Review: Tokyo World, Eastville Park – ‘It was great to see such a diverse lineup brought to life’

Bristol is blessed with a renowned dance music scene and Tokyo World has consistently sought to represent that energy in festival form.

Fans from all corners of the dance genre were brought together to see a range of musical acts across seven different stages, from chart-topping names and Ibiza legends, to rising underground talents.

Starting over on the Dopamine stage is New York’s Louie Vega. Responsible for some dance classics such as To Be in Love and having remixed for the likes of Michael Jackson and many other household names, the promoters had really pulled in a coup here.

Known for his soulful disco and Latin sounds, Vega built up a vibe for the 5pm crowd switching between dub versions of popular scene tracks and remixes.

Children of Zeus on the Labyrinth Stage showed us why they are possibly one of the best hip hop and soul acts in the UK right now. There is a true roots vibe infused throughout their music, genuine soulful grooves smothered with the simply incredible voice of Tyler Daley.

Boy this guy can sing. His voices carries such emotion, so it’s not surprising that he has collaborated with the likes of Goldie and many other drum and bass acts. They finished up with a couple of these collaborations, such as The View and Still Standing, to appease the Bristol crowd.

More house royalty ensued on the Dopamine stage with Todd Terry, also responsible for bringing house out of the confines of New York and Chicago clubs and onto the airwaves.

Todd took the crowd to deeper, more sultry places, prepping them for deeper sounds to come, with Armin Van Helden’s You Don’t Even Know Me mashed up with Alice Russel’s Movin On, and Jungle Brothers’ I’ll House You with Afro Medusa’s Pasilda.

The layout was expanded upon previous years to include more tree cover in case of weather issues

Bou played on the Mutiny stage, ripping up the place with his signature jangly beats, grizzly bass stabs and mc collaborations. He brought the visibly excited full crowd up to pace. It’s pretty clear why this man is hot right now. Roger Sanchez, The S-man was up next on the Dopamine stage, yet another house legend responsible for bringing house out of the 90s with 2001 hit, Another Chance.

The crowd had swelled to fill out the tent at this point as passers by were drawn in by the good vibes filling the space. His set included a tasteful tour through classic moments in house, with updated and remixed versions of Ultra Nate’s Free, Underworld’s Born Slippy, and the penultimate track, Bou’s very own Another Chance, drawing a huge roar from the crowd.

Above & Beyond headlined on the Tokyo World stage, delivering what they have become famous for: floaty, steady, modern trance with big vocal breakdowns and lots of twinkly moments accompanied by lights and visuals that make you feel like you’re travelling in space.

Their set was a spectacle to behold, and offered everything one would expect from a modern festival: great levels of production and a real visual treat for hard-earned raving. Above & Beyond brought a real sense of unity to end a great day.

After kicking things off at the Dopamine stage with resident SWU.FM DJ Felix Joy, crowds began to wait eagerly over at the Tokyo World stage for Lady Leshurr, but not before the London-based rapper Ivorian Doll, had the audience eating out of her hands.

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At last, Lady Leshurr was up next, a highlight of the weekend and a reminder of how many barrier-breaking women frequented Tokyo World’s stages this year.

One of the last acts to play was Faithless. The 90s electronic band were impossible to beat. As one of the first bands to break through and make electronic music mainstream, they still remain a pleasure to watch today, whether in the form of a live performance or just Sister Bliss DJ’ing.

Meanwhile, Norwegian DJ Todd Terje brought a fusion of genres to his set on the Dopamine stage, mixing electronic, disco and house with his signature style.

The production value of every stage did not disappoint

The day ended at the Tokyo World stage for Busta Rhymes’ set. It felt like no one was ready to miss this set, as the arena packed in, waiting in anticipation for the Grammy-nominated rapper’s arrival. Busta brought all the nostalgia, performing many of his hits from the 90s and noughties, as well as from his most recent album Extinction Level Event 2: The Wrath of God, released in 2020.

All in all, it was great to see such a diverse lineup brought to life at Eastville Park, promising a bright future for this classic Bristol festival.

All photos: Rich Green

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