AVA Festival is now only three weekends away. As the Belfast festival moves to its new home of Titanic Slipways and presents its most-varying lineup yet.
Boiler Room is back, there are four stages, a new setup and as well as the acts listed below, sets from other marquee names like Jon Hopkins, Ross From Friends, Special Request, Mura Masa, Sherelle, Piri & Tommy, Jordan Nocturne, TSHA and many more.
Tight now is the perfect time to get hyped, via 9 recorded DJ or live sets from performers heading to this year’s event in Belfast on the June Bank Holiday at AVA.
1.
Partiboi69
Australia’s most fun electro DJ.
Live @ AVA Festival: Friday June 3rd, The Grasses
Some DJs are incredibly serious looking. Not Partiboi69.
The Australian DJ is known for wearing a pair of sneakers draped over his neck, crooked sunglasses and his high-energy DJ sets that dip between g-house, electro, Miami bass and g-tech and an exuberant mixing style.
This is one of those dizzying fun mixes you should revisit every few months, with tracks from DJ Boneyard, DJ Rashad, DJ Deeon, DJ Protein, Dizzee Rascal and Paul Johnson.
As a Youtube comment says “I hate when people compare Partiboi69 to God. I mean, he’s good, but he’s no Partiboi69.”
2.
Logic1000
One of the rising producers of the last two years.
Live @ AVA Festival: Friday June 3rd, Main Stage
Berlin-based producer Samantha Poulter’s Logic1000 project really hit into consciousness with ‘Perfume’, percussive euphoric track with ’90s R&B vocals was originally first heard on Caribou’s 2020 Radio 1 Essential Mix.
Since then, Poulter has been showing her range, and fresh from Coachella, is stepping out on summer festivals including AVA Festival, Primavera and Field Day, this summer.
Last year’s Essential Mix reinforces that range on record in her mixing with drops for Pearson Sound, DJ Plead, Novelist,Honey Dijon, Yaeji and Todd Edwards.
3.
Sally C
The homecoming queen
Live @ AVA Festival: Friday June 3rd, The Grasses
Sally C aka Big Saldo, makes a grand return to her hometown after last year’s appearance, and with the moves the DJ and producer is making, there’s really no way she couldn’t be invited back.
Whether its her own releases on her label Big Saldo’s Chunkers, or her hip-house heavy sets as seen on her 2019 AVA x Boiler Room set, Sally C is in the place to be.
6.
Floorplan
Father-daughter gospel techno bangers.
Live @ AVA Festival: Friday June 3rd, The Nomadic
The father-daughter duo of Robert and Lyric Hood have cornered the market wonderfully when it comes to gospel-sampling house and techno euphoria.
Floorplan are always a uniquely singular prospect as a result, which means their sets at festivals at AVA are always a highlight. Peep this recent Defected live mix recorded in Austin for religious proof.
7.
EMA
The Dublin DJ is making a name for herself.
Live @ AVA Festival: Saturday June 4th, Boiler Room set @ The Nomadic
When not booking Dublin’s best club space in Yamamori Tengu, or releasing dub-leaning records on Woozy or uplifting female-identifying, trans and non-binary creatives under the Skin&Blister, Dublin DJ EMA is probably DJing somewhere you want to be.
Heavy on the bass.
Recent sets have seen EMA play at Fabric, Keep Hush, or this recent NYC visit to The Lot Radio:
8.
Sama’ Abdulhadi
Queen of the Palestinian techno scene
Live @ AVA Festival: Friday June 3rd, The Grasses
Sama’ Abdulhadi is a Palestinian who has experienced a lifetime under occupation and conflict by Israeli settlers, and techno was her creative escape and release from the reality on the ground.
This Boiler Room set live from Palestine in 2018, is just shy of 10 million views, and offered a rare glimpse into Palestinians enjoying themselves, with a homegrown Ramallah DJ absolutely in charge, and suddenly, getting a career jump that has sustained itself since then. Watch this and it’s easy to hear why.
AVA Festival
See also: 5 highlights from Belfast’s global electronic festival 2021
Full day by day breakdown and afterparties.
Day tickets from £55, weekend tickets from £95.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005 . He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.
