Bloc: Bigger, Better and Free?

With a new location, bigger names, and a wider line-up than ever, Bloc. 2012 looks to be a must-see for any electronic music lover. Covering big dubstep drops (Kode9, Loefah), alternative hip-hop (DOOM) and pioneering minimal composers (Steve Reich), the range at this year’s London based event will satiate almost all discerning tastes. Previously hosted at Butlins, Minehead, Bloc. has decided to become “bigger and better”, moving to the abandoned industrial-looking complex somewhat ironically (in this day and age - it used to be a haunt of London socialites) named London Pleasure Gardens and pushing harder than ever for an eclectic line up. Below are some of our picks for the best of Bloc., and we even have a competition to win two tickets!

Orbital

Renowned for their massive live shows, Orbital have been captivating rave and festival audiences since their lauded debut _Orbital _in 1991. Their new album, Wonky, seamlessly blends in their old-school summer anthem style with the biggest sounds from UK bass over the past 2 – 3 years. DJs will be dropping these tunes all over the shop this festival season, so why not get one step ahead of the game and see them live? Orbital’s energetic performance, complete with that all-so-rare electronic improvisation, could well end up being a highlight of the festival. – R

Actress

London resident Darren Cunningham DJs lo-fi, hazy house beats for dark rooms of youtube generation, messy ravers on a regular basis. I have experienced such sets and, they are utterly phenomenal. His new album, R.I.P, pushes further towards weird ambient haziness. It’s hard to categorise his music; he describes it as “R&B concrete”. His DJ sets are well known for their incredible eclecticism, and I’m sure he will refuse to pander to the dance floor live. And he used to play for West Brom - a true character. I am positive Bloc.’s new industrial location, combined with a minimal lighting set up, will establish a fantastic mood for Actress, in a rare live appearance. Personally I pray he’s on Stubnitz. – R

Ceephax Acid Waltzers

Headed by practically-Bloc.-resident Ceephax Acid Crew, brother of the incredible Squarepusher, this stage, debuting at Bloc. 2012, promises to be quite the spectacle. With legends such as Nathan Fake doing a speed garage set on a stage that appears to be, quite literally, waltzers, this is the kind of full on nonsense that you won’t witness anywhere else. Featuring (amongst a host of others) Mark Archer, half of the legendary rave duo Altern8, this brand of insanity exactly what defines BLOC, and you’d be a madman to miss it. You’ll probably also have to be a madman to be there. – R

Raster-Noton

Raster-Noton are a one of a kind imprint taking the intersection of sonic and visual art with no salt. In a sort of hive mind nature, its roster counts a number of artists combining the two formats in a single unifying aesthetic of black & white clicks & cuts. Unlike other A/V contemporaries, the aim of R-N has always been to tie the two seamlessly, so that every sound piercing through the speakers is also manifested directly on the screen. The subtle shifts in a beat illustrated as a wall of scattering dots, geometric shapes bending to the rumble of the frequencies. This label has taken audiovisual interpretation to an acme. The correlation between the sounds and the picture is uncanny, giving the listener a closer insight into the intricacies of the glitchy dance music emanating from the bass bins. Aesthetically, one might imagine a conversation between a vending machine and a type writer, in their own electromechanical language. Mind you, this is the future. – I

Nicolas Jaar

It’s now over a year since Nicolas Jaar released Space is Only Noise – the album that made techno-heads, jazz fiends and generally anyone else who’s a bit pretentious declare it their new favourite record. It was, indeed, a very good record. Since then he’s continued along the same path; delicate piano and guitar melodies float over brooding, melancholy synths. Soulful vocals are looped upon a backdrop of minimal percussion treated with dollops of reverb. The result is music that winds you into a trance, while the understated bass lines ensure it doesn’t lose its way. Nicolas Jaar will be quite a contrast against the likes of Carl Craig and Ricardo Villalobos, but hell, when you’re at a 16 hour party, melting into a half hour trance might be just what is needed. - S

Stubnitz

This world-renowned arts institution (pictured bottom left) has been touring Europe since it was converted from a freeze & transport vessel in 1993, but this is its first ever London appearance. Presenting the whole spectrum from theatre to art to music, its presence at Bloc. is truly something to look forward to. If for nothing else, take a peek online at the inside of the ship – I’m not sure I can think of any cooler environment for some of the world’s most cutting edge electronic artists. Previous performers have included the phenomenal Chris Forsyth, who we reviewed in autumn term, and Bristol legends Bronnt Industries Kapital. This relatively small (despite its massive outside size) stage could really bring something new and special to the Bloc. environment. It’s not every day you get to hit a boat party (well, outside of Croatia). - R

Arpanet

In what is possibly this millennium’s most impressive booking, Bloc. have managed to secure the performance of one of Detroit’s most reclusive and secretive acts. Arpanet is believed to be lead by, or possibly solely, Gerald Donald, also of the pioneering Drexciya and Dopplereffekt.

This one should really appeal to all us Imperial nerds (my apologies for the stereotyping). Donald is fascinated by science and technology, and Arpanet’s first album, Wireless Internet (2002) has lengthy samples detailing how we would interact with the internet in the future, some of them eerily accurate. This is layered on top of empty, “futuristic” electro. Arpanet employ outdated sci-fi sounds to give an odd glimpse into how those in the past viewed the sound of the future. Oh, and did I mention they/he/who knows have only ever performed live once before in their 10 year history? - R

Snoop Dogg

Undoubtedly you’ve heard of Snoop Doggy Dogg, so it’s kind of hard to pin this one as much of a well-kept secret of the festival. Despite this, he’s well worth a mention; his 1992 album Doggystyle introduced the up-and-coming G-Funk to the mainstream audience, and since then his distinctive voice, as well as his style of lyricism and flow, have been well recognised as a cornerstone of west-coast hip-hop. With all the hard partying that will surround it, this may come as a relieving opportunity to sit back and chillax for an hour or two. - R

For a chance of winning the two tickets, answer the following simple question: “Which Imperial alumnus is playing Bloc?” Answers should be submitted to [email protected] – the deadline is Wednesday 16th at 4pm, and the winner will be announced in our section in the following edition of Felix. The winner will be picked at random from all those who have the correct answer. Have no fear if you miss out on our competition; Bloc. are also offering an unbeatable student deal this year. For every 5 tickets you buy, the 6th is free. A valid NUS card must be produced on entry. More details can be found here: http://www.blocweekend.com/union, with the code UNIBLOC497. We shall be in attendance and hopefully providing live updates of what we are seeing so we really hope to see you there!