Global Gathering Preview - What to decks-pect

United Kingdom | by Daniel Fahey25 July 2007

Just down the road from Shakespeare’s Stratford-Upon-Avon the red carpet is royally rolled out to welcomes the biggest dance acts from around the world to have a huge party.

Eleven stages are packed with pioneers, innovators, new comers and old dogs of the dance world.  From Breaks and House (Hard, Funky and Progressive) to Techno, Hip Hop and Electro, Global Gathering caters for all Dance fans.

Looking over their superstar shoulders this year are the likes of Judge Jules and Pete Tong as the festival welcomes the new breed of nu-ravers to the scene.  New Young Pony Club and Klaxons are both set to make their Global debuts, but if you don’t know your bass from your breaks or your VJ from your DJ then check out our guide (Mother Nature has)…

Calvin Harris - Friday Modular MySpace Stage
The young Scot’s bravado has already made him headlines when he branded Bloc Party, "rubbish, tedious and boring," before he launched his debut album ‘I Created Disco’.  We're quite sure he didn’t create disco but he has created some punchy, addictive and soon to be overplayed crowd pleasers.  Harris is playing live over the weekend, so cut your hair into a mullet and bounce on down to see him because mullets were ‘acceptable in the 80s’ see.

Carl Cox – Friday Radio 1 Main Stage
Possibly the greatest DJ there has ever been.  The man maybe older then my mum but the TechHouse God stills packs clubs around the world.  Cox became famous in the 90s for simultaneously DJing across three decks at once before outdoing himself when he spun in the new Millennium three times!  The scamp skipped time zones between Sydney, Honolulu and Los Angeles so everybody caught the action.  If you’ve never seen him perform, it’s essential you attend and if you have, well, you’ll be there anyway.

DJ Yoda – Friday Air Stage
Yoda is the perfect party DJ.  The hip-hop turntablist is renowned for throwing together brilliant breaks against cheesy '80s samples, film tunes and cartoon a cepellas.  Yoda has been experimenting with VJing with his live shows recently and is just about the push musical boundaries further by playing a concerto with his turntables backed by a full orchestra.  Expect to hear Rick Astley and the Duelling Banjos alongside George Formby and a few hip-hop favourites.

 Klaxons – Saturday Mixmag Terrace
We’re yet to find a DJs’ retirement age, but for some it has to be close.  Many have lived the first coming of rave but now it’s back and brighter then ever.  But is it any good?  Rave was the music of a generation and many DJs are still hanging on to it like with as much urgency as holding on for the toilet.  The Klaxons, however, are kings of the second wave.  Check out their DJ set for an insight into how the kids are running things this time – just don’t forget to take your glo-sticks!

Armand Van Helden – Saturday Sputnik Global Stage
His cheeky remix of Tori Amos’ ‘Professional Widow’ brought the Manhatten mixmaster to the forefront way before his number one ‘You Don’t Know Me’ secured his name as a top producer.  His remix of CJ Bolland’s ‘Sugar Is Sweeter’ created the sub-genre Speed Garage before he hit a bit of a lull.  But since signing to Norman Cook’s Southern Fried Records Van Helden is back on form and he must be caught while he’s back on his way to the top.

Yoji Biomehanika – Saturday Polysexual Terrace
Hungover?  Biomehanika is just the man to sort out your headache.  The cheeky beggar first hit fame when he altered his turntables’ pitch so all of his tunes play faster and harder and he probably tried to make them louder at one point too!  Hailing from Japan the hard dance expert is the specialist in his field.  Yoji wears a mask like Hannibal and has hair like bright orange curtain pulls so if you do have kids, or even nightmares, I suggest you stay away.

 Basement Jaxx – Saturday Radio 1 Main Stage
Did someone say party?  Good, because that is exactly why Basement Jaxx are here.  With more hits then a Yankees baseball bat the London pair are ready to rock Long Marston into a miniature earthquake.  The Jaxx constantly change their sounds and beats to remain at the top of their game and live they are energetically magnificent.  If you’re not watching then ‘Where’s Your Head At?’

Plump DJs – Friday Air Stage
Since the good ol’ days when Fatboy Slim laid a 303 over every track he could get his hands on, breaks have come along way baby.  The Plumps are one of the front runners in the scene and it’s hard to see many catching up.  Their own tunes run Behemoth basslines underneath pounding breaks but it’s their experience at digging the crates that draws the crowds.  Look out for their mix of ‘Galaxy 2000’ for a chance to get your funky groove on…

Bookashade – Friday Sputnik Global
“Oh no run!” was once the most common phrase most used to describe German Tekkkkkkno.  But since Bookashade arrived on the scene it’s as exciting as acid house when it was first dropped.  The Berlin pair have more blips, bips and beats then a submarine and their squelchy basslines are cutely mesmerising.  Forget watching Fedde Le Grand or Digitalism just spin the dirty electro sounds, book a place at Bookashade and watch it all live.

Goldie – Saturday Random Concept
Hailed as one of the founders of both jungle and drum and bass Goldie has a lot to live up too and even with his numerous acting roles and television appearances the man is still at the peak of the genre.  Goldie’s debut album, ‘Timeless’ remains exactly that, but eye protection is recommended if the sun is out because Clifford, as he’s christened, sports gold teeth.

Does It Offend You Yeah! Friday – Strongbow CiderHouse
In a similar vein to the Klaxons these electro/indie hybrid are holding their own against the dance old boys.  Watching the band live feels like an invasion of privacy – they’re loud, electronic and likely to swear in front of your Grandma.  Yeah it offends us, but we really quite like it!

Erick Morillo – Friday Radio 1 Main Stage
The man with the golden fingers.  Long gone are the days when he produced Reel 2 Reel’s cheesy wonder ‘I Like To Move It’ (it’s in your head now though isn’t it?) and hello are the days spent lapping up the Ibiza sunshine whilst remixing everybody from Whitney Houston to Basement Jaxx.  The Colombian DJ has wowed crowds with his pumping house sets knitted with smooth Latin rhythms and funky basslines all around the world – I bet he can’t wait to land in a waterlogged Britain.

Scratch Perverts – Friday Sputnik Global
To be labelled a pervert is one thing, but it’s quite another to call yourself one yet the London threesome are possibly the best loved perverts in the world.  Between them they have cleaner cuts then Toni and Guy and more breaks then a primary school.  The Perverts are notoriously associated with the hip-hip scene and put on live show so good it’s bagged them more silverware then the Brazilian football team – go get perverted!

DJ Marky – Friday Random Concert
With Brazil in mind their greatest export, except perhaps the carnival, is DJ Marky.  The drum and bass star produces songs so hot they could’ve stepped straight off a Rio beach.  He’s currently one of the dominators of the genre with addictive and tasteful D n’ B that’s more refreshing then your favourite cocktail, so grab your sunglasses and samba your way down to his set…

 New Young Pony Club – Friday Modular MySpace
Slowly moving from an indie scensters’ bedrooms to the dance floors across the land New Young Pony Club are suddenly finding their feet very fast.  Remixes of ‘Ice Cream’ by Tiga and The Hooks has meant their rumbling bass and heavy disco beats have slipped easily from stage to turntable.  Now it’s the dance fans chance to see them perform live.  Expect lots of movement, bundles of dancing and, again, that mandatory nu-rave t-shirt.