“Big Saturday is back again for Round 2 with a very special headliner: Hedchef!

UK-born, Melbourne-based Hedchef creates the kind of sharp, off-kilter club constructions that disorientate and delight the dancefloor in equal measure. Showing discipline to a militant ethos of pushing the envelope, futurism and point-blank rejection of nostalgia, irony and pastiche, Hedchef’s groove-based, breakdown-light arrangements align closer to classic techno and electro than dubstep or garage, whilst his razor-sharp sound design draws from influences closer to drum ‘n’ bass and the UK bass-driven music spectrum to add imaginative, gritty edges to the rolling flow.

Hedchef’s prolific back catalogue and wide-ranging DJ sets certainly tend to feature dark, heavy and abrasive sounds – but his approach to writing grooves, similarly to if they were guitar riffs or brass sections, brings an almost pop-adjacent catchiness that belies the leftfield, experimental nature of his rhythmic structures and warped sound palettes.

It’s this intricate musicianship which has seen Hedchef release on acclaimed labels including Childsplay and Scuffed Recordings in London, New York-based Worst Behaviour and Sydney’s Extra Spicy, with a stacked schedule of releases coming out in 2024 that continue the mission of expanding the boundaries of functional club tools. These tracks can be heard in the sets of some of the world’s most venerated DJs and tastemakers, from Dave Clarke and Anastasia Kristensen to Detroit In Effect, Jensen Interceptor and Solid Blake.

Following on from years of DJing across Australia and the UK, Hedchef’s first international tour kicks off in mid-August 2024, including dates at highly-regarded dance music institutions in Europe and Asia – Hedchef continues to keep the listener guessing whilst staying rooted firmly on the dancefloor, and his work is set to continue for a long while yet.

Additional talent gracing the main room decks will include: Soli, DJ Quality Time b2b Middle Xground, DJ SBS and Sach.

And The Eastern’s secluded beer garden will again come alive with DJs spinning mixed beats, breaks, jungle, UK hardcore, DnB and juke sounds from Joel Pearson, Slyshun, and Tangenziale.

The Eastern’s kitchen will be open as usual bringing that mini-festival feel, so don’t forget to check out their amazing burgers!

Doors open at 3pm when the DJs take control of both the main stage and the outdoor beer garden. Entry is $15 on the door.”