Industrial playground: Junction 2 has quickly become London's best techno event

Junction 2 was back in London over the weekend for its second annual instalment. Spearheaded by London Warehouse Events, after a successful debut in 2016, the one-day festival returned to Boston Manor Park in the west of the city.

LWE’s clutch over clubbers in LDN has snowballed in the last couple of years and this is the team’s biggest event to date. Demonstrating a vast vision for parties in London, the organisers continue to lead the way with ambitious locations, while upholding a stellar production level and booking policy.

During the short journey from train carriage to park gates, we don’t hesitate once as excited attendees guide our way and stewards help us cross a busy road. We’re greeted by unmistakable snare drum thuds upon entrance and it’s obvious that today, Boston Manor Park is a playground for house and techno heads.

Expanding from last year, there are now five areas to choose from and each one differs from the next. The M4 motorway snakes through right above our heads at the Drumcode stage, an industrial setting complimentary to the robust sounds of Ben Klock, Tale Of Us and label boss Adam Beyer.

Elsewhere there are two tents, one hosted by The Hydra, another concealed in a mock warehouse where Rødhåd, Daniel Avery and Chris Liebing play blinding sets. An open-air spot is run by Croatian festival Sonus and hidden among the trees is Into The Woods.

Almost 30 acts flex their mixing muscles over the 10-hour event and Boston Manor Park proves to be fertile ground for the event’s programming as the sun stays out all day, while a friendly and exciting atmosphere doesn’t falter once either.

Hear the top tunes from Junction 2 below.

Willow, The Hydra: Thousands have already flooded in within the first two hours to squeeze in as many acts as possible. We eyeball the schedule at Junction 2’s main field before rising talent Willow draws us into the marquee curated by revered promoters The Hydra. She weaves the slick ‘Lexa Groove’ into her set and a panorama view of fragmented visuals flashes along with the chunky drums.

DJ Tennis, Sonus: After quickly getting to grips with the layout, we follow a path tucked away behind the trees to discover the area fronted by Sonus. Although it’s completely open air, the sound here instantly blows us away with its power and clarity. DJ Tennis is in control of the decks and gets the early-doors vibes spot on with ‘Brock Wild’. It was the first bite of the day and upped our expectations for what was to follow.

Sam Paganini, Sonus: We check out Rødhåd in the blacked-out Warehouse next. He can’t wipe the smile off his face while he takes us through a workout of high-tempo techno. Massive fans cool us down, but we fancy something a little less intense so head back to Sonus. Sam Paganini hits the nail on the head with a thumping, high-octane set. The Italian commands the floor by stitching the jacking groove on The Reactivitz’s remix with his recent outing for Drumcode.

DJ Koze, The Hydra: The Hydra invites DJ Koze next and he locks in solid tracks with plenty of character. Koze is wholly suited to the afternoon time slot and the German DJ looks right at home. An acid rework of ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ is followed by tracks laden with percussion. It’s all topped off with Adam Port’s summer-appropriate funky and frivolous edit.

Tale Of Us, Drumcode: We flit across the site with ease all day. The longest stretch is to check out Drumcode, but the sweeping view of the dazzling lighting rig and a sprawling crowd as you approach it, more than makes up for it. We get into earshot just in time to hear Tale Of Us tease ‘The Hangar’, a huge upcoming release that they’re road testing at the minute. To finish off, the duo engage everyone with the brilliantly subtle hook from Patrice Baumel’s first effort on the their Afterlife imprint.

Jane Fitz, Into The Woods: ‘Arb Almub Almoh’ comprises nature samples over a minimal undertone. It’s a winning pick by Jane Fitz for the fifth stage nestled in the woodland. It might be the smallest area but it boasts a shady and intimate setting perfect for a boogie. There is no need to find a sweet spot in front of the soundsystem, the sunlight creeps through the leaves and we happily dance on top of twigs and branches.

Joseph Capriati, Sonus: Whoops and cheers reach a peak at Sonus under the hands of Maceo Plex who packs in diverse sounds in his distinctive way. Joseph Capriati then takes the reins to finalise the preview of the fifth Sonus Festival in August. Italian favourite Capriati starts off with his playful track with Flavio Folco that rapidly expands through the speakers. Setting the bar high for his lively set that follows.

Daphni, The Hydra: Daphni plays the longest set of the day and we check in multiple times to hear an eclectic selection you’d expect from the man, Dan Snaith. He jumps from high energy to melodic cuts and ‘Tin’ serves as the perfect middle ground. The crowd stretches their arms out into the air to embrace the track as it comes to a head in the packed tent. It’s a sneak peek into his forthcoming mix for the respected fabriclive series, which is full of unreleased productions under the Daphni alias.

Ben Klock, Drumcode: Ben Klock hammers out an entrancing set and throws simultaneous rhythms down. Towards the end of his slot, Klock introduces us to this spacey cut from Anthony Parasole’s debut album. Ben stands tall in the middle of the impressive Drumcode stage design, which mimics the logo of Adam Beyer’s illustrious record label, also seen on flags and T-shirts worn by many members of the crowd.

Adam Beyer, Drumcode: A rapturous response welcomes Adam Beyer at 8pm. The Drumcode extraordinaire drops a set you know he’s been saving especially for the London troop. It includes a fierce, unidentifiable remix of Rozalla’s ‘Everybody's Free’ which is a definite highlight. Beyer repeatedly thumps it out and fist pumps rarely leave our line of vision. As night finally falls the melodic synth of ‘Parallel Universe’ knocks us sideways with its powerful groove, while striking visuals of evolving graphics take it to the next level.

Emma Gillett is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Twitter