If Field Maneuvers was a spaceship, Local Group (@wearelocalgroup) would be the rocket boosters: extremely heavy, highly flammable, essential for lift-off – yet, tragically, doomed to part ways at high altitude. The twin propellants of Joe Nonlocal (@ecstasygaragedisco) and L Major (@lamjor) have played every FM since day dot, pumping the dome with the noxious fumes of British rave excellence and even releasing their own tribute to the festival’s beloved Sputnik stage (2018’s ‘Laser Dome’ EP on Ritual Poison). But after 10 years together, they’ve finally uncoupled from the FM payload – though both of them will be back at FM 2025, playing sets right next to each other (Joe Nonlocal b2b Angel D'Lite (@angeldlite) and LMajor flying solo. 

On this farewell mix, captured deep inside the Sputnik laserfog in 2023 (sadly 2024's set recording got disrupted by the powercut) smiley faces explode from rushing breakbeats, boyracer basslines swerve between diva vocalchops, fairground wurlitzers pump up the jams, and Missy Elliott sends us a voicenote after a particularly good balloon. This is the spirit of ‘92 – not as cheap nostalgia, but as an eternal code to abide by. Shades on, cig lit: everything is energy.

As their voyage comes to an end, look out for a small asteroid shower of the recent 'Quantacid' release on Dead Trax and the upcoming Maximum Airtime (that one features a remix from hardcore ledge Jerome Hill) as well as new solo music from both of them, with Joe expanding his Corporeal Face alias.

Joe offered some parting words: “Local Group are heading for different parts of the universe – at least for the time being. It’s been a journey beyond our dreams since we got the name from a book called Cosmos, reading it in a basement flat in Clapton. We’ve got to meet and play alongside heroes such as 2 Bad Mice, Mark Archer and Manix, plus too many others to name. We’ve supported Grooverider and seen what’s on Groove’s rider: a bottle of Grey Goose.

Massive gratitude to everyone who’s been behind us along the way, booked us, danced, bought and played our music. Special thanks to Wavey Garms for championing us throughout. And, of course, our eternal love to Field Maneuvers, where it all started and grew. After a power cut plunged Sputnik into darkness during our FM set last summer, it felt like the cosmos’ way of telling us to end it there too. Hardcore will never die, but we all will. Make the most of it.”

Words by Chal Ravens

FM060: Local Group live from Sputnik FM2023

FM2025: 15-17th August. Somewhere in Norfolk

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