Constantly swimming in aural pleasures, you’ll either find Adi Toohey controlling the dancefloor from a Sydney DJ booth, presenting Saturday Sunset on FBi Radio, working in record stores or hosting parties with her Rimbombo crew. Now a graduate headliner, Toohey carved a name opening for the likes of Hunee, Young Marco and The Black Madonna, playing Dark Mofo, Subsonic and Splendour in the Grass festivals and for interstate crews Club Coco, Lucid and A Love Supreme. Adi’s been keeping windows down and stereos up for five solid years of prime time broadcasting on FBi Radio. While her own FM blends always satisfy, the show has also featured live cameos from Hashman Deejay, PLO Man, Funkineven, Rahaan, Byron The Aquarius, Fett Burger and Sotofett.

Adi is always welcome at Picnic and we’re excited to have to warm the main room for Tornado Wallace and Young Marco.

Somewhat of a national treasure, Ben Fester is by far one of the most talented deejays Australia’s had the pleasure of dancing to. Between running Heavenly parties over the last five years and holding his own as one of Sydney’s most loved DJs, there’s not a notable music person, event or place that hasn’t been graced with some good old fashioned Fester magic.

From inner west warehouses to Sydney Opera House, the pedigree of selectors that Fester has promoted and supported does all the talking; Floating Points, Jay Daniel, Omar S, Mr Ties, Sex Tags, Marcellus Pittman, Kyle Hall, Madteo, Ben UFO, Move D and many, many others.

He’s floored dancers at festivals including Last Dance, Outside In, Subsonic, Inner Varnika and Strawberry Fields and is set to do the same this year at Maximum Joy. Until then we’ll be tuned into his now long standing Thursday Sunset FBi Radio w/ Kato and looking forward to him continuing “play more good music, to all kinds of people in all kinds of places”.

With Actress, Pangaea and Autechre as influences we’re all eagerly listening as Bristol based artist Bruce — real name Larry McCarthy — deftly channels that inspiration to amplify his powers to change the shape of electronic music through deep, hi-tech self-expression. He creates postmodern rhythmic drama at the burning intersection of UK dance music with many extraordinary labels housing his output. McCarthy has been a fundamental force in the continuing output of the pioneering label collective Hessle Audio (run by Pearson Sound, Ben UFO and Pangaea) since his 2014 debut and can also boast he’s only the third artist to release a long player on the label! Since its inception, McCarthy has also been closely affiliated with the Timedance label, where he’s continued to expand his sound, along with Livity Sound and Hemlock.

His hyperactive and surreal humour allows him to recreate the process of converting experimental abstraction into exhilarating energy when he’s performing as a DJ. His nuanced dancefloor approach has already taken him on tour as far as Japan (and now Australia!) and he continues to explore his own marriage of heartfelt music and daft humour via his monthly Noods Radio show, ‘Get Loose! With Bruce,’ coyly lassoing together various sonic phenomena that inspire his music.

We couldn’t be more excited to welcome him to Maximum Joy for his debut Sydney show.

CC:DISCO! Is the selector we need, but don’t deserve. Cropping up right in our own backyard, she steers dancers with unrivalled crates, unending grooves and unfaltering energy. Hosting her long standing PBS FM show ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, she displayed week in and week out her extraordinary taste in all things dance music, leading to her newly minted residency at RINSE FM London in early 2019. Taking her natural ability to the next level, CC: launched her label CC:EDITIONS in 2018, re-releasing records that had been lost to time, so that they might melt dancefloors once again. Standout performances at Strawberry Fields, Pitch Music & Arts and Splendour In The Grass have highlighted a DJ in her prime, and with no signs of slowing Courtney moves into the euro-zone for a hectic overseas touring schedule during the Australian winter.

DJ Earl Grey aka Nik Thorup keeps himself busy organising parties with Rimbombo and sourcing music for Ken Oath and Best Effort Records; the later of which is a monthly radio transmission of the same name on Melbourne’s Sky Lab Radio.

