Junction 2 2017

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  • A park venue, a handful of stages, a lineup stacked with big-room DJs—Junction 2 is the kind of festival London has in spades during the summer. Having debuted in 2016, it hosts an impressive array of house and techno acts under the second junction of the M4 motorway in West London, not far from Heathrow Airport. In addition to the eye-catching location—the Drumcode stage, in particular, was a sight to behold—what sets the one-day event apart is its world-class production. Organisers LWE and a support crew of London promoters fit five distinct stages inside the 28-acre Boston Manor Park site. The sound was impeccable, it was never too crowded and there were plenty of nooks and crannies to get lost in. Every stage felt like its own world. While there was some slight—and unavoidable, considering the park's modest size—sound bleed between stages, they all felt completely separate. The Hydra Stage was under a tent in the corner of the park, near the indoor Warehouse, which provided a dark techno dungeon for ravers less bothered about soaking up the rays. The gigantic SONUS arena hosted Ibiza favourites like Maceo Plex and Joseph Capriati, while the Drumcode stage was far enough from everything else that reaching it felt like an expedition—it involved crossing a small river. When you got there, it had a dusty, post-apocalyptic vibe that fit the eternal pounding of the kick drum. Best of all, though, was the Into The Woods stage, tucked away in a bush that smelled like damp earth and trees, like you were suddenly at a camping festival in the middle of a forest.
    Musically, Junction 2 was mostly about techno, and there were fine performances from Ben Klock, Daniel Avery and Alan Fitzpatrick, who notably dropped Bedrock's "Heaven Scent." But it was the diversions from the norm that were most memorable, particularly on The Hydra stage, which had a stellar run all day. I first caught Willow, who ended her funky set with a graphic song about sex. DJ Koze kept things quirky, moving from colourful tech house through to African music. Andrew Weatherall was my pick of the festival, taking over from Koze with a slow-burning few hours of disco edits, post-punk groovers and acid tracks primed for the afternoon sun. The weather turned out well for the event, which added to the flawless vibe. It was sunny and warm without being uncomfortable. Walking from stage to stage you'd see people sprawled out on the grass, having picnics or just enjoying some peaceful respite from the drunken partiers who crowded the stages. Junction 2's audience were a rowdy bunch—I saw a group of young men screaming at a bouncer for not letting them skip the line to see Rødhåd in the Warehouse, while one particularly gnarly fistfight saw two women rolling around on the grass. For the most part, though, the crowd was friendly and smiley.
    For ten hours on Saturday, Boston Manor Park felt like its own little universe in a distant corner of London. You could dance, you could sunbathe, you could eat surprisingly decent food, all while listening to some of the biggest DJs around. It wasn't even that expensive, especially considering the all-encompassing experience (the only questionable touch was the "boutique loos," where you could pay extra for comfort). The lineup might not have been challenging or forward-thinking, but it wasn't meant to be: it was a survey of some of London's most popular parties and sounds. Junction 2 was proof that raving in London can still have a special kind of magic. Photo credit / Shotaway - Lead, Drumcode, Into The Woods Sarah Ginn - Blue Crowd Vision7 - Ben Klock
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