Five of the best: Forbidden Forest

Image: Forbiddent Forest (source)

Forbidden Forest is known as much for its atmosphere as its line ups. Set in the stunning woodlands in Donington, the site itself is absolutely drenched in dance music history, having been the spiritual home to ravers for over 30 years.

Now, a little more clean cut than the parties that once set up camp there, the site is transformed into a boutique festival, with attention to detail aplenty and, of course, an unbelievable line up in tow. With a litany of talent from across the house, techno and bass music worlds all coming together for the all day rave, we picked out five of the artists that we think you need to catch in the forest this year.

Barely Legal

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An accomplished selector, with no interest in the predictable, Barely Legal seamlessly skips between the genres, her sets encompassing everything from house to grime, all with her signature high octane party starting capabilities.

A truly intriguing DJ, she has caught the attention of numerous radio institutions over the years, including Rinse FM, NTS and BBC 1Xtra, and she continues to evolve as an artist, collaborating with anyone from Wiley to Four Tet. Her set at Forbidden Forest is set to be an unmissable event.

Amelia Ward

Pirate Copy

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Kaluki head honcho Lee Spence, aka Pirate Copy, will head to The Rift stage as part of his brand's takeover for the day. Originally meant to be the moniker of three DJs performing together, Lee went solo and started making house and techno with an underlying groove, a distinctive sound that has been picked up worldwide by the likes of Pete Tong, Patrick Topping, Richy Ahmed and more. 

His latest release, 'Tribal on the Terrace' continues to garner widespread support across the scene, and with later acts on the Kaluki stage including Solardo and Darius Syrossian, Pirate copy is the perfect warm up and one we'll 100% be heading over for.

AW

Jess Bays

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Known to many as Sam Divine's protege, Jess Bays has been making serious waves thanks her own hot-and-heavy house productions and through residencies at clubs like XOYO. 

After taking the role of A&R for Sam Divine’s Label DVINE Sounds in it’s first year, Jess has now moved on to own the title of Social Media Manager and resident DJ for the constantly-expanding imprint. 

Becca Frankland

PAX

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PAX, the collective name for production duo Aaron Taylor and Charles Robinson, have been chipping away at the confines of underground dance music over the past year. Having played at Warehouse Project's prestigious Boxing Day party, this pair are on the cusp of breaking through, all thanks to their unrelenting irresistible brand of house and techno.

The lads have caught the eye of sought after imprints such as elrow, Lost Records and Sola, and with accolades from the likes of Solardo and Leftwing & Kody, we'll be at The Bunker for their headline set. If somehow you're still not convinced, listen to their Forbidden Forest set above.

AW

Sonny Fodera

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A Defected, Cajual, Dirtybird favourite, Sonny Fodera is praised for his own productions and standout DJ sets. Made up of infectious melodies, recognisable vocals and bass-laden grooves, he's a master at creating and delivering club hits.

His own AARRIVAL label has been causing a stir lately, and thanks to his loyal following across the globe, every one of his projects is lapped up by music lovers. 

BF

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