FITF 2025 essentials

This July, a hidden woodland near Welshpool, Powys, becomes the stage for FITF—a brand new festival blending cutting-edge electronic music with immersive art in an unforgettable natural setting. With a full lineup now live, we’re spotlighting the artists and collectives set to shape the sound of this year’s debut edition.

Across three intimate stages powered by top-tier sound systems (and running ‘til 3AM), expect 40 genre-pushing DJs and live electronic acts primed to bring the forest alive. Add in local brews, boutique food stalls, and a magical pine canopy overhead—and you’ve got a weekend not to miss.

FITF is clearly more than just a music festival — how did the idea come about,  and what inspired the focus on immersive art in a woodland setting? 

We’ve always been drawn to the connection between music and nature and the sense  of freedom you get when you combine the two. Our first experiences of putting on events was holding one off parties in local woodland  areas so coming back to that ethos, combining it with immersive art and developing it  into a DIY festival seemed like the natural progression. 

Sound seems to be a huge priority for you, with top-tier systems and intimate  stages — how important is audio quality to the FITF experience, and how does  that connect with the ethos of listening bars or deep listening culture? 

Audio quality is definitely at the heart of what we’re doing. We’ve chosen systems that  aren’t just loud — they’re rich, warm, and detailed. Good sound quality makes for a much better more immersive experience and we want  to enhance the environment we are in with the sound not take away from it. It’s definitely an approach we’ve borrowed from listening bars and deep listening  culture.  

Our line up is on the deeper end of the spectrum and it’s about using the clarity of the  soundsystems to create the best experience we can for the artists playing and the  people listening. 

You’ve curated a lineup of 40 DJs and electrionic live acts — what was your  approach to curation, and how did you balance dancefloor energy with the more  immersive, reflective moments? 

So we wanted to curate a line up of artists we would like to see at a festival but that you  don’t often find at other UK festivals. We were also keen on bringing together some of  our favourite collectives into the festival space over the weekend to build a community  with other DIY collectives.

The programming is on the deeper end of the spectrum but there’s definitely something  for eveyone. Lots of the artists will be doing extended sets so they can dive deep into  their collections and really explore their musical tastes, which is something we really  want to encourage. The focus of the curation is to take people on a musical journey throughout the  weekend that will compliment the forest setting.  

Can you talk a bit about the crowd you’re hoping to attract — is FITF aimed at a  certain kind of listener or community? 

The whole idea of the festival is to appeal to people who really love the music. As long  as you’re into the music, are respectful of the environment and the other festival goers  then anyone is welcome. It’s about creating a safe space for everyone who loves the music to come and enjoy  themselves in a safe non judgemental space where they can connect with like minded  individuals. 

As a brand new festival, what do you hope people take away from their time in the forest — and what would make it a success in your eyes?

Honestly if people have enjoyed themselves and leave feeling more connected — to  themselves, to others and to the music that’s success for us. It’s less about scale and  more about depth. If we can build a small but strong community around that, we’ll have  done what we set out to do. 

We handpicked some of our favourite artists and labels to check out at Funk in the Forest below:

Long Island Sound 

Dublin-born duo Long Island Sound (Rob Roche and Tim Nolan) are known for their  euphoric-yet-introspective take on electronic music. Balancing emotion and energy, the  pair craft dynamic and dreamy explorations via their own imprint, Signs of Space. 2022 saw  the release of their seven-track Lost Connection, which Resident Advisor described as  ‘glorious, heart-tugging sunset techno’. Following the success of their debut LP and a sold out launch party in Dublin’s own Tengu, the pair embarked on their Summer festival tour,  culminating in a standout set at Ireland’s All Together Now. 

2023 began with the release of Lost Connection Remixes, a heavyweight remix package  featuring remarkable reinterpretations of Long Island Sound’s debut album by Mor Elian,  Benjamin Damage, James Shinra and Cromby. That summer, they followed up with the  highly anticipated ‘Don’t Let Me/Air’ EP; a pair of unadulterated festival-ready house epics  supported by Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1, Tim Sweeney on Beats in Space and Jenny Greene  on RTÉ 2FM. To cap off the year, they landed a remix for synth-rock titans Depeche Mode,  creating a well-received rework of ‘My Favorite Stranger’ from the album Memento Mori.  

