Acid. Electro. Groove. Paddy Thorne Takes Over Lil Giant Fest

Paddy Thorne is a Bournemouth-based DJ, producer, and electronic music artist with roots that stretch back to the early days of the UK’s club scene. Cutting his teeth in the 1990s, Paddy was a fixture behind the decks at some of the country’s most iconic venues, from London’s Ministry of Sound, Bagleys, The Cross, and Hanover Grande, to the thriving clubs of the south coast, building a reputation for sets that were technically sharp, musically adventurous, and always full of energy.

As the club circuit evolved, so did Paddy. Through the late 2000s and into the 2010s, he found a natural home on the festival circuit, where his musical versatility translated beautifully to outdoor stages and larger, more diverse crowds. He’s become a familiar and much-loved presence at events including Camp Bestival and Shush Silent Discos, where he holds a monthly residency at Sobo Beach every last Saturday from March through to August, culminating in an annual appearance at the spectacular Nothe Fort each summer.

During the Covid era, Paddy kept the music alive through Stream 101, the online radio station that became a genuine lifeline for dance music fans across the UK during lockdown, with his shows consistently pulling in top-20 Mixcloud rankings.

As a recording artist, Paddy has built an impressive and eclectic catalogue of original productions and remixes, released across a range of labels that speak to both his underground credibility and his broad musical range. His work on Mighty Force has defined much of his recorded output. His album Lost Cause Pt. 2, released on the label in 2022, was met with widespread critical acclaim, with Igloo Magazine declaring it one of Mighty Force’s finest albums to date, praising its brilliant acid work, moments of moving ambience, and Paddy’s ability to straddle the experimental and the accessible with great aplomb. 5 Magazine described it as weighty but subtle funk-filled electro beats layered with rich chord pads, tinkling synths, and fat acid lines, with a spacey, cosmic electronic-funk mood and a hint of melancholy running through the melodies. Fans were equally enthusiastic, with one Bandcamp reviewer simply noting they liked it so much they bought it twice.

Since then, Paddy has remained prolific. Two tracks featured on Mighty Force’s celebrated 33rd anniversary trilogy in 2024, “Just For Me” on Volume 1 and a remix of Long Range Desert Group’s “Lock To Grid” on Volume 3, both of which attracted strong critical attention. His most recent release, a remix of Reverb Delay’s “Horizontal Rain” on Mighty Force in 2025, drew praise from reviewers who described it as conjuring a deep and immersive atmosphere.

Releases on Fourier Transform, a respected UK electronica and house imprint, have seen Paddy contribute remixes to G-Prod’s album Harmonic Analysis and to the late, much-missed James Baker’s Diverse Pathways, as well as a remix of music by The Vast Profound. He has also worked with German experimental trio Drøn, contributing his remix “Graviton” to their acclaimed Touched Music release. That connection to Touched Music is further underlined by Paddy’s appearance on their Full Spectrum charity compilation, a landmark release that placed him alongside some of the most revered names in electronic music, including 808 State, Future Sound of London, Karsten Pflum, Anders Ilar, and Drøn themselves, with proceeds going to REACH Lanarkshire Autism. Further releases on Alien Imprints, Kidology London, Twisted Recordings, and others round out a discography that is as thoughtful as it is energetic.

Musically, Paddy occupies a space where Detroit electro meets deep techno, with weighty, funk-laced beats underpinned by rich synthesiser work, acid lines, and an instinctive sense of groove. As a DJ, he plays energetic and eclectic sets that draw on house, techno, breaks, and oldskool sounds, reading the room and tailoring the music to suit all tastes and all crowds.

Now, Paddy is preparing to release his most ambitious studio work to date. His forthcoming album, Fragile World, features eleven new original tracks and will be released on Mighty Force. Expect the album to be heard in Paddy’s DJ sets throughout 2026, a seamless blend of the new and the timeless that sums up everything this artist does best.

We honestly couldn’t be more excited to welcome Paddy Thorne to Lil Giant Fest. His ability to move seamlessly between deep, cosmic electronica and full-throttle dancefloor energy makes him a perfect fit for our big-hearted, genre-blending weekend in the Piddle Valley. Expect serious grooves, acid lines under the Dorset stars, and one of those sets that pulls everyone in — from old-school ravers to the next generation of giant dancers. We can’t wait to see him behind the decks and watch the field come alive.