Resident Advisor www.residentadvisor.net Electronic music online.
Dobrodosli! Welcome! Bienvenue! Willkommen! Benvenuti! Dimensions Festival is finally here.
We’d like to welcome you to the first Dimensions Festival. The response across Europe has been inspiring and we’re thrilled that so many people regard our line up for this year as one of the best on offer this summer. Focusing on the deep end of the electronic music spectrum, Dimensions Festival features some of our favourite names in techno, electronica, house, and deep bass music. We’re delighted that you’ve decided to join us on our first year.
Massive thanks.
To everyone who has helped bring this event together. Whether you’re a volunteer or head of production, you should feel proud to have been part of the family.
Love Croatia.
We’re certain that you will enjoy your stay here. Croatia is a beautiful country and its people are friendly and courteous. In order to keep things as enjoyable as possible for everyone, we ask that you remember to be respectful of the local people and of their beautiful country. Pick up your litter and dispose of it in the bins provided. Remember to say your “molim” (please) and “hvala” (thank you).
Special thanks to our Croatian family.
We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our Croatian partners. The crew from Fort Punta Christo and Seasplash have been fundamental in the creation of the good vibes you are about to find yourselves settled in to. We’ve been incredibly lucky to have been given the privilege to hold a party within the walls of the fort and its surroundings, there aren’t many places like this on earth where this is possible. Where else would you be able to rattle the walls of a national heritage site? The constant regeneration of the fort has been amazing since our first visit and we can’t imagine just how much work it has taken Dado and his team over the years but we are eternally grateful to him and his crew for rescuing such a beautiful building and not only bringing it back to life but bringing events like ours to it. Once again we’d like to say thanks to Dado, Maja and all of the Fort Punta Christo crew for all their work and to Vedran & Djuro from Seasplash crew for making any of this possible in the first place.
Enjoy the Festival, have fun and be safe! Love & happiness from the Dimensions Team. x x
Programme Design: Big Up Magazine Photographers: Megan Cullen, Lisa Wormsley, Ashes57, Marc Sethi, Daniel Zetterstrom, Katie Palmer, Katya Guseva Special thanks to: Jonathan Scratchely and Leoni Keogh for assisting in creation of this programme guide.
SOUND TRANSCENDING 3 GENRES 8 EXPLORE CROATIA
12 SCANDINAVIAN BASS 20 ARENAS GUIDE
14 SCUBA INTERVIEW
36 DETROIT TO SEATTLE 34 BOAT PARTIES DETROIT MOVEMENT 42
40 MEET HUXLEY
SOUND TRANSCENDING GENRES words by Andrew Ryce, North American staff writer at Resident Advisor
All of these scenes received enormous critical attention and large-scale outside interest; you’d have your posterboys like Burial and Villalobos that would unite punters and newcomers, and set alight the imaginations of those with only a passing interest in electronic music. But there wasn’t much room to dig deeper without getting lost in a sea of bewildering genre trappings. And for those who followed such scenes, there wasn’t much overlap either, like some wide gulf broke the span between dubstep and techno, even as the two genres began to overlap thanks to artists like Shed and Shackleton in the late 2000s.
Though by 2012 the rapidly disappearing borders between genres is a standard if not expected occurrence, it hasn’t always been this way. Much of our modern dance music took its influences from the impossibly vibrant, multifarious catch-all ‘rave’ scene of the late 80s and early 90s, yet since then things have splintered off into seemingly indivisible categories and boundaries. The past decade saw even more stratification, as garage evolved into grime and dubstep, techno went ascetically minimal and highly experimental, and underground house became deeper and more abstract.
house music, the kind you might have been able to find in the US or Europe ten years prior, while producers like Huxley have emerged with a commercial-leaning house sound that would have been the antithesis of gritty dubstep a few years ago but finds itself wholeheartedly embraced fully by revellers from all backgrounds. This meshes in well with artists like Motor City Drum Ensemble, whose sleek textures and Detroit techno worshipping mesh well with his UK counterparts, while the legendary likes of Moodymann suddenly find their retro sounds in vogue with young clubbers.
Over the past years, however, it’s as if there’s been a cosmic realignment in both production and perception. Some of the UK’s biggest names in 2012 – Dusky, and George FitzGerald – all make straightforward and glossy tech
All the while a new wave of DJs like Ben UFO and Joy Orbison seamlessly synthesize some of the best of modern bass music with classic, reverent house, sounding both hungrily futuristic yet comfortingly familiar in the process, uniting disparate entities into one surprisingly natural umbrella.
There’s a growing preoccupation with the dark and occult, which is where techno neatly comes in. Techno collectives like the Berghain crew (Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann) have long been pushing pounding, aggressive music for years, music that takes influence from EBM, darker shades of synth-pop, and post-punk, and they’re finally getting worldwide recognition.
The sudden resurgence of interest in uptempo music has since led full circle to drum & bass producers looking to footwork to rejuvenate their sound. Meanwhile, artists like Blawan and Objekt have emerged as the cream of the recent “bass music” crop, though their music amounts to nothing short of savage techno with roots in Underground Resistance, vintage electro, and brutal sound artists like Pan Sonic – influences very few likely would have associated with what was once dubstep, and the overlap is bringing a whole new audience to techno and opening techno up to even more experimental realms. Carl Craig will revive his ‘90s techno project 69 for a new, wider audience eager to gobble up four-to-the-floor music, while Andrew Weatherall’s timeless genre hodgepodge has never seemed more relevant than it does now.
Even as techno and house find strange bedfellows with other slowing-down genres, the process is mirrored in the other direction as well: another wave of artists have been incorporating the jittery hijinks of Chicago footwork and juke music, bringing tempos up to speeds that approach drum & bass. Many of these early attempts were mere imitation, but over time producers like Machinedrum and Addison Groove have forged sounds that are all their own, combining the slippery percussive skitter of Chicago with bass music futurism and near-psychedelic experimentation. The sudden resurgence of interest in uptempo music has since led full circle to drum & bass producers looking to footwork to rejuvenate their sound. An entirely new axis of jungle, drum & bass and footwork music has sprung up, fostering new engagement with a tempo that just a few years ago appeared resigned to irrelevancy.
It’s as if, in the past year, those indivisble boundaries have just melted away, leaving an overabundance of prolific artists in an unprecedented level of dialogue with each other, and leaving audiences drowning in a sea of music that uses tradition as a port of departure rather than a steadfast rule. All of this has brought on an enormous coming together of open-minded fans, to the point where a festival can exist with the Berghain residents playing alongside Hyperdub’s finest, where Detroit luminary Carl Craig rubs elbows with dubstep workhorse Mala. Where Levon Vincent, whose roughshod and hearty deep techno has helped to define the year, plays alongside Four Tet, the former ‘folktronica’ producer who increasingly looks to house and vintage garage for inspiration. No longer do time signatures or drum programming separate brilliant artists from each other; it’s as if, in the past year, those indivisble boundaries have just melted away, leaving an overabundance of prolific artists in an unprecedented level of dialogue with each other, and leaving audiences drowning in a sea of music that uses tradition as a port of departure rather than a steadfast rule.
