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Review: Monegros Desert Festival

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There’s more to raving in the desert than Burning Man you know. Indeed, long before the famed ‘playa’ earned its hedonistic reputation, there was another festival in Spain already championing such unlikely destinations. The aptly-titled Monegros Desert Festival, situated in the heart of the Spanish wilderness, is the setting in question and boy, did it make an impression during our maiden voyage.

For fans of electronic music there’s not much to not like about Monegros. The usually harsh conditions seem entirely appropriate for the raft of heavy techno that always makes its presence felt, while on the other side of the scale, the ubiquitous sunshine falls neatly in line with the more house-inclined offerings. This year’s edition featured a vintage line-up, with everyone from Luciano to Marco Carola to Richie Hawtin touching down in the desert. With the latter names and numerous others all doing their thing, we got the feeling we were in for something pretty special. And so it proved.

But, much like the inclusion of Public Enemy on the bill, there’s nothing entirely predictable about Monegros. The early thunder-storm was the most obvious case in point, although the promoters can’t be held accountable for the weather. It was in the line-up where the dab hands behind the festival earned their stripes. And so it was that the first act of the day that greeted us was – again, unpredictably – Marcel Dettmann, with the German selector using the early timeslot to introduce us to his vaguely more melancholy side. Joris Voorn – while not quite the obvious choice to follow Dettman – blazed a different trail soon after, as he upped the party atmosphere with his signature blend of Chicago, Detroit and contemporary jams.

It’s in the night-time domain where Monegros really comes into its own. And few other acts boast the prowess of Underworld. Their set was stuffed with highlights, but it was the more obvious cuts that proved the anticipated highlights. Public Enemy offered unusual respite, with their old-school hip-hop stylings going down a real treat for those of in search of a quick break from 4/4. My own highlight – and that of the majority of the crowd – was Richie Hawtin. The Minus man’s lost none of his pulling power over the years, and his winding set was testament to his ever-changing approach to his music. Even after all these years, one of techno’s true game changers continues to innovate and inspire with equal panache.

Loco Dice, Luciano and Marco Carola all played expertly – but it was still Hawtin who ruled the roost and made the largest impression. The marathon session came to an end thanks to Berghain regular Len Faki, with his thumping techno very much suited to a crowd in need of an adrenaline injection.

Monegros might be a lengthy one day festival that’s best suited to the adrenaline seekers amongst you, but should you be willing to leave your inhibitions at home and jump right in, then you’re sure to be duly rewarded.

- Stephen Flynn

Header image: Oh-Portunity

 


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