- Capping numbers at 5,000 for the fifth edition, Farr's organisers were keen to emphasise that they'd purposefully maintained the festival's (relatively) small size. Keeping things intimate, it seems, is an important part of the Hertfordshire weekender's identity. With links to various hubs of London’s clubbing network, such as NTS Radio, Tief and Corsica Studios, Farr is clearly aimed at those that like to spend their time in the more hidden corners of the capital’s house and techno scene. Having not been before, I was hoping for the kind of atmosphere you might find at any of those London outfits.
There was a small warm-up on the Thursday, with only three of the five stages open (and only until 11 PM). Ninja Tune signee Romare played a decent closing set at the Corsica Village stage, including a few cuts from his Projections LP alongside vintage disco and house (such as MD X-Spress's "God Made Me Phunky"). A horrendous storm hit the site almost immediately after the music finished, taking out the lights in the campsite and battering most tents into sodden submission over the course of the night.
The sun had thankfully emerged by Friday morning. That afternoon allowed the first full view of the festival: with its five stages spread mostly under the canopy of a small wood, the site's enjoyably labyrinthine feel made me wonder why it’s not a more common choice for UK gatherings. My friends and I were some of the only people wandering around at this time of the day, which meant that only a small crowd gathered for the dub and ragga-focussed sounds of Tudor Lion back-to-back Perdu and Channel One.
Things began to gather momentum during Mr Beatnick's mid-afternoon set in Corsica Village, where he worked through punchy house groovers like Omar-S and OB Ignitt's "Wayne County Hill Cops" to a small but dedicated crew. Where other DJs banged it out too early, Beatnick pitched it just about right, which made it all the more disappointing when the power for the main three stages cut out. As it became clear that the issue wasn't going to be resolved quickly, most drifted back to their tents, and the afternoon's previously perky vibes faded.
It was around 10:30 PM that Tama Sumo stepped up onto the Corsica stage. By this point, the crowds had left the campsite and most of the stages were nicely busy. The atmosphere was jubilant for Sumo's two-hour set, spinning bright disco and house that constantly threatened to bubble over with euphoria."
Tom Trago hit the decks shortly after Heidi had been interrupted at her peak by another power failure. After a mercifully short wait, the lights came back on and Trago took to building up the first hour with warm, synth-led house. Every now and then, he'd throw in some ravier material, wonderfully amplified by the quick-fingered lighting engineer. Things firmed up for the final hour, as Trago brought out out a string of tougher records to finish a day that had been largely dominated by the smoother end of the house spectrum.
With the sunshine beaming down again on Sunday afternoon, the NTS takeover of the This Must Be The Place stage was the most appealing proposition. Charlie Bones’ early set wandered through '80s Brazilian grooves and space-y house while people flitted between dancing and recuperating on the grass. Things really clicked into place, though, during Moxie’s set. Rapidly mixing between recognisable disco and funk from the likes of Earth, Wind & Fire and The Whispers, it was the kind of party set that might not have worked in a club but felt just right as the sun was beginning to set.
Gerd Janson on the main stage was a slow-burning trip through methodically layered cosmic disco. The sci-fi synths sounded near-perfect through the speakers, though the floor wasn't all that receptive to Janson's slow pacing. Though to some extent this is to be expected at any festival, it felt like the audience's hedonistic impulses took precedent over the DJs at times. (The situation wasn’t helped by the ill-judged addition of 200-odd light-up maracas that were constantly being rattled out of time with the music.)
Over at The Badger Hole stage, Young Marco took a much more freewheeling approach, with an emphasis on open-handed selection over mixing that was rooted loosely in 4/4. Prosumer’s set continued the momentum, although in his case it was with clinical precision that he moved between Soundstream’s "Bass Affairs," 2-step bangers and cuddly deep house.
Barring the technical hiccups, the only thing you could really criticise Farr for is its occasionally limp atmosphere. There were a few times when it felt like the energy could have been elevated a notch by bigger cheers or clearer appreciation for the many standout moments. But crafting that truly electric vibe is a difficult science, and credit where it's due for Farr: the location was great, and they got the balance of the lineup just right for a get-together of this size.
Photo credit: Michelle Von Savino