skinslife

So Skins is going to Creamfields. We’ve tricked Toby into coming as we told him we were going to spend a weekend in the Cheshire countryside, little does he know it’ll be full of gurning scousers partying to some awesome dance music.

Although taking loads of speed (Obviously, SkinsLife and especially Toby condone and encourage the consumption of amphetamines in all forms and in great quantities from scary Scouse stereotypes with moustaches, bubble perms and Everton tops) and going in search of the elusive Donk is what everyone should be doing at the festival they should take time out from that search for my personal picks of the festival.

1) Toby cowering in a corner with a copy of the Sunday Telegraph shielding his eyes from what he believes is the downfall of civilization.

2) Switzerland's Luciano: he has produced some of the best tracks of the last few years (check Fourges et Sabres and his Nina Simone remix for two examples) and is one of the best DJs around, just check out his Fabric mix for confirmation.

3) Hercules and Love Affair: Their eponymous debut album is one of the successes of the year and after missing them at Sonar I plan on finally catching them here.

4) Claude VonStroke – Claude's been over in Europe for the past few months and you really should make the most of it before he goes back to San Francisco. Who’s afraid of Detroit is a legendary tune and he’s recently been playing an awesome house edit of Damien Marley’s ‘Welcome To Jamrock’. I was at the club in Barcelona where Hudson Mohawke dropped this tune, sending everyone mental and inspiring Claude to make his edit.

5) Magnetic Man – Skream’s DJ sets are now maybe the worst thing in dubstep as he rewinds every track to rapturous applause from idiot drum n bass fans hoping for loads of ‘wobble’. However his actual productions are still some of the best in the game and it’s this improvised set up with Benga that is keeping his credibility.

Honorable mentions also go out to Skinslife’s friends The Clik Clik, Philly's Plastic Little, the awesome (and hot) Little Boots, Boy 8 Bit (anyone remember his Burial remix?), Drop the Lime (his DJ sets are way better than his productions) and Portland's YACHT.