Preview: Field Maneuvers 2016 In Six

Art & Culture

The most intimate of festivals Field Maneuvers is back again this year in it’s usual cosy one field setting on the outskirts of London. Left field electronic music galore. In anticipation of the cheeky little get together which has become so essential to the Indian summer festival season we've picked out 6 of the best acts to look out for. Keep your eyes peeled and make sure to get out of your tent on time. Wasteman takes you through his picks below:

JANE FITZ

I managed to catch Jane Fitz in a club called Melkweg for the Dekmantel at night this year and she impressed me so much I thought I’d put her at the top of this list, which really isn’t done in rank of importance but either way Jane Fitz is at the top. Her set of ambient techno and smooth house grooves was exactly the kind of melodic release I needed after being blasted to death by 10 hours of techno, and she worked the intimate setting of Melkweg perfectly, and so in my eyes seems a perfect match for the smaller settings of Field Maneuvers.

MIKE SERVITO

New York’s Mike Servito is someone that also blew me away recently at Dekmantel. His b2b’s with both Black Madonna (more on her anon) and Magda were unforgettable experiences, and his low down, dirty basslines never failed to impress. Although now playing out of New York he originally is from Detroit and he carries with him the straight up, no messing around funkiness of the region’s sound into whatever set he plays.

STUDIO BARNHUS

The Barnhus gang of Axel Boman, Kornel Kovacs and Petter Nordkvist, hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, are beginning, perhaps off the back of some excellent releases from Boman (who is playing a solo headlining slot himself you should also check out) to make a serious name for themselves as a label. Focusing on more melodic, minimal house and techno, nearly every release that has come out of the Barn in the past year has been a low key classic and this set will not be one to be missed.

BLACK MADONNA

I shouldn’t really need to explain why you shouldn’t want to miss a Black Madonna set, but because that is my job then I guess I’ll have to. After being one of the highlights of last year’s festival, Black Madonna has only gone from strength to strength in the dance music world, with her ability to suit any crowd and mood whenever she pleases, be it filthy industrial techno to cheeky golden disco. Guaranteed to play a great set well suited to the intimate confines that makes Field Maneuvers so great in the first place, there is a reason why she is one of the names at the top of the bill.

HONEY SOUNDSYSTEM

There ain’t no party like a Honey Soundsystem party. The San Francisco crew, made up of Jackie House, Bezier, Jason Kendig and Josh Cheon, have been running some extremely unique parties over the years with the likes of Honey Dijon, Horse Meat Disco, Todd Terje among others. Y’know those sets, y’know the ones, where the whole thing is basically a fucking party from start to finish, over indulgent, loose but ultimately extremely fun? That’s Honey Soundsystem down to a tee, and they usually bring a couple of surprises with them when they play so expect the unexpected.

AL DOBSON JR

Bringing something a bit different to the house and and techno on the rest of the line up, Al Dobson Jr has, through his two ‘Rye Lane’ EP’s released on Peckham’s Rhythm Section label, become one London’s best kept secrets. With a laid back mixing style that is always eclectic, he blends sounds from around the world to make up a set that is always engaging, absorbing and something out of the ordinary. Maybe less frantic than the rest of what you might get at Field Maneuvers but regardless still bound to be one of the highlights.