MENTIONED ARTISTS AT DIMENSIONS Shackleton
Fourtet
Midland
Ben UFO
Thursday|0:15|The Moat
Thursday|1:30|Fort Arena
Friday|20:00|Mungo’s
Friday|0:00|Mungo’s
Friday|1:00|Fort Arena
Thursday|4:30|Fort Arena
Thursday|0:00|Ballroom
Thursday|4:30|The Moat
Thursday|1:00|Mungo’s
Saturday|1:15|Fort Arena
Friday|2:00|Outside the Fort
Friday|3:00|Outside the Fort
Saturday|3:00|Fort Arena
Thursday|2:00|Courtyard
Friday|23:30|Fort Arena
Saturday|22:00|Outside the Fort
Saturday|3:00|Fort Arena
Friday|1:00|Outside the Fort
Saturday|20:00|Mungo’s
Saturday|4:00|Outside the Fort
Carl Craig Mala
Ben Klock
Marcel Dettmann
Joy Orbison
Levon Vincent
George Fitzgerald Addison Groove
Dusky
Machinedrum Huxley
Synkro & Indigo
Blawan Objekt
Motor City Drum Ensemble Moodymann
For information or to register visit dubspot.com | info@dubspot.com | 1.877.dubspot
JONATHAN SCRATCHLEY My biggest expectation for Dimensions is to simply see the group of artists and the crowd they attract inside Fort Punta Christo. I know it’s going to be an awesome event and look forward to hearing the audio delicacies on offer.
SIMON SCOTT My biggest expectation for Dimensions is bringing wicked acts and people from across the globe to our special festival location to have one of their best weekends of electronic music this year. In Dimensions team, I look after artist bookings, programming and artist management. If I were to pick one song as a soundtrack to Dimensions festival, it would be “Stairway” by the outstanding Croatian techno
producer Petar Dundov. Make sure you catch him on the Sirup Club stage at the festival. After Dimensions Festival is over, the first thing I will do is get some rest and then get ready to start planning the next one. The one boat party I absolutely have to attend at Dimensions is Tectonic, to hear Shackleton play a rare DJ set and Beat Dimensions for the Hotflush techno artists on board.
In Dimensions team, I am the creative director, head of all partnerships and PR. If I were to pick one song as a soundtrack to Dimensions festival, it would be Scuba’s “NE1BUTU” - banging new track form a producer at the center of what we are doing with Dimensions. After Dimensions Festival is over, the first thing I will do is go for a swim The one boat party I absolutely have to attend at Dimensions is... I am really trying to make enough room to get on the Deviation party with Ossie, Benji B and Moxie, but that may just be a pipe dream with a festival to run!
NOAH BALL
JACK ROBINSON My biggest expectation for Dimensions is beautiful music, and beautiful people. In Dimensions team, I look after promotions and raver orientation sessions. If I were to pick one song as a soundtrack to Dimensions festival, it would be 2562 “Brazil Deadwalker” After Dimensions Festival is over, the first thing I will do is...weap! The one boat party I absolutely have to attend at Dimensions is Aka Aka Roar x Trix boat party
JOE BARNETT My biggest expectation for Dimensions is to gain the respect and credibility within a new scene and crowd the way that Outlook has done over the last five years, both in quality of music and sound but also in the overall quality of the event. In Dimensions team, I look after the onsite operations, staff and volunteers, the London office and the finances. If I were to pick one song as a soundtrack to Dimensions festival, it would be Midland’s “Play the game”. After Dimensions Festival is over, the first thing I will do is spend a day or two
My biggest expectation for Dimensions is amalgamation of what could be the most perfect electronic music line-up this summer. I can’t wait to see FourTet Live, Little Dragon, Moodymann, Theo, Andy Weatherall... The list goes on. There isn’t a single artist on the line-up that I wouldn’t be happy to see. In Dimensions team, I look after a lot of the artist bookings as well as taking on the role of general manager/managing director, keeping an eye on all areas of the festival. If I were to pick one song as a soundtrack to Dimensions festival, it would be... I can’t pick one. 5 songs I’m certain I will hear and enjoy are Little Dragon “A New”,
hopefully reading nice messages from the people that came to the festival and enjoyed it. It’s always the appreciation and love from the crowd that makes it worth it, especially when you’re dead on your feet at the end of it all. Oh, and thanking the team profusely for giving it their lives over the last year! The one boat party I absolutely have to attend at Dimensions is...Very funny! I haven’t been on an Outlook Boat party since 2008! But if the miracle should occur, it would have to be the Staunch party. Party boat for sunset sounds perfect to me.
Floating Points & Fatima “Redlight”, Portico Quartet “Ruins”, Pepe Braddock “Deep Burnt” (even though he couldn’t make it this year), Theo Parrish “Falling Up.” After Dimensions Festival is over, the first thing I will do is try and catch up with as many of our crew as possible, to thank them for all the hard work they have put into making this event happen. Then I might sit down with a beer and write a wishlist of artists for next summer. The one boat party I absolutely have to attend at Dimensions is... The XLR8R, Eglo and Deviation boats look awesome, but I doubt there will be opportunity this year to get out there.
A FEW WORDS WITH THE FESTIVAL DIRECTORS.
TEMPLE OF AUGUSTUS SITUATED IN THE MAIN CITY SQUARE AUGUSTUS TEMPLE WAS DEDICATED TO THE FIRST ROMAN EMPEROR AND GODDESS ROMA. BUILT BETWEEN 2BC AND 14 AD, IT IS THE ONLY REMAINING STRUCTURE FROM THE ORIGINAL ROMAN FORUM IN PULA. TWIN GATES OF THE CITY IN THE ANCIENT PERIOD THE CITY OF PULA WAS SURROUNDED BY WALL AND COULD ONLY BE ENTERED THROUGH ONE OF THE TEN GATES. THEY WERE BUILT BETWEEN THE 2ND AND 3RD CENTURIES AND NOW LEAD TO THE ARCHEOLOGY MUSEUM AND THE CASTLE.
EXPLORE CROATIA
PULA OBSERVATORY SITUATED IN MONTE ZARO PARK, IT IS THE OLDEST OBSERVATORY IN CROATIA, WHERE AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER OF 28 PLANETOIDS WERE DISCOVERED, INCLUDING “POLANA”, “ADRIA” AND “ISTRIA”.
BRIJUNI SAFARI PARK THE BRIJUNI ISLANDS SAFARI PARK IS HOME TO A VARIETY OF EXOTIC ANIMALS, GIVEN TO THE PARK AS GIFTS FROM DIPLOMATIC PARTNERS, INCLUDING NILGAI, ZEBU, ELEPHANTS, ZEBRAS, AND WATERBUCK, WHO CAN FREELY ROAM THE ISLAND.
BRIJUNI ISLANDS THE BRIJUNI ISLANDS - A GROUP OF TWO MAIN ISLANDS (VELIKI AND MALI BRIJUN) AND 12 ISLETS - LIE ALONG THE SOUTHWESTERN COAST OF ISTRIA 6KM FROM PULA.
SET 45 METRES ABOVE THE SEA, THE FORT OVERLOOKS THE ENTRANCE TO PULA BAY AS WELL AS THE ISLAND OF BRIJONI WHERE EMPEROR TITO KEPT A HERD OF ELEPHANTS GIVEN TO HIM BY HAILE SELASSIE.
DURING WORLD WAR II THE FORT WAS BADLY DAMAGED BY ALLIED BOMBING AND FROM 1945 THROUGH 1980 IT WAS LEFT ABANDONED.
FORT PUNTA CHRISTO
DIMENSIONS’ HOME, FORT PUNTA CHRISTO, WAS BUILT IN FOUR STAGES BETWEEN 1836 AND 1883 AND DURING THIS PERIOD IT WAS THE BIGGEST, MOST ARMOURED FORT IN THE AUSTROHUNGARIAN DEFENCE SYSTEM.
THE FORT HAS AS MANY AS 270 SPACES AND SECRET PASSAGEWAYS THAT CAN BE FOUND OVER ITS AREA COVERING 10,000 SQ.METERS.
THERE ARE 49 FORTIFICATIONS IN THE REGION OF VARIABLE CONDITION. MANY OF THESE FORTS ARE INTERCONNECTED BY A NETWORK OF TUNNELS RUNNING UNDERGROUND AND UNDER THE SEA BED.
