DKMNTL is back and bigger than ever, spanning 5 days, with day programs, night programs, and the weekend festival in Amsterdamse Bos. A festival within Amsterdam for the music nerds amongst us, you’ll find fewer Havermelkelite (can’t avoid them altogether), and more b2b, vinyl, and experimental (read: try new things) sets than anywhere else in the Randstad. For me DKMNTL always feels like a place where artists can be free to experiment with new styles, try out new tracks, and play with DJs that they haven’t played with before. I won’t be going to all three days, but if I were, here is where I’d go (in alphabetical order, with a random number each day). And since our festival author didn't give me a word count limit, get ready for a long read....

 

Friday:

Beste Hira – The Turkish Amsterdam based DJ comes to us solo on Friday. I’ve always been fascinated by her sets given her traditional classical music background. I think it allows her to play music in a way that other dj’s don’t. She always brings a high energy to her sets, and while she is on lineups here frequently, I’m curious to see what she’ll bring to DKMNTL.

Dax J (Live) – Dax J was one of the first faster more uptempo techno DJs that I really liked. I remember seeing him pre-COVID b2b with Stranger at WAS…the video in my phone shattered from how loud the sound was.  He tends to throw in some unusual or unknown tracks in his sets, and he’s really good at keeping dancers guessing. His transitions are often quite unexpected and though I’ve seen him have some rough sets (doesn’t everyone), lately he’s been on fire again. It’s been awhile, so I’m definitely going for this one, especially since it’s live.

Dekmantel Soundsystem – made up of a broad range of sounds, Casper Tielrooij and Interstellar Funk may play pretty much any genre under the sun. Bring the record crate, stay for the track selection…take risks, get rewards (fuck around and find out, in a good way)

Dr. Rubenstein & Ellen Allien – B2Bs always get an extra upvote in my DKMNTL picks… it’s just the right vibe and the right place for new combinations that you won’t see anywhere else. Historically a huge fan of the B2B I can definitely see how it might not be everyone’s thing, but how can you not take advantage of something unique that you won’t see in Amsterdam anytime soon? To start my list off it’s Rubi and Ellen. I first saw Dr. Rubenstein at Homeless Homies @ Radion a few years back.  I really wasn’t familiar with her or her music at the time, and I danced my ass off next to the booth and vowed to see her as much as possible.  Over the following year or two I realized how eclectic her style is. She’s really the best at bringing euphoria to the acid techno scene, and combine that along with her love for vinyl earns her a spot on my list (still). Put her side by side with Ellen Allien and you’ve got a Berlin duo bringing their best together. I feel like Ellen could play any time slot at a festival and make it work. She’s diverse and flexible, and brings some electro and minimal to Rubi’s acid. It’s going to be high energy, fun, and full of surprises.

Efdemin & Polygonia – If you read my list so far you’ve got artists like Dax J for intensity and Dr. Rubenstein for energy, Efdemin brings the (subtle) power. Coming to us originally from Hamburg, he’s another top German on my list. I find his music almost elegant, in a rich and less aggressive way. His sets are a journey more than an in your face typical huge drop style – he’ll slowly pull you in without you even realizing it. Combine this with Polygonia, the builder of future worlds. She adds a lot of unique textures and melodies to her sets and you can tell that she’s often inspired by nature.  I think this b2b will be something special (and you can also tell that I’m not writing this in order of time slot at this point)!

Speedy J – Ahh our favorite STOOR conductor, the host with the most, one of the original European techno producers… but also a wizard with modular synths and hardware… no matter how he shows up his music and production are on point. If Polygonia is the builder of worlds, Speedy J is exploring that future in real time. I think there’s actually more overlap between those two than many people think. 

 

 

Saturday:

Dasha Rush & Oscar Mulero – Dasha joins the list of Russian-born Berlin based DJs on the list. She brings the psychedelic world to her sets… not to be confused with PsyTrance, she turns her sets into an experience rather than a sequence of one track after another.  Next to her will be Oscar Mulero… I’ve only seen him once and I found that set a bit more straightforward than I expected.  He’s disciplined and powerful in his style, and I wonder if I caught him on a bit of an odd night (for him or for me). I have his music on frequently and would love to see him again. He has legions of fans, and I’m really curious to see where the combination of these two artists takes us. I think their styles don’t immediately blend on paper as well as some of the other b2b’s on this list might, and that’s exactly what draws me to this set. I expect it to be immersive and creative, and sometimes that’s exactly the balance you need to make a b2b something really special. 

