Dekmantel Festival is back and they’ve announced their return like no other. After dropping clues on Facebook earlier this month with artist-specific gifs, the first announcement has produced an exhaustive list of the most respected names in house and techno in every one of their many guises and forms. You’ll have to work hard to find out who’s coming, thanks to an announcement video that is as much about the presentation as it is the contents.
Names like Ricardo Villalobos and Jeff Mills sit alongside Soichi Terrada, Antal and Hunee. Some highlights will surely be James Holden and Camilo Tirado’s new live concept, ‘Outdoor Museum of Fractals’, a very rare performance by ESG, the post-punk band – in fact billed as the only time you’ll see them in 2016, and Tony Allen will be bringing his full band for an afrobeat injection into the proceedings. And that’s just some select highlights.
Running from 4-7th August, there are around 150 names on the full lineup, and there is truly something for everyone. The Thursday will again start with a number of opening concerts, with the core venue being the Muziekgebouw, but this year with the addition of the EYE Film Institute, Paradiso’s Tolhuistuin and Bimhuis. A free ferry service will be available to ticket-holders to facilitate somewhat of an electronic music hub around the city’s IJ-river on the first day of the festival. Three of these opening concerts have been announced so far, with James Holden, Shackleton and Tony Allen among the names and more to follow.