The inaugural edition of Awakenings Upclose, a new festival from the team behind Awakenings, took place on 18 and 19 May, and proved to be a welcome addition to the techno calendar, featuring a mix of exhilarating back-to-back sets, stellar performances from both established and up and coming artists, and – thankfully – two days of solid sunshine.
The festival, which took place at Awakenings’ traditional stomping ground of Houtrak (Spaarnwoude-park) in Amsterdam, and sought to explore musical landscapes ‘beyond the established techno spectrum’ – the layout was smaller than previous events (and therefore easier to navigate), with different stages exploring various styles.
Arena 07, for example, featuring artists such as AnD, I Hate Models, SNTS and 999999999, was wall-to-wall hard techno, while Area 22, which featured Carista, Paramida, Francesco del Garda and a house set from Nina Kraviz, was an altogether deeper affair.
What’s more, all stages were accessible from all sides, enabling fans to get ‘upclose’ to their favourite performers, either down the front in the traditional style, or behind the decks – a novel addition that helped bolster the collective energy.
The 909originals team were in attendance for the duration of the festival – our highlights included… Perc x Wallis’ dynamic back-to-back set… Marlon Hoffstadt bringing his unique blend of bouncy house to a sun drenched Area 97… a mesmerising live performance from Sandwell District… Rebekah taking no prisoners at Arena 07… Ricardo Villalobos blending 80s synth vibes with minimal beats… Blasha & Allatt’s pumping start to a sunny Sunday… Overmono bringing the bass… MARRØN x Rene Wise packing out Area 01 for perhaps the best set of the weekend… Speedy J x Colin Benders for bringing those present on a psychedelic journey… Freddy K & The Lady Machine taking things to a higher, uncharted territory… and 999999999 closing things out as only they can.
The queues were minimal, the weather was stunning, the vibes were strong – what else would you need? Roll on next year. 🙂
You can check out some photos from Awakenings Upclose below. More coverage can be found on 909originals’ Instagram page.
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