Festival season is already in full swing, and many of us have to live vicariously through the live streams and recorded sets. Each year one of the most anticipated festivals of the summer is Awakenings, with the 2015 Netherlands edition showcasing the finest techno offerings for the two day extravaganza.
Awakenings 2015 featured a wide array of artists such as Speedy J, Jeff Mills, Len Faki, Visionquest, Guti, Agoria and everyone in between. It was truly a master class in underground dance music, with the festival stage providing a grand spectacle and location for fans and DJ’s to enjoy the atmosphere. It goes without saying we wish we were present to enjoy the diverse and captivating programming that Awakenings had to offer, but thankfully the Awakenings team has uploaded some sets from the weekend for everyone to enjoy.
Out of the multiple sets posted on the Awakenings Soundcloud, here are the ones that helped ease our incredible F.O.M.O
Warming things up with the opening set on Day 2 of Awakenings was Swedish powerhouse, Joel Mull. Known for his signature style of deep, hypnotic, and driving techno, this set was an incredibly appropriate opening while still showcasing his expansive knowledge of music and records. Normally we’d like to hear Joel in a more peak slot taking things to new heights, but if the choice grooves from this Swede were the first thing we heard at Awakenings we wouldn’t have a problem whatsoever.
Following Joel Mull was fellow Drumcode staple, Sam Paganini. With a blend of groovy techno and quintessential festival stabs, Paganini appears to have kept the vibe alive as the festival moved along at a steady pace. We would have loved to have seen him at work on the festival stage at Awakenings, but luckily for us he’ll be making a stop at Exchange LA on July 18th for a four hour extended set.
On Day 1 Dave Clarke wasted no time. Getting right down to business with modular leads and textures his set continually evolved and never had a boring moment. It was also refreshing to listen back and hear him play at a relatively fast pace compared to many techno sets these days. This comes as no surprise as Dave Clarke always puts forth a showcase of techno in it’s purest form. Undoubtedly a highlight of the weekend, and we’re happy to at least have the luxury of listening to it after the fact.
The beginning of Ryan Elliot’s set at Awakenings is a brooding atmosphere that paints the picture of a brooding techno swamp somewhere in the distant realm of Degoba. But all Star Wars references aside, Ryan Elliot quickly hits his stride moving effortlessly into washed out dub techno that surely sounded incredible on a festival soundsystem. With a healthy blend of house and techno we can only image the dance-a-thon that went down at Awakenings, especially with some of the classic tunes included in the set.
Another set that we thoroughly enjoyed came from Doka. This set had all the right ingredients to have the dance floor in high spirits, and seems to be the perfect compliment to the other artists on the bill at Awakenings.
