Summer Festivals 2015: A Club Outside

Clubbing outdoors this summer? Here are some decent choices within a thousand miles of Britannia, from Gottwood to Green Man; Meadows In The Mountain to Melt.

Preview by Daniel Jones and Ronan Martin | 02 Jun 2015

UK

Wales has seen a number of quality weekenders sprout up over the past decade or so, all committed to a winning formula of fresh musical talent, novel art installations and imaginative locations. Gottwood is perhaps the most obvious example; the annual woodland gathering has been growing for five years now and they’re bringing the goods yet again on 11-14 Jun. On the bill you’ve got the likes of Zip, Zenker Bros, Tornado Wallace, MCDE, Radioactive Man, Luv Jam, Leon Vynehall and Craig Richards teaming up with Ben UFO. The organisers have also been working on the live element this year, bringing in Andrew Ashong, Mouse Outfit and Point G to showcase their latest dabblings.

There’ll also be an appearance from Steevio, the brains behind Freerotation. Held in the ideal houseparty setting of Baskerville Hall on 10-13 Jul, Freero consistently boasts one of the best line-ups and atmospheres we’re privy to on these sunny shores. This year features Donato Dozzy, Karenn, Lakuti, Lowtec, Aybee and Soulphiction, as well as regular faces Sven Weisemann, Objekt and Move D – good luck getting a ticket.

Green Man and Festival No. 6 also decent options for later in the year, both roughly defined as bespoke banquets of music, arts and culture. The latter takes place on the Portmeirion coast in the first week of September, 3-6 Sep. As well as Maurice Fulton, DJ Harvey, Optimo and Gerd Janson, there’s live artists like Belle & Sebastian, Hookworms and a full range of comedy acts and drama talks going on round the town.

As for the rest of the UK, The Garden Party present their latest community venture in Leeds city centre on August Bank Holiday weekend with Mos Def, Little Dragon, Todd Terje and Joy Orbison all present. Also later in the year, the new incarnation of Beacons Metro promises a wealth of choice spread across Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds during October.

Undisputed daddy of the Scottish festival scene, in terms of size and reputation, T in the Park has a wide and varied remit. The Slam Tent has always provided the ideal escape for those with 4/4 rhythms and dancing on their agenda, and this year’s line-up is no different.  Techno has long dominated these parts, and acts like Ben Klock, Rødhåd and resident duo Slam will provide a thundering backdrop to the famous blue tent’s proceedings. A particularly interesting pairing sees Surgeon again team up with Lady Starlight, in a repeat of their surprise collaboration in support of Lady Gaga last year. Elsewhere on the bill, Âme will offer something a little different, as will Jackmaster and Joy Orbison – two of the best party DJs around teaming up is quite the prospect.

If you’re down south, Field Day returns to Victoria Park on 6 Jun with another pretty varied roster – Caribou, Madlib and many more. Same goes for Secret Garden Party on 23-26 Jul. The theme for this year is ‘childish things’, which promises plenty of jelly, ice cream and even more dungarees than originally expected.

Located in Tower Hamlet’s Victoria Park, Lovebox (17-18 Jul) offers an enticing bill across two days in July, striking a fine balance between big names and more underground talent. In the former category, hip hop stars such as Cypress Hill, Snoop Dogg and Action Bronson are sure to draw a crowd, as are the likes of homegrown big names like Hot Chip and Mark Ronson. Elsewhere, underground hero Squarepusher comes with a reputation for bold experimentation, Greg Wilson is guaranteed to keep the party vibes going and David Rodigan will bring his trademark enthusiasm for reggae music to proceedings. We suspect the appearance of German house head Max Graef will be a possible highlight, while grime up-and-comer Novelist and electronic all rounder Boddika should both deliver energetic sets from different ends of the British underground spectrum.   

With the kind of expansive one day line-up that'll have you scratching your head trying to plan your movements, Eastern Electrics certainly has plenty on offer. Returning for a second year to the site of Hatfield House in Hertfordshire, the festival boasts appearances by the likes of minimal techno pioneer Robert Hood aka Floorplan, UK garage maestro and peerless party starter DJ EZ, Chicago veteran Lil Louis and Hot Creations label head Jamie Jones. There’s also plenty of emerging talent on the bill such as Glasgow’s increasingly hyped Jasper James, already a firm favourite at the legendary Sub Club. 

