Planetlove celebrates its tenth anniversary this fortnight with its first weekender, which is headlined by two of the world’s most bankable trance DJs, Tiesto and Ferry Corsten.
But while the Dutch men may grab the headlines, the festival’s co-promoters Eddie Wray and Judith Farrell-Rowan deserve much praise for sticking with the North’s biggest annual dance event through occasionally lean and often tough times in the early days.
Their doggedness paid off handsomely in the past three years, as the festival is enjoying its biggest ever crowds. The brand is now internationally renowned and respected, and extends to arena and club events north and south of the border.
While their most recent acquisition, Portrush Live, attracted 20,000 revellers to Co Derry this summer for its inaugural concert headlined by the Chemical Brothers.
Planetlove WKD 10 will run at Shane’s Castle in Co Antrim on Friday September 5 and Saturday September 6.
The first session runs from 7pm until 1am and sees Tiesto perform a four-hour set, while day two is a 14-hour marathon from 1pm until 3am with more than 100 acts and DJs appearing in nine arenas.
The main Love Arena is co-hosted by BBC Radio 1 which will be broadcasting live DJ sets from the tent and presenting some of its regular weekend shows from the site.
The Love Arena boasts a galaxy of stars who have travelled more air miles between them than some budget airlines: Ferry Corsten, Eddie Halliwell, Judge Jules, Marco V, Sander Van Doorn, Richard Durand, Second Sun, Aly & Fila, Giuseppe Ottiviani, Chris Davis and Above & Beyond.
While BBC Radio Ulster’s acclaimed Across The Line show will be airing live sets from Mauro Picotto’s Meganite arena. DJs include Mauro Picotto, Dave Clarke, Slam, Danilo Vigorito, Riccardo Ferri, Gabry Fasano, Phil Kieran, Daniele Papini, Athos, Psycatron and David de Valera.
Planetlove has a habit in recent years of breaking emerging Northern DJs such as Mog and Jordan X, so keep a close eye on the Love at Home arena which hosts sets from young guns Ryan Blair, Marc Audio, Mark Cowan, Dale Hooks, Kieran McAuley, Mulgrew, Major 12 Inch, Tina Hart, Venusrollergirl, Carl Bryant, Conor Maxwell, Craig Campbell and Chris Duncan.
Tickets are available from planetlovemusic.com and Ticketmaster and a variety of packages are on offer. All weekend tickets include free camping and car parking and prices are £99.95 (standard) and £134.95 (VIP).
Saturday-only tickets cost £49.95 (standard) and £84.95 (VIP). Booking fees will apply on all tickets.
In keeping with our Northern theme, the Nice & Nasty team continues its relentless onslaught of quality techno and house from home and abroad with the latest outing from Belfast-born twins Richie and Mark Thompson aka Celtic Twinz.
Having cut their teeth working in Advanced Records in Nottingham, the pair have released tunes on stamps such as Dirty Ego and Firefly and Parallel 125. They made their Nice & Nasty debut in 2007 remixing Sourcecode, and their double a-side ‘Benediction’ and ‘Stinky Beanbags’.
Remixes of the lead track ‘Benediction’ will follow from Thorverstam, Katsuhiko, Dagham & Remlab, Scott Curtis and DK7’s Mark O’Sullivan.
Already out on the Desy Balmer imprint are two EPs from Detroit stalwart Terrence Dixon (TD presents The Meter and Terrence Dixon presents Tranquility) and Thatboytim’s ‘Interzone’.
Lesside-born techno creator Edwin James has confirmed that his eagerly-anticipated second album as Corrugated Tunnel, I Am Corrugated, will be unleashed on September 26 2008.
The follow-up to his acclaimed award-winning debut album We Are Electronix is a masterful foray into pastures new. Admittedly never forgetting the native dancefloor homeland of its composer, this is melodic techno taken to an altogether more intoxicating, brooding, uplifting and atmospheric climate.
Formerly known as Spectrum is Green and now living in the UK, Dubliner Robbie Dunne is back in the ring with his Headzinc sparring partner Johnny Moy.
The pair’s ‘RSFlip’ single drops on September 1 (as single number 33) on Barry Dempsey’s Monad Music stamp. The deep, dark and progressive workout is replete with two less intense remixes from Sylar and Dempsey.
In a controversial – if marketing-driven – move, Dutch electro DJ and producer Mason is to become the first artist to mix a compilation album using a Pacemaker, the recently launched hand-held pro DJ system.
Mason is best known for top three hit ‘Exceeder’ and remixing the likes of Robyn and Moby, and The Amsterdam Tapes is out in October on IO Music.
Pacemaker,b/> has been receiving plaudits from DJs and gadget lovers alike since its launch in late April of 2008, whilst also sparking debate as to whether or not it represents the end of the traditional DJ set-up.
Tonium, the company behind Pacemaker, has been quick to point out that the gizmo was designed as an addition to the traditional DJ set-up, not a replacement for it.
And finally, Hot Press hears whispers that the first ever live-in DJ weekender on Irish soil takes place this November. Cork trance club Reincarnation is taking over Trabolgan Holiday Village on November 7 and 8 and one thousand weekend chalet tickets go on sale this fortnight direct from the village 021 4661551 and from [email protected]. The line-up will be revealed in full next issue … THE BEAT GOES ON!