Junction 2 review: Daniel Avery and Jon Hopkins deliver standout sets

Now into its 8th year, Junction 2 has become one of the UK’s leading electronic music festivals for good reason. The site is a distinctive hybrid between the city and the rural, 5 very different stages are compactly dotted around the Boston Park Manor site – from the dense forestry of Woods to the part-urbanised Grid stage, J2 is far from just a barren grassy field.

Each of the 3 days focuses on different shades of the electronic spectrum, with the Saturday being largely rooted in a range of dark techno. Otik was the first act of the day to leave a lasting impression. The Bristol-born producer has crafted an ethereal blend of liquid D&B, tech & garage over the past decade, utilising fluttering synths and large-room beats. With a more direct sound, VTSS brought pumping kicks with a rampantly maximalist sound. Tracks such as ‘TRISHA’, with its frenetic sirens and stomping bassline, are not for the faint-hearted. Neither is its setting at the Bridge stage. The long, thin area directly underneath an overpass makes for a great setting, in theory, until it quickly becomes cramped and swamped by the masses.

Daniel Avery is becoming a stalwart figure in his trade. Like most of the best forward-thinking pioneers, his restlessness sees the Bournemouth-born producer evolve across different genres with every full-length release. From the industrial ambience of Ultra Truth to the glugging squelch tech of Drone Logic, there’s a real sense of experimentalism throughout Avery’s catalogue. His set belonged to the more extreme end of his taste, with a hardcore selection of pounding beats picking up nicely from where VTSS left off.

The undoubted stand-out highlight of Saturday came in the form of Jon Hopkins, one of electronic music’s most underrated names. Like Avery, Hopkins glides between genres with every release. His recent works have been in the form of expansive ambient, beatless tracks but his set on the Grid was in stark contrast to his recent works. Hopkins largely pulled from his euphoric 2018 release – Singularity, a record which invites listeners to an unfathomable galaxy of its own, sounding like nothing else out there. Colossal bangers such as ‘Emerald Rush’ and ‘Everything Connected’ are weaved throughout the set, sending the crowd into overdrive with a crystal-clear sound system to boot. The night concludes with a heart-string tugging re-work of Orbital’s ‘Halcyon On and On’, as a 360 spectrum of colour flushes into the crowd across the site.

The Sunday line-up is a different beast, with a larger emphasis on melodic, bright house as opposed to the darker realms of EDM on the previous two days. A more chilled-out vibe washed over the site given that many revellers prepared to return to work the next day. Love Remain has made waves over the last couple of years with his minimal bedroom electronica, which ‘explores the geography of the everyday’. His set oiled the Sunday cogs with a heavy dose of UK garage and a sprinkling of his own tracks, such as ‘LDN Girls’ – a catchy banger which has become somewhat a South London cult classic since its release at the start of the year. He’s undoubtedly a name who will be climbing up lineups for years to come.

Amounting to perhaps the most joyful moment of the weekend, Salute took to the Dome tent – which was nothing shy of a complete sweatbox in the 26-degree heat. Salute’s new album TRUE MAGIC has propelled him into the mainstream psyche, with help from a glut of featuring guests such as Disclosure, Sam Gellaitry and Karma Kid. Tracks such as ‘system’ and ‘saving flowers’ with luxury production and a searing sense of urgency, were equalled in energy by a crowd dripping in sweat across his beefy 2hr 15 min set.

Despite an overcrowded stage or two, J2’s weighty reputation is wholly justified. The eclectic range of stages, some of which are based under and around the M4, keeps interest high, along with the expertly curated lineups which fail to disappoint year-on-year. As festival prices continue to exponentially rise since the pandemic, J2 is a no-brainer budget option without cutting any corners on the quality of the lineup. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.