We've come a long way since every record Fatboy Slim touched would turn to platinum. Despite experiencing less chart success, though, the star — also known as Norman Cook — can still fill the biggest venues anywhere in the world. On June 6, he will headline Big Beach Festival at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Fatboy Slim exploded in popularity in the late 1990s by mixing a combination of records that included mashups, the big-beat sound pioneered by The Chemical Brothers and the sort of uplifting house tracks at the time associated with the likes of Sasha and John Digweed. With the advent of digital decks and seemingly infinite ways of using computers to produce and mix music in a user-friendly manner, Cook may have lost some of his appeal to critics, but his audiences are always happy to compensate by creating a great party vibe.
Of more interest to the discerning Big Beach spectator will be some of the acts supporting Cook. London underground luminaries Layo and Bushwacka!, who will perform before the headliner, can be credited more than any other DJs with keeping London cutting-edge for more than a decade with their club The End, which held parties for a who's who of clubbing royalty — minus the purveyors of cheese.
Meanwhile, for those looking for Japanese DJs, starting proceedings at midday will be The Dex Pistols, DJs Maar and Daruma, who have made a name for themselves spinning a combination of rock, hip-hop, electro and house to acclaim from such acts as Daft Punk and Justice.
Big Beach Festival takes place at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama on June 6, doors open at 10:00 a.m. Tickets cost ¥10,500.
