June 1, 2022
Fancy a dance? Into electronica? Like exploring hidden places?
This year, head down to the secret basement for back-to-back tunes from some of the best DJs around, with a bit of spoken word thrown in too.
With its stone walls and cavern-type feel, the basement will be the non-stop beating heart of the festival – a secret vault with DJs centre stage and a late night bar-club vibe.
The festival opens with the Hobbes Music label showcase, curated by Andrew Hobbes Richardson, head of the label. Expect a special evening of experimental electronica from producers including Leonidas & Hobbes, Gaming, and Nina Stanger.
Local radio station EHFM take over with a residency for the first weekend, following on from the hugely popular beach bar sessions at Granton last year. EHFM is handing the basement over to the best of Edinburgh talent, including live sets starting at 11pm from the likes of Sad City (Fri 10), Kavari (Sat 11) and Proc Fiskal (Sun 12). And find out more about EHFM and their involvement with this year’s Creative Collaborations with a panel discussion on the Sunday afternoon.
The final three days is given over to a residency from SISU – a collective of women and non-binary DJs challenging male domination of the industry.
Malissa, founding member of SISU, has curated an eclectic mix of DJs from all over the UK. Expect everything from hip hop, dub, techno and deep house from the likes of CRPNTR and Tzusan (Thu 16), (((CLEOPATRA))), Little Hats and Sauceress (Fri 17) and Aphid (Miss World), Soraya and ona:v (Sat 18).
David Martin, Creative Director of Hidden Door, expects the unexpected: “The basement will be an experimental space to experience electronic music in all its forms. I’m looking forward to everything, especially SISU collective and back-to-back sets from Little Hats and Sauceress on the second Friday, as well as all the late night live EHFM artists. And don’t forget to check out all the great visual art installations tucked away in the closets and cubbyholes of the basement, too!”