- Hidden away in the Swiss Alps, well over two hours by train from the closest airport, Caprices Festival is a unique musical experience whose breathtaking backdrop is the star of the show. Sleepy, serene and picturesque, Crans Montana is a ski resort relatively unknown outside of Europe. In every direction, snow-peaked mountains overlook the many luxurious chalets and lakes that dot the region.
The site was at its most impressive when you first ascended the glistening slopes on the ski lifts to Modernity, the clubbier part of the festival, 2,208 meters into the mountains. The venue resembled a large, transparent gazebo, which during the day was flooded with the intense sunlight that engulfed the resort. The sound was great, and there were a couple of outdoor spaces from which you could take in the stunning panoramic views.
Arriving to instant ovation, local hero Luciano followed a classy introduction by Sonja Moonear, though laptop problems gave him a rough start. Even when things returned to working order, his set was pedestrian. Like his once influential label Cadenza, Luciano's standards seem to have slipped, even if his onstage bravado remains infectious.
The delay forced a reshuffle of the lineup, so Ricardo Villalobos and Zip tag-teamed for the remainder of the afternoon instead of playing separately. As expected, it was a Perlon-esque affair with tracks like Soul Capsule's remix of Pantytec's "Elastobabe" and Thomas Melchior's "Liquid Moves." Toward the end, Villallobos got a great response when he dropped his anthem, "Bosch."
Even after seven hours at Modernity and Bar7, Crans Montana's dingy after-hours spot (where Magda made an unexpected appearance), there was still more to come at the festival's grand centrepiece, Le Moon. Dixon was undoubtedly the pick of the lineup on Friday night. He rocked the vast arena with a wide-ranging peak-time set, full of luscious Innervisions flavours. Solomun and Deep Dish followed, keeping the party going until the early hours with big-room house. And even if the music lacked subtlety at times, the venue made up for it—the visuals were without doubt some of the best I've seen.
Waking up in Crans Montana is instantly invigorating, which is fortunate, as Modernity didn't wait around for the late-risers. DJ Tennis set the tone for day two with a dark and wonderfully bold set, before Guti, playing live, followed with a warm and rhythmic performance. Later, wearing a hooded black cape, Damian Larazus was on top-form for an unpretentious two-hour set. Closing out the night was Art Department's Kenny Glasgow, who opened with his own "Catch You By Surprise" as the snow fell outside.
Also taking place that night was the final showcase at Le Moon. Dubfire's shadowy HYBRID set-up perfectly complimented his blistering minimal techno—a show worthy of the epic environment. Chris Liebing entered similar territory with his branch of atmospheric techno, while Ellen Allien offered a more textured, multi-faceted set with plenty of rave appeal.
The curtain fell on the festival with one final, sun-soaked party up in the mountains. Apollonia's rolling beats helped shake off any lingering weekend hangovers, before Sven Väth took over, having arrived by helicopter. Moving from restrained minimal to the ravey electronica of The Knife's "Silent Shout" and blockbuster techno from his own Cocoon catalogue, Väth wrapped up Caprices 2015 in spectacular fashion. From the first record to the last, there wasn't a single person not utterly absorbed in his phenomenal charisma. In a setting that deserved a truly memorable send off, we got it.
