- Dekmantel Selectors was held at The Garden Tisno, a near-perfect setting for a small festival. The site is incredibly beautiful, and every event I've been to there has been almost entirely hassle-free, thanks to the relaxed punters and organised staff. Barbarella's Discotheque, an open-air nightclub that's one of the world's best, is just a short drive away. All in all, festivals in Tisno have developed a winning aesthetic, combining Balearic beats, boat parties and big DJs.
It seemed unlikely that Selectors would mess with the formula too much on their first attempt. The layout and vibe across the week would have felt familiar to anyone who's been to Love International or The Garden Festival. Yet Selectors' pitch still felt intriguing. Taking inspiration from the Selectors stage at Dekmantel Festival, the event promised a broad range of music delivered by DJs known for their dedication to their craft. Acts like Traxx, Awesome Tapes From Africa and Daniele Baldelli have little in common except a reputation for going the extra mile. Selectors was also intimate, with a capacity of 1500, populated by a crowd more nationally diverse than I'd previously seen in Tisno.
The five-day festival was rich in musical highlights, but it was the boat parties that really stood out. The Dekmantel boat on the opening day had a slightly raucous feel to it, providing a taste of what the early Dekmantel parties may have been like. Filled with friends and local faces from Amsterdam's electronic music scene, it had the feeling of an overgrown house party. "This is the real Dekmantel," Thomas Martojo told me during his set. "This is why we started it, to play music like this." Expertly stitching together Afro beat, obscure disco and quality house records, Martojo and Dekmantel cofounder Casper Tielrooij did a fantastic job of complementing the gorgeous surrounding scenery. At one moment I glimpsed Rush Hour's San Proper standing on his own, shirtless, facing seaward and punching the air jubilantly. He looked like a grizzled rave pirate.
The Black Madonna approached her voyage on Saturday with the confidence and swagger of a prize fighter. Every record she played felt bigger and more devastating than the last. Every time you thought the atmosphere had reached fever pitch, she'd find another gear. Eventually she peaked with Donna Summer's "I Feel Love," causing members of the crowd to smash the roof of the boat, scream and even use beer bottles as makeshift percussion instruments. Then, she dropped Bill Withers' "Harlem" and, unbelievably, Dolly Parton's "Jolene," both to a huge response. All the while, Rahaan, a Chicago DJ and mentor to The Black Madonna, cheered loudly from the sidelines.
Though Amsterdam's Red Light Radio crew are known vinyl nerds, no records were played on their boat party. Everything had been digitised, lest a gust of wind sweep a €200 Nigerian boogie record into the Adriatic. Founder Orpheu The Wizard went first, showing why he's quietly become one of Amsterdam's best DJs. Abel, Calypso Steve, Tako and Young Marco followed, playing music tailor-made for a boat party, with plenty of boogie, house and disco. The crowd was pleasantly loose and people were making fast friends on the dance floor and in toilet queues. There was even a dolphin sighting.
Back on land, the Voodoo Stage was arguably the most musically interesting. At night, when it was dimly lit, full of smoke and powered by an improbably loud soundsystem, the space was transformed into a gritty outdoor rave. On Saturday evening, Lena Willikens delivered twisted electro and raw techno that worked perfectly in the intimate setting. The day before, Sassy J played a set as colourful as the clothing she makes in her spare time. Her two-hour performance was part of an incredible daylong music session at the stage that included underrated Rotterdam digger Loud-E and Invisible City Sound System. Opening with Huerco S's "Rushing To Paradise," Sassy J then sped up Recloose's smoky "Absence Of One" to 45 RPM, before working through a rousing selection of feel-good records, capturing a mood that has become her hallmark: jazzy, deep, soulful and sincere. By the end, people in the crowd weren't just dancing—they were smiling too.
But these sets, as great as they were, only scratched the surface of Selectors. Beppe Loda's cosmic disco masterclass on the Beach Stage, Gilb'R's freaky and unclassifiable selections, and Mike Servito's impeccable acid house, were all worthy of shout-outs. As were Young Marco, Joy Orbison and Motor City Drum Ensemble's sets at separate nights at Barbarella's. It's also worth stating that festivals at Tisno are as much about what happens away from the music. Floating around the Adriatic on an inflatable flamingo, leaving the site to watch the sunset and sip cocktails, or chartering a speedboat to Barbarella's are all activities that make you feel you're winning at life. In truth, it would be hard for a promoter to put on a bad event in Tisno. With Dekmantel's experience, they'd be the last people you'd expect to cock it up—and indeed, Selectors absolutely nailed it.
Listen to a playlist of key tracks from Dekmantel Selectors 2016.
Photo credits /
Desiré Van Den Berg - Sassy J
Erin D Keefe - Boat party
Aaron Coultate contributed to this piece
Back on land, the Voodoo Stage was arguably the most musically interesting. At night, when it was dimly lit, full of smoke and powered by an improbably loud soundsystem, the space was transformed into a gritty outdoor rave. On Saturday evening, Lena Willikens delivered twisted electro and raw techno that worked perfectly in the intimate setting. The day before, Sassy J played a set as colourful as the clothing she makes in her spare time. Her two-hour performance was part of an incredible daylong music session at the stage that included underrated Rotterdam digger Loud-E and Invisible City Sound System. Opening with Huerco S's "Rushing To Paradise," Sassy J then sped up Recloose's smoky "Absence Of One" to 45 RPM, before working through a rousing selection of feel-good records, capturing a mood that has become her hallmark: jazzy, deep, soulful and sincere. By the end, people in the crowd weren't just dancing—they were smiling too. But these sets, as great as they were, only scratched the surface of Selectors. Beppe Loda's cosmic disco masterclass on the Beach Stage, Gilb'R's freaky and unclassifiable selections, and Mike Servito's impeccable acid house, were all worthy of shout-outs. As were Young Marco, Joy Orbison and Motor City Drum Ensemble's sets at separate nights at Barbarella's. It's also worth stating that festivals at Tisno are as much about what happens away from the music. Floating around the Adriatic on an inflatable flamingo, leaving the site to watch the sunset and sip cocktails, or chartering a speedboat to Barbarella's are all activities that make you feel you're winning at life. In truth, it would be hard for a promoter to put on a bad event in Tisno. With Dekmantel's experience, they'd be the last people you'd expect to cock it up—and indeed, Selectors absolutely nailed it.
Listen to a playlist of key tracks from Dekmantel Selectors 2016. Photo credits / Desiré Van Den Berg - Sassy J Erin D Keefe - Boat party Aaron Coultate contributed to this piece