Mysteryland’s festival within a festival; Sunday School artists you can’t miss
Mysteryland's festival within a festival; Sunday School artists you can't miss
While EDM will be given its fair shake throughout Mysteryland’s US debut, the festival within a festival, Sunday School, looks to be the bohemian retreat for many of those interested in dancing without any neon distractions. The tech and house driven refuge has outgrown its single stage version found at Electric Zoo and instead occupies 3 full stages, The Big Top, the mirror-covered Spiegeltent and a special Vinyl Only arena. Over the course of two days, forty of the most cutting edge talents in tech house, deep house and techno will provide the soundtrack for the more seasoned dance music fans. From Detroit’s Visionquest crew, to Pan Pot, Carl Craig, Joris Voorn and Ovum’s 20-year anniversary, there is no shortage of eclectic underground talents in this lineup.
Joris Voorn
Before Joris Voorn struck the industry with his unconventional guise, house music was reduced to a cheesy and often formulaic run of European house hits. By far one of the nation’s most down-played icons, his dual live and recorded aura has commanded respect from every corner of the industry, epitomised by an elaborate yet inspiring stance on the middle grounds between house, techno and its easily misplaced boundaries. For 2014, the emphasis has fallen on haunting remixes from across the musical ponds, of which there certainly has been no shortage. From Steve Mac to Lykke Li, Voorn’s intricate and often haunting studio hand continue to form a bridge into the electronic sound scope that few have nailed with such identity as the Rejected label master. To top it all off, Voorn’s proven track record for bringing long and lucid sets to the masses has seldom slipped off the radar, making him an obvious MVP for the weekend’s diverse proceedings.
Kölsch
When Rune RK dropped into the entity now known and loved as Kölsch, the Danish talent inaugurated one of the most beloved and consistent of his meticulous projects to date to bless the digital market. With an affliction for techno’s more melodic remits and a sound primed perfectly for the festival circuit, an on-going run of stunning material for Kompakt and no shortage of global duties have affirmed that Rune Reilly Kolsch is a force to be reckoned with on the underground sound scope. As we patiently await a highly speculated full-length offering and no shortage of festival action across the continents, such high-profile stops as Mysteryland offer up the perfect scenario to see just why this guy is brining an unprecedented spike in enthusiasm to the lesser groomed remits of the industry right now.
Blond:ish
Montreal’s Anstascia D’elene and Vivie Ann Bakoshave never rested on the laurels of being a rare and wonderful female force on the underground circuit. Then again, a track record of residencies and label ventures such as theirs comes few-and-far between by modern industry standards. Now residing in London and balancing a romantic bonding with both Get Physical and Kompakt, Blond:ish’s statement speaks for itself: the music can and will always speak when given an inspiring geographic spread. Sweeping between the boundaries of techno and house music like a jungle cat in the long grass, their studio assets have been matched with a brand of quality and consistency on the live trail, one that has established them as a double-team brand of the highest calibre. This summer sees the duo on fighting form, with Mysteryland marking a significant stop for one of the most powerful and ascending forces in the underground.
Josh Wink (Ovum 20-year Anniversary)
Josh Wink celebrates the 20-year anniversary of his Ovum imprint on Saturday at the Vinyl Only stage. What started in 1994 as a vehicle to release his hit “Liquid Summer,” Ovum Records has housed such talents as Technasia, Nic Fanciulli, M A N I K throughout its esteemed life cycle. A classic label with even more classic pressings, expect Wink’s vinyl-only performance to be nothing short of extraordinary — consider it a trip back in time, when the grooves were simpler but no less contagious.
Justin Martin
Justin Martin reps the dirtybird crew on Sunday in front of the Spiegeltent, following up Visionquest’s Detroit techno Saturday with a menagerie of sounds from his bag of tricks. Never a fan of the word “predictable” Justin Martin’s sets are guaranteed to delight, a charming collection of drum n’ bass, Chicago house, techno, and everything in between.
Seth Troxler
The mustachio’d menace, Seth Troxler, brings the entire Visionquest crew to the Spiegeltent on Saturday for the first, last, and only time the foursome will be performing together in 2014. The most outspoken supporter of true club culture, Troxler recently called Steve Aoki “a cunt” and took shots at the entire swath of EDM culture. Why? Because his dance identity is rooted in a much deeper place, devoid of gimmicks and glitter. A true iconoclast in a scene that is becoming increasingly vanilla, Troxler and Co’s Saturday take-over is going to be the most memorable of the entire weekend – expect the unexpected from Seth, even if it means a stumble or two (or three) – but the raw energy will be unparalleled.
Categories: Features