Words by Léa Ben Saïd
So this is it – the European summer festival season is basically over. Spending your days among the trees, on the shores of lakes, in massive fields, or even in human-sized mazes, will soon be replaced by spending your days mooching around in between different venues in the centre of your favourite metropoles. While both formats have their own merits, there is something special about being immersed in an environment that has been thought about in great detail and created from scratch by a team of people for the previous eleven months.
For many of us, Draaimolen was the perfect way to round up the season. The two-day festival which ran from midday to 1 a.m. on the first Friday and Saturday of September, with an opening concert on the Thursday night and an additional after party going into the early hours of Sunday, provided the perfect setting to immerse ourselves one last time among the lights and in the music, while providing the perfect soft landing out of the summer. While it was my first time at the MOB Complex, an old mobilisation complex for the Dutch army built during the Cold War, most people I chatted to had come at least once or twice before, which is when the festival expanded and started taking place over two days instead of one. The loyalty of the crowd is a clear testament to the hard work which has gone into building this idyllic space, from the music to the production, and you could not help but feel special being able to be a part of it.
Over two days, 79 acts took over 5 stages, for which production and programming went hand in hand. Those two aspects of the event are what makes Draaimolen such a special place – each stage has a very unique identity and vibe, and guest curators are routinely invited to contribute to the line up and the setting of their stage. From KI/KI’s hosting of the STR/OBE, Blawan and Pariah’s Pit, Eris Drew and Octo Octa’s Forest Rave, or Nous Klaer’s Aura stage, as well as a number of exclusive never-seen-before collaborations, Draaimolen positions itself as an undeniable force fostering creativity and innovation, veering away from trendy festival bookings and catering for a crowd in-the-know.
Looking back on it, it’s in The Pit that I spent most of my time. With a truly eclectic programming including both DJ sets and live acts, covering everything from techno, electro, dubstep, to singeli, footwork, guaracha, reggaeton, gqom and more, it was hard to peel yourself away from it; the variety of the music made it incredibly captivating and never boring. Mul/anna and Teqmun opened the stage in style on Friday, and were followed by some outstanding performances. That day, DJ Travella’s live set, during which he ended up on top of the decks dancing with the crowd, was particularly amazing, full of energy and communicative joy. Right after it, it was no other than Jlin who took over for another live set as the sun was setting. Her set was different to the one she was touring in the spring when she was promoting the release of her last album Akoma and was more aimed towards the dancefloor, reminding us of her versatility and her genius. I had originally planned to go see another act that I had not had the chance to see before at that time, but it was too good to leave. This is right about when The Pit’s UFO strobe started flying over the crowd too, adding to the whole experience.
Among the hundreds of lights of the STR/OBE stage designed by the Architecture Social Club, it’s Lyzza and Shyboi who shone through. Both incredible artists in their own way with very distinct sonic identities, they managed to deliver a set which perfectly reflected their influences and backgrounds. Sonorities from South America and Africa collided and met hard techno and gabber kicks which resonated in your chest thanks to the perfectly tuned sound system.
Later on in the night, I ventured into the Forest Rave for the first time to catch Altern8. Even though I had been following all the chats about it this year, and had heard all the reviews from last year, I don’t think anything could have really prepared me for what I would experience there. Among the trees, and during this particular set, we were greeted with pure rave euphoria. The incredible sound system was singing and carrying all sorts of rave stabs and piano chords as Altern8 delivered a proper slice of rave history. While Archer was playing New Order’s Blue Monday, Joey Beltram’s Energy Flash, Baby D’s Let Me Be Your Fantasy, and even a remix of The Prodigy, the setting kept changing under the incredible lights of the stage. White-netted curtains were surrounding the edges of the dancefloor, and as the lights came on and everyone was looking up in awe, smiling at the beauty of the scene, a stranger in front of me turned around and said: “It’s raining diamonds.”, perfectly encapsulating how gorgeous it was.
