Every year Field Day somehow squeezes an unparalleled line-up of artists into a single day in London’s Victoria Park, and has quickly earned its place as the best of the capital’s festivals that aim a little left of the mainstream. This year Inverted Audio will be in attendance and you can expect a review breaking down our favourite acts, but in advance here’s a selection of some of our top picks.
While the festival’s top spots are generally reserved for alternative acts, and there are some almighty picks this year including Animal Collective, Kurt Vile, Mulatu Astatke and John Cooper Clarke, this year there are more electronic acts than ever. Worries about potential schedule clashes will undoubtedly get washed away by the flood of raw talent on display. Make sure not to miss Matthew Herbert discussing the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and the Museum of Sound.
In terms of IA’s top picks, Field Day looks set to offer an impressive selection of DJs exploring the darker strains of the UK’s underground sounds. The likes of resident Berliners Shed and Objekt are nestled up against fresh blood Karenn, Lee Gamble, Happa and Daniel Avery, ensuring an impressive survey of today’s techno scene.
Meanwhile a dissection of the bass scene’s bleeding edge will be ably carried out by all three Hessle Audio founders; that’s Pearson Sound, Pangaea and Ben UFO. If that’s not enough, Bok Bok and Girl Unit come repping Night Slugs while Ben Pearce should provide a dose of Swamp81’s trend-setting sound. Meanwhile a personal recommendation should be extended for Koreless’ brilliant live set, ahead of the release of his superb Yugen EP.
This all goes without mentioning some of the biggest party DJs on the planet squeezed into a single night, with TNGHT, Disclosure, and Canadian bass wizard Jacques Greene all set to perform live sets, while Oneman and Julio Bashmore are sure to keep the mood buoyant throughout a heavy day of partying.
With so much to see it’ll inevitably be over to soon, but Field Day have certainly outdone themselves in 2013, hosting too much talent to even cram into a single preview (did we mention Daphni? Four Tet? Mount Kimbie?). Rain or shine, London’s only truly unmissable event is on Saturday 25 May, and you can head over here to buy tickets and explore the full line-up.