THE FORT WAS BUILT FROM LOCALLY QUARRIED STONE AND THE MOAT WAS HOLLOWED OUT OF THE SOLID ROCK IN THE GROUND SURROUNDING IT.
words by Cathrine Deaton Heibø
12
Welcome to Scandinavia! ...the Nordic land of black metal, effortlessly attractive locals, and some of our favorite musicians like Todd Terje (Norway), Mungolian Jetset (Norway), Technobilen (Sweden), Trentemøller (Denmark), and Little Dragon (Norway).
Scandinavians are experts at party. We’ll walk you through it. If you find yourself in Stockholm, the home base of Technobilen, you need to check out the F12 Terrassen, an alfresco club that attracts some of Europe’s best DJs. This hugely popular party-on-a-stone-staircase is open every night of the week during the summer with the likes of Lee Foss, Felix Da Housecat, Hunee, and Robert James on the decks. Switching concepts from Batman-themed nights to local bartenders swap, it is never a dull night at F12 Terrassen. Also check out Local Talk Records, who run some label nights during the year with Actual Proof, Gerd, Antony Bois, Bassfort and the like. Rust club has been at the forefront of Copenhagen nightlife since its inception in 1989, presenting a vital live music and clubbing scene for those who prefer their night out a bit off the mainstream. And if you’re going for a superclub or huge production concerts, Vega is the way to go with approximately 250,000 customers and about 250 concerts and events annually. Another beast that supplies Copenhagen with quality music events throughout the year is Distortion Festival. Launched in 1998 as an experimental “mobile festival” that unites international underground music and art, Distortion has grown into a free-form monster: it’s wild and dirty, it’s fractured and feverish, and it involves consuming music at eardrum-bursting decibels and exorbitant amounts of Tuborg, the Danes’ default brew of choice. Think of it as Europe’s own warped version of SXSW. Moving on to Norway. Troll Records – a child of Christian Sol and Nils Noa – put on label nights at The Villa club in Oslo with a healthy dose of techno and house music. Since year 2000 Sunkissed has been rolling out the best of the best DJs, serving up an irreverend blend of house and techno music to a packed out club every month. From its spiritual base at Blå in Oslo, Sunkissed, the creation of g-HA and Olanskii, has spread to include a residency at the Robert-Johnson in Frankfurt, irregular nights at Fabric in London, and one-off’s as far afield as Australia and Gothenburg. Last year they have also launched Jaeger club, which has become one of the hippest clubs in Oslo. Mandagsklubben (Monday Club), Brokesteady, Jaeger club, and Effort Records are all good names to google for an underground 4x4 music experience in Oslo.
Scandinavian sounds at Dimensions Friday | 17:00 | Scandinavian Boat Party Saturday | 13:45 | The Moat
Little Dragon Live
Todd Terje
Thursday | 23:00 | Fort Arena
Saturday | 0:00 | The Moat
photo courtesy of ibyen.dk
SCUBA interview by Katya Guseva as published in Big Up Magazine Vol.12
photo by Megan Cullen
I think I would be selfconcious with someone else in the studio. I think I’d feel inhibited, I’d be worried about what other person would think of my crap ideas that take five hours to develop...
photo by Megan Cullen
LISTEN UP
17
I’m sort of a perfectionist, and If I don’t do as well as I think I should be doing, then I beat myself up for it.
Hi Paul, how’s it going? How’s Berlin? Was moving there from London the best decision you’ve ever made?
the process was a nightmare! And as a result it made me re-evaluate what I’d been doing. I started hating everything I’d done.
Yeah, I do like it. But you know, I’m not really here that much, I’m going away most weekends. But as a place to be based out of, it’s pretty cool. I guess it’s a lot like New York, without all the yuppy business stuff. It’s got so much going on art- and music-wise – I don’t think there’s a better place for it anywhere in Europe. I’ve been here for four years now and I just bought a flat so I guess I’ll be staying here for a while.
It was a very important part of the process. If you’re able to step back, accept and admit to yourself that what you’re doing is not very good, it could be quite helpful. Challenging yourself to do better is important, and the big part of that is admitting to yourself that stuff you previously thought was good is actually not good at all. And that could be quite difficult. Especially when you’re on a certain deadline. Plus I don’t have an A&R guy. I’ve got maybe one or two friends who I trust to give me an honest opinion. Most people you play stuff to, they’re just gonna say, “Oh yeah, this is great.”
Oh nice. New flat, new album! The album is great by the way. What is your feeling about it?
We’ve been waiting for something better than Scuba’s latest album to come out in 2012. a few came close, But Personality still takes the cake for the most exciting body of music released this year. By far the best thing the hotflush boss has ever created musically, it succeeds his two already outstanding albums, exceeds all expectations, and proudly sits at the top of all hotflush releases over the years, hitting a new high point for the label. Speaking of new, Paul rose himself seems to be welcoming lots of changes, with his recent move, new studio, and upcoming new live show. let’s start from the top.
At this stage in the process – I finished the album a bit more than three months ago – I’m definitely more happy with it than I was with any of my previous albums. The way I feel about it now is that it’s definitely the strongest thing I’ve done album-wise, all the way throughout. With the last album Triangulation, I think I hated it after three months! But with this one it’s different. I listened to it a lot, and I’m not really bored of it yet. What’s the story behind the album? How was the process of writing it? I sat down to write it in January and wanted to have it finished by June-July. But I didn’t finish it till November. It’s dragged on for ages... I wrote so much for it, I must have written about 50 tracks for it! It was all a really wide range of stuff stylistically. I actually had trouble with focusing on what I really wanted it to be. I didn’t have a clear idea and went through various phases over the ten months. The majority of the tracks were written in September actually. Basically what happened was, I kinda freaked out, I hated everything I’d done for it and had to write all the new stuff. Which is similar to what happened with Triangulation. The later tracks that I wrote for Triangulation are stronger. With this album, halfway through, in June, I had to do a DJ Kicks mix, which was really unbelievably stressful. I only had two weeks to do it and
Yes, that makes sense. So which ones are the latest tracks? It’s actually a good question, I’m gonna have to get the tracklist out... “Cognitive Dissonance,” “The Hope,” “July,” “Gekko,” “NE1BUTU,” “If U Want” were all written in September. These are the best ones! I love how they are all so different stylistically – each one has a personality, which is fitting cause that’s the title of the album. I wanted each track to have its own place in the album. I didn’t want it to be an album that all sounded similar, I wanted each track to be distinct. So yeah, those latest tracks were done from zero, and the rest were all loops or unfinished. I don’t think I had a single finished track in the start of September. So it was mad. So you just locked yourself out in your room and finished it all in two months? I had to do it, because the building where I had my studio before was closing down. I had only five or six weeks to get the album done, or otherwise I’d have to move, and there was really not going to be any studio... So there was a lot of pressure. Then I was also in the middle of buying a flat and also playing gigs... It was very stressful.
18
Wow, so you also have a new studio now! Yeah, the old one was actually the first time I’ve had a proper outside studio, which I moved into right after I finished Triangulation at the start of 2010. It was in this really cool place – an old brewery. My new studio is more normal, kind of regular. But it takes ages to get used to a new environment once you move into it, so I really didn’t want to be moving and having to finish the album in the new place. So I put a lot of pressure on myself to get it done... But sometimes having pressure is a good thing. It worked for you. Did you enjoy working with the vocals on this album? A lot of it is actually me. The one on “The Hope” is me. I tried doing it in a regular normal English accent and it just didn’t really sound right, so I was messing around with different accents and yeah, that was kinda the one that sounded the best. I thought of doing different accent versions for different markets.
think of my crap ideas that take five hours to develop... I should probably try it out though and see how it goes. It would be interesting, but just a bit scary. I think maybe lots of artists do it in order to see how other people work and maybe learn from each other too... I can see why people are doing it and sometimes you can get good results. But usually the colabs I listen to are not as good as the stuff they would probably do on their own. You get to learn a lot from other people though. I guess I’m just happy doing it on my own and seeing what I can come up with. I’m sure your music has become a soundtrack to many psychedelic trips around the world. Do you think the type of drugs being taken is a factor in what kind of music is being played at night clubs?
