- At around 4 PM on Saturday, April 15th, I was ushered onto a packed ferry with a few hundred other 20-somethings making their way to DGTL Festival. The ride across the canal between Amsterdam Centraal train station and NDSM Docklands, a repurposed industrial space, was short, but that didn't stop an impromptu dance session from springing up on the lower deck. People cracked beers and shuffled from side-to-side to tech house.
DGTL does a lot of things right. Well-produced but packing plenty of character, it's a massive event that brings 15,000 people to NDSM Docklands every year. Its 2017 edition was no different, hosting a lineup that ran the gamut from deep house and disco to industrial techno, delivered by some of electronic music's most popular names. The sprawling festival site, which takes over a number of cavernous former shipping docks, is heavy on decoration and colour, easy to navigate, and contains plenty of open space. Intermittent drizzles meant these spaces weren't used as much as the last time I visited, but plenty of people still lingered by its many vegetarian food stalls. The only large-scale festival I've attended with a vegetarian-only food policy, its ethical approach is, like its top-shelf production, uncommon on the wider festival circuit. And while the music on offer might be on the safer side of house and techno, DGTL offers a high-end experience like few other events.
Here are five key performances from across the weekend.
Maceo Plex & Lord Of The Isles
Maceo Plex, an Ibiza kingpin, and Lord Of The Isles, a "shy" graphic designer, might seem like an odd couple on paper, but in the booth on Saturday they looked a natural pairing. Both 30- or 40-something year-old guys with stubble, plain clothes and a taste for rolling acid tunes, they synced seamlessly during their back-to-back set. Looking more like dads at a kids' rugby match than international DJs, they began their slot with a series of stripped-down acid loops before moving onto bolder fare. The breakdowns became more frequent as the set went on, bringing cheers with every selection.
Jennifer Cardini
Jennifer Cardini looked like she meant business in the minutes leading up to her closing set on the RA stage on Saturday. Stone-faced, puffing on a cigarette and wearing a leather jacket, she seemed like someone about to lay waste to the festival's cosiest dance floor. But instead of no-nonsense bangers, she spun melodic and cosmic-flavoured house heavy on arpeggios and dreamy atmospheres. The set's flow was as good as you'll ever hear, with tight transitions that allowed the layers of melody to liven the room. A veteran DJ with an ear for bright tunes, Cardini was in top form.
Oskar Offermann & Edward
"My craziest weekend ever is about to start