Hospitality in the Park review: a tribute to the dirty British bassline

If there was ever a platform in which to demonstrate the variation and ingenuity of drum and bass as a genre, Hospitality in the Park must be it

Despite Hospitality Records having its roots in the South West London’s drum and bass scene, it's festival was anything but limited to city limits (Hospitality)

As someone who managed to come down to Hospitality last year, the festival has since been like a well-kept secret. Tube stations are open as normal in the area, there are no signposts or traffic posts required for the sort of crowds seen in Finsbury Park for Wireless.

The only evidence of Hospitality in the Park's existence is the booming sound system quaking the ground beneath your feet. The outside is nondescript – the effect on Finsbury Park is minimal, just metres away from revellers, people were still walking dogs and playing football.

Upon crossing the gate however, normality is left behind.

The Hospitality crowd is varied and colourful, and we were instantly met with ravers dressed as doctors and nurses, gymnasts and elderly women bobbing-heads to a bit of Danny Byrd.

Everything is hiked up a notch, the bars feel like they are an extension of the stages – even the food trucks are blasting out garage anthems. The entirety of the festival has been thought through – there fairground rides and chill-out areas, with hay bales and funk music.

Following the success of last years edition with Dub Phizix and Shy FX, this years line-up appeared to be highlighting the more old-school musicians that helped Hospitality rise to prominence. Danny Byrd’s Ill Behaviour felt like it was intended as a throwback for the loyal fans – and an education for the younger crowd.

For the crowd needing a break from skanking, London Elekricity provided a reprieve. With his 22-piece brass band the legendary producer and co-founder of Hospital records mixed familiar jazz classics with brassy bass. The set was upbeat, and felt like a breath of fresh air after an hour of Alix Perez’s liquid funk on the Med School stage.

Despite Hospitality Records having its roots in the South West London’s drum and bass scene, it's festival was anything but limited to city limits.

The Fabriclive stage, a new feature to the festival following the London nightspots battle with Islington council last year, headlined with the duo behind FABRICLIVE.86 – My Nu Leng and fellow Bristol-based paring Dread MC.

Fresh off a spot on the main stage at Outlook festival in September, My Nu Leng's sound can never be described as atypical bass, with influences drawn all over the underground electronic spectrum. Their set was full of heavy drops and familiar riffs, mixing Double 99’s RIP Groove with Soul Shake elicited moans of satisfaction from the nighttime crowd.

Fellow Bristolian – the legendary Roni Size played a 20th Anniversary set of his album New Forms, which again felt a lot like a lesson. As drum and bass has moved steadier into the mainstream the festival seemed to marrying the old and the new.

Where 'Size was driving the crowd wild with Brown Paper Bag and Heroes, there was still plenty of focus around newer acts – such as 23-year-old Keeno.

“To see 12,000 ravers turn up to a mostly drum and bass festival is a worldwide phenomenon really isn’t it” the Canterbury-born DJ told me, after his set on the Med School stage.

“It's so much easier to create drum and bass now, there’s more song packs available, it's cheaper… more people want to get involved. I’m not sure it's as widely accepted as techno and house – but it's entering the mainstream, and festivals like Hospitality are proving that.”

Despite this only being the second edition of the Finsbury Park knees-up – Hospitality in the Park has secured its place as one to watch the festival calendar.

For information on Hospitality records visit www.hospitalitydnb.com