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.