Staff WriterBulmers Forbidden Fruit festival is easily one of the most highly anticipated music events of the summer circuit and this year has proven no different with some of the biggest names across all genres dotting the every-eclectic lineup.
This year once again sees particular attention paid to a variety of electronic music acts, both live and DJ sets, with some legendary names occupying some of the bigger stages, and some of the more niche names from every sub genre under the sun taking up their own places too.
As hard as it was, we nailed down ten acts that you really shouldn’t miss this weekend.
Seriously, don’t miss them.
Jasper James
We’re looking forward to this one for reasons beyond music. For some strange reason, Jasper James hasn’t necessarily cracked Irish soil as much as one would’ve thought by now, yet seeing the Scottish native strut his stuff within a festival setting is bound to be special. His and Sulta’s residency in Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire means they know how to throw a party and we can’t wait to see what exactly he has got in store.
Denis Sulta
Moving onto the second and more prominent Scottish hero on the bill it’s none other than the polarising Denis Sulta who is easily one of the most in demand names in all of electronic music. The Glaswegian is coming off the back of his debut festival ‘Fly Open Air’ which took place last month and seen him pay particular attention to Buckfast and… Destiny’s Child. Love or hate him, Sulta is always going to steal the show, as he did last year when he rocked the festival for what was arguably the most captivating performance of the weekend.
Call Super
Left field selector Call Super is one of the most interesting names across both house and techno of late with a number of releases on respected labels such as Hessle Audio. His latest EP with Beatrice Dillon is a work of genius and shows just how far afield he can go with more well known tracks such as Black Octagons showing his relentless kickdrums that bypass any barrier between house and techno.
Justice
We would be stupid to leave one of the festival headliners off of our list and the one we’re looking forward to most is the pairing of French legends Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. Their newest album ‘Woman’ is an ode to disco and funk influences of times gone by and is most definitely a far cry from their initial releases however either way seeing the pair perform live on the festival’s main stage is going to be a sight to behold.
Ben UFO
It’s a contentious statement, but when it comes to DJing, very few do it as well as the Hessle Audio front man. The UK native has been cultivating a massive record collection for years upon years now and can blend almost any genre together. Seeing him at a festival will mean that he will produce a lot more raw dub and grime sounds that the foundations of his, Pangaea and Pearson Sound’s legendary label is built upon.
Hunee
Hunee is for the disco lovers this weekend but his personal stamp on all of his music is what makes it all so interesting. With influences coming from places all over the world and a list of sub genres as long as your arm, his sets always make for really engaging and refreshing takes on house and disco music, often is dripping with soul. His first release in 2009 showed a slow but steady rise in his popularity and since then he’s gone on to do several impressive boiler room sets, festival sets, radio residencies and more. Hunee plays on Sunday and is definitely not one to miss. Hunee is also partaking in the official after parties, alongside Soichi Terada and Papa Lou at Tengu.
Ross from Friends
Ross from friends is yet another extremely engaging and authenthic DJ and producer. His house is made with a deeper dedication and understanding than many and his genuine musical background and knowledge has made for some really credible and impressive releases. Similar to Hunee, Ross from Friends drags influences from everywhere and interestingly includes some middle eastern riffs and other influenced sounds. His live sets prove to be even more impressive mixing a house and techno atmosphere with live production, and a band that will definitely add extra flavour to a festival already brimming with house talent.
Or:la
Or:la is finally rising to the top and rightly so. Her narrative music and lack of fear of taking musical and selection risks really stands as a testament to her and the genuine atmospheres that she produces at her shows internationally at clubs and festivals around the world and at her very own club night Meine Nacht in Liverpool. The Derry native uses humble self promotion and founded her label Deep Sea Frequency in which she’s gone on to release EPs from names as big as DJ Seinfeld and more.
Four Tet
Four Tet’s live shows are definitely a spectacle. Four Tet puts more than just music into his shows and instead makes it almost a sensory journey, perfectly fitting to his music. The English producer has previously played as a musician and the influences heard in his music are pretty unique and intriguing, often taking very slight indie or folktronica influences rather than the typical soul, R&B and disco influences that seem to creep into almost every house DJ and producers sets these days (we’re not complaining). At festivals its nice to break up all the acts with a set thats slightly more creatively driven and thought out, especially when the line up is dominated by mostly DJs and producers. Forbidden Fruit never fails to provide their audience with these acts as we saw with Aphex Twin last year. You can also catch Four Tet at one of the official after parties at Wigwam along with Floating Points and Ben UFO.
DJ Seinfeld
House superstar DJ Seinfeld is also playing on Sunday’s line up for Forbidden fruit. The Swedish producer is carving a name for himself along with many others in a new area of electronic music, revamping deep house with his own personal twist. His sets most definitely take a more energetic twist with sounds of old and new being placed simultaneously side by side, something he showcased perfectly in his New York City Boiler Room set. That and his latest Sakura EP have shown that he is much more than a one dimensional house talent.