Unfortunately, we’ve arrived once more at that time of year when the all-embracing dark cloud of revision, deadlines and exams has descended on the minds of the students of York. Life has become ever more stressful with the race for a seat in the library becoming the first hurdle of the day, giving way to a plethora of heads hitting desks, mindless Facebook scrolling and Snapchat updates of us doing both these things while we tell ourselves we’re ‘#studying’.
However for those who managed to secure a ticket there is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. The Garden of Eden awaits… Derwent’s infamous post-exam festival ‘Big D’ returns on the 1st June to mark the start of our summer calendar, and this year the lineup is looking more outrageously enticing than ever. Australian drum and bass heavyweights Pendulum are flying in from wherever worn out successes from the past decade reside, to provide an epic headline DJ set with MC Verse to fulfill our teenage fantasies. Let’s not forget that seven years ago these guys performed to thousands at the Brixton Academy and had just produced the best selling drum and bass album of all time. Considering their history, they might just be worth some of your time.
The Derwent JCRC have no doubt been searching far and wide for the very deepest and darkest deep house they could find, with the prolific producer and house music veteran Simon Neale scheduled to make an appearance under the guise of Shadow Child. Jaymo & Andy George are the founders of one of one of the UK’s most acclaimed record labels, Moda Black, and are an impressive addition to the lineup. All quips aside, these two have achieved a huge amount of success in a short space of time. Listen to their BBC Radio 1 essential mix here:
http://soundcloud.com/jaymoandandygeorge/essentialmix
We can also expect an upbeat swinging set from a native of elctro-swing nights across London, Odjbox.
The talents of York’s own homegrown musical acts will be showcased at the Garden stage and should not be underestimated. Our musical students have some great stuff to offer in the realms of exciting and intelligent music. Watch out for the hip-hoppy reggae vibes of ‘Kobe George and the Sunshine Rabbits – a DZ project’, led by Benjamin Turner. Jack McNeill’s live electronic act is not to be missed. Expect a mixture of downtempo electronic beats, ethereal sonic patterns and vibrant textures providing the perfect relief from the intensity of the main acts.
With the effort that has been put into the promotion of this year’s Big D and the release of this lineup it’s no surprise that tickets have already sold out. With the atmosphere promising to be one of ‘rhapsodic debauchery’, who knows what to expect? How well will the supposed ‘mystical wonderland’ of Big D hold up to hundreds of marauding students this year? We can only look forward to ordering one too many D Bar vodka lemonades with the hopes of getting lost between the ‘Far Away’ stage and the ‘Void’ while enjoying some quality dance music, and resisting the urge to urinate in the ‘enchanted lake’.
Where is Cascada though?