Licklist guide to…. Eastern Electrics
Sitting just a short trip out of the hustle and bustle of central London is Hatfield House, this year’s location for Eastern Electrics. A simple 22 minute train ride from the snazzy new King’s Cross through the blissful Hertfordshire countryside is all it takes to arrive at this year’s House and Techno party, thrown by the a group of promoters and organisers who always have their ear firmly to the ground when it comes to rising talent in the ever growing scene. Always putting on fantastic line-ups for the dance music purists, Eastern Electrics is as popular as ever for their inspired bookings and festival atmosphere created. August 2nd will be no different.
Hatfield House is no stranger to large-scale events. With the likes of UB40 playing a comeback show this year, any worries over the new location can be put to rest. Yes it may be a step back in terms of size from last year’s larger scale occasion at Knebworth, but this year’s festival will still retain the same dedication to curating a fantastic line-up, plus the other attractions that Eastern Electric fans have come to love over their six year history. Other changes to the festival this year include the organisers scaling back the event to just the one day, meaning no camping. As a result, the festival organizers have been working closely with local train companies to ensure that no-one is left stranded in the countryside. Encouragingly however, first batch tickets for this year’s Eastern Electrics went on sale for a very reasonable £29, allowing everyone to enjoy music across seven stages, perhaps the greatest bargain throughout the huge amount of one day events that now take places across various summer weekends.
Eastern Electrics like to do everything a bit differently, and they do it well. If you haven’t had the pleasure of watching their Youtube advert, starring the dance music extrovert Seth Troxler, a pug, a banana and not very many clothes, then do it, do it now! It was perhaps one of the greatest pieces of publicity that we have laid eyes on. To have Mr. Troxler backing your festival is one of the highest seals of approval one can earn in the industry. If you know your House and Techno, then Eastern Electrics’ ability to lock down the best performers from across the world and unearth the best in upcoming talent will have you chomping at the bit each year when the line-up is released. If not, be adventurous and trust in their booking skills, they won’t disappoint.
Over the years, the festival has seen the likes of Minus boss Ritchie Hawtin, Jamie Jones as well as fellow label head honcho’s Claude VonStroke and all round nice guy Damian Lazarus. These, of course, are just a brief selection as the list could go on and on. Amongst those gracing the stage this year will be Art Department, Daniel Avery and two of this year’s hottest talents, Dense & Pika. The seven stages will be a variety of the intimate, grand and homemade all interspersed with fairground attractions, pillow fights and the return of the epic visuals from Igloovisions. A mention has to go to their stage ‘the Switchyard’, an epic creation made from old stripped down shipping contains acting as the borders with the DJ taking centre stage.
The festival has certainly come a long way since its creation in a warehouse underneath Great Suffolk Street. There have been a few changes along the way; different locations, different settings. But what remains consistent through the years is the unrelenting ambition to create a festival that is on point musically. This year, they’ve done it again.
By Jack Evans