Five of the Best: The Winter Social

Photo: The Winter Social

The weather was beginning to shape up nicely until someone called Doris turned up and spoiled all the fun. However there have been brief glimpses that prove warmer times are approaching - the nights are drawing in and Easter is essentially just around the corner. It's fairly reasonable then to cast our minds forward to the greatest time of the year for music lovers across the UK - festival season.

We don't have to wait til summer though, in a few days we'll see one of the year's earliest festivals get underway. The Winter Social, despite being only a few years old, ranks amongst the UK's fastest-growing dance music festivals. Overseen by Nic Fanciulli and his Saved Records imprint, the independent rave-fest has captured the zeitgeist of the underground, with leading lights in house, tech house and techno guiding the Kent festival into the hearts and minds of discerning clubbers. 

Ahead of its arrival at Kent County Showground on Saturday 11th March, we thought we'd share with you the five acts we're most looking forward to losing our shit to. Head here for the complete Winter Social line up.

Andrea Oliva

The ANTS resident is one of the DJs that have really broken through over the past few years, someone who has gone from eye-catching support to main attraction in a fairly short space of time. His sets bring a swaggering funk to the tech house template which has been central to Ibiza's sound these past few years, exemplified by his Essential Mix from last summer which encapsulates the gleeful hedonism of Ibiza at its best.

Nic Fanciulli

It may seem like the obvious choice, this being his festival and all, but Nic's sets perfectly encapsulate what The Social is all about. He knows the crowd inside and out and works them better than anybody, testing the limits and ultimately delivering the unrelenting, refined techno he's forged his career from. 

Hot Since 82

The raver turned global DJ sensation is one of the busiest in the business and with good reason - from ubiquitous floor-killing releases to his Knee Deep in Sound parties, Daley Padly's delivery of earthy rhythms, low end bass throbs and salacious, classic house and soul-indebted melodies are a perfect reflection of underground club music at it's finest.

Benny Ataari

Alongside the more established artists on the line up, The Winter Social also boasts some awesome talent from the local area as Saved Records seeks to nurture and promote hot up and coming DJs and producers. Benny Ataari's jackin, measured house and techno is one of this year's highlights. With a residency at fast-rising London clubnight Garden, a slew of smart edits and mixes like the above, Banny Ataari is definitely destined for greatness.

Seth Troxler

With a supernatural gift for taking audiences on immersive journeys from quirky soulful house through to fist-pumping techno, Seth Troxler is a one-of-kind, one man party machine. Blessed with more than his fair share of charisma, The Detroit born DJ cultivates his own brand of hedonism on every dancefloor he's left in charge of - a guaranteed highlight at any blowout (read more about why love Seth here).

Head in this direction for The Winter Social tickets.

More like this? Read Brighton Music Conference Announces First Speakers.