What is there to say about THE VILLAGE, besides GEES (Major amounts of it I might add). The Village this year was set in a different location (good, bad, average, rocky – all of these were used to describe the Wildekrans Wine Estate (http://www.wildekrans.com), but more about that later. I for one have always been a fan of any Village party, so when I saw the line-up for this Village, it was a sure thing.
In recent times I have been making Sunday Missions (In the beginning I never understood why you would want to arrive halfway through a party just for the day) But 3 years down the line and I realise I have missed many hours of daytime fun from being beaten and broken from ‘going too hard’ during the night. My original plan was for the lady and I to sleep Saturday away, wake up at midnight or so, and attack the road to the village. This would have worked in theory, but waking up on Saturday morning I realised there was no way of me going back to sleep, I was just TOO AMPED. I changed the leaving time to 21:30, come about 18:00 I decided I couldn’t wait any longer and the road trip began (best decision ever).
Having never been to this venue, I had a fair idea of where it was (GOOGLE MAPS FTW), so the drive there was not a challenge at all. Arriving at the venue, we noted there were a good few cars arriving with us. We pulled down the windy dirty road to the gate, when I stopped the car to get tickets I immediately heard the distinct sounds of EMP clearly from the Gate. This just made me all the more excited. Hello’s, searches and ticket purchases finished, we completed the short drive from the gate to the parking lot. ‘Carry on Straight until the next guy with a flashlight’ I was told, well wasn’t that fun. We parked a good few rows down the line (not bothering to count the number on arrival), filled up drinks and decided to make our way directly to the dance floor. It was at this moment I decided to count the number of rows, as finding the car in the dark was going to be near impossible, ROW 17 it was.
Directly as you leave the car park was the Medic tents, right next to this was the 2nd stage. I will admit I don’t really see a point in playing a 2nd PSY floor, if there is going to be PSY playing on the main stage the entire time (Play alternative music on that floor the entire time, not some alternative and then PSY). Carrying on past the alternative tent, I noted a slight incline to my left with the campsite on my right (It was dark so I had no idea this was actually the DAM at this stage). We continued down the path, through the smell of amazing food straight to the main floor, and what a pretty slight it was. Coming off Vortex, I was not expecting to be blown away but I was immediately drawn to the beautiful colours and patterns surrounding the DJ booth.
By now EMP was in full swing and the party was definitely in full swing. It was during my first attempts at stomping that I noticed every 2nd or 3rd step, I was slipping and sliding and half twisting ankles. I looked down, rocks, to my left, rocks, to my right, rocks. Rocks EVERYWHERE. Now please don’t get me wrong, this is in in way a complaint, I couldn’t have cared if there was molten hot lava underneath my feet (when I say feet, I mean nicely comforted feet in amazing shoes). I heard a lot of people complaining about the rocks, WHO CARES? It’s the people complaining that don’t realise how hard it is for our event organisers to find us venues to use in Cape Town these days. With so many laws and by laws being enforced and the ever present POPO, the fact we have a venue to come and let ourselves get lost for the weekend is a win! (Rant over)
Following EMP was The RUBIX, and man oh man, this was the set that got my party started. Kieron is always a sight on the stage, and dropping bombs in his normal fashion (I was a bit sceptical about him being on this early, but that was a lost thought when he I realised who was following him up. I see the DJ booth now getting a little crowded, 3 gentlemen, legends of Cape Town Psytrance. None other than TWISTED SYSTEM. I must say I have never been a huge fan of TS, but was a given a treat. Watching the 3 of them do their thing was such an awesome sight and of course an audio delight.
By now my body had adjusted to the rocky floor, the drinks were flowing and the sound was definitely getting that little bit louder. Next up, was SKARAB. Owner and DJ for the Village, Phil always knows exactly what a crowd wants. I’m accustomed to seeing him play the final slot for Village parties, but this was treat, Big ups Phil. Night or day, this man is sure to keep the dance floor rocking.
