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Live
DEKMANTEL Amsterdam, Netherlands 2-6 August
gramme of panels and interviews at the EYE institute produced in partnership with Resident Advisor, many of which were free and open to the public. Robert Hood’s wide-ranging career retrospective touched on divining spirituality from dance music and the fearsome extent of Mike Banks’ militaristic drilling of UR, while Hunee and Nina Kraviz’s ‘Art of DJing’ discussion saw them offer up candid takes on the ambivalence of IDing culture and the myriad factors that can shape the course of a set. Kraviz divulged that she’d returned to Moscow to dig deep through a long-neglected collection of italo and electro records for her opening set on Friday afternoon, and there was an undeniable sense of being in on the surprise as she warmed up the Selectors stage with Charlie’s Spacer Woman and The Dirtbombs’ Shari Vari. Byron The Aquarius’ feel-
good house drew us to the Greenhouse stage where many lounged on deckchairs and danced barefoot, while Omar-S continued in a similar vein on the Main Stage rolling out a soulful-but-tough set peppered with his own productions. Robert Glasper’s hybrid experiments provided a neat change of pace, creating space for Dekmantel mainstay Joey Anderson to launch into an exploratory set of looping techno and acid before Tony Allen and Jeff Mills’ virtuoso live set. Dekmantel is replete with small touches that elevate it above many of its contemporaries. Extra speaker stacks are dotted thoughtfully beside stages for those content to lounge around, and when a torrential downpour sent many running for the trees there were elated scenes as bar staff tossed free ponchos into the crowd. The second day brought
curveballs in Jameszoo playing Benga’s 26 Basslines into Migos’ T-Shirt before dropping Super Sharp Shooter, while Jon K and Joy Orbison’s riotous back-to-back saw them bounding from dancehall to garage via Nativ’s Shifty and Wookie classic Down On Me. Arca, not a natural fit for Greenhouse, checked any misgivings by strutting the stage, blasting a punishing mix of gqom and high-BPM techno, pausing only to egg on the crowd and douse them with champagne. Back at the main stage Ben UFO delivered a highlight, dexterously weaving through styles before closing out with Overmono’s gorgeous reworking of Nathan Fake’s Degreelessness. Come Sunday, Shanti Celeste made short work of energising the bleary early-afternoon crowd, segueing through a mix of timeless house, setting the
stage for the euphoria throughout Palms Trax. Opening with the unmistakable chords of Mystery of Love, Larry Heard and Mr. White guided us through live iterations of Mr. Fingers classics, perfectly timing Praise to coincide with the sunset dipping behind the trees. The final hours of the festival posed arguably the biggest dilemma in terms of clashes with Hunee and Antal, Call Super and Objekt, and Helena Hauff all closing out stages across the site. We opted for the latter, witnessing Hauff thunder through searing acid techno. Musically, the vibe was austere, but people cheered with every new track, some even crowd-surfing their way around the mist-enveloped stage. It felt like an apt finale. The festival’s rep as a paradise for heads is fully deserved – DJs and attendees alike both bring their A-game throughout the weekend
– but the event never strays too far towards snobbishness or stuffy dogmatism. This is the Dekmantel collective’s tenth year in operation, and the fifth edition of the festival, and it’s this innate balancing act of forward-facing programming and a truly inclusive atmosphere that’s ensured their longevity. ! Ben Horton N Bart Heemskerk
REVIEWS
“I’ve heard the rehearsals and these guys are burning. They’ve got this piece together, and if you don’t like it, it’s your problem!” We’re at the opening night of Dekmantel 2017, and Steve Reich is introducing Slagwerk Den Haag’s rendition of his seminal composition Drumming. He’s not joking – the Haguebased orchestra adroitly phase marimbas, bongo drums, and vocals into a rich melange of sound which spirals upwards, falling in and out of sync. The performance is a testament to Dekmantel’s far-ranging influence and curatorial ambition. The following evening included live sets from Robert Henke, Marcos Valle and Wolfgang Voigt – the latter plunging Muziekgebouw into darkness for an affecting performance of his GAS material. Thursday also saw attendees hurrying to take in the pro-