- Some of dance music's foremost queer party crews converge on Ferropolis.
- There's nothing like celebrating the last days of summer with your tribe in the wilderness. These moments are rare, especially for those existing beyond the gender binary, but Whole Festival afforded queer ravers that opportunity. During the final weekend of August, a cross-section of Berlin's best-known alternative crews converged on an industrial oasis, 130 KM southwest of the German capital. Ferropolis, "the city of iron," is in an old coal-mining pit in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. In the mid '90s, the site was converted into an open-air museum and later integrated into the European Route Of Industrial Heritage. The festivals Melt and Splash! have run there for years. The location, breathtaking for its natural beauty and industrial atmosphere, was an ideal backdrop for a weekend of perfectly tailored hedonism. The results were epic.
Approaching Ferropolis was an experience in itself. Five colossal excavators towered above the festival grounds, while the view across Gremminer See, one of central Germany's largest lakes, was expansive and arresting. The site hosted bodies in various stages of dress throughout the three-day event. Berlin crews such as Cocktail D'Amore, Pornceptual and Buttons brought their local entourage, while New York-based collective Discwoman and London's Horse Meat Disco drew in a more international crowd. Festivalgoers pitched up tents along the lake shore and among clusters of trees. Apart from being wheelchair inaccessible, the site was relatively easy to navigate. It took a matter of minutes to reach the three stages, utilities and camping areas. Though the audience was heavily male, organisers managed to showcase talent across the gender—and musical—spectrum, from Octo Octa and Eris Drew to SHYBOI and Freddy K.
Two stages, Teufelsee (house) and Crane (techno), held the festival together. Berlin collective G-Day opened Teufelsee with deep, soulful tracks, though it was clear that Crane would dominate the evening. DJ Curses blended emotive soundscapes with contemporary techno before handing over to Kim Ann Foxman around midnight. The Hawaii-born DJ, known for her rugged yet dreamy aesthetic, didn't fail to please. Skilfully traversing haunting techno beats and warm melodic sounds, she carried the crowd into the early hours.
Saturday began with naked and detox yoga workshops. The 60-minute sessions took place next to the Teufelsee stage, which made it difficult to concentrate during downward dog and upward facing bow poses, but they were nevertheless a welcome and refreshing interlude. A masturbation workshop was held later in Clitzilla, a small retreat area organised by the intersectional feminist collective Vulvae. A crowd watched participants lying in a circle while workshop leaders waved burnt sage leaves from above. After a while it became clear that if you weren't participating, perhaps you shouldn't stay. I quickly moved on.
Discwoman's Shyboi gathered a committed crowd at Crane in the afternoon. The multidisciplinary artist, who was recently commissioned to score the soundtrack for Chromat's New York Fashion Show, brought hybrid mixes and an intensity that left many entranced. Experiencing so much queer talent in one space made you wonder why a festival like Whole took so long to happen. It was a much-needed space. That said, when it comes to cultural appropriation, the festival still has some way to go. A number of attendees wore what appeared to be culturally-specific kaftans and headgear, while Hindu gods were spotted at the festival's makeshift church. For an event billed as a safe space, this was a problem.
That evening, Jacob Meehan ramped up the euphoria at Teufelsee, bringing out hidden gems like a remix of Kingpin Cartel's "Ghetto." Meehan knows how to throw a party. After rejuvenating a stale gay scene in his hometown, the Chicago native relocated to Berlin and founded Buttons, a staple in Berlin's queer monthly calendar. His dreamy electro sounds provided the perfect segue for trans mystic Eris Drew, who also hails from Chicago. Drew, a rave historian and shaman, is now a regular fixture in Europe's main clubs. She came out as trans in 2017 and brings what she calls a "motherbeat" or "divine energy" to her performances. She played a thundering set, spanning jungle, trance and golden-era Chicago house. It was a flamboyant, ecstatic affair, the perfect ending to the Buttons takeover.
It rained heavily on Saturday night, but far from dampening moods, it seemed to elevate them—the crowd grew and many jumped into the lake. As the bass reverberated across the fluid expanse, the voguing collective House Of Melody cut shapes along the water's edge. The group were later spotted in the crowd, and then by the Crane stage, dancing way beyond their scheduled set time. There were a number of other transcendental DJ sets throughout the weekend, delivered by the likes of Luigi Di Venere, who went back-to-back with Omer, and Octo Octa. Jungle tracks, Orbital's "Chime" and classic Basement Jaxx were all vying for attention, savoured by an audience who seemed to grow happier as the days wore on. Inflatable unicorns hovered close to the shore, watching over the scene.
Photo credit /
Eric Phillips
Saturday began with naked and detox yoga workshops. The 60-minute sessions took place next to the Teufelsee stage, which made it difficult to concentrate during downward dog and upward facing bow poses, but they were nevertheless a welcome and refreshing interlude. A masturbation workshop was held later in Clitzilla, a small retreat area organised by the intersectional feminist collective Vulvae. A crowd watched participants lying in a circle while workshop leaders waved burnt sage leaves from above. After a while it became clear that if you weren't participating, perhaps you shouldn't stay. I quickly moved on. Discwoman's Shyboi gathered a committed crowd at Crane in the afternoon. The multidisciplinary artist, who was recently commissioned to score the soundtrack for Chromat's New York Fashion Show, brought hybrid mixes and an intensity that left many entranced. Experiencing so much queer talent in one space made you wonder why a festival like Whole took so long to happen. It was a much-needed space. That said, when it comes to cultural appropriation, the festival still has some way to go. A number of attendees wore what appeared to be culturally-specific kaftans and headgear, while Hindu gods were spotted at the festival's makeshift church. For an event billed as a safe space, this was a problem.
That evening, Jacob Meehan ramped up the euphoria at Teufelsee, bringing out hidden gems like a remix of Kingpin Cartel's "Ghetto." Meehan knows how to throw a party. After rejuvenating a stale gay scene in his hometown, the Chicago native relocated to Berlin and founded Buttons, a staple in Berlin's queer monthly calendar. His dreamy electro sounds provided the perfect segue for trans mystic Eris Drew, who also hails from Chicago. Drew, a rave historian and shaman, is now a regular fixture in Europe's main clubs. She came out as trans in 2017 and brings what she calls a "motherbeat" or "divine energy" to her performances. She played a thundering set, spanning jungle, trance and golden-era Chicago house. It was a flamboyant, ecstatic affair, the perfect ending to the Buttons takeover. It rained heavily on Saturday night, but far from dampening moods, it seemed to elevate them—the crowd grew and many jumped into the lake. As the bass reverberated across the fluid expanse, the voguing collective House Of Melody cut shapes along the water's edge. The group were later spotted in the crowd, and then by the Crane stage, dancing way beyond their scheduled set time. There were a number of other transcendental DJ sets throughout the weekend, delivered by the likes of Luigi Di Venere, who went back-to-back with Omer, and Octo Octa. Jungle tracks, Orbital's "Chime" and classic Basement Jaxx were all vying for attention, savoured by an audience who seemed to grow happier as the days wore on. Inflatable unicorns hovered close to the shore, watching over the scene. Photo credit / Eric Phillips