Dekmantel Festival, after eleven editions, showcased its unwavering commitment to the evolution of electronic music while staying true to its core identity. The week-long festival took place July 30-August 3. It was a fearless exhibition of the far-reaching potentials of the burgeoning electronic music landscape. It went back where it came from with a completely calibrated unchanged boomerang. With this move, it reasserted its role as one of the leading voices in the global electronic music community.
Making his Dekmantel debut was Richie Hawtin who went under the moniker DEX EFX X0X. The festival’s dedication to showcasing electronic music within broader cultural contexts was highlighted by Jeff Mills' live scoring of Metropolis.
Dekmantel's festival featured seven signature stages, each carefully curated to maintain distinct identities and cater to diverse tastes within electronic music. The Nest provided essential space for UK bass and jungle sounds, while other stages hosted label showcases, further enriching the festival experience. Two Shell in their first-ever performance on Dekmantel festival’s Radar stage. Their performance was a reminder to all of the festival’s ability to share the best, most exciting emerging talent.
Floating Points’ Sunflower Sound system had its Netherlands debut at Dekmantel. It highlighted an experimental 8-point configuration developed by artist/activist Sam Shepherd. This highlighted the festival’s focus on innovation and expanding sonic boundaries.
Steffi & Virginia then treated us to a live rendition of their upcoming Patterns of Vibration album. Polygonia performed a Dream Horizons set in the beginning to welcome the audience home. Call Super debuted his limited edition mix CD A Rhythm Protects One. These performances further solidified Dekmantel's reputation for showcasing cutting-edge sounds.
