Five of the best at Groove Loch Ness

With Loch Ness once again about to bask in a swathe of electronic music brilliance, our writers select their five must see acts.

Becca Frankland

Last updated: 17th Aug 2016

Photo: Moxie

On Saturday 20th August, the iconic Loch Ness will once again host a marathon rave after the success of last year's inaugural Groove Loch Ness festival.

The spectacular location provides the perfect place for a 'nightclub under the stars', and with the soundtrack left to a host of world renowned DJs (see the full Groove Loch Ness festival line up), this truly is a unique experience for some 5000 attendees. 

The festival's organisers are responsible for the likes of Belladrum, Rockness and events at Ironworks Venue and last year they secured the talents of 2ManyDJs, Tensnake, Groove Armada and more. With another monster line up in the offing for this year, we picked our five must see acts at Groove Loch Ness.  

Camelphat

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British duo Camelphat have built up a strong following in recent years with their gilt edged house grooves, finding favour on the likes of Coyu's imprint Suara, Toolroom and Glasgow Underground.

Their DJ sets ride much of the same, as evidenced by their recent guest mix for our podcast (above). Better yet this is their Scottish debut - what better place than the stunning highlands?

Jimmy Coultas

Optimo

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The Scottish duo have been bringing huge nights of dance music to their home nation since they began a weekly club night called Optimo Espacio in 1997.

The pairing of JD Twitch and JG Wilkes have a fondness for the leftfield and their sets blend electro, rock, swing and literally anything else, making them extremely good value for money. Their Sub Club x Boiler Room set above is living proof of this and a return to Scotland on a grander scale will be a treat for all involved.

Henry Lewis

Boys Noize

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Festivals bring out the hedonistic side, and there's not many DJs that rise to this occasion quite Alex Ridha, better known as Boys Noize. His hip-hop background adds a grittier aesthetic to his collages of electro and techno, which are as heavy on the bass as they are the gutsy synths.

His recent album Mayday (above) saw him continue his ability to draw from a wide pallette of influences, collaborating with the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Benga and Policia. Expect absolute mayhem when he drops 'Los Ninos', his thrilling update of 1981 EBM classic 'Los Niños Del Parque' from Liaisons Dangereuses.

JC

Leon Vynehall

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Sitting somewhere in the melee between deep house and bass music, Brighton-based producer Leon Vynehall has been a breath of fresh air since arriving with his Mauve EP back in 2012. Whilst his gifts as a producer are unquestioned - just listen to the blown out disco of recent banger 'Blush' for evidence, Vynehall smashes it as a selector too with sets that showcase an eclectic, dancefloor focused mindset.

His contribution to Radio 1's Essential Mix is a prime example, with classic disco rubbing shoulders with crisp, soulful deep house and more abstract bass exploits from the likes of Ben UFO's Hessle Audio imprint. A definite must for the heads.

Mike Warburton

Moxie

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The NTS Radio anchor is undoubtedly one of the leading contemporary voices of London's music scene. Responsible for championing exciting new artists as well as providing a platform for more established names like Jeff Mills, Moxie finds herself a taste maker in the classic vein of giants like Gilles Peterson, Mary Anne Hobbs or Tim Sweeney

Her constantly evolving music tastes are a constant source of excitement with new gold dug out at weekly intervals - techno, house, disco, grime and hip hop all make regular appearances on her show. But it's her fantastic skills as a club DJ and unpredictable party starter that have us most hyped for her Loch Ness debut. 

MW

More like this? Read our Moxie Interview here.

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