8 artists you absolutely have to see at Sunfall

Sunfall returns for a second year in South London (and beyond, once night descends).

It brings a delectable range of artists to the city, many of who – like Jayda G, Princess Nokia and Larry Heard – rarely play in the UK. The curation of the event whips up a deliciously summery atmosphere, perfect for a baking LDN August (though don't get too comfy, there's hell-raising techno and dusky low-end frequencies to be heard too).

Ahead of the all-day-and-all-nighter, our crew picked eight artists you simply must see at Sunfall, which kicks off on Saturday August 12.

Tickets right here.

West Stage + CoOp Night Session

House and techno might be the main order of the day at Sunfall, but there's a special selection of hip hop sides to cater for your beat-craving appetite. Madlib's one of those and the man behind classics like 'Shades Of Blue', 'The Unseen' (as Quasimoto) and 'Madvillainy' (a coveted collaboration with MF Doom) will be packing a bag of soul-dripping records made to make you bop. Hip hop's the genre he made his name with, but his record collection branches out with hip-swinging boogie, squelchy funk and Latino rhythms. Once Theo Parrish's four-and-a-half-hour session is up, it'll be time for an education from one of the finest hip hop artists in history. Get ready for a jam.

West Stage

Was there a more rambunctious rap tune in 2016 than 'Kitana'? With its bold strip club bass and skittering trap drums, it was the perfect platform for Princess Nokia to announce, "I step in this bitch and I do what I want, I don't give a damn and I don't give a fuck." While the beats she rides are pure ATL, her attitude is strictly NYC and the Big Apple native takes no prisoners with her delivery and lyrical content (check the punchy 'Tomboy' for further proof). She plays in the evening on the West Stage and, among a line-up heavy on sunny house and disco, will be sure to stomp all over the breezy vibes with her unbridled swaggy confidence and armoury of stone-cold bangers. Latest drop 'G.O.A.T.' will get you prepped nicely.

South Stage + Rhythm Section Night Session

To see a Beautiful Swimmers set is to witness a masterclass in variety. When the duo from DC step behind the decks, you honestly don’t know what you're going to hear, but it could involve any number of UK garage belters or sloping boogie hitters. Hell, when they went back-to-back with Pender Street Steppers at Dekmantel last year, they slipped Daft Punk’s ‘Revolution 909’ in to the mix as if it was the latest Future Times release. There was no contrived grandeur to it, or knowledge of dropping a ‘banger’. They just care about killer tunes and that’s part of these guys’ "anything goes" appeal. Nothing is off the table but their instincts are so good everything fits. Recently they got the seal of approval from Midland and have put their heads together to produce brilliant sets at Sonar and Love International. Now we get them in our own backyard at the peak of their powers. Let’s fucking party.

North Stage + Make Me Night Session

Beware the sound of the big bad Hauff. Hamburg’s finest is by far one of the most talented and relentless selectors on this year’s bill and her hellish, beautifully jagged array of electro and techno is sure to melt some faces. Her dedication to an unwaveringly hard and direct sound has wowed audiences around the world and her In Session mix for us was a joyously-indulgent look at the history of Hamburg’s electro scene. How she manages to merge 130-140bpm on turntables without so much as a hiccup, every single time she plays, is one of the reasons we hold her with such high-regard. A terrifying treat.

South Stage (b2b Antal)

Jay Donaldson has catapulted into our favourite DJs list with great ease over the last two or three years and as Palms Trax, he’s a bloody good selector. Depending on where he’s playing, what time he’s on, hell, what mood he’s in, will determine what sort of set you hear the British artist play. We’ve seen him play a set consisting of unearthed funk and soul, we’ve seen him roll out disco heaters so joy-fuelled that our jaws have hurt from smiling and we’ve experienced him bang out house that’s loaded with pace and frivolity. We’ve even seen him play sets with all of those things infused into one and that’s why we like him so much. Productions-wise, he’s been on a hot streak with Dekmantel and with a recent remix for Mount Kimbie in the bag, we’re putting all our money on Jay stealing the show at Sunfall.

Numbers Night Session

The Numbers Night Session is absolutely stacked, with Jackmaster, DJ Bone, Denis Sulta and Spencer all playing. Peggy Gou hops over from Brixton to make her second performance of the day and, maybe most excitingly, there's a rare chance to see Canada's Jayda G, who makes blissful house music and selects a broad range of lush house music when she plays out. Her inclusion on this mouthwatering bill should have you all heading to Village Underground to keep the party going and check out one of the finest rising talents going.

Main Stage

Are you really going to ignore the opportunity to see the man who wrote ‘Everybody Loves The Sunshine’ in the actual sunshine? Roy Ayers, the gift that keeps on giving at the age of 76, was built for festivals like this. We can’t begin to recommend the lush sounds of vibraphone in the lush surrounds of greenery enough. To seem him in the flesh should really be presented in the form of a written contract when you discover your first 4/4 beat. His influence on dance music (and we mean that in a very broad term from hip hop to house) is phenomenal. As one of the most sampled artists in music, you’re bound to hear snippets of his tracks at some point in the day, so why not hear it in person? It’s really just common sense.

Rhythm Section Night Session

NTS Radio. One Wednesday a month. Midday 'til 2pm. Reserve those two hours for Bradley Zero's show on the London station and you'll get a treat of jazzy flavours from way back when, dizzying and delectable house and all the latest cuts from his Rhythm Section International label. He's a master selector, as likely to drop a Ron Trent classic as he is a Rufige Kru riddim. If you've been to a Rhythm Section party, or read our feature on the crew, you'll know they're nights swelling with energy and pure good vibes. Pairing Bradley with Washington D.C duo Beautiful Swimmers for an afterparty is a recipe for unbridled dancefloor elation. Just make sure you keep your phone in your pocket, yeah.

Visit the Sunfall website here