Taking place in the idyllic, once in a lifetime holiday location of Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic between September 6th and 13th, the magical gathering of Groovefest is about sipping cocktails, trying local cuisines, trying your hand at water skiing and scuba diving, surfing and swimming, sight seeing and of course, dancing under the stars, on beach, in pools and on boats. What’s more, once you get to Groovefest all food, drink and entrances are included, so once you’re there it won’t cost you a thing, and you can entertain yourself from the moment the sun comes up until long after it has sunk down into the sea.
See also: Interview: Kölsch
As expected, the line-up is far from mediocre as well, with artists like MK, Skream, Art Department, Fur Coat, Green Velvet and LA globetrotter Lee Foss.
Described by DJ Mag as “one of the most talented new forces in modern dance music today” and by fellow future house innovators Art Department as their favourite producer, Lee has quickly catapulted himself into dance music’s collective consciousness. Lee and his Hot Natured partner Jamie Jones currently spearhead a whole family of like-minded producers that includes Robert James, Russ Yallop, Richy Ahmed and most recently Danny Daze who are currently re-writing the rulebook of how to make evocative and emotive house music.
Born and raised in Chicago, the birthplace of house, Lee now lives between London and Los Angels. Lee made his name on both sides of the Atlantic playing at clubs like The Standard Rooftop (Lost Angeles), fabric (London), The Marcy Hotel (Brooklyn), Watergate (Berlin), Spybar (Chicago) and DC10 (Ibiza). Lee’s rapid rise to prominence has been as much down to his unified but all-encompassing approach to DJing as it has to his pioneering take nu school house and synth-heavy techno, backed up by a string of hit releases on labels like No 19, Culprit, Wolf+Lamb and his own Hot Creations imprint. His unique sound, born out a lifelong love of classic house, 90s hip hop, 80s electro and Detroit techno, combined with fanatical grassroots support from clubbers in both Europe and North America, made him the highest new entrant in Resident Advisor’s Top 100 DJs poll last December, coming in at number 36.
While growing up in Chicago, Lee cut his teeth on the clubs and raves of the late 90’s, which sparked his interest in house and disco. However, it was a chance visit to Ibiza back in 2001, that changed his whole approach to music that helped steer his musical destiny for the next decade and beyond. It was in Ibiza that summer that he first became friends with Jamie Jones and the pair quickly formed a tight brotherly bond that has recently blossomed into their highly acclaimed Hot Natured partnership. Having spent several years abroad, and heavily inspired by time spent at seminal electro and deep house parties in Ibiza and East London, Lee decided to take all that he’d learnt in Europe and export it back to the USA.
Since then Lee has gone on to release a string of hits on a variety of labels including ‘The Edge EP’ ‘Equilibrium’, ‘U Got Me’ and most recently his ‘Starfruit EP’, all of which have been independently awarded ‘Tune of the Month’ in Mixmag at various points over the last year. In addition DJ Magazine voted ‘U Got Me’ as their number 4 favourite record back in 2010.
With this many accolades under his belt in such a short space of time, it would be easy for Lee to rest on his laurels but this couldn’t be farther from the case. In the following years he would take up more time A&Ring Hot Creations to new highs, making it one of the most influential imprints around, and spawning myriad DJ careers in the process. The 2015 festival season has taken him across the world, with gigs at tropical destinations such as Tomorrow Island in Tunisia, Blue Marlin in the UAE and more. Still to come are a gig at Ceremony Festival in London, Compass in Turkey and Groovefest.
Groovefest Programme
Sunday 6th September
Groovefest; DJ Mag Allstars, Kolsch
Madtech Records; Kashii, Alexis Raphael
Monday 7th September
Groovefest; Norman Jay, Kenny Dope
Roush & Sanity; Hector Couto B2B Cuartero
Egg LDN; DJ Pierre & Green Velvet
Tuesday 8th September
Objektivity & Area 10; Andre Hommen, NTFO, Dennis Ferrer, Kevin Saunderson, Lee Foss, MK
Wednesday 9th September
Mobilee & LWE; Anja Schneider & Rodriguez JR Live
Trust; Bill Patrick, Nick Curly & Randall M
Groovefest; Sy Sez, Terry Hunter, Bobby and Steve
Thursday 10th September
Defected In the House; Osunlade, Sonny Fodera & Sam Divine
Groovefest; Klangkarussell, Art Department & DJ Mag Allstars
Friday 11th September
Skreamizm & Deep House Amsterdam; Skream, Route 94, Doorly, Prunk B2B Kimou
Groovefest; Favio Acaron, Hugh Harry B2B Orteez, Ominous Live
Saturday 12th September
Groovefest; Darius Syrossian, Patrick Topping, Cera Alba, No Artificial Colours
Fact Barcelona; Fur Coat & Andre Bulijat