It was towards the end of SKARABS set I decided to take a walk back to the car (let’s not forget row 17 I told myself.) it took me 3 tries, but on the 3rd try I remained focused for long enough to keep count to 17. The walk I realised was not that far and each time someone mentioned a long walk to the car I said “remember REMANUFACTURE? YEA I THOUGHT SO NOW SHUT UR FACE…”
Coming back to the dance floor I was greeted by the sounds of BIORYTHM, it was at this point I remembered the VS I was about to witness with none other than Replicant Records DJ GLACIAL. What a matchup this turned out to be. The Aussie sure knows a thing or 2 about PSY. The 3some took us on a journey and back. I took note of the length of sets being longer than the standard 1 hour we are used to, WELL DONE VILLAGE. This has been a topic of much conversation and debate recently but it seems longer sets are best, PERIOD!
Next up was EQLIPSE, Lauren you amazing, amazing person! This was when we went from a party to a full on RAVE! ALIENN VS WIRED, SINFUL REACTIONS just to name a few of the artists this DJANE was throwing our way, and boy oh boy was the dance floor responding, BIG DROPS and LOUD SHOUTS are my best way to describe this set. Well played Lauren, well played.
Next up, ZAK attack, or PSYQLOPZ as his DJ name would have you believe. I am a big fan of Zak, and big ups to VILLAGE for giving this man a sunrise set. I am a big fan of sunrise, and especially keeping the full on beats flowing into the early morning. SHADOW ZONE, HIYARANT and DIRTY MOTION made for a memorable sunrise. Even during his mixing he still managed to OWN a few people on the dance floor with quick changes and unexpected drops, nice one Zak.
Following him was ANESTETIC, having seen him at Groovy troopers and the previous Village, I took this time to adventure to the Damn (not that it was much of an adventure, the dam was a stone’s throw away from the Dance floor). Walking up the embankment I noticed a semi-full dam, but my,oh my was the view amazing. You had a 360 degree view of your surroundings and with Crunchy Morning beats raging through the massive rig, it was paradise.
Post ANESTETIC was SHIFT, and boy was I amped for a SHIFT type morning. Chris has been in the scene for long enough to know how and when to take it up a notch, and bring the crowd back to sanity just for long enough so we don’t all explode. Deliriant – Life Form (Shift Remix) was a highlight for me in the morning. This set seemed to be dragging for me, it may have been the excitement of what was to come the rest of the day, but let’s just blame it on Tequila shall we.
DIGITAL TALK was next up (1 half of DIGITAL TALK only, not that this made much of a difference). I’m always one for giving the internationals full respect, turn that rig LOUD, assemble all your friends and ‘GOOI MIELIES’. Well this is exactly what we did, and boy oh boy did he deliver. There was a point in the set I had to sit down for a few minutes, as I knew coming after this was the newly combined forces of DELIRIANT & MAD PIPER – TECHNICOLOR, this for me was the big talking point about this party.
I am a huge fan of both these gentlemen, and have always said they should combine forces, it would be a dance floor destroyer. Earlier in the week they released an interview and preview mix, and my,oh my did it tingle the taste buds. From the first track, that dance floor was insanity, melodic leads and drop after drop after drop, I just couldn’t get enough. Having heard Deliriant play WEYLAND at REMANUFACTURE, it was at the point I heard this coming in that I had a moment of clarity and reflection and just stood there in amazement and smiled to myself thinking, THIS IS THE LIFE. For a daytime set, this would have amazed any crowd anywhere in the world, SHANE and PETER, well played okes, well played. I know between me and my friend’s this was for sure the set of the party, and I look forward to seeing you guys play many, many, many more sets as TECHNICOLOR (WHEN IS THAT EP COMING OUT? WE WANT IT!)
It was after TECHNICOLOR had destroyed what was left of my body and raped my ears to the point of no return that we decided to head back to CT. I had a few people tell me in the days after the party that the COMMERCIAL HIPPIES played a ripper of a closing set, I expected nothing less from these legends.
In closing, I just want to say thank you to the VILLAGE for giving us another memorable party, and to each and every DJ I had the pleasure of partying to, keep doing what you doing. We really are lucky to be able to do this every week, week in and week out in Cape Town. Keep it real, and see you on the DF.
– Lee Williams
– Image by Chantelle Joy – to see more go here!