Abroad

If you fancy heading to warmer climes, Meadows in the Mountains looks like it’s shaping up to be pretty special. Based in the Rhodopes Mountains, Bulgaria on 12-14 Jun, Meadows brings in Quantic, Mop Mop, Binh and Al Dobson Jr. to help direct play for the weekend. Sonar makes a return to Barcelona on 18-20 Jun, with another strong programme – Voices From The Lake, Helena Hauff, Arthur Baker and guaranteed sunburn.

Secret Solstice is a slightly cooler (sorry!) option, bringing Moodymann, Nightmares On Wax and the intriguingly-named Lord Pusswhip to the heart of Iceland. Or there’s the fledgling Weather festival in Paris on 4-7 Jun, one for all you culture vultures out there looking for a last-minute deal. The sounds of Juan Atkins, Moritz von Oswald and Matthew Herbert alone are probably worth more than a cheap flight.

Held outside of Leipzig, Melt! (17-19 Jul) takes place on the grounds of a rugged industrial site in Deutschland, which the promoters transform with the aid of dazzling lights and, of course, plenty of musical stimulation. This year the line-up includes UK underground heroes Autechre and Scottish production whizz Hudson Mohawke, alongside techno trailblazer Marcel Dettmann, Matthew Dear’s Audion live show and more diverse sounds from the likes Roni Size, who will perform live with group Reprazent. There's even a space on the line-up for Australian superstar Kylie Minogue, whose ever-evolving take on pop music has kept her fresher than most mainstream acts of her day.

Elsewhere in Budapest, there’s one called B.My.Lake on 19-22 Aug, which is now in its third year. Set on, you guessed it, a big lake; this is your alternative to Sziget, and still only a short trip away from the capital and its fabulously cheap pints. Lineup includes KiNK, Sven Weisemann, Efdemin, Recondite and Lake People.

Boasting, without a doubt, one of the best line-ups on offer all summer, Dekmantel (27-28 Jun) will have thousands flocking to the outskirts of Amsterdam again this year. There are a number of mouth-watering live sets planned – techno originator Juan Atkins will perform with his iconic Model 500 group, legendary US jazz and funk outfit Roy Ayers Ubiquity shouldn’t be missed, and the likes of Legowelt, Dopplereffekt and Gesloten Cirkel also do their thing live. The list of DJ talent is incredible too, with techno king Jeff Mills joined by the likes of Blawan and Sterac. Elsewhere, hip hop maestros Madlib and J Rocc bring a funkier flavour to proceedings, while house heads Omar S, Palms Traxx and Motor City Drum Ensemble are bound to impress. Basically, we could list names to fill the page and still not cover all of the gems on offer.

Returning for its second year, Milan’s Terraforma (12-14 Jun) is an interesting conceptually-framed festival which puts sustainability at its core – fittingly set in the woods and founded with a goal to make sure every aspect of the project is sustainable. The music is programmed along similarly conceptual lines too. In the words of the organisers: “Terraforma is the manifest of our belief that new dimensions can now be terraformed. Our catalyst is music: a timeless centre of gravity for energies; our means for a breaking point from which sounds and images create a sense of suspension capable of pointing us towards new perceptions.” Whether or not you can get on board with such lofty conceptions, the line-up on offer is certainly reassuring, with appearances by esteemed Basic Channel/Rhythm & Sound member Mark Ernestus, as well as by Donato Dozzy and Nuel, and US artist Convexion, alongside various live performers and experimental projects.

Then there’s Croatia and Serbia, which together have more picturesque settings than you can shake your passport at: Dimensions, Exit, Hideout, Garden, Soundwave, Sonus, Electric Elephant, Stop Making Sense... the list goes on. I'll allow you the pleasure of going through those at your leisure.

So, anyway, that's your lot for the summer ahead. Spread joy and don't forget to take a waterproof jacket just in case it rains.


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