ACTIVE PROGRESSIVE After a long hiatus, dance music pioneer Neil Barnes is bringing back his Leftfield show to the festival stage. Henry Northmore asks him if it can ever be as good as old times?

E lectronic duo Leftfield (aka Neil Barnes and Paul Daley) are responsible for some of electronic music’s most enduring tracks. Their debut, Leftism (1995) mixed house, techno, deep dub and post-punk in a unique exploration of the possibilities of electronica. Four years later they unleashed the darker, but no less engrossing, Rhythm & Stealth, which included the pounding beats of single ‘Phat Planet’ notorious as the backing track to Guinness’ ‘surfer advert’. Despite an official split in 2002 their music has endured, making them one of the most eagerly anticipated acts at this year’s Rock Ness.

Are you very conscious that, for a lot of people, this will be the first time they will see Leftfield live? There’s a massive reputation I have to live up to, and it’s really important to me that I reflect the sound of Leftfield properly, particularly as it’s been so long. That’s why people have to be

30 THE LIST 10–24 Jun 2010