said, for a system which for me is pointless, it did run as smoothly as I’d hoped.

But I don’t want to end on a negative, so I’ll restate just how much fun Eastern Electrics was this year and how self-assured this seemingly wandering festival has now become.

It has established itself as a staple of the summer and long may it continue – wherever it is.

   

Eastern Electrics 2017 set times and stage splits revealed

Set times for the Eastern Electrics (EE) festival in Morden Park, London, on August 5, have been announced. 

Headliners and acts include Carl Cox, Steve Lawler, Hot Since 82, Sonny Fodera, Art Department, Heartless Crew, Skream, Dennis Ferrer, Waze & Odyssey and many more. 
Check below to see where your favourite DJs will be playing and when and check back for further updates. 

Eastern Electrics 2017 festival: stage splits revealed CLICK TO VIEW

The stage splits for this year's Eastern Electrics festival have been announced. 

See below to see who is playing where on August 5. 

VIDEO: Mauro Picotto plays intimate London event as Alchemy comes to town

Thumping beats and soaring riffs were in evidence as Mauro Picotto's Alchemy rumbled into London this week, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian. 

• Scroll down for video

The event, at Work Bar, in Chapel Market, saw Picotto joined by Gabry Fasano and Alby & Devid.

Fans whooped as Picotto dropped a remix of classic Lizard (Gonna Get Ya) and other storming techno, trance and house tracks in an eclectic set, at the intimate venue.

Comical facial and hand gestures were the order of the night as 'The Lizard Man' interacted with the knowledgeable and up-for-it crowd.

Best of all the Alchemy stars mingled with revellers between sets, in an informal and surreal experience, almost unheard of in today's world of aloof EDM silliness. 

Strong support was also welcomed as reverberating subs and techno riffs made for a uniquely Italian flavour, like the Peroni clubbers supped as the bass kicked. 

With plenty more on offer from both the Alchemy label and Work Bar, there's lots to look forward to in London and beyond. 

                                         

Eastern Electrics 2017: Venue announced

The venue for this summer’s Eastern Electrics has been revealed, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian. 

Organisers released a video on Instagram last night confirming the switch from Hatfield House, in Hertfordshire to Morden Park, London.

The event, on Saturday, August 5, will feature Carl Cox, Hot Since 82, Dennis Ferrer, Ame, Steve Lawler and many more over a host of stages.

• For tickets click here   

South West Four 2017: New Sunday acts announced

New headliners, including John Digweed, Vitalic (live) and Carl Craig have been announced for the Sunday leg of this year's South West Four festival on Clapham Common, on August 27. 

Check back for further SW4 updates.  

Ibiza's ANTS colony swarms into O2 Brixton Academy London tonight

ANTS' massive event at London's Brixton Academy, takes place tonight - Easter Thursday (April 13).

Added to headliners Groove Armada will be Eats Everything, Secondcity, Dennis Christopher and ANTS stalwarts Andrea Oliva and Waze & Odyssey. 

TopReviews4U will be there and will be reviewing the action in the coming days. 

• Click here for last minute tickets

South West Four 2017: More main stage acts announced - including Marshmello, Tinie Tempah

More acts have been unveiled for the Saturday leg of South West Four.
Bucket-wearing confectionery fan Marshmello and urban superstar Tinie Tempah will join others including Pendulum, Sigma and Duke Dumont on the Together main stage on Saturday, August 26, at Clapham Common. 

Check back for further updates on South West Four 2017. 

Full line-up for ANTS at O2 Brixton Academy London revealed

The full line-up for ANTS' massive event at London's Brixton Academy, on Easter Thursday (April 13), has been revealed.

Added to Groove Armada (as previously revealed on TopReviews4U) will be Eats Everything, Secondcity and ANTS stalwarts Andrea Oliva and Waze & Odyssey.

Click here for tickets

Amnesia Ibiza hits London this weekend!

Ahead of the undeniably huge summer that awaits the Amnesia team, the global clubbing mecca lands on the streets of London for one night only at Electric Brixton.

