- It's no secret that Numbers have broadened their remit massively in recent years. From the electro infused hip-hop beats of Rustie to more 4/4 ventures like Lory D or bass-heavy house duo GoldFFinch, their style is at this point bound by an ineffable theme rather than a specific genre. It's this approach to the curation of their label that made the prospect of a weekender from them and festival veterans Dedbeat so exciting. And when the lineup was released, it was hard to be critical. The deeper strands of techno, house and bass were all well-represented, and acts such as Ruff Sqwad stood side by side with guys like Levon Vincent and Ben UFO. It was clear that a careful hand was guiding the party.
That said, Trevalgue Holiday Camp in Cornwall did seem like an odd choice—no offence Newquay, but you are miles away from pretty much all of the UK. How so many Scottish heads made it down is beyond me. This distance probably contributed to the fact that, ironically, the weekend was somewhat light on (ahem) numbers.
But below average turn-out aside, the event quickly established itself as one of the better electronic festivals in the UK. The dance floors at most points were at that mythical perfect level: enough people to build a vibe but with room to dance however you wanted without fear of knocking a stranger's pint, and, most importantly, entirely populated by an incredibly friendly crowd of real fans.
The site itself was pretty bare essentials, a sprawling mess of caravans arranged seemingly at random on a hill, with a bar at the top and the primary venue, split over two floors, over the road at the bottom. This layout made it so that the side attractions during the day felt like more than a token distraction. Jackmaster's pool party was a highlight for many, but it was Mr 8040's Kosmic Karaoke that really stood out. Despite being plagued by a two-minute "demomode" on the karaoke software, Space Dimension Controller was a fantastic host for such an event, blasting through any '80s classic that the crowd was unwilling to tackle.
Another element that really stood out was the care and attention that went into the programming. Most DJs played for more than an hour, something the vast majority of UK dance festivals overlook, and every act seemed to be playing at the exactly the right time. Unfortunately this, combined with the slightly low crowd levels, meant that some of the most interesting sets fell on deaf ears, or on no ears at all. Take Maurice Fulton's early appearance on Friday, or the appropriately named Awesome Tapes From Africa on Saturday—both incredibly strong and beautifully timed, but the daytime crowds were just a little too thin for them to really get anyone moving.
The same could certainly not be said for the evening crowds, however. What during the day had seemed like small empty venues turned out to be the perfect size at night, and the effort that had gone into the sonic continuity really paid off. The music on Sunday was perfectly tuned to get people moving after having endured two nights of heavy excess already, from EDMX presenting a set of his favourite electro and boogie tracks, to the jazzy house of Floating Points, to master of the dubplate Sir David Rodigan.
And for once it felt like there was more than just the tunes to focus on. Maybe it was due to the friendliness of the crowd, but there was an actual sense of community and revelry at Pleasure Principle. It seems so obvious and important, but at festivals like these, people too often tend to stick in their own groups, only venturing out to see specific acts and have a rave. This sort of thing made it feel less like a weekender, and more like a festival.