Since their first release in January 2017, Ken Oath Records has been shining a torch on everything great that’s happening down under. Over the last three years and thirteen releases they've delivered acid tracks from Adelaide, funk from Kings Cross and even meditation music from the great state of Queensland.

As a DJ, Earl Grey defines eclecticism and promises quality. A regular for Picnic over the years, Nik has established himself as a prized dancefloor director; and we’re counting on his Best Effort to open our main stage at Maximum Joy.

The brainchild of Melbourne producers and gear heads Julien Huynh and Will Holden, Hybrid Man claimed a solid place in the Melbourne dance community, thanks to their engaging and powerfully deep live sets performed on a veritable mountain of analog hardware. Their recent debut EP “Lyrebird” on Melbourne imprint Paper-Cuts sold out of 12” copies quickly and only showcased their brilliance even further; it’s one of the Austrlian releases of 2019.

Taking their live rig around Australia, the pair have recently played for XOXO, Lucid, Resident Advisor, Heavenly and Sideway. Casting their waveforms wide, Hybrid Man also performed live sets or local radio stations Skylab Radio & PBS 106.7FM, and through the interwebs for Melbourne Deepcast and the Paper Cuts mix series. These achievements secured them a place in Resident Advisor’s Twenty Four Hours In Our World party at iconic Melbourne venue Revolver Upstairs, which was streamed globally via RA.

Joining this years Maximum Joy lineup, Hybrid Man bring their FX laden live set to the Factory Theatre for a proper rinse.

Kali is Sydney club life’s saving grace. A seasoned DJ having spent decades in the booth, her unrelenting energy and elevated taste has masterminded local institution Picnic. Approaching its 12th year, Picnic has established itself as a name that pleasure seekers and dance music enthusiasts can trust. The versatile empire exists as an event series, touring company, venue booker, music curator and the Kali-hosted FBi FM radio show.

The essence of Kali’s identity radiates across all branches of her work. Whether it be the; awe-inspiring HER series, promoting emerging female artists, conceiving the One Night Stand series that champions Australian artists, or founding and curating Maximum Joy. All of this encapsulates her as a person and as a selector.

Playing quality techno, house and disco everywhere from the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Festival, Subsonic, Vivid Sydney, Splendour In The Grass and Days Like This, Kali’s music endeavors aren’t limited to after dark; you can stream one of her two Boiler Rooms any time of the day. Her resume as a selector can only be compared to the greats around the world as she has truly set the standard for what it means to be a DJ in Australia. Having shared the stage with the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Moritz Von Oswald, Tim Sweeney, Project Pablo and Young Marco.

Mama Snake is a DJ, label owner and junior doctor operating out of Copenhagen, who’s bringing her viperine sounds all around the globe. Her love of fast paced weapons has secured a steady following in the world of electronic music. Snake’s no bullshit approach to DJing has brought her to clubs around the world such as Berghain, De School Amsterdam, Corsica Studios London and Contact Tokyo. Juggling her work in medicine and music, Mama snake still maintains a busy festival touring schedule, with appearances in 2018 at Organik Festival Taiwan, Vailian Festival Berlin and Labrinitas in Lithuania including a small tour of Australia. Her monthly show on NTS radio London Ectotherm, named after her co owned label with fellow dane Courtesy, showcases slices of industrial rave and techno from the locals of Copenhagen and choice dancefloor records from around the planet.

