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Building Bloc

Bloc Weekend eyes up new Central London location

Bloc is the quintessence of the British underground dance scene. Exploring household greats and emerging starlets subverting the electronic waves at its yearly home, Butlin's Minehead since 2009, it's resided at the cognitive forefront for any raver with a flavour for the more abrasive sounds of the dancefloor.

Covering techno 2.0 to original Motor City beats, Chicago house to UK bass, the line-up is the pinnacle of modern electronic music every year, bang on the pulse of what the most discerning of the scene are crying out for at that given moment. This year, Marcel Dettmann, Shed and Modeselektor will capture the current vogue for dystopian dub dancefloor atmospherics, while Flying Lotus, Steve Reich and Oneohtrix Point Never satisfy the more experimental among us. The crème of the bass scene will be in full force too, with Loefah, Kode9, Ikonika, Mosca and Appleblim all clocking in DJ sets. Plus you can catch Carl Craig's 69 show, Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos and Orbital — even Snoop Dogg — if the venerable big names are what float your boat.

“We're beaming with pride at the line-up this year and bouncing off the energy we've received in response,” says Bloc's Alex. “Arpanet aboard the MS Stubnitz will be a highlight of my weekend — and of course, the one-and-only D.O.G.G.”

If the reference to MS Stubnitz, flew over your head, it's because Bloc will be invading a new space in 2012, this time in London, and there will be plenty of new tricks up its sleeve. The aforementioned battleship will be a two-and-a-half-thousand ton ex-communist shipping vessel converted into an on-water stage. Plus there'll be a floating cocktail bar, a large dome stage and a purpose-built main arena encased in steel. All part of a new bespoke, recently-developed Docklands hinterland location known as Pleasure Gardens soon to be unveiled, set beside the water's edge on post-industrial wasteland overlooking London's impressive urban cityscape.

“All a short train ride from the centre of London, it's just going to be something very, very new, not just for London but the entire UK,” concludes Alex.

BLOC 2012 

WHEN? 6-7 July

WHERE? London Pleasure Gardens

LINE-UP? Orbital, Snoop Dogg, Richie Hawtin, Amon Tobin: ISAM, Gary Numan, Steve Reich, Ricardo Villalobos, Flying Lotus, Jeff Mills, Squarepusher, Battles,Jamie Jones, DOOM, Nicolas Jaar, Carl Craig – 69, Monolake, Ellen Allien, Scuba, Four Tet, James Blake, Joker, Hudson Mohawke, Levon Vincent, Surgeon, Actress, Martyn, Joy Orbison b2b Jackmaster...

HOW MUCH? Weekend £99 / Day £55

WEB? blocweekend.com