A Closer Listen
Dekmantel Festival celebrates its tenth anniversary with a massive box set: seven albums, each loosely representing one of the festival stages, containing 44 exclusive tracks from Dekmantel artists old and new. The genres are generous, including techno, house, breakbeat and jungle; big names (Jeff Mills, Adrian Sherwood, Lee Gamble) are here among the new and upcoming. The treats are the insight into the festival for those who have never attended, and the souvenir aspect for those who have.
Over a decade, genres come and go, and some return again. It’s a delight to hear the Octa & Eris 303 Mix of Alchemical Sisters‘ “Yellow Acid,” as the squelch has been missed and should never have gone out of style. Those glowsticks should still work, even if they’ve been buried in a drawer for years. Kode9‘s “Death Rattle” is one of the more aggressive tracks, as signaled by its title; it’s another example of how drum ‘n’ bass has continued to evolve. Verraco‘s “perpetual light shining on you” is a welcome outlier, with vocal loops and electronic whooshes establishing the atmosphere before a single beat appears. When those beats do drop, they offer a clash between harshness and intimacy, making one consider the ways in which the title is reflected in the movement between light and dark. But the bravest and weirdest track – which again, one might intuit from the title – is Karenn‘s “Lettuce is a Type of Lettuce,” whose vocal plunges it into the realm of the bizarre. “What’s your favorite type of lettuce?” asks the narrator. Might festival goers respond? At Dekmantel 2024, did heads of lettuce become the new glowsticks? And might one call this the rare vegan anthem?
XAKALELE’s Fierce Mix of Animistic Belief‘s “Thở Lửa” is indeed fierce, featuring pounding, tribal drums, a stuttered vocal and mysterious meltdowns. One can imagine the attendees going wild as the percussion emanates from a bank of building-high speakers. Aquarian‘s “Deep V” is a trance-inducing track, marked by a mid-selection shift from percussion to melody. In contrast, SKY H1‘s “Dome” goes hard from the very start, with compelling breakbeats and a dark, sci-fi mood. Three years have passed since the artist’s debut album, and we’re eager for more. And while “Villafunk” may lead one to expect a funk track, it’s an acid trance banger, courtesy of Aurora Halal & DJ G, that should absolutely blow the roof off of any tent it’s under.
We’ve chosen our favorite eight to highlight, reflecting our own personal tastes; we suspect others will choose different tracks. This is the beauty of the festival, and the reason behind the multiple stages. There’s something for every dancer; it’s only a question of matching the artist with the fan. Dekmantel Ten, which also bears the number DKMNTL100, is an anniversary done right. Here’s to the next decade! (Richard Allen)
Tue Sep 10 00:01:34 GMT 2024