- As far as I'm aware, there's nothing like Baleapop in France. Spread across five days in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a charming Basque town between the Atlantic Ocean and the Pyrenees, the boutique festival has developed a cult following over the years, largely due to its smart bookings, affordable prices and astounding setting. Like Spain's Basque region, the French side is celebrated for its amazing food, world-class surfing and rich cultural and linguistic history.
On the opening night of the festival, a mix of locals, tourists and punters assembled at one of Saint-Jean-de-Luz's busiest squares. They were there to watch a dazzling performance by Basque dance troupe Negua Bilaka. Later in the evening, Chassol, a gifted composer famous for his "ultrascore" technique, presented his Big Sun show. Live drums and keys accompanied visuals composed from footage of a trip he took to Martinique. It was a thrilling, hypnotic experience, and one that felt typical of Baleapop. The festival always brings something fresh to the table, combining ambitious experimentation with a strong sense of community.
Unlike a lot of festivals, Baleapop is not tied to a specific space. Parc Ducontenia hosted three events across the weekend, but there were also two block parties and a couple of daytime gigs in a dried-up swimming pool on Cenitz Beach. Apart from the Ducontenia events, everything was free of charge. The beach parties, an easy highlight of the festival, saw Music From Memory's Jamie Tiller and Chicago's Traxx play extended sets on Friday and Saturday respectively, presenting two distinct versions of the daytime party. Tiller's set was predictably eclectic, mixing boogie and disco with oddball ethnic grooves. His suave, sophisticated selections went down a treat with the crowd, who were loose thanks to the party's BYOB policy.
The mood at Cenitz was gloomier the following day. Les Fils de Jacob played early, blasting hard techno and bass music to a sparse floor. They climaxed with Richard H Kirk's "Never Lose Your Shadow," before signing off with a chaotic drum track reminiscent of Hessle Audio. Bernardino Femminielli's live show was more theatre than music, as the Montreal-based artist fired out sinister disco beats while chewing on a sandwich and stepping repeatedly on a European Union flag. His was the only set that felt out of place against the sun-drenched setting. Traxx, though, made the beach his own, blending no wave and industrial techno at a frenetic pace before resorting to a more crowd-pleasing brand of hard-hitting acid.
Later that night, in Ducontenia, Shackleton and dEbruit delivered two excellent sets. The former lent on pacy techno and UK rave, while the latter explored tribal rhythms and wonky basslines in a way that exceeded all my previous expectations. But the most inspiring gigs were still to come. Sunday's lineup was brilliantly curated, with local DJ Flying Baobab relieving hangovers with colourful funk and disco on the main stage. In the early afternoon, obscure Italian duo The Mystic Jungle Tribe performed a mind-blowing live set, delving into electro-funk and bass-heavy rollers with surgical precision. Then came Lyon-based duo The Pilotwings, whose rich textures and swirling melodies sounded even better live than on their recent 12-inches for Brothers From Different Mothers. In keeping with tradition, it was left to Moï-Moï Band, which features members of the Baleapop team, to close the stage. Their psychedelic jam session was the perfect send-off.
In different circumstances, it could have come across as pretentious for the promoters to close their own festival, but at Baleapop it makes sense. By the end of the weekend, a bond had formed between every attendee and crew member. Because it's such a small event, everything, from the art to the cuisine, carried a personal touch. Punters weren't running from stage to stage with their noses glued to the program; instead, they were busy jumping around to some unknown chancer playing Brazilian soul at the open-decks bar, or getting caught up in an intense game of Twister. This is why Baleapop is unique in France: the organisers have succeeded in creating a party that is not defined solely by the music, but also by the atmosphere and overall experience. It's a space for having fun and feeling free.
Photo credits /
Laurence Revol - Lead
Alain Cazenave - Negua Bilaka
Simon Noizat - Traxx
In different circumstances, it could have come across as pretentious for the promoters to close their own festival, but at Baleapop it makes sense. By the end of the weekend, a bond had formed between every attendee and crew member. Because it's such a small event, everything, from the art to the cuisine, carried a personal touch. Punters weren't running from stage to stage with their noses glued to the program; instead, they were busy jumping around to some unknown chancer playing Brazilian soul at the open-decks bar, or getting caught up in an intense game of Twister. This is why Baleapop is unique in France: the organisers have succeeded in creating a party that is not defined solely by the music, but also by the atmosphere and overall experience. It's a space for having fun and feeling free. Photo credits / Laurence Revol - Lead Alain Cazenave - Negua Bilaka Simon Noizat - Traxx