Haha yeah... “The Hope” was actually the last track I did. I recorded the vocal and thought it sounded alright. I already had three completely different versions of the track with the vocal on it. And I was trying different things to see if I could get away with it. And I think it’s sounding alright.
I haven’t done acid in ages, so I don’t even know if my music is good for it. But I think drugs are definitely a factor. I think the fact that ecstasy is not being taken in clubs has led to a decline in quality of music. I think drugs are pretty useful from a creative point of view, but it obviously doesn’t apply to everything. The term drug is pretty vague. There’s only a few recreational drugs that I think are actually positive, ecstasy being one and probably acid, but as I said I haven’t taken it for ages. I think weed is generally overrated as a creative drug.
Definitely. Do you always work on your own?
What kinds of drugs are popular in Berlin?
I’ve only ever done one colab, and it was emailing parts of the track back and forth. It hasn’t come out yet.
People take speed and drink. The funny thing about Berlin, in the context of the club scene, is that you don’t really see drug casualties. If you go out in the UK, you’ll see people absolutely smashed beyond belief by 2am; people don’t even get to clubs till 2am in Germany. And even by 10am or noon in Berlin, you don’t see people out of control ever.
Haha. Maybe translating it?
Is there any particular reason why you prefer working on your own? I have a background of playing in bands and I often found myself frustrated about not being able to communicate to them what it is exactly I wanted them to do. It’s a difficult one, because there are people I wouldn’t mind to work with, but I just don’t know how it would work in practice. I’m so used to just being able to mess around on my own. I think I would be self-conscious with someone else in the studio. I think I’d feel inhibited, I’d be worried about what the other person would
You think they care more about music? I don’t think they’re more serious about music, it’s just a different approach to going out. Plus the crowd in Berlin is definitely older. So I guess that makes a difference too. I’m not saying that people here are more clued up about the music. Even though Berlin is known for its techno,
people are still pretty set in a certain musical pattern. The vast majority of music played out is middle-of-the-road house music. Not so much mainstream stuff, but still pretty straight up house, just made by someone you’ve never heard of. The clubs are great, there’s no better place to go out and have fun, but in terms of cuttingedge music it’s not that great at all. London is still the place everyone looks up to for the new cutting-edge sounds, but it might not be the best place to go out clubbing. Anyway... Maybe I’m just getting old. Haha, sounds like it. Speaking of new sounds, what do you think about the whole juke footwork movement getting pretty popular? I don’t like it, it’s crap. There are obviously certain things influenced by it that I like – Machinedrum, Addison Groove – but frankly, no, I don’t like it.
Scuba at Dimensions
Thursday | 13:45 | Beat Dimensions Boat Thursday | 22:45 | The Moat
I think the fact that ecstasy is not being taken in clubs has led to a decline in quality of music.
ARENAS GUIDE
AS YOU PASS THE FESTIVAL ENTRANCE AND WALK TOWARDS THE TRANCEINDUCING SOUNDS, YOU ARE FACED WITH THE 20FT WALLS THAT ENCASE THE FORT. WITH A GRAND STAGE, ELABORATE LIGHT SHOW AND AN EXTRA-POWERFUL SOUND SYSTEM, FORT ARENA IS THE IDEAL SETTING FOR THE FESTIVAL’S HEADLINERS AND THE 2,000 PEOPLE VIBING TO THE MUSIC THAT STARTS HERE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND DOESN’T STOP UNTIL 6AM.
FORT ARENA
SOUND, PROVIDED BY RG JONES SOUND ENGINEERING, UTILISES THE GROUND BREAKING MARTIN AUDIO LARGE SCALE SECOND GENERATION MULTI CELLULAR ARRAY LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM, JUST LIKE THE ICONIC GLASTONBURY PYRAMID STAGE AND MAIN STAGES AT READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS. SPECIFIC WAY TO ARRANGE THE SYSTEM WILL ENSURE THAT EVERYONE IN THE CROWD GETS THEIR FAIR SHARE OF SOUND.
SOUND SYSTEM multi cellular array loudspeaker system 12 elements in a line array configuration per side broadside 14 wlx subs array
DO NOT MISS carl craig 69 live, fourtet, nicolas jaar, mount kimbie, joy orbison, little dragon live, marcel dettmann, ben klock, levon vincent.
THE MOAT
THE MOAT ARENA IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE SPACE, THAT WILL SURELY BECOME A SETTING FOR MANY LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCES AT DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL. THIS UNIQUELY SHAPED AREA – A 100-METRE-LONG STRIP OF THE MOAT, SURROUNDED BY FIVE-METRE-HIGH WALLS THAT TOWER OVER DJ AND CROWD ALIKE, WILL HOST SOME OF THE MOST EXCITING NAMES ON THE LINE UP.
NOISE CONTROL AUDIO SYSTEMS HAVE PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN SOUNDSYSTEM CULTURE AND POWER RAVES ACROSS EUROPE SINCE 1990. NCA SYSTEMS NEVER COMPROMISE ON DESIGN AND AIM TO DELIVER THE PUREST QUALITY OF SOUND POSSIBLE, A FACT PROVEN AT 2010 RED BULL CULTURE CLASH AT THE ROUNDHOUSE IN LONDON, WHICH SAW CHANNEL ONE WIN CONVINCINGLY USING AN NCA SYSTEM.
SOUND SYSTEM
DO NOT MISS
noise control audio system bespoke design ultra-pure sound
shackleton, scuba, untold, pariah, airhead, lone, sigha, mungolian jetset live.
SITUATED JUST OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF THE FORT, THIS TREE-FRINGED OPENAIR SPACE SURROUNDED BY NATURE AND WITH GRASS UNDER FOOT, OFFERS A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT ATMOSPHERE TO ANYWHERE ELSE AT THE FESTIVAL, GIVING YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET COMPLETELY LOST IN THE SOUNDS OF THE MUSIC WHILE ENJOYING THE BEAUTIFUL OUTDOOR SETTING.
OUTSIDE THE FORT
DUE TO THE VERY HIGH LEVELS OF OUTPUT THAT CAN BE ACHIEVED WITHOUT THE INACCURATE DISTORTION FOUND IN MANY OTHER SYSTEMS, AFTER PLAYING ON THIS SOUND SYSTEM KYLE HALL REMARKED THAT IT WAS LIKE A GIANT PAIR OF STUDIO MONITORS. HIGH PRAISE INDEED FROM DETROIT’S WONDER CHILD!
SOUND SYSTEM
DO NOT MISS
custom built psyco sub cabinets rms power: 54,000w
moodymann, addison groove, motor city drum ensemble, floating points, gold panda, machinedrum, kyle hall.
BALLROOM
THE BALLROOM IS ONE OF THE MOST UNIQE SOUND CHAMBERS THE FESTIVAL SITE HAS TO OFFER. A CIRCULAR PIT WITH A SOUNDSYSTEM DROPPED IN, BALLROOM LEAVES NO CHANCE FOR ESCAPE FROM THE CLARITY OF SOUND HERE. BUT WE DON’T THINK YOU WILL WANT TO TRY.
SOUND SYSTEM
DO NOT MISS
rms power: 10,000w a rig that will bring the pressure without any sign of stress or distortion
eliphino, moxie, lorca, randomer, dusky, tessela, petar dundov.
SOUND SYSTEM IN THE BALLROOM IS DEPLOYED BY NEURON SOUND ENGINEERS. ON THEIR CREW’S DAYS OFF, YOU CAN FIND THEM HERE, SUPPORTING LOCAL TALENT - LOOK OUT FOR THEIR SHIRTS AND BUY THEM A DRINK IF YOU LIKE THE SOUND.
