- You'd be forgiven for not knowing what to expect from Melt! Festival. The four-day event, which is held on the grounds of a former German mine, is a hotchpotch of techno, indie pop and EDM. It's one of the country's largest festivals, and so must cater to different tastes. The organisers do a great job of keeping everyone happy, which is testament to the way the festival is run.
Melt!'s location is grand. It takes place at Ferropolis, a neatly secluded peninsula and one of the most beautiful natural spots in the town of Gräfenhainichen. On the one hand, you're surrounded by a stunning lake, known locally as the Gremminer See, while on the other towering cranes provide the perfect industrial backdrop for a festival of such large proportions. This means there's plenty to check out besides the music, from swimming in the lake to clambering around in the play park, which, for 51 weeks of the year, is clearly intended for children.
I arrived late on Friday night. Marcel Dettmann was already banging it out to a large crowd on the Big Wheel Stage. His mixing was exact, as you would expect, but his selections were far from token. Instead, Dettmann showcased his more playful side, as cuts like DJ Assassin's "A Face In The Crowd" kept the atmosphere bubbly. Dasha Rush followed with a live set that brought the Big Wheel back to a headier level. Her performance had a fluid energy that segued nicely into Rødhåd, and the Dystopian chief's moody intro only made it harder to leave.
A short walk across the site revealed a smaller, unnamed tent with a gargantuan vibe. Swiss cheese vendor by day, deadly disco by night, this understated hatch served up everything from Michael Jackson to Kool And The Gang. At one point, a man stood atop a wheelie bin pouring spirits into people's mouths, as his compadre jovially passed around an inflatable banana. For a solid four hours, there was no place I would rather have been.
Far removed from this miniature mayhem were the bright lights of the Main Stage. Nils Frahm's beautiful combination of classical piano and arpeggiated Juno-60 had the packed-out pit dumbfounded. But the fun didn't last long—Giorgio Moroder's set of chart trash was enough to send anybody looking for something more inspiring.
Just outside the festival's main entrance lies The Sleepless Floor, where acts run without pause from Saturday morning through Monday midday. It was the only stage accessible without an official pass, so the vibe tended to get a little loose. Plastic bottles and empty cups lay strewn across the sand, as a strange mix of tanked-up macho men and attractive twenty-somethings danced for hours on end to some of house and techno's most current and singular performers. Stand out sets came from Lena Willikens and Matrixxman, whose respective blends of flanger-tinged synth-pop and jacking techno provoked massive reactions. It wasn't until the Sunday, though, that things really started popping off.
A dreamy live set from Giegling's Kettenkarussel warmed things up, catering to nocturnal ravers and earlybirds alike. Rain had been forecast, but thankfully it held out until late afternoon. The sun's final moments were soundtracked by Palms Trax. Industrial-sized cannons blasted multi-coloured confetti across the sky as Hugh Masekela's "Don't Go Lose It Baby" had almost everyone within earshot gyrating audaciously. Dekmantel Soundsystem took over, and the clouds began to form. A crafty edit of Mulatu Astatke's "Yegelle Tezeta" helped ease things in, but before long the rain was torrential. No one in the crowd seemed phased, though—they were waiting for it to happen. Heavy gospel house cuts belted out of the four-corner system, and those not dancing in the rain had found their way underneath a jumbo sheet of tarpaulin. Each dancer played their part in propping this sheet up, creating an entirely new tent for those caught in the middle.
In his review of last year's Melt! Festival, Andrew Ryce picked up on "a collective euphoria from those who stuck around until the end." This could not be truer of this year's edition. Inhibitions were nowhere to be seen, and that's clearly what makes Melt! so special.
Photo credit: Stephan Flad (lead, Marcel Dettmann, The Sleepless Floor), Thor Møller (Nils Frahm)