- Murray River, the longest in Australia, is the lifeblood of the south-eastern part of the country. Lined with native eucalyptus trees, it slowly winds through the endless expanse of serene, picturesque bushland. It may seem like an incongruous fit, but electronic music comes to life in breathtaking settings like these.
This was the ninth year of Strawberry Fields, a three-day music and arts festival that takes place near a town called Tocumwal. It's grown significantly in recent years, with around 6,500 people attending in 2017. Entering the grounds, it was hard not to be struck by the surroundings. The campsites were situated among the gum trees, and no matter where you were, the banks of the Murray were only a ten-minute walk away. Art installations were dotted around the site, while the stages were designed using lots of natural materials, making them blend in with the bushland. The lineup was diverse, with disco, funk, house and techno all represented, in addition to a healthy contingent of locals.
Often it seems that artists approach festival sets by playing with as much energy as they dare, rather than fitting into the broader context of the day's music. In this regard, RA's Saloon stage takeover on Sunday was refreshing, with Sydney local (and RA staffer) Andy Webb playing a wonderful set to warm the floor, keeping the tempo low and the music restrained in preparation for Andrew Weatherall. This move paid off. Weatherall continued to keep the tempo down, slowly building with his deep funk and disco-influenced selections. The vibe on the dance floor felt more organic and connected as a result. After Weatherall came Virginia, who quickly caught onto the atmosphere. This feeling of natural musical progression continued through to DJ Bone, who closed out the day. It was an example of curation done properly.
The high point of the festival was the Rush Hour showcase, which delivered an afternoon of pure euphoria on the main stage. Hunee and Antal once again showed their knack for getting large crowds moving, journeying through world music, disco and a period of slower dub tracks. Their set culminated with everyone's hands reaching to the sky as they rolled out François K's masterful edit of South Shore Commission's "Free Man" and the Magick Edit Allstars version of Billy Paul's "Only The Strong Survive." It was a fitting, emotional end to the weekend.
Photo credit /
Duncographic
Often it seems that artists approach festival sets by playing with as much energy as they dare, rather than fitting into the broader context of the day's music. In this regard, RA's Saloon stage takeover on Sunday was refreshing, with Sydney local (and RA staffer) Andy Webb playing a wonderful set to warm the floor, keeping the tempo low and the music restrained in preparation for Andrew Weatherall. This move paid off. Weatherall continued to keep the tempo down, slowly building with his deep funk and disco-influenced selections. The vibe on the dance floor felt more organic and connected as a result. After Weatherall came Virginia, who quickly caught onto the atmosphere. This feeling of natural musical progression continued through to DJ Bone, who closed out the day. It was an example of curation done properly. The high point of the festival was the Rush Hour showcase, which delivered an afternoon of pure euphoria on the main stage. Hunee and Antal once again showed their knack for getting large crowds moving, journeying through world music, disco and a period of slower dub tracks. Their set culminated with everyone's hands reaching to the sky as they rolled out François K's masterful edit of South Shore Commission's "Free Man" and the Magick Edit Allstars version of Billy Paul's "Only The Strong Survive." It was a fitting, emotional end to the weekend.
Photo credit / Duncographic