Dorset has a lot going on this time of year. The competition for Chilled Cider includes CorFest08 at Corfe Castle, the steam trains on the preserved Swanage Railway Wareham’s Saturday Market and the beautiful countryside of the Jurassic Coast.

But is you ask me, best of the lot is the multi-award winning pub, The Square and Compass, Worth Matravers where they specialise in fine selections of ales, ciders and pasties. And on the best weekend, Pete Lawrence (he of the the Big Chill Festival and Chilled By Nature) invites some special guest down to play some music, spin some tunes and guzzle a pint of cider.

This year saw a grand mix of folk music with Eva Abraham, the totally original Sheelanagig almost straight after their Knockengorroch festival appearance, the Magic Drum Orchestra featuring Lightning Head and DJ appearances by Mr. Tom, AJ & Simon Emerson, Pete himself, Glyn ‘BiggaBush’ Bush and closed by Gaz Mayall’s box of Rockin’ Blues 45s.

If I can recall through the haze of Old Rosie, Stowold Press, Farmers Tipple, Hecks, Koppaberg ciders, a few of the highlights from Pete’s set included his remix of Future Loop Foundation’s ‘Sunshine Philosophy’ (“I was going for an Pastoral electronic sound”), a remix by San Francisco’s Windsurf of Chilled By Nature - definitely one to watch - and a rare version of the Stranglers ‘Golden Brown’ by Dan Penn.

Hot news is that Hugo Mendes and Guy Morley will be DJing together at the Big Chill House (26th June) in a Sofrito/Jazzman/Soundway meets Equator Sound System. An event not to be missed on that score alone but there’s aso a special guest all the way from Stockholm, Raw Fusion’s Rickard Masip. And not only that, at the Big Chill Festival itself a very special trio of Biggabush, Hugo & Mo DJ are teaming up for a massive 3 deck mash up. Mo DJ, the ‘Electronik Marabou’, is hitting London hard in June so the king of the Mali remixes with his “Djembeni” will be the talk of the town.4

Mo DJ dates in June
15th 93 Feet East @ PINK BAR L
21st MUSIC DAY & LE BISTROT CAFE
24th LIVE MIX @ MoMo’S

Hectic’s 5 Go Chill In Dorset:
1. Jori Hulkkonen Feat. Ernesto - ‘Titans’ (Pias)
2. Pop Levi - ‘Semi-Babe’ (Counter)
3. Rosco Gordon - ‘Booted’ (Keith LeBlanc Remix) (Chess/Universal)
4. Finn Peters - ‘The Nightingale’ (Accidental)
5. Plej - Exit Anywhere (Exceptional)

Hectic’s 5 Get Hot In Dorset:
1. Dr. John - ‘Gris-Gris Guambo Ya Ya’ (Rhino)
2. Jazzbox feat Louis Armstrong - ‘Smiling’ (Music For Dreams)
3. Sabrina Malheiros- ‘Eira Nem Beira’ (Far Out Recordings)
4. Black Uhuru - Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner (Island)
5. Si Begg & Karen P feat. Fatima - ‘Into The Deep Water’ (Sonar Kollektiv)
+Pete’s new BOSE speakers

Links
www.petelawrence.net
www.bigchill.net
Big Chill House 26th June 2008 Equator Sound System with Hugo Mendes (Sofrito), Guy Morley (Yam Yam) and special guest all the way from Stockholm Rickard Masip (Raw Fusion)
Big Chill House, 257-259 Pentonville Road - Kings Cross
www.biggabushco.uk
www.myspace.com/lionheadrecordings
www.myspace.com/biggamusic
www.myspace.com/electronicmarabou
www.sheelanagig.co.uk
www.camra.org.uk
www.gazrockin.com
www.corfest.co.uk
www.sawanagerailway.co.uk
“Below them spread the Dorset countryside, shimmering in the heat of the day, the distance almost lost in a blue haze.” Enid Blyton
www.purbeck.gov.uk