Land Of Kings Returns – 3rd May – Dalston’s Resident Festival Of Music & Arts
It’s that time of year when Festival’s seemingly appear from nowhere and try and tempt us to part with our money and our weekends. In fact as I write this I’ve just received another email about another one. I suppose my point is, that it takes something pretty special for me to write about it and the Land Of Kings festival, now in its 6th year looks pretty special. It’s tempting to say ‘especially if you are a dance music fan’, but scratch beneath the surface and you’ll find that while dance music might be a major part of the attraction, there is much more going on besides. 
There’s food from Street Feast and they often have a few surprises up their sleeves and things going on where you might not think to look. When I went two years ago they had a surprise gig from Richie Hawtin, and they had opened up an underground bunker-type place where people were dancing to 90s acid rave on a green screen. The same guy who did that (Hot Breath) is back doing a karaoke video party. Not sure what that will entail but everything he does is a bit zany and always fun. Art Macabre are there this year too – life drawing with a twist.
The live music offering sees genre-defying Tom Vek perform a solo A/V set. Border Community’s is apparently the purveyor of organic techno Nathan Fake, just don’t ask us what Organic Techno is. Synth-pop duo HVOB lend their unique sonic atmospheres, whilst Young Turks’ Koreless, will be weaving beats into an architecture of sound somewhere between velvety 2-step and ambient electronica.
On the DJ front, E8’s basements, backrooms and banquet suites bounce to the likes of prodigal house vanguards Waze & Odyssey, clubland’s favourite party animals The 2 Bears, crate-diggers and masters of the edit Psychemagik, plus NTS mainstay Moxie – with her eclectic selection of techno, grime and hip-hop.
Making its first festival outing, Grime Karaoke invites wannabe wordsmiths to step up to the mic. Before punters can realise their dreams as latter-day rap stars, prolific US producer Lex Luger – credited with the creation of trap and a hit list that includes Rick Ross and Kanye, makes a rare UK appearance.
Kingsland’s cultural curiosities, includes Death Drawing with Art Macabre, backstreet cinematic happenings courtesy of Lost Picture Show, midnight shorts at the Rio Cinema presented by the London Short Film Festival, LAND OF KINGS sprawls 15 spaces within walking distance. These include Dalston local favourites: The Alibi, The Nest and Birthdays, Arcola Theatre, subterranean labyrinth the Bunker, Dalston Roof Park, hidden oasis Eastern Curve Garden, plus Rio Cinema, back-street live den Servant Jazz Quarters, and Total Refreshment Centre. Plus, a selection of secret venues to be announced. Finally the Oval Space throws open its doors for Bugged Out to host the festival finale taking the reigns till 6am.
For more info and tickets visit their website