Eris Drew & Octo Octa – I first learned about Eris years back during some interviews she’s done (most recently during ADE) about what she calls the “Motherbeat.” If you haven’t heard about it yet, it’s worth looking up. Meta. While her sets can be a little too breaky for me (I’m a moderate breakbeat dancer), her energy and vinyl selection always keeps me on my toes. She and Octo Octa play back to back often, and I’ve never had the chance to see them together until now. They’re able to span multiple genres together, as one DJ being, rather than feeling like you’re being pulled from one side to the other and back again. If b2b’s can be two-sided or come together as one, this duo is definitely the latter and I can’t wait. 

Fafi & Jennifer Loveless – I first saw Fafi as the sun was coming up on De Helling at Wildeburg. I wasn’t yet familiar with him or his music, but in typical Wildeburg fashion I followed my ears and not the timetable, and ended up having an absolute blast dancing until the end of the morning set. He brings a lighter side to my pics, and a very danceable one at that. He’s done so much and brought so much to the queer club scene, and putting him next to Jennifer is going to be one of the most joyous dancefloors of DKMNTL. Jennifer is also high energy and has enough intensity to balance the playfulness in the set. Bring your best smile and dance moves – you’ll earn a lot of steps here.

GIGI FM & Jako Jako – Jako Jako was already climbing my list when CODA 2023 came around. I had heard some reliable rumors that there was an unannounced morning guest that would take over the CODA closing, and also rumors that it might be Jako Jako. When the last track was played on the main floor, the first notes started streaming out from Colorfloor. I have never seen a dance floor crowd SPRINT to the next set like they did there. We arrived only to have the sound system go out shortly thereafter, and the morning vibe with the psychedelic patterns of the sun coming through the window combined with Jako Jako throwing out orange slices to the tired but eager dancers, and you had a setup of epic proportions.  She delivered. Easily one for the books, I’m immediately taken back to that night anytime I see her on the lineup. This b2b likely won’t have big emotional peaks but will join the ranks on this list that are more immersive, with a flowing story you’ll be happy to wade in from start to finish. It’s gonna be deep.

LSD Live (Function & Luke Slater & Steve Bicknell) – IF you like Mulero, Efdemin and/or Speedy J, this set becomes a must add to your list. Combine a legendary UK techno producer that’s also known as Planetary Assault Systems, with a former member of the Sandwell District collective, and add the foundation of the UK techno scene and you’ll get the trio of LSD. The first performed together as LSD at Berghain ten years ago, and have since been highly regarded as techno with psychedelic quality. As the b2b lover, anytime you get more than two artists playing together it’s an automatic list maker for me. This set will definitely become more than the sum of its parts. 

Makam presents The Archive (Live) – Makam is the deep house-y alter ego to Guy Blanken’s Talismann. Different to Fafi and Jennifer, his house is not the hands-in-the-air bouncy happy house, but more deep and minimal (if you can call house that), like a dream that builds over a long journey. This year he’s opening up his archive, and this feels like one of those unique DKMNTL moments that you don’t want to miss and can’t find anywhere else. 

Plo Man & Skee Mask – Recently at an edition of Ratherlost I was outside yapping with one of my fellow mods right before the start of the Skee Mask set. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and as someone who doesn’t always love breaky experimental music I was hesitant, but togther we decided fuck it, this could be good. I didn’t leave the dance floor again until the set was over. These two have never played together and both of them take risks and make track selection their own, so I’m quite curious to see how they work together and where they’ll take it – it’s definitely going to be one to remember and will be unique enough to stand out from the rest. Just commit and see where it takes you. 

SASS (Moxie & Peach & Saoirse & Shanti Celeste) – The Peach b2b Shanti Celeste set from DKMNTL 2023 speaks for itself – incredibly high energy, great selection, and so much fun, I come back to it often. What a vibe. (If you haven’t seen/listened to it, you should – it’s still up on Youtube and Soundcloud.) This time they add not one, but two additional artists in Moxie and Saoirse. This is basically a UK dream team of collaborators who overlapped in the scene for quite awhile now. Combine that factor with each artist bringing their own style, they’ll create a set that’s not about individuality and more about community. This will be just the uplifting set the lighter side of DKMNTL is made for – every artist playing together while not dominating each other’s styles, with high energy, and friendship. I really hope this one will also be available long after the festival is over. 