Parisian Raphaël Top-Secret is what you might call a ‘DJ’s’ DJ. Many of the exceedingly strange floor fillers that reach anthem status on DJ circuits can trace their lineage back to his dusty digs in Paris flea markets. Raphaël is a treasure trove of ‘unclassics’ and ‘anti-hits’. An accomplished producer in his own right, his highly sought after edits feature on labels such as Rush Hour, Macadam Mambo, Noncollective & African Roadtrip. Perhaps one of the most Earth shattering and shazam-busting edits of recent memory, his take on Tohon Stanislas's "Owhaaou!" appeared on Hunee's compilation for Rush Hour, heeding calls from DJ’s and punters alike, begging for its release. Performing at Corsica Studios, Dekmantel Festival and Dour Festival in Brussels recently, and routinely making the lengthy flight to play on Australian shores, Raphaël’s sets move readily between everything from Boogie, Downtempo, Rap, Reggae, Disco and early House jams. Gloriously devoid of the familiar, expect to dance and scratch your head at the same damn time.

A storied selector, Saoirse has a wealth of experience few can rival. A household name in dance music in London thanks to her long held radio career and busy DJ schedule, most days you will find Saoirse behind one set of decks or another, throwing out dub, ambient, jazz, electro or whatever takes her ear. Her earlier years saw her play numerous regular shows on pirate radio stations, before landing her own show on Ireland’s leading media broadcaster, RTE. Saoirse’s love for radio remains and these days she can be found sharing her appreciation and knowledge for music on London’s Rinse FM. Sets for Boiler Room and Motion Bristol in early 2019 marked a notable acceleration for Saoirse’s bookings, with the rest of the year stacked with appearances at Love International, Dimensions Festival, Sonar 2019 and more locally Strawberry Fields & Subsonic Festivals.

Simo Cell is a singular musician in the French electronic community, blending together an entrancing amalgam of genres to create experimental sounds. Hyper tight techno meets distinctive Bristol bass, driven into the floor with percussion reminiscent of Detroit electro. Since his first output in 2015, Simo Cell has released a series of lauded records on Livity Sound, Paris-based imprint Fragil Musique and Marseille label BFDM.

As a DJ, he officiates on very original and adaptive repertoire. Listening to a Simo Cell set is always unpredictable and full of discovery. Touring the world Simo Cell first made an impression on Australia in 2018 with his performances at Dark Mofo’s Night Mass and at Melbourne’s now closed institution Lounge.

Hurtling through both hemispheres several times a year, Tornado Wallace has become one of Australia’s most valuable electronic exports. Stamping wax with his hypnotic take on disco, house and techno, his records stand out on the catalogues of salient labels Beats In Space, Kinfolk, ESP Institute, Running Back & Animals Dancing and has been a Picnic mainstay since the beginning.

Chasing mirrors and summers across the planet, Tornado Wallace splits his time between Berlin and Australia, recently playing sets at Primavera Sound & Melt Festival and making club appearances at Else, Corsica Studios, Tblisi & Panorama Bar. Rotating through genres and sounds as he pleases, you’re likely to hear Italo bangers, Balearic synth tracks, genre-defying mind-melters and late night transcendent house in any one set.

At the leading edge of Amsterdam’s frenetic dance scene, Young Marco has established himself as a master with distinctive taste, and a no-holds barred approach to the dancefloor. Young Marco plays the records no one else can (or will).

He has some seriously sturdy foundations, releasing his first record on prime dance label Hand of God, and over the years gracing the catalogues of ESP Institute, Dekmantel, Studio Soulrock and Rush Hour. Established in 2015 his own label Safe Trip releases a steady stream of oddly beautiful records from artists such as Bufiman, Jan Schulte, Darling and plenty more.

His now famed Dekmantel Boiler Room sets occur near annually for good reason, displaying his profoundly deep crates and his uncanny talent for unearthing oddball dancefloor weapons. A man in demand, his touring schedule verges on the insane, crisscrossing the globe several times a year to play at global institutions of dance Panorama Bar, Else, Love International Festival, Sonar and countless more.

His second album Bahasa recently released on Island of The Gods ties traditional Balinese instrumentation and native sounds into a larger electronic soundscape, drifting between slow-motion burners and stargazing ambient tracks. The timing couldn't be better, as stars align and mountains move to place him at the head of our Maximum Joy lineup for 2019.