B2B: Five unexpected sets we're delighted happened

Going to see a DJ could change your life. They might throw down the ultimate set and play every track you wanted to listen to at exactly the right moment. You’ll tell your mates the next day how incredible it was and they’ll turn to you and say, 'Yeah, I saw them play fabric the other night'. It will infuriate you to no end as you try and get the point across that last night was the best night. Your friend will humour you, but deep down you accept it’s a lost cause. Add another DJ to that mix, though, and you’ve got yourself a story.

The back-to-back is a truly wonderful thing. Solo DJ sets come and go, but the sight of two superstars bringing their unique flavour and pushing each other further with their selections can make for a night etched in electronic music folklore.

Maybe it was planned, maybe it’s two DJs you didn’t realise were friends closing a party, and maybe it was completely spur of the moment. No matter how it comes together, the back-to-back taps into something innately human: our desire to see forces combine. How else can you explain the hysteria surrounding celebrity BFFs? Or the critically-acclaimed cinematic masterpiece that is Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito in Twins? Everyone wants to see their favourites interact with their other favourites.

Sometimes these blends come straight out of leftfield like strawberry and spinach (which is apparently a thing). But, if they go well, then they’ll be the ones generating the most hype. I mean, Dixon and Masters At Work are headlining this year’s IMS with a back-to-back and you know you want to go.

So without futher ado, here’s five that really tickled our fancy.

One’s a Tweet-happy artist who’s made a career out of progressive trance bangers, while the other is a mild-mannered minimal don. A lot of people were surprised when Deadmau5 joined forces with Richie Hawtin at SXSW in 2013. What transpired were two incredible electronic music minds busting out a pounding set of intricate techno under the almighty maple leaf. It obviously had a postive impact on Deadmau5 as he'll be headlining Detroit’s Movement festival this year under his Testpilot alias. Could the days of the mouse head be numbered?

Considering their DJ names, how had these two not crossed paths before? The creative license they could take with that material is out of this world. But seriously, as acclaimed selectors of offbeat house, to see them orbit each other over an hour and a half at ADE last year was something special. Pushing each other deeper and deeper into their bags, what we’re left with is a set that feels like going to the moon and back, taking in the Milky Way in the process. The only question is, who stepped off Apollo 11 first?

Ricardo Villalobos is basically the last true superstar DJ standing. And that’s no mean feat considering he doesn’t like sleep. Anytime we catch him swinging those hips or conquering fabric, we can’t help but think we’re not worthy. So pairing the carefree vibe of Villalobos with DJ Sneak, an artist who loves throwing shade at anyone and everyone, might not seem like a match-made in heaven. But the duo have been throwing down together for years and never fail to bring the goods.

It’s common knowledge Ben UFO is partial to a cheeky back-to-back every now and again. He regularly parties it up in the booth with friends Joy Orbison and the Hessle Audio crew, but when he teamed up with electro champion Helena Hauff at Sonár in Barcelona there was something special in the air. Her stripped-back electro and EBM tunes both stood out from and complimented the British DJ's leftfield techno tracks in a set for the ages.

As two of Bristol’s finest talents, Shanti Celeste and Julio Bashmore going back-to-back in 2015 was a proud moment for the South West. There was already a connection between the two. One of Shanti’s first releases was on Broadwalk records, so it’s not like the duo were coming in as cold strangers. For an hour and a half, the Bristolians smoothly transitioned through sultry disco-driven house, steaming '90s swing and some bumping bass specialties.