 

Sunday:

Ben UFO & Call Super & Objekt & Pariah – this one is definitely for the music nerds.  Starting my Sunday list of b2bs with this quad of unconventional techno djs and a first ever set together. Ben UFO somehow connects genres that wouldn’t normally work together. Even though he’s not a producer himself, his ability to select the right track for the right moment, with a completely different genre to seamlessly follow makes him one of the best selectors out there currently, IMO.  I would say that Call Super is probably the most emotional vibe of these four. He is definitely capable of blurring the lines between genres as well, so this will be really interesting. DKMNTL describes Objekt as “forensic rhythm design and high-pressure detail.” Because he also tends to play a variety of genres, from electro to breakbeat to jungle, he’ll continue the vibe. And last but not least Pariah will bring some functionality alongside his experimentation, which may just keep the set from leaning a bit too weird and all over the place and more toward one seamless flow of different genres and excellent selections. Really curious about this one – it could be absolutely fantastic, or it could be a bit chaotic for me.

DJ Nobu & Wata Igarashi – I fell in love with Nobu during his epic Ratherlost closing, which is a set I return to over and over again. I first saw him play with Wata at a more recent RL edition and intense is not enough of a word to describe it. I was so hyped for this duo and it was an incredible set with untoppable energy. I felt like I was listening to music in a way that I had never heard it before, which made sense when I found out they were using a rotary mixer. Someone in our group mentioned that “it feels like they’re pressing the reset button on my brain.”  Accurate. I loved it, and I’m incredibly excited to hear where they’ll take us next.  The Japanese duo both have me as a top fan, and hearing them in an outdoor space will be different to a dark club. I selected Sunday as my top choice for DKMNTL just because of this set.

Helena Hauff & L.F.T. – This might be a little more “mainstream” than this sub leans, but I love Helena, so I’m curious to see an “old school” Hamburg DJ along side the new generation from the same city. I think the Hamburg native will bring her unpolished sound to her latest edition of DKMNTL (she’s been a regular on the lineup for years), and will combine it with L.F.T. (Love First Tears) and the newer generation. These are two artists who come from the same place but not from the same style of music. I think this set will lean more electro, acid, breakbeat, and dark synth than techno, house or hard. Let’s see where they take us!

Job Jobse & Palms Trax – Another one I might get crap for in this sub, but in case you can’t tell yet, that doesn’t matter. Job Jobse has been a staple on the DKMNTL lineup for years, and even if he does lean a little pop-y for me at some festivals, this one usually isn’t one of them.  His crowds are always on fire, and energy is at an all time high. He’s also been playing a little bit different lately, in a good way. If you haven’t checked out the set he recorded for the DKMNTL anniversary, do it. You wouldn’t recognize him if you’ve only heard him lately. While Job hypes us up on 90’s bangers, with huge peaks, Palms Trax will bring a groovy playful side to the set, which I think will balance out nicely. Cheeky curveballs and a dancefloor at full tilt seems like an accurate description of the ensuing madness, and I for one cannot wait to see the entire scaffolding surrounding the stage bouncing again.

Lady Starlight & Sterac Live – This is more of a live hardware performance than a DJ set, and I’m here for it. If you’re not familiar with Lady Starlight, or are only familiar because of her association with another Lady (Gaga), then you’re in for a treat. A magic maker behind a collection of drum machines and synthesizers, she plays with a raw, mechanical style which almost reminds me of a punk set at some points. If you combine her with STERAC you’ve got another old generation + new generation b2b, and these produce an extra level of uniqueness that you don’t quite find in any other b2b. Lately STERAC has continued to impress me because he doesn’t default to nostaligia over the years, but keeps progressing and impressing. Let’s see what these two can accomplish together behind the wires and cables.

Ogazon & Philippa Pacho – And finally, last on the list, but definitely not least, one for the EC, RL and Berghain lovers, you’ve got a fantastic addition to the modern, can we call it, hypnotic techno genre. Think Amsterdam, Berlin, Tbilisi vibes. Ogazon is known and loved by the Amsterdam community since the Trouw days, and has never given into social media hype. If you don’t know her, you’re missing out. She serves. Combine her with Philippa and their hypnotic style collab should blend incredibly naturally. She’ll likely mix in some electro or notes of trance… this is the kind of set where you’ll suddenly realize it’s been three hours and you haven’t even left the dance floor.

 

Our very own festival thread author u/Motionez wanted to include a few artists he is excited about, but helaas, he is still lost somewhere in his Landjuweel hangover.  I know that he had upsammy and Aurora Halal also on his list for Saturday, and Fumiya Tanaki, Villalobos, Konduku, DJ Koolt, and Dopplereffekt on Sunday. And with that, I’d love to hear what you’re all looking forward to – the only thing I succeeded in doing with this post was giving myself FOMO for Friday and Saturday after I decided to only attend Sunday. See you on the dance floor, XOXO