Junction 2 at Boston Manor Park review

Laura Zuanella witnessed sets from Adam Beyer, Dixon, Nina Kraviz and more at the first ever Junction 2 festival.

Henry Lewis

Last updated: 12th Dec 2016

Photography credits: Visionseven

The team behind LWE have organised a string of intense gatherings in the previous months at London venues like Tobacco Dock and Studio Spaces, so an inaugural festival from them was bound to be a big one. Junction 2 was developed to cater to the passionate, beat craving and dedicated techno fans alike. And oh how it succeeded.

The one day extravaganza took place just on the outskirts of the hustle and bustle of central London in Boston Manor Park and boasted stages curated by Drumcode, Adam Beyer's seminal record label, and respected party starters The Hydra and Closer, all of which intended to execute a surreal take on the standard British summer festival circuit.

Upon entering the site we made our way to the Hydra tent to witness the sights and sounds of Move D. The veteran groover delivered a more upbeat and funk filled vibe to the natural woodland surrounding, compared to the harsh and brutal sounds that came pumping from the more industrial setting of the other stages.

Later on we ventured just a stones throw away into the Closer arena to see the eclectic and debauched stylings of influential DJ and producer Marcel Dettmann. The Berghain regular treated us to a three hour thrill ride of forward-thinking and diverse techno, showcasing talent from the likes of Phase's pulsating 'Blind Eye' and Midland's atmospheric 'Blush' to the sweaty and energetic masses who were eager for more vigorous beats.

After getting caught up in the sounds of the third stage, we found ourselves travelling through an idyllic woodland passage, over a bridge and absorbed ourselves at the main arena which really was a sight to be seen, as the humongous space took place under a busy flyover and gave a cold and industrial feel that fit the bill perfectly for the solid and experimental vibes of the Drumcode.

Highlights from the pounding stage included Carl Craig's epic Modular Pursuits live show and a weighty set from Berlin duo Pan-Pot, as they unleashed tracks like Slam's filthy remix of Madben's 'Tension' and also saw Drumcode's very own Alan Fitzpatrick and head honcho Adam Beyer headlining the fierce proceedings.

Making our way into the leafy settings of the Hydra tent afterwards, we caught the diverse and melodic offerings of Mano Le Tough, who laid up a dreamy and uplifting vibe to the luscious area by dropping Maurice Fulton's blistering remix of DJ Nori's 'Happy Sunday' that saw the tech-mad spectators erupt into a frenzy.

Heading back into the sweaty surroundings of the Closer stage, we were lucky enough to catch tough sounding enthusiasts Dense & Pika in action. The Hotflush duo gave a riotous performance and dropped an array of heavy beats from the likes of Buzzi's driving 'Speedmind' for the already messy masses.

Continuing on with the throbbing rhythms was Russian techno extraordinaire Nina Kraviz who proved the stand out set of the day and well and truly smashed the place to pieces with her raw and gritty set list.

Rounding off the festivities at the Hydra stage was Innervisions boss Dixon, who offered us a varied and tasty selection to finish the night by dropping a mixture of both thumping and glitchy tunage, a highlight including Acid Pauli's dreamlike 'Nana'.

When the first ever Junction 2 was this good and well executed, you can only imagine what they'll do next year as they build on a truly well thought-out festival with a line up perfectly suited to the LWE regulars and beyond.