Along with all the trademark attributes you’d expect to find at a typical Amnesia party such as their world-class sound, hedonistic dancers and industrial sized Co2 cannons, the club will also be showcasing their giant pyramid for the fist time ever. 

To what we can only compare as a spaceship from another galaxy, this 7x7 metre monster is sure to wow ravers on Saturday March 4 with its blinding LEDs and powerful laser beams.

Another stellar line-up has been assembled, with Elrow resident Patrick Topping confirmed to headline this special date.

Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade, London, SW2 1RJ
Open from 11pm – 8am
Fully licensed bar until close
Nearest Tube & Night Tube: Brixton (Victoria Line) / Stockwell (Northern Line)

Line up: 

Patrick Topping
Catz N Dogz
Hector Couto B2B Mar-T
Edu Imbernon
Clint Lee
Jethro Watson (New Music Sessions)
Metrospekt (Switch)
MADe (Halo)
Ben Hooper & Ed Deegan
Andrew Morgan

Tickets click here

South West Four 2017 Phase 1 line-up complete - includes deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Pendulum, Marco Carola and more

Phase 1 of the line-up for South West Four 2017 is complete with many more acts to still be announced, writes TopReviews4U editor Paul Christian.

Early headline announcements include deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Pendulum, Marco Carola, Sigm, MK, Duke Dumont, Gareth Emery and more.

Keep checking back on TopReviews4U for more on SW4 and other top UK dance events.

   

• For more information and tickets go to www.southwestfour.com





deadmau5 to headline South West Four in London

Superstar DJ deadmau5 is set to headline SW4 in London on August 27. 
Also announced for the Sunday leg of the long-running weekender are Marco Carola, Gareth Emery and more. 
Also returning to Clapham Common once again is The Gallery Club Arena.
Sunday pre-sale tickets on sale Wednesday at 9am.

• For more information visit https://goo.gl/P7FcpD

ANTS and Groove Armada set to invade London in 'biggest show outside Ibiza'

One of the hottest movements in clubland - ANTS - will invade London led by dance royalty Groove Armada.

The event, at the 02 Academy, Brixton, on April 13, promises to be ANTS' biggest show outside of Ibiza, when the insectoid house and techno swarm heads to the capital.

Groove Armada have been at the forefront of house music for two decades and they are equally happy playing big stages or sweat-soaked basements.

Their breakthrough releases, the downtempo anthem ‘At The River’ and million selling album ‘Vertigo’ has led to the act releasing seven studio albums to date plus a Fabric Live album in 2016.

One of Ibiza’s most respected electronic music gatherings, ‘The Colony’, as it is known to its legions of supporters, will invade London’s 02 Academy Brixton for its second party in the capital, following its sold out show at Electric Brixton in February 2016.

Not many music collectives have seen a meteoric rise to the top of the electronic music scene quite like ANTS, with the brand growing from its Ibiza base to host main stages at festivals and high profile club shows across the globe.

After launching at Ushuaia, Ibiza in 2013, ANTS has evolved into one of the most essential Ibiza parties, drawing the island’s clubbing cognoscenti as well as clued up clubbers from around the world. It is internationally renowned for its perfectly curated underground line-ups and monster production, creating unique and unforgettable experiences.

Hosted by trusted resident DJ and phenomenal underground producer Andrea Oliva, ANTS has welcomed a wide plethora of international artists including Sasha, Maya Jane Coles, Eats Everything, Groove Armada, Eli & Fur, Joris Voorn, Nic Fanciulli, Hot Since 82, Kolsch, and many more.

The groundbreaking Ushuaia residency has since led to ANTS events in Miami, Dubai, Hong Kong, Mexico’s BPM festival and Snowbombing, among other prestigious locations.

The legendary O2 Academy Brixton has hosted some of the most influential names in the scene with Carl Cox, John Digweed, Moderat, Four Tet and Caribou all hosting sold out shows at the venue over the years. The state of the art sound system and massive production values make this one of the hottest venues in the country.

Easter Thursday will witness the ANTS take over as the colony evolves.

• Register for priority access and tickets here