We round up our favourites for the final months of 2014.
10. Time Warp US
November 28 - November 29
Kingsbridge Armory
New York, USA
The New York Daily News recently warned its readers: "German rave may invade the Kingsbridge Armory." Aside from the word "may," they pretty much got it right. Time Warp will make its US debut this November in The Bronx, with festival regulars like Sven Väth and Richie Hawtin already confirmed. In an interesting twist, the rest of the lineup so far has a heavy New York flavor, with the likes of Anthony Parasole, No Regular Play and residents from local parties BlkMarket Membership and Resolute. Throw in some international heavyweights like Dixon and DJ Tennis, and you've got a blow-out worthy of Time Warp's hallowed legacy.
RA pick: The subtler sounds of Frank & Tony (AKA Francis Harris and Anthony Collins) should nicely offset the ballistics elsewhere.
09. Creamfields Buenos Aires
November 8
Autodromo de Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Over the past couple of years, Buenos Aires has opened itself up to the global dance market like never before, first inviting ULTRA, and then Time Warp, into its midst. It'll be a while, however, before either usurps the capital's longstanding favourite, Creamfields. The 13-hour rave is a no-brainer for the city's house and techno fans, and this year's lineup is as rock-solid as ever. Heavyweight headliners Richie Hawtin, Sven Väth and Solomun all make it down for their third year in a row, joined by Tale Of Us, Art Department, Maya Jane Coles, Maetrik, Guy Gerber and many more. There will be a raft of homegrown talent as well, with Barem, Hernan Cattaneo and Franco Cinelli leading the charge.
RA pick: A live show from the ever-fabulous Hercules & Love Affair should mix things up nicely.
08. Subsonic Music Festival
December 5 - December 7
Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort
Monkerai, Australia
In its six-year history, Subsonic has gradually embraced house, techno and other forms of dance music alongside its original staples: psytrance and dub. This year organisers have put together their most daring lineup yet. Live highlights include James Holden and Factory Floor, while some top-notch house and techno DJs—Mike Huckaby, Ellen Allien and Eli Verveine among them—have been confirmed as well. With a mature crowd, great weather (fingers crossed) and a beautiful camping location (the festival site is built into the majestic Riverwood Downs Mountain Valley Resort), Subsonic is easily one of Australia's best festivals.
RA pick: Factory Floor unleashing their searing live show in Australia for the first time.
07. Iceland Airwaves Festival
November 5 - November 9
Various Venues
Reykjavík, Iceland
You'll find a whole lot of local artists on the sprawling lineup for Iceland Airwaves, but the festival, now in its 15th year, is unquestionably international. From multifaceted DJ Tomas Barfod to genre-hopping South African band John Wizards to Nguzunguzu's cutting-edge electronics, there's a wealth of fascinating talent coming in from all over. And there's some real star power as well: expect Caribou to drop some highlights from his new album, Kelela to charm with her forward-thinking pop and The Knife to wow with one of their last shows ever. And if the music alone isn't enough to get you to Reykjavík, don't forget about Iceland's epic natural splendor.
RA pick: Catch The Knife's supremely odd live show before it's too late.
06. I Love Techno
November 8
Flanders Expo Center
Ghent, Belgium
After two decades in the game, I Love Techno is a bastion of reliability. Attendees at the Belgian all-nighter are guaranteed two things: an explosive atmosphere and a plethora of top-notch DJs and live acts. The latter camp is looking especially robust this year, with veteran ravers Underworld joined by Ten Walls, Paula Temple and UK chart-toppers Clean Bandit. Behind the decks, ILT first-timers Loco Dice, Jamie Jones and Rødhåd rub shoulders with pillars of techno like Jeff Mills and Dave Clarke.
RA pick: Erol Alkan and Daniel Avery's face-off could go in one of several mind-bending directions.
05. Time Warp Netherlands
December 6
Jaarbeurs
Utrecht, Netherlands
Time Warp was originally a German tradition, but it's fast becoming a Dutch one as well. That's because the festival's offshoot in Utrecht isn't just a retread of the rave-to-end-all-raves that's been held in Mannheim for the last 20 years. You'll find a number of the acts who have come to define the Time Warp brand, of course: Ricardo Villalobos, Monika Kruse & Karotte, Chris Liebing and Sven Väth will lend some continuity to proceedings. But a solid Dutch contingent—Job Jobse, Nuno Dos Santos and Detroit Swindle, to name a few—makes it more than a mere transplant. And special guests like DJ Tennis, Maya Jane Coles, Karenn and Robert Hood will make the one-night marathon one you'd be crazy not to run.
RA pick: Berghain residents Marcel Fengler and Function are a back-to-back pairing for the ages.
04. Strawberry Fields
November 21 - November 23
Victorian Bush
Melbourne, Australia
Strawberry Fields is a great example of Australian "bush doof," a term that describes the pairing of dance beats and an outback setting. Like Subsonic in New South Wales, Strawberry Fields—which takes place in the berry-growing region about four hours north of Melbourne—has gradually expanded from its psytrance roots to offer attendees richly diverse lineups. Organisers have adopted a slow-drip approach to revealing this year's acts. A focus on house and techno has slowly emerged, with newcomers (Max Graef, HNNY) lining up with more established acts (Seth Troxler, Âme, Pachanga Boy, Trus'me).
RA pick: "Seth Troxler in the bush" has a nice ring to it.
03. Rewire Festival
November 7 - November 8
Various Venues
The Hague, Netherlands
Rewire prides itself on musical diversity first and foremost. This year that ethos has spread to its venue choices, too. Between the Grote Kerk, a gorgeous church and one of The Hague's oldest buildings, and the century-old Electriciteitsfabriek power plant (not to mention the more traditional music spaces), there are plenty of nooks and crannies to get lost in over the festival's two-day program. With such an eclectic cast of artists—from Lee Gamble to Kode9 to Bohren & Der Club Of Gore—you're sure to leave Rewire feeling nourished.
RA pick: James Holden playing live is a treat every time.
02. Le Guess Who?
November 20 - November 24
Tivolivredenburg
Utrecht, Netherlands
Utrecht's Le Guess Who? festival continues to grow, this time counting 15 venues among its attractions and expertly toeing the line between indie and electronic music (where else are you going to see Bonnie Prince Billy billed beside Autechre?). Their eighth edition offers something special, too, with a chunk of the festival curated by Michael Gira of Swans under the brand name Mouth To Mouth, bringing in noisemakers like Savages, Prurient and Silver Apples. A great excuse to visit a beautiful and quaint place like Utrecht, Le Guess Who? gets better every year, and there's every reason to think 2014 will be their best yet.
RA pick: Swans. Just don't forget your earplugs.
01. Alfa Mito Club To Club
November 5 - November 9
Various Venues
Torino, Italy
For one week of the year, Torino becomes Europe's most thriving hub for forward-thinking electronic sounds. This is thanks, of course, to Club To Club. The five-day festival engulfs venues across the city, from "post-industrial warehouses" to historical theaters like the stunning Teatro Carignano. In its tow are dozens of singular DJs and live acts, who together connect the dots between experimental music, leftfield pop and full-on club sounds. This year's impressively varied bill features live performances from Caribou, Apparat, Vessel, Ben Frost and How To Dress Well, and DJ sets from Marcel Dettmann, Miles Whittaker (or Miles) and Tiger & Woods among many others.
RA pick: It's hard not to be intrigued by a back-to-back set from Ben UFO and L.I.E.S. boss Ron Morelli.
You can see our full festival listings for November and December right here.
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