Review: Percolate Open Air was a turning point for the London-based party planners

Krywald & Farrer, The Unit

Every night needs its residents - they play a key role in defining the musical direction of an event and, let’s face it, are the beating heart and soul of a party. Most residents stick to the warm-up or warm-down slot, using records to ready the crowd for an expensive headliner or to keep punters on the floor into the early hours. Krywald & Farrer have filled this role at Percolate since 2012. Unsurprisingly, they know how to work a room. But even more than that they are reputable DJs in their own right, being booked across the UK as headliners. Whilst their name is irreversibly connected to the Percolate brand, their blend of party-starting, afro-influenced house and disco is a force in its own right. There set, which bore the brunt of the worst rain of the day, was a masterclass in feel-good grooves and deeper than deep soul music.

Saoirse, The Unit

Taking over from Krywald & Farrer, Irish selector Saoirse took five minutes to reset the tone. Some punters scuttled away to catch Scuba on the The Face but those who stayed behind were rewarded with potentially the day’s best set. Taking her time to reconstruct the atmosphere and make the stage her own, Saoirse moved through a number of deep, soulful techno tracks like this classic from Underground Resistance.