Long Island Sound kicked off 2024 strongly with a remix for UK techno/house duo Kassian,  transforming ‘The Machine’ into a big room melancholic trance track. March saw the  release of their Fracture EP on Istanbul’s Oath, a six-track exploration of dark spaces and  emotions, featuring remixes from Otik and Spray, garnering support from industry  heavyweights Bonobo, I.Jordan, and more.  

Closing 2024 with the release of their full-length album Hydra, supported by BBC Radio 1,  and a captivating live show tour, including a stop at London’s iconic fabric, the duo is now  poised to elevate their signature blend of energy and emotion to new heights. 

2025 sees the relaunch of Signs of Space with them bringing their first festival stage take  over to FITF. 

You can catch Long Island Sound playing a special 3 hour set to close their ‘Signs Of  Space’ take over at ‘The Hollow’ on the Friday. 

Marcelina

Polish rooted, London based Marcelina has been making her mark as DJ, producer and  Sticky Plastik record label curator. Mixing vinyl records with skill and finesse Marcelina can guide the crowd through a  mesmerising sonic journey. From uplifting house to hard-hitting techno/electro, dark  disco, tech-house and minimal her record bag is always packed with goodies. 

Marcelina has played at some of London’s leading venues such as Fabric, Printworks,  Phonox and The Cause. In Berlin she spread her musical imprint in Sisyphos,  Watergate and CDV. Marcelina spent recent years taking her craft across clubs and  festivals in the U.K, as well as Europe and Asia.  

With her record label and series of events Sticky Plastik Marcelina has created a  platform for promoting underground producers and creating an opportunity to gather  and dance together.  Marcelina will be playing at ‘Sett’ on the Saturday for the ‘Swivel’ take over. 

Kayla Painter (live) 

Kayla Painter is an experimental sound artist, musician, producer and DJ.  Painter’s immersive, ever-evolving live performances are a natural consequence of the entire writing  process – the visuals figure into the earliest stages of her music. 2024 saw her biggest release to date,  with her debut album ‘Fractures’. Written about NASA’s mission to Jupiter's Frozen moon. Kayla was awarded ‘Best Electronic Album of the year’ by Bandcamp for Fractures, as well as the  Women Make Music PRSF award for the album’s creation.  Having grown up as a multi-instrumentalist, and playing in more conventional bands at University,  Painter’s personal journey led her deeper into electronic music production. Her academic work focuses  on the human relationship with sound, and this is reflected in her compositions.  

She is a passionate explorer of the creative potential within field recording (see: Ambient Owl Core a genre Painter coined to describe her ambient music with field recordings of Owls); her compositions  bristle with self-sourced timbres captured in an enduring spirit of experimentation. She also uses her  platform to explore specific themes both personal and external: 2018’s Cannibals At Sea grappled with  her mixed Fijian-British heritage, juxtaposing Pacific islander beliefs with British working class values in  a compelling exploration of her own identity and the wider world around her. 2021 EP Somewhen  followed similar themes of her heritage this time exploring lost and vibrant future landscapes and Kayla’s  personal relationships with her Fijian-British heritage. Drenched with synths, rich sounds and bright 

colours, the EP and accompanying visuals envisage a lost future that brings two cultures together.  Somewhen is looking into the past to create a new future with a dream like familiarity.  

You can catch Kayla playing a special live set at ‘The Hollow’ for the ‘Signs Of Space’ take  over on the Friday. 

Alex Albrecht (Live) 

Making his UK festival debut at FITF is Melbourne based Alex Albrecht. Alex has carved a niche in the dreamy, lush side of electronic music, blending fieldrecordings, intricate soundscapes, and syncopated rhythms to create evocative  journeys through sound. Known for his immersive and improvised performances, Alex crafts  ephemeral experiences that respond to the environment and connect listeners to a  sense of place. His live sets, shaped by a mastery of texture and mood, are celebrated  internationally. 

With releases on esteemed labels like Mule Musiq, A Strangely Isolated Place, Scissor & Thread, Stolar and his own Analogue Attic imprint, Alex’s music reflects a distinct  vision.Collaborating with Sean La’Brooy as part of Albrecht La’Brooy, he has further  exploredelectronic landscapes on ApolloRecords, an R&S sub-label. 

