Wonderfruit line-up digest part two

It’s finally here! Tomorrow morning we set sail on the good ship Wonderfruit, and in honour of what looks like being an epic voyage, we want to tip you off to our second round of picks - this time from the full line-up.

A few months back we chose our favourite artists from the phase one Wonderfruit line-up. Those that jumped out at us then were Floating Points, Felix Dickinson, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, and Nick The Record.

That was a smashing list and we stand by it, but we are now very happy to add some more names to our super selection. We must add, of course, there are a huge number of talented artists on show, and we can’t possibly write about them all.

Antal

The first name that we added to our must-see schedule was Rush Hour co-founder, Antal Heitlager. A label (and record store) known for presenting the very best of underground music from an unthinkably broad-spectrum, Rush Hour has been at the forefront of what’s best about the scene since the imprint came to life back in 1999. In the process, it’s no exaggeration to say that the brand has been responsible for raising the bar dramatically, and expanding the horizons of generations of DJs, artists and record collectors by introducing realms beyond the parameters of straight-up house and techno.

Genre lines have perhaps never been more blurred - quality of music, regardless of its origin, is way more vital than strictly defined labels. Indeed, it’s now a prerequisite that a self-respecting selector digs deeper, hunting out gems from the far-reaches, and we think the likes of Antal - along with long-term collaborator Hunee - is among a crop of purveyors who have been responsible for making dance music exponentially more interesting by casting a worldwide net.

Performing across the globe at all the right clubs, and at festivals including Dekmantel, Antal is a DJ who is guaranteed to surprise, and sure to play records that, once heard, you will wish you owned. A true taste-maker.

Eddie C

Next up we have Canda’s Eddie C. Apparently as adept at downhill skiing as he is at studio wizardry, Eddie has been splicing, sampling, re-purposing and producing slow-mo freak fuelled music since back in the ’80s. Currently living in Berlin, having reconnected with the electronic music community after a long sabbatical, he’d previously been crafting his beats in a remote log cabin/ studio somewhere between Detroit and Montreal.

His raw but cultured music is born out of the early days of hip-hop and acid house, and his production style owes much to the very best music from the golden era, where samplers, drum machines and synths became attainable, and music was changed forever. His diverse DJ sets have led to something of a cult following, and he’s very often name-checked as a favourite of the finest artists. He’s released on Endless Flight, Crue-L, Sleazy Beats, Wolf Music, and many, many other labels.

Que Sakamoto

Tokyo based Sakamoto has carved out a name for himself in the disco world in recent years, thanks as much to releases on To Rack & Ruin's edit series as it is to his heavy touring of Asia, Europe and America. He’s performed sets on radio stations including Red Light in Amsterdam and Living Room in Zurich, and back home in Tokyo, he founded club night ‘Huit Etoiles’ at Vent in the super-hip Omote-Sando neighbourhood. His parties have featured luminaries from the world of nu-disco, including Late Nite Tough Guy, Crazy P, Psychemagik, DJ Rocca, Khidja and Mehmet Aslan.

Finally, we wanted to highlight the Locally based dudes we’re most excited to check. Considering the challenges facing anyone hoping to put on events in Bangkok (notably po-po who see the party community as an easy way to make cash), there are a handful of super-committed and on-point collectives and jocks. On show at Wonderfruit will be UK heroes Transport, who will no doubt do their very best to, erm, transport you to a contemporary take on a ‘90s warehouse rave. Tropic City’s very own Mumsfilibaba will bring their own brand of technicolour heat to proceedings - handy if the mercury hasn’t risen by the weekend. Slum Disco Soundsystem and Jam On Toast crews will deliver cutting edge disco, house, and cosmic funk, Nite Ride’s Boogie G will bring his flawless disco-boogie and Italo flavours, and Saari will mix up a razor sharp mix of disco, house and afro textures. Our man Rocco Universal will be representing Cosmic Tiger, too, with an all-encompassing blend of world disco, cosmic, motor-city house, and probably a load of other cool shit.

From slightly further afield, Potato Head Bali resident Gero has a seriously cultured record box on him, as do his Singapore P-Head cousins Matty Wainwright, Krishan P. Also on duty will be Fauve Radio don Romain FX flying in from Hong Kong, a man always ready to thrill.

The best way to keep track of who’s playing where is to download the Wonderfruit app via the festival web page here. Another strategy - one we will be adopting - is to follow one's ears and gravitate to the vibrations that move you.

See you all there, we literally can’t wait.

Featured