WFR Central, Derby, UK, 23 March 2024

Altern 8, Maria Uzor, Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan, Cholly

WFR Central, Derby, UK, 23 March 2024,

March 28, 2024
By Jimi Arundell
Photo by Mikey Wheeler
Web Exclusive

Derby was the epicenter for electronica fans with a brand new festival dedicated to electronic music in all its forms hitting the Midlands city last weekend. Werra Foxma Records teamed up with music journalist and promoter James Thornhill to stage the first WFR Central. The one-day event was hosted at both Deda and Dubrek studios and featured an impressive line-up of DJs, producers and artists, including rave revolutionaries Altern 8 who headlined.

WFR Central was the perfect place to meet young and emerging actresses, with a focus on rising female stars like Yellow Belly who kicked off the day in Dubrek. The nervous newbie bounced between synth, sampler and guitar and managed to suppress her anxiety as the impressive set unfolded. Her soulful and atmospheric sound has huge potential and it would be great to hear her backed by a full band. She was followed by Werra Foxma signee Chloe Tennant, AKA Cholly may be new to performing live but has been busy writing and recording in her home studio for the last ten years. After starting with several different tracks that explored strange soundscapes and subtle vocal loop sampling, he progressed to a harder club-oriented sound centered around electro and dark synth-pop. It's clear that this is the career start of a killer artist who just needs to figure out how to make the jump from bedroom alt-electronica to the stage. And it was great to catch Pale Stranger again. Having previously caught the hypnotic group at Glastonbury, my expectations were high and they did not disappoint. It was almost too full for a bright room in the middle of the afternoon and it's a shame that Paul Lynch wasn't given the chance to unleash his catchy beats on the late night dancers.

Heading to Deda to discover more digital wonders, it was a treat to experience the Warrington-Runcorn New Town Development Plan for the first time. Clearly in the mood of Kraftwerk, turtle-necked producer Gordon Chapman-Fox created a devastating cinematic sound that harkened back to the analog heyday of Hansa Studios in the 70s. The accompanying 20th century brutalist architecture graphics certainly added to both the retro-futuristic feel and the dystopian sound which were all perfectly executed. However, his fondness for such past greats may be preventing Chapman-Fox from discovering his own unique style that I'd love to hear. And while it was great to catch Welsh sound artist Bethan Lloyd, it would have been both more exciting and more fitting for the festival if she had leaned more into her trance material than the folky drone we were given. It certainly wasn't a bad set, it just felt pretty anti-climactic and stilted compared to other shows. However, it was dramatic and the emotional energy it produced was certainly contagious.

The title of best act of the day has to go to Maria Uzor. Her debut LP was released last year Soft cuts ranging from noisy hypnotic vocals to powerful beats that work perfectly in a live setting. Switching her laptop and dancing with the crowd, she's every bit the headliner in waiting as her unique mix of alt-pop, electro and techno is perfect at a gig, club or part of the soundtrack. It's no wonder she's worked with the likes of A Certain Ratio, Acid Klaus and Mera Bhai in the past and you can bet you'll be seeing a lot more from her soon.

The day ended with an impressive headline set from Acid house pioneers Altern 8 at Deda. Tracks like “Activ 8 (Come with Me)” and “E-Vapor-8” saw them explode from the underground and into the Top 10 in the early '90s, and WFR Central led her ravers old school to these hedonists. days while offering new fans the chance to experience them live for the first time. Backed by his team, founder Mark Archer, wearing his signature dust masks and chemical suits, looked and sounded, bringing the big beats you know and love before Werra Foxma's Frazer Brown closed the day with his after party in Dubrek .

WFR Central is the perfect festival for those with a taste for future beats and synth sounds. It shines a spotlight on truly alternative artists ready to twist microchips and turn the sonic waves in radical new ways, while paying homage to the electronic innovators who changed the way we make and listen to music forever. It offers the joy of discovery to niche genre newcomers without any chin-stroking snobbery and a great day out for those with a passion for all things electronic.