
Marsman @ Dekmantel Selectors 2022

2020 is definitely not a good year for artists, clubs, festivals or arts in general. Because of the lock-down generated by the Covid-19 pandemic clubs are closed and festivals are canceled every week. Sadly, two of the most interesting electronic music festivals had last year their last edition, Nachtdigital near Leipnitz and Strange Sounds From Beyond in Amsterdam. But, here are the electronic music festivals that we recommend this year in Europe. Hopefully the lock-down will not close this summer and some of these festivals will go on.
Here are some recordings from this year’s Dekmantel Selectors festival.
The highlights for us were Mick Wills, who opened the festival for us on Thursday, Solar, who we are really happy to finally hear live for the first time and the b2b between Intergalactic Gary & Pasiphae which marked the closing of festival for us on Monday. Another premiere for us was listening for the first time live the Romanian duo Khidja. They really rocked the place and the chilling rain made it even more memorable. Also Rabih Beaini‘s three hours ritualistic performance at sunset was one of the best performances from the festival.
One of the highlights of the festival was the IFM Boat Party with Identified Patient & Pasiphae, Intergalactic Gary. There is a special vibe on these boat parties and IFM one was one of the best so far. Unfortunately there are no recordings from this party, yet.
Dekmantel Selectors is now over, we are back to our usual life, or we are trying to, but the vibe of the festival is still buzzing through our vines. The turquoise waters of Tisno, the shade from the pine forest, the rocky coastline, the incredible sound of the cicadas that is worth of a representation in one of Rabih Beaini’s mesmerizing ritualistic performances, the music that was filling every space, will stay with us for days.
Dekmantel Selectors is an intimate festival, limited to a capacity of 2000, to keep the vibe pure throughout the whole week and this can be seen once you get to the bay from The Garden, next to the small fishing village of Tisno.
Here are some of the most interesting electronic music festivals in Europe this year.
Lena Willikens is the kind of artist who’s only capable of following one path – her own. In many ways, she’s the archetypal selector, an unpredictable DJ who often eschews all notions of genre in favor of what she describes as “different temperatures, different time zones, different moods and a healthy portion of chaos.” Although her methods have certainly proven effective on the dancefloor, Willikens also refuses to be bound by its traditional limitations.