As the dust settles and we finally recover from Junction 2, we take a look back at just why this is the UK’s best techno festival!

Junction 2 Festival has been and gone and left an almighty hole in my life. A festival so huge in promise and delivery that I, among many, spent a good six months or more looking forward to it, and it was over far too quickly.

From the slick production, beautiful and unique setting, and a Lineup boasting the best Techno heavyweights in the industry. It’s basically impossible to pick any fault with the west London based event. Set within the vast green spaces of Boston Manor Park, and under the industrious and jarring motorway bridge of junction 2, promotors LWE have created something so special I can’t see how many could touch them at this point. On Saturday 9th June we went to the third event in the series, which clearly superseded the previous efforts.

With a hassle-free entry, your first view is that all imposing motorway bridge and the aptly named ‘Bridge’ stage, playing host to label Drumcode. To the left of this, you enter a surprisingly large open green space which is home to both the ‘Pavillion’ and the ‘Warehouse’ stage, resembling something similar to the facade of Berghain. This field effortlessly flows into the woods, where you are free to roam, get lost, and stumble across ‘The Woods’ stage hosted by Oasis Festival. Lastly, you’re lead into another huge field for the ‘Hex’ stage, hosted by Sonus festival.

Forever putting music as the focus and the importance of all of their events, LWE continues to prove that all emphasis goes towards the experience on the dancefloor. With a sound system that couldn’t be faulted in the best clubs in the capital, let alone in a heavily residential area in London. The level of escapism you can achieve within this festival has to be seen, or heard to be believed.

Each stage lending itself to a completely different vibe and feel, with a carefully curated lineup on each. With extensive set times giving each artist free rein to really explore all the sounds they have to offer. It was easy to get carried away and lose yourself in one area, momentarily forgetting just how much else there was to explore. I found myself doing just that at the Pavillion, with a perfect six-hour B2B set from Innervisions head honchos; Dixon and Âme, the perfect amount of time for a duo so strong. They throw themselves perfectly into their trademark and euphoric techno storytelling, with their expansive back catalogue of ’emotional techno’.

In the Warehouse, I managed to catch the end of LWE residents Dense & Pika who successfully dropped bombs continuously into the abyss; The darkest laser-rave-cave I’ve seen!

Arguably though, the biggest stand out performance for the entire day, and one that will have people exclaiming ‘I-was-there’ for some time to come, was the 5-hour onslaught from Carl Cox and Adam Beyer. Tieing the entire day up with a giant black techno coloured bow, was their B2b set. Which, thanks to Mixmag you can now rewatch again and again.

The vibe was full of pure energy, beaming smiles, united dancing and electricity. Both Carl and Adam equally humble and feeding off the crowd. I couldn’t quite bring myself to walk away once the last tune was dropped, just holding on to that moment for a little longer.

You can stream the whole thing again here;

Only three years in, Junction 2 has firmly secured itself a place in the top festivals in the UK. Giving thought and attention to the customer experience, the artist platform and the whole package that makes for a stellar event. I can’t wait to see what the next step is.

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