- Let Them Eat Cake's reputation as one of Australia's best electronic music festivals inspires many people to scale down down their New Year's Eve plans to make the most of January 1st. It's easy to see why: set around the beautiful landscaped gardens of Werribee Mansion and with a first-rate lineup, this one-day event has generated a devoted following over the years. Throw in a range of high-quality food and booze options, a series of interactive artworks (the winner this year was "Apparatus 3," a silver Warhol-esque yoga ball trampoline) and a diverse and open-minded audience, and you have a party to rival any in the world.
Entering the main space, The Bastille, at noon, I found Nite Fleit playing bleepy tech house, suitably slow for the time of day. There was already a sizeable crowd across the site, with punters edging ever closer to the dance floors as the drinks flowed. Nowhere felt overcrowded. The three main stages had clearly defined sounds: The Bastille for tech house and techno, The Palace Of Versailles for hip-hop, R&B and their derivatives, and The Guillotine for disco and house. A fourth stage, The Woods, seemed to offer no discernible theme, and because it was sandwiched between The Bastille and The Guillotine's slamming Funktion-One rigs, it also fought a losing sound battle all day.
RBMA Local, a low-key stage situated deeper in the woods by a lake, was arguably the most feel-good of all. Shaded entirely by gigantic pine trees, it featured a DJ booth on a flatbed truck. The dance floor was cushioned with pine needles. A devoted strand of hardcore revellers stuck here all day long, and whenever I dipped in, I was blown away by the atmosphere. Jackson Leake's early laptop set paired crisp minimal house with emotional vocals, while later, Edgework twirled corkscrew arpeggios into disorienting swirls. Groups of worn-out ravers lazed by the pond or sniffed Vicks under the branches, like a scene from a debauched summer camp movie.
From 1 PM, Mano Le Tough brought The Bastille to life, his foggy sounds working well against the dank grey skies above. Oliver Huntemann went darker, peaking with his and Dubfire's "Humano" before closing with his remix of Underworld's "Crocodile." Alex Niggemann explored more hypnotic techno, while Marek Hemmann performed live, presenting a blitz of dynamic tech house. Though there were some nice moments, the music at The Bastille was generally too clean and consistent for my tastes.
In the end, I spent most of my day at The Guillotine, from CC Disco's warm-up of classics (John Gibbs's "Trinidad") and modern edits to Heidi's turbulent finale. Even more intense was Leon Vynehall's three-hour set, which went heavy on Detroit techno while still managing to show the producer's tender side. At one point, he slipped in a slice of jubilant vocal house just as the sun burst through the clouds, causing the floor to erupt. Shanti Celeste, who played possibly my favourite set, moved from vintage electro (Charlie's "Spacer Woman") and US house bangers (Solid Gold Playaz's "Shhh Quiet") through to more modern, punchy fare. Her mixing was swift and her flow persuasive. She ended with Herbert's edit of Moloko's "Sing It Back" to rapturous cheers.
Maybe it was me, but it felt like there was something in the air at Werribee Park. It was as if everyone was keen to kiss 2016's ghastly run of political disasters goodbye once and for all, which tipped the levels of hedonism well into the red. Pleasure and indulgence may not be the shrewdest acts of insurgence, but when enacted en masse within a community of acceptance and tolerance, the feeling of togetherness can be powerful. I can think of no better way to start the new year.
Photo credit /
Duncan Jacob