To round up the day, it was DJ Voices and Polygonia’s set which soundtracked the last few hours. This was probably one of the sets I was most excited about (although considering the line up, it would have been impossible to say I didn’t wish I was able to be at several places at once). Both versatile DJs, their worlds collided in a mix of deep techno and reverberating dub lines, with a particular wormholey flair, perfectly suiting the ethereal setting of the Aura stage. On each side of the dancefloor, massive boxes were bottom-lit and filled with smoke, reminiscent of Twin Peaks and the work of Boris Acket, creating a totally immersive atmosphere. The two DJs came together in such harmony that it seemed they were one, perfectly complementing each other with every track being played. The perfect way to get us ready for the next day.
Saturday somehow felt like a completely different vibe, which was partly due to the weather. The temperatures were noticeably higher, and the sun shining through the trees uplifted everyone who might have been feeling slightly fragile for day two. The day started as the previous day had finished: at the Aura stage. It was Mama Snake and Martinou who opened with a four-hour set and perfectly set the scene for the rest of the day. Their set was deep, collected, meaningful and intentional, warming us up in the most appropriate way possible. Sticking to lower BPMs for a majority of the set, it was particularly interesting to see this side of Mama Snake who has been more closely associated with harder sounds in the past few years. Ahead of this set, both DJs took part in a podcast talking about their approach and their influences, and this set was the perfect depiction of what had been said then.
Back to The Pit after this, Rosa Pistola and Shannen SP were at the helm. This back to back was another perfect example of two artists coming together with very different backgrounds and sonorities, and perfectly associating in the middle. While Rosa seemed to play more flavourful tracks, Shannen was bringing more hard-hitting sounds which kept the set moving in unpredictable directions, and the association of the two felt like the perfect balance. It was definitely one of my highlights. After them, Aunty Rayzor and DJ Tobzy electrified the crowd with an incredibly engaging set. Near the end, Aunty Rayzor even jumped into the crowd, directing the audience to split in two, crouch down, sing along, and dance with her. It was a beautiful moment of collective joy.
In the safe haven of The Chapel, Toumba jumped in at the last minute, subbing for Arushi Jain who unfortunately could not attend. This was an incredibly worthy replacement however, as Toumba’s set was equally weighty, atmospheric, and driving. After many years of knowing him as a DJ and producer, it was the perfect setting to see him present his work in the long format. Some people were sitting down in the sand, mesmerised by the lights and the sounds, while others were dancing hard or softly swaying, making it an experience from which you could get whatever you needed at that time. Directly after him, although on the other side of the area, it’s the elusive Lanark Artefax who took to the stage. He brought on a complex set of glitchy yet timely sounds, not really sitting in any particular genres and continuously moving along, complemented by a combination of lights and smokes which could not leave anyone indifferent. At the end of the set, you could turn around to witness the impressive central booth set up for the live set of A#, made of French II, Alberta Balsam, Bastian Benjamin and Milio. The quartet delivered a hard-hitting set combining techno, electro, bass and breaks, in an explosive cocktail.
The last three hours of the day came with unexpected rain, but it was in the Forest Rave that we finished the festival. The final two sets were two back to backs I was very excited to see. First, Bastiengoat and Bored Lord, who do not play in Europe all that much. Their set was as ecstatic as expected, playing anything from dubstep to bassline to electro to breaks, always under the 145 bpm limit. Punctuated by particularly memorable moments, such as when they played Joy Orbison’s Hyph Mngo or the L-Major remix of Denham Audio & Borai’s Make Me, they managed to create an incredibly cohesive and euphoric set under the Forest’s beautiful lights. Finally, it’s no other than Octo Octa and Tim Reaper who closed the stage in the best possible way. For two hours, they went through everything drums, breaks, and bass, playing both old school and newer jungle, drum and bass and tekkers, to a widely captivated crowd who stuck with them through the rain. This set somehow encapsulated everything the Forest Rave seemed to be about; paying respects to rave originators, shining a light on the new alongside the classics, and creating collective joy. For me, the Forest Rave stage could even be a festival on its own; it was a truly special time in a truly special place.
After this experience, it’s easy to understand why so many people I met ended up coming again and again to the festival. Dancing in dreamy settings, surrounded by amazing sound systems, among people who have sometimes travelled far for the music itself as well as locals, showing how Draaimolen has managed to grow sustainably within its environment, all of these aspects have made for the perfect combination of an easy-going, well-organised event, which you can trust to bring you the most qualitative experience possible. I will be back.
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