His work has earned critical acclaim, with features in Resident Advisor, XLR8R, and  PopMatters, while international audiences have embraced his performances  atBassianiinGeorgia,ParadiseCityin Belgium,MNMTFestival in Denmark,Tresorin  Berlin,PublicRecordsin New York,GiantStepsin London andVentin Tokyo, among  others. 

Locally, Alex’s accolades include nominations for “Best Electronic Artist” and “Best  Album”at the Victorian Music Awards. He has performed at iconic venues all around  Australia, wherehis site-responsive compositions amplify the space's character. You can watch Alex playing a special live set at ‘The Hollow’ for ‘Simpler Times &  Friends’ take over on the Saturday. 

Ethan McNamara 

Ethan McNamara’s approach to DJing sits somewhere between futuristic drama and  introspective after party groove. When he’s behind the decks, you’re just as likely to find  yourself getting lost in electrifying 00’s electro and techno as you are hearing an  impossible to find edit of an 80’s synth or progressive trance record. It’s no surprise that  the Leeds based selectors calendar is growing to match his skills, including a string of  recent dates across the UK and Europe, supporting some of the worlds best  underground DJ’s.  

When Ethan joined Mugpie in 2015, he increased the focus on cutting edge sounds as  the brand grew into one of the pre-eminent nights for all things deep in the north of  England. Ethan's crates sit up there with the best of them, with a collection as singular  as it is varied, thanks to his nearly encyclopaedic knowledge of dance music in all of its  intoxicating varieties. 

His pulsating and emotive selections are perfectly complemented by his willingness to  take risks and stay outside of the trends, with a constant sense for how to always create  the right amount of tension & drama. It’s safe to say that Ethan seems poised as ever to  take over the darker corners of clubland in 2024 and beyond."  You can find Ethan at ‘Sett’ on the Friday for the Wax Galactique take over. 

Simpler Times 

Simpler Times is a Sheffield based record label and collective run by four close friends as  an outlet for their own material.  With six highly sort after vinyl only releases to their name they have received support from the  likes of Gerd Jansen, Jane Fitz, Dr Rubinstein, Dark Sky, Molly, Hammer, Cristi Cons, Edmondson,  Tom VR, Jeigo and many more.

As well as having gained support for their releases they have built a loyal following from their intimate limited capacity parties in their hometown of Sheffield. 

Simpler Times will be taking over ‘The Hollow’ on the Saturday and have invited down some  of their favourite producers and good friends for their first festival take over.  Alex Albrecht (Live), Edmondson, Joe Davies, Will You, Betty and Linnemann will be joining  them for their first Simpler Times & Friends session.  

We’re Going Deep

  We’re Going Deep’ is an online community and record label, born out of a lifelong love affair  with the many shades of electronic rhythm and an obsession for collecting records. Based in Bristol and headed up by Placid (aka Paul Wise), you’ll find him DJing on a regular  basis alongside Innate label boss and producer Owain K under the same banner. 

With a shared love of playing, supporting and promoting the best sounds rooted in underground  acid, deep house, detroit techno and intergalactic electro. You’ll find the pair hauling their  records around to play at various venues across the city and further afield, having appeared at the  likes of Block9, Gottwood, Big Love, Corsica Studios, Club der Visionäre, Eastern Bloc and The  Love Inn between them. 

You can catch Placid and Owain K playing a 4 hour B2B set for the ‘We’re Going Deep’ take  over in ‘The Den’ on the Friday alongside Affles and Toure. 

Swivel 

London-based record label and party series founded by three brothers, @declanruadh  @spinswivel @wyndhamelliot. The label showcases their own productions and aims to breathe new life into  underappreciated records from the past via their YouTube channel.

The swivel parties are held in smaller, intimate spaces where the focus is on the sound and  collective experience, mimicking a house party-like atmosphere rather than a rave. They  book the unsung heroes of the dance music world to play at each event, those with long  term personal commitment to the craft but without the deserved platform a ethos the  festival share. Swivel be hosting a take over on ‘Sett’ on the Saturday with Marcelina, Meg Paine,  Interstellar Beats and R.E.D joining them.

Make sure to grab a ticket HERE