MUNGO’S
TUCKED AWAY AT THE BACK OF THE FORT, WITH METRE-THICK WALLS AND REGULAR SHAPE, THIS ROOFLESS ARENA ENABLES THE LEGENDARY MUNGO’S HIFI SYSTEM TO PROVIDE A QUALITY OF SOUND YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER HEARD ON AN OUTDOOR RIG. THE GLASGOW-BASED COLLECTIVE WILL BE DRIVING THEIR CHEST-RATTLING SYSTEM ALL THE WAY FROM SCOTLAND TO CROATIA TO ENHANCE YOUR SONIC EXPERIENCE AT THE FESTIVAL.
THE MUNGO’S HIFI RIG DELIVERS THE SORT OF BASS ONLY A SYSTEM BUILT FOR PLAYING REGGAE EVER COULD. WITH A DEPTH OF LOW-END THAT LITERALLY MAKES YOUR SEPTUM QUIVER, AND CLARITY OF SOUND THAT NEVER FALTERS, NO MATTER HOW HARD THE SYSTEM IS PUSHED, MAKE SURE YOU SPEND SOME TIME STOOD IN FRONT OF THESE SPEAKERS AT SOME POINT THIS WEEKEND.
SOUND SYSTEM
DO NOT MISS
home-made 18-inch super scooper subs adapted void stasys 3 mk2 mid-top boxes all speakers horn loaded
mala, pinch, kode9, boddika, pearson sound, dbridge, loefah, midland, ben ufo, jack sparrow, pangaea, synkro & indigo.
COURTYARD
MAKE YOUR WAY ALONG THE DARKENED PASSAGEWAY THAT LEADS FROM THE FORT’S INNER ENTRANCE AND YOU’LL FIND YOURSELF IN THE 350-CAPACITY COURTYARD. SURROUNDED BY WALLS AND WITH STARS TWINKLING IN THE SKY ABOVE, THIS OPEN YET INTIMATE SPACE DELIVERS A PERFECTLY CHILLED, CONSTANTLY BUBBLING ATMOSPHERE TO THE VERY HEART OF THE FESTIVAL.
COURTYARD FEATURES AN ARCLINE ARRAY WITH EXTRA SUB REINFORCEMENT FROM THE MUCH LOVED STASYS X BIN. SHE MAY APPEAR TO BE SMALL IN STATURE BUT THE SOUND IS ANYTHING BUT. THE ARCLINE SYSTEM TAKES UP VERY LITTLE SPACE WITHOUT COMPROMISING ON VOLUME OR SOUND QUALITY.
SOUND SYSTEM
DO NOT MISS
rms power: 17,000w arcline array stasys x bin extra sub reinforcement
george fitzgerald, koreless live, dark sky, ruckspin, author live, lando kal, shox.
THE BEACH THE PERFECT PLACE TO SWIM, SUNBATHE AND RECOVER FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE, THE BEACH ARENA WILL SERVE STRICTLY SUN-SOAKED SOUNDS EVERY DAY, NOON UNTIL SUNSET, TO PREPARE YOU FOR THE LONG NIGHT AHEAD.
SOUND SYSTEM dub smugglers sound system
DO NOT MISS ossie, simbad, john talabot, kelvin brown.
BOAT PARTIES AT DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE THE MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE OF THE YEAR. ONCE YOU HAVE BOOKED YOURSELF ON TO ONE OF THESE – WHETHER DURING THE DAY OR IN THE EVENING TO WATCH THE SUN SET OVER THE ISTRIAN COASTLINE – YOU ARE GUARANTEED A LASTING IMPRESSION. PICK FROM A RANGE OF BOAT PARTIES HOSTED BY SOME OF YOUR FAVOURITE CLUB NIGHTS AND LABELS, FEATURING THE BIGGEST NAMES OF THE FESTIVAL PLAYING IN THE MOST INTIMATE OF VENUES – A CONSTANTLY SAILING SHIP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SEA!
BOAT PARTIES
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 13:00-17:00 DATA TRANSMISSION 13:00-17:00 TECTONIC 13:45-17:45 BEAT DIMENSION 18:00-22:00 20:20 VISION VS FLUX 17:45-21:45 SOUND OF THE COSMOS 18:30-22:30 STAUNCH
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 13:00-17:00 HYPERCOLOUR 13:00-17:00 EXIT RECORDS 13:45-17:45 ELEVATE 18:00-22:00 ZLEEP 17:45-21:45 THE SECRET AGENCY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 13:00-17:00 XLR8R 13:00-17:00 AKA AKA ROAR VS TRIX 13:45-17:45 DEVIATION 18:00-22:00 SCANDINAVIAN 17:45-21:45 RESIDENT ADVISOR 18:30-22:30 EGLO RECORDS
DETROIT TO SEATTLE: THE ROAD TO DECIBEL You’ve always liked history. All these fascinating stories about Napoleon, Chinese dynasties and World War II... And if you say you don’t, then you’re not being honest with yourself. We’ve got a great story for you, a lot more relevant for your musical inquiring mind. The story is about the journey of a man, who in the mid 1990s traveled the country from left to right, bringing along a distinct and dirty Detroit music flavor to Seattle and transforming the musical zeitgeist of the port city forever. Sean Horton a.k.a Nordic Soul is the founder and director of the Decibel Festival, which in its ninth year needs no introduction. He tells us his story...
Born and raised in the Detroit area, I first gained exposure to underground electronic dance music working at an import record store on Woodward Ave. In 1990, I discovered that the Detroit’s post-industrial urban landscape created an ideal environment for warehouse parties. I soon began deejaying and going to regular events there, most notably the infamous Plus 8/Plastikman parties, that helped catapult Detroit Techno globally in the early ‘90s. In 1995 I left on an extended road trip, bringing with me the wealth of musical heritage and experience that Detroit had instilled in me. I was an artist, writer, musician, deejay and burgeoning producer whose hope for the future beckoned me, like so many others, to the West Coast. Fate, and a busted transmission, landed my girlfriend and I in Seattle, where I found employment with The Emerald Seafood Company who operated three ships in the Bering Sea. I fished in Alaska for two months and decided to stay on for two months in Russia. The day our ship pulled back into port in Seattle, was the first day of the rest of my life. I was an ambitious 19-year-old in a new land, who had just made enough money fishing to put myself through college and then some. I had already made up my mind that I would be attending the Evergreen State College in Olympia Washington, which aside from having no grades, had some of the most prestigious audio engineering facilities and music professors on the West Coast. In addition to studying Music Composition, Audio Engineering and Marketing, I took a position with Student Activities producing and marketing on-campus events. The first event I worked was an all-night underground dance event called Genesis in 1997. The event was huge success, pulling in over thousand attendees into the TESC library building. Over the next two years, I flourished as a DJ, producer, promoter, and engineer. In 1999 I released my first album on K Records called Emergency Breaks with Tom Wilson a.k.a. Take. After graduating in 1999, I took a job at a local music shop running the recording, keyboard, software and DJ departments. Much like Evergreen, Music 6000 was an
incredibly learning experience that put me into direct contact with the local indie rock and DJ community. After a brief stint in Portland Oregon, I moved back to Seattle in 2002 to work for the media branding company PlayNetwork, where I continue on today as the Director of Music Services. At the time, Seattle’s electronic music culture was stagnant. The “post rave” bust of the late nineties had left most people disenchanted with electronic music. Through some old friends I had met back when I first moved to Seattle, I connected with a small but dedicated community of deejays, graphic designers, producers, engineers, and event promoters that had not lost hope in the future of electronic music. One of the most inspiring club nights was called Robotrash at a club called The Baltic Room. Robotrash was spearheaded by a collective of artists and deejays, including Randy Jones, Jerry Abstract, and Kris Moon. This was the beginning of the “laptop performance” and Ableton Live as a performance medium. It was also the beginning of interactive digital visual art that included programs like Jitter. Aside from being an exceptional DJ and producer, Randy Jones was also the engineer behind Jitter. His biggest contribution however, was Orac Records, which between 2001 and 2008 helped introduce and foster Seattle artists Steven Ford a.k.a. Bruno Pronsato, Jon McMillion and Randy’s own Caro moniker. The timing could not have been better as the re-birth of minimal techno was in full swing and Bruno in particular rode that wave all the way to Berlin, which is where he resides today along with another former Seattle techno luminary, Jeff Samuel (Poker Flat, Ghostly International).
I was an artist, writer, musician, deejay and burgeoning producer whose hope for the future beckoned me, like so many others, to the West Coast.
In 2002 I started an event production company called Dreaming In Stereo as a way to host international artists, while exposing the vast underground electronic music community that was flourishing in Seattle. These events helped introduce me to club owners, agents, artists, and electronic music fans, who would become our core support over the next decade. Some of the artists we booked during this time include Funkstorung, Matthew Dear, Richard Devine, T. Raumschmiere, Jerry Abstract, Bruno Pronsato,
Caro, Nordic Soul and the recent Seattle transplant Lusine. Though the DIS events were intimate (200 - 500 people) they were rewarding, both creatively and financially. I soon began plotting my next music endeavor, Decibel Festival. The Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music, Visual Art and New Media is an extremely ambitious project I started developing the business plan for in 2003 and in 2004 we celebrated our inaugural year.
Decibel is and always has been a labor of love. The success of the Decibel isn’t measured in profits, but through continued growth and praise from the artists, media and fans that we host with each event. Looking forward to our 2012 and monumental 2013 programs, I see great potential to expand our reach, without sacrificing our integrity. As technology, music and art continue to intersect, breeding new creative possibilities, Decibel will be there at the forefront seeking out new ways to enhance the experience and inspire our audiences.
Over the past nine years the festival has booked over 750 artists from over 30 different countries, making it one of the largest and most culturally diverse festivals in North America.
The festival is a community arts gathering which takes place the end of September across multiple venues in Seattle. The fiveday festival/conference focuses on new music technology, music performance, multimedia art and music education. For our first year we booked over 90 acts from across the globe and sold over 2,500 tickets. Every year since then Decibel has grown and in 2011, the festival brought in over 23,000 attendees, across 15 venues. Over the past nine years the festival has booked over 750 artists from over 30 different countries, making it one of the largest and most culturally diverse festivals in North America. Decibel also functions year round as a promotion company (Decibel Productions), averaging two-three concerts a month, which help to fund the festival itself.
The ninth edition of the Decibel Festival will be taking place September 26th through the 30th across Seattle. Per usual, this year’s program features a wide variety of live electronic music, deejays, visual art and speakers including Orbital, Erykah Badu feat. The Cannabinoids, Carl Craig 69 Live, DJ Shadow, Bonobo, Kimbra, Matthew Dear, Shpongle, Dixon, Sepalcure, Nina Kraviz, Jimmy Edgar, John Talabot, Fennesz, Dam-Funk, Baths, Monolake, Max Cooper, Actress, Byetone, Star Slinger, Octave One, Tycho, Clark, Roman Flugel, Machinedrum, Biosphere, Demdike Stare, Floating Points, Sepalcure, Matt Tolfrey, Public Lover, Objekt, DVS1, Julianna Barwick, Robag Wruhme and dozens more.
Nordic Soul at Dimensions
Friday | 17:00 | Beach Bar Pacino Saturday | 20:00 | Outside Fort Arena
words by Sean Horton
Decibel at Dimensions
ft. Nordic Soul, Morgan Geist, Moodymann, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Theo Parrish, Pezzner. Saturday | Outside Fort Arena
ABOUT NORDIC SOUL Nordic Soul has long been enamored with artistic expression, the creation of music, and the technology that fuses it all together, much to the benefit and evolution of the world of electronica and the underground culture that surrounds it. His healthy obsession began at the age of eleven in Detroit with the gift of his first guitar, got a kick in the ass with the purchase of a keyboard and drum machine during his teenage years, and continues to the present as the king of Seattle techno exists as the founder and director of the Decibel Festival. Known to his friends as Sean Horton, this DJ, producer, performer, and programmer has released music on a wide variety of labels including K Records, Buttermilk Records, Peloton and Basic_Sounds.
For more information visit DecibelFestival.com
SEATTLE’S BEST 214, Jerry Abstract, J. Alvarez, Anomie Belle, Beat Connection, Bean One, Blue Sky Black Death, Bruno Pronsato, Caro, Critters Buggin’, Cyanwave, Donald Glaude, Doza, Chloe Harris, Steve Fisk, Hannsen, Rafael Anton Irisarri, Jacob London, Jake One, Katie Kate, Keyboard Kid, Kris Moon, LawnChair Generals, Lusine, Made In Heights, Jon McMillion, Nordic Soul, Stephen O’Malley, Orcas, Pezzner, Pigeonhead, Postal Service, Sabzi, Jeff Samuel, Shabazz Palaces, Sharpshooters, The Sight Below, THEESatisfaction, Truckasauras, Tucker Martine, Chris Walla, Vitamin D, WD4D.
MEET HUXLEY i’m huxley, the king of...
40
my own living room (when no one
else is home anyway). i would laugh if you told me a year ago, that...
I would deejay in Australia. my favourite toy in the studio is...
probably
Spectrasonics Omnisphere. it’s annoying when the crowd at a gig...
aren’t there.
the most exciting movement in music for me right now is…
Turkish gabba fused techcore. Or garage.
one tune i wish i released on my label saints and sonnets is…
Us Alliance - “All I Know” (Da Grunge Mix).
if i could play a gig at any venue in the world, i’d pick…
Womb in Japan. my number one fan is…
my mummy.
my most memorable festival experience so far was…
playing at Love Saves the Day in Bristol or Eastern Electrics. Both were epic. please don’t ever ask me about…
what I’m up to next. As
normally I have no idea. if i had to drop either producing or deejaying, i’d probably…
drop deejaying.
I had made some soup. I think it was tomato. Either way, it was decent.
i wrote “let it go” right after…
my music goes very well with…
red stripe, snapbacks and
hi-tops. the world would be a better place if…
take things so seriously. Huxley at Dimensions Friday | 23:30 | Fort Arena
people didn’t
photo by Katie Palmer
EXPLORING THE MOVEMENT OF DETROIT In the midst of North America’s new found love affair with electronic dance music and an ever-expanding festival circuit of options, there is one U.S. party that rises above the rest as a pillar of excellence in production and depth: Detroit’s Movement electronic music festival.
words by Michael Walsh staff writer at Dubspot
Founded in May of 2000 as D.E.M.F. (Detroit Electronic Music Festival), this three day event has been fusing the city’s rich musical history with local and international talent in a beautiful setting along the Detroit River for over a decade. The event has changed producers over the years but ultimately wound up in the hands of Detroit tastemakers Paxahau, who have brought their trademark consistency and quality to the party. Set on a backdrop of fragmented urban landscape and a music history that spans over 60 years of influence on world culture, Movement is a unique collective experience, that attracts the more discerning music fan with its uncompromising lineup of current and classic electronic music, that runs from noon until midnight for three days at Detroit’s Hart Plaza park. A city known for industry and ingenuity, Detroit has been at the heart of the American experience for the last century, providing the birthplace for the automobile industry and simultaneously creating a working class culture as the backbone of Detroit’s obsession with music. This musical heritage became most visible in 1960, with the launch of Motown Records (an allusion to Motor City), which introduced R&B and soul music to the world. In the mid1980s, Detroit became responsible for the birth of techno music by way of the Bellevue three (Kevin Saunderson, Juan Atkins, and Derrick May), and solidified a place in the global techno community through Jeff Mills and Underground Resistance’s affiliation with Berlin’s upcoming music scene. Picking up on the pace of Chicago and New York’s growing house music scenes, Detroit has continued to be an influential player in dance music at large, and Movement has become a celebration of that influence on the world.
And part of the appeal of this event is seeing so many legends together at once. There is a friendly competition that can be felt between these local veterans as each set aims to outdo the previous. Every year there seems to be that one special set that takes everything over the edge (Robert Hood in 2010, Mike Huckaby in 2012). While the festival has roots in techno, the music experience of Movement continues to evolve and embrace artists who are pushing dance music in many new directions. The eclectic lineup for 2012 edition included artists from every avenue of electronic music, including Public Enemy, Ice T, Maya Jane Coles, Marco Carola, Kyle Hall, Maceo Plex, Hot Natured, Bok Bok, Brenmar, Sbtrkt, Nina Kraviz, Greg Wilson, Todd Terje, Mathew Jonson, Salva, Roni Size, Photek, Slow Hands, Tiger and Woods, Wolf + Lamb, Actress, Major Lazer, and Araabmuzik. As an experience, Hart Plaza really comes to life during Movement. Vendors offer local food favorites, local music and clothing stores sell their creations, and the plaza itself becomes an organic network of people who make their way from one musical experience to another, looking for the next ride that will take them someplace new. It should be noted that part of Movement’s steady growth and success lies in the affordable tickets to the event - a fantastic deal at $75 for three days of music. This makes the event non-exclusive and available to many, who might not otherwise go to festivals of this size. In turn, an eager audience of over 100,000 people make their way through Movement over the course of Memorial Day Weekend.
Detroit is a city with much pride and lack of ego. Everybody is celebrating and happy to have you join.
This year’s Movement festival hit Memorial Day Weekend in Detroit with a lineup of artists that pushed musical boundaries of the event even further than previous years. With three days of music spread across five stages, there is something for every music lover at this festival. For the techno side, Detroit legends such as Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Kevin Saunderson, Carl Craig, Mike Huckaby, and Stacy Pullen were all representing.
Coming to Detroit does take a leap of faith. The city is not necessarily a tourist destination at other times of year. But it’s a journey that offers much reward for those who want depth in their music and experience. And while music is the reason for celebration here at Movement Festival, it’s the people of Detroit that really make the experience special and complete with a mid-western hospitality that fully embraces this music culture. Detroit is a city with much pride and lack of ego. Everybody is celebrating and happy to have you join.
photo by The Jackall
THE ART DIMENSION PROJECT MOE AUTHORS: SIMON MORASI PIPERCIC VEDRAN KOLAC
MORE INFO: PROJECTMOE.NET
WE ARE SIMON MORASI PIPERCIC AND VEDRAN KOLAC, authors of Project MOE. MOE is a
range of light and video augmented modular constructions that follow the same concept: spatial multiplication of one element - the physical object and a video animation applied to it, the adaptability to a space in size and volume, and DIY production method. Coexistence of the physical object and realtime generated video is achieved with software for realtime video and graphics. Current product range consits of: MOE I, MOE II Spatial and MOE II Decibel. THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT CAME TO US WHEN we were invited by Confusion crew to do a set design for Illectricity festival in 2009. With low amount of money and lots of thinking, we created a set design which is easy to build, reusable and becomes site specific through setup and the content added in realtime-generated video. WHEN WE STARTED WE NEVER THOUGHT THAT project MOE would become such a success. In the past three years, both MOE I and MOE II were exhibited and performed accros Europe and published in several renowned design magazines. In September 2010 the concept was awarded at the Croatian Design exhibition “0910”. OUR NEXT PROJECTS WILL BE presented quite soon. We are preparing a project MOE CLB, which is a concept for a new type of clubbing space - we plan to present it in October this year. After that, in early 2013, we plan to present MOE III, new instance of MOE, which is defined under the same concept as the ones before, but in different form and with different content.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
VALUABLES
HEALTH It’s safe to drink tap water throughout Croatia, except on the small islands. With the Croatian sun it’s easy to get sunstroke, sunburn and dehydration, so please drink plenty of water and apply sun cream regularly. It’s advised to wear flip-flops or jelly shoes when swimming in rocky areas to protect your feet from sea urchins.
Leave passports/valuables in a safe place or safety locker in the Customer Village. Beware of bag and mobile phone snatchers. Ensure you know whom to contact to obtain emergency credit cards and replacement cheques if they are stolen. Report the loss of valuables to the Festival Customer Information Point, who run Lost Property, and the local police to obtain a written police report.
ELECTRICITY Electrical supply is 220V, 50Hz AC. Croatia uses the standard European round-2-pronged plugs.
INTERNET
Internet is available in the campsite and Customer Village. There are also internet cafes in some of the local villages and in Pula.
KEY EMBASSIES In case of emergency, please seek help from one of our helpful Dimensions staff members at the Customer Information point. However, here are the key embassiess contacts: BRITISH: Ivana Lučića 4, Zagreb, Croatia. Tel: + 385 1 600 9100 AMERICAN: 2 Thomas Jefferson St., Zagreb, Croatia. Tel: + 385 1 661 2200 GERMAN: Ulica Grada Vukovara 64, Zagreb, Croatia. Tel: + 385 1 630 0100
MONEY The Croatian currency is Kuna (KN). There is an ATM in the Festival Campsite, as well as in the local villages such as Stinjan and Fazana, and of course in Pula. The Dimensions Festival bars and stalls all use a token system. You can exchange your Kuna at Token Points all around the site, and then use your tokens to pay for drinks etc. £1 = 9.5KN €1=7.5KN $1=6KN
PHONE CARDS MOBILE PHONES If you have an unlocked 3G phone, you can buy a SIM card (roughly 50KN with 20 mins time included, networks: VIP, T-Mobile, Tomato or Tele2). Mobile and phonecard packets are available to buy from any telecom shop (about 150KN, including some connection time).
You’ll need a phonecard to use public telephones, available to buy at any post office and most tobacco shops and newspaper kiosks. They’re sold according to impulsa (units); cards are available in 25 (15KN), 50 (30KN), 100 (50KN) and 300 (100KN) units. A 3-minute call from Croatia using a phonecard will cost around 12KN to the UK and Europe. Local calls cost 0.80KN any time of day. Many phone boxes are equipped with a button on the upper left with a flag symbol. Press the button for instructions in English.
GROUND RULES BE NICE. Please be respectful and courteous to all those around you, staff and fellow festivalgoers, visitors and Croatians.
THAT’S RUBBISH, MATE! There is no excuse to leave litter everywhere. Clean up after yourselves, don’t leave it to someone else - take responsibility for yours and your mates’ rubbish, pick it up and take it to a bin so this beautiful festival site stays that way and can be enjoyed by everyone else as well.
STICK TO THE PATH. Please don’t wander off into the undergrowth and try to keep to paths. This region of Croatia has a number of scorpions, spiders and snakes that do bite. Areas signed ‘off limits’ or ‘out of bounds’ are not safe for public access.
PROTECT YOUR SKIN During the day make sure you wear sun screen. It’s good for you. Trust us. At night, if you don’t want to be eaten alive, please wear insect repellent or cover bare skin from the early evening onwards. Those little fuckers come in herds of millions!
HAVE A BLAST! You’ve had a long year, so leave your work, worries, and drama at home and enjoy the sun, the beach, the music, the vibes, the nature, and the beautiful company. Dimensions Festival is the place for all that good stuff only.
DON’T DO DRUGS, KIDS. The Croatian authorities take a very strict stance on the use of drugs. We STRONGLY advise that you do not bring drugs to the festival or try to buy drugs here. There WILL be a strong police presence at the festival, both uniformed and plain clothed. If you are caught with drugs or caught clearly under the influence of drugs, you will be arrested and taken to police station and at the very least you will spend the night in a cell and be given a hefty fine. Croatian Drug law policy is a lot stricter than in the UK or other European countries, so as a minimum, expect to spend the night locked up and in court the next day with a €300-600 fine.
NO PROFESSIONAL RECORDINGS Unauthorised professional cameras and video or audio equipment are prohibited. Live video and audio recordings made without the permission of the artist and promoter are prohibited.
NO VANDALISM! Anyone caught with a spray can will have their wristband taken off them immediately and will be escorted from the festival by the police. Graffiti of any sort is absolutely unacceptable in and around the festival. It’s vandalism and will jeopardise Outlook being able to return to this beautiful site.
DON’T BRING FOOD/DRINKS Food and drink may not be brought inside the festival site, including bottles of water, but there are several water pumps inside the site.
NO OPEN TOES! Flip-flops and sandals are strictly forbidden inside the Fort and Harbour. You must be wearing trainers or some other form of sturdy shoe in order to be allowed entrance. This is for your own safety as the ground isn’t suitable for unprotected feet and we do not want hundreds of stubbed toes, bruised heels and sprained ankles!
HOW TO GET AROUND
AIRPORT TRANSFERS DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL – LJUBLJANA AIRPORT Monday, September 10th, 10:00 (for flights departing at 16:55 or later) Tuesday, September 11th, 10:00 (for flights departing at 16:55 or later) DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL – ZAGREB Monday, September 10th, 7:00 (for flights departing at 14:30 or later) Tuesday, Wednesday, 0:00 (for flights departing at 7:30 or later) Tuesday, September 11th, 13:00 (for flights departing at 20:30 or later) DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL – TRIESTE Monday, September 10th, 14:30 (for flights departing at 20:30 or later) Tuesday, September 11th, 9:00 (for flights departing at 15:00 or later) DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL – VENICE MARCO-POLO Monday - Wednesday, 3:30 (for flights departing at 11:30 or later) Monday - Tuesday, 13:30 (for flights departing at 21:30 or later) Tuesday, September 11th, 8:00 (for flights departing at 16:00 or later) DIMENSIONS FESTIVAL – VENICE TREVISO Monday- Wednesday, 1:30 (for flights departing at 9:30 or later) Monday - Tuesday, 14:00 (for flights departing at 22:00 or later)
SHUTTLE BUSES There is a bus stop right outside the Dimensions Festival Campsite (Camp Brioni). Those who booked their accommodation through Dimensions Festival will receive a Shuttle Bus Pass (except for Pula apartments or the Verudella Holiday Village). Price: About €2 per journey.
TAXI If arriving outside of transfer times a Taxi will be the easiest way to get from Pula Airport to the site and should cost about 130kn. Taxis can be hailed outside stations and airports very easily or from taxi ranks in Pula. Once at the festival, there is a dedicated taxi rank a short walk away from the campsite. Please make sure you check the price before getting into a vehicle, don’t be afraid to haggle, and watch out for illegal taxis – although cheaper, they are not regulated by the city and you may be putting yourself in unnecessary danger.
HOW DO YOU SAY... Kad na vrbi rodi grožđe. (When a willow bears grapes.) This will never happen.
Zdravo Hello Do viđenja Goodbye Da Yes / Ne No Molim Please Hvala Thank you Pardon Sorry
Ispeci pa reci.
First bake it, than say it
Bolje spriječiti nego liječiti.
Better safe than sorry.
Slika govori više nego tisuću riječi. A picture speaks more than a thousand words
Hoćeš plesati? Wanna dance?
Koliko stoji pivo? How much is the beer?
Volim te. I love you.
Zovem se… My name is… Vaše ime? What is your name? Drago mi je. Pleased to meet you. Govorite li engleski? Do you speak English? Ne govorim hrvatski. I do not speak Croatian. Gdje je…? Where is the…?
LABELS WE LOVE R&S RECORDS
LEISURE SYSTEM Established: The Berghain residency started in 2008, the label was established in 2011. Core Team: Ned Beckett, Sam Barker, Peter Puzzle, Michail Stangl Label Overview: We had three quite different releases so far. Future garage and hip hop vibes from the Muscovite Pixelord (LSR001), West-Coast bass from Eprom (LSR002) and advanced techno bangers with a twist from our resident Barker (LSR003). Why was the label started: We had the feeling that even though
there is so much amazing and new music out there, we still can add something unique and fresh to it. Something that represents our vision of captivating electronic music. Biggest release of 2012: Our next one. But it’s still a secret. One hint: it’s a collaboration between two of the headliners of our Dimensions stage! Next Release: The super secret collaboration between two of our personal heroes. After that, we’ll have a look. We got a great mixture between young talents from Berlin and established producers in the pipeline!
Established: 1984. Relaunched in 2006. Core Team: Andy Whittaker and Dan Foat Label Overview: The classic ‘90s techno label revived, relocated and back at its best. Why was the label started: The label was first started to release New Beat from Belgium and it then came to define the sound of European techno. We also released Detroit classics from the likes of Derrick May, Model 500, Kevin
2020VISION Established: 1994. Core Team: The label was originally started by Carl Finlow and Ralph Lawson. In more recent times we have started the 2020Vision party brand, where Ralph Lawson and Danny Raper have been successfully taking the 2020 label parties across the UK, Europe and beyond. Label Overview: Leeds based purveyors of quality electronic music from around the globe. Why was the label started: To put out quality house music in Leeds. We had a 2020Vision of house music that we wanted to share with the people. One release that defines the label: Classics like Paul Woolford’s “Erotic Discourse” or Johnny D’s remix of 2020Soundsystem’s “Sliding Away”,
but tracks that truly define the label are ones that remind us of the Leeds party scene and that classic house sound that we’ve never strayed overly far from - so for that reason we’re going with a bit of a curveball called “Liptrick - Liptrick” from 2004. Biggest release of 2012: Huxley’s debut EP on the label was certainly very well received, as was the Mario Basanov remix of Crazy P. Other big hitters we’re Freak Seven’s We Bring The Music and more recently ‘Ossie’s Supercalli EP’ which has just been released on 2020 Midnight Visions, a sub-label of 2020Vision which aims to focus on lesser-known producers. Next Release: Homework “Confessing / C’mon”, followed by a superb EP from new 2020 signing Joyce Muniz.
Saunderson and Carl Craig. The label was re-launched in London and we are trying to continue the tradition of releasing cutting edge, classic music. One release that defines the label: James Blake “CMYK” Biggest release of 2012: Lone “Galaxy Garden” or Trimbal “Confidence Boost” (coming soon) Next Release: Airhead “Pyramid Lake”
SOUND OF THE COSMOS Established: 2011 over some very nice red wine and cigars backstage at the Big Chill. Core Team: Tom Middleton, Richie Rundle, Joe Muggs Label Overview: We’re about space, bass and soul, and about finding points of connection between generations and genres. Why was the label started: In putting together a Sound Of The Cosmos tent for Big Chill 2011, we came to realise how much the current musical climate dovetailed with Tom’s original and still classic 2002 Sound Of The Cosmos compilation. In fact, talking to new generation bass artists who inspired us, we discovered many of them had in
turn been inspired by Tom’s mix... continuing the experiment and strengthening these links seemed only natural. Biggest release of 2012: Only one release to date: the mammoth SOTC001 EP featuring Silkie, Distal & Mite, Jabru, VVV, Sapience, Forgold. Supported by everyone from Laurent Garnier to Artwork, Mala to Mixmaster Morris... Next Release: SOTC002 features the luscious “Broken Endz” by Geiom feat. Rachel Foster, the dark ambience of DJ Distance “Salvation”, the rich psychedelic funkiness of Blacksmif “Sur La Lune”, and two drops of liquid sunshine from Universal Solution in “Liquid Love” and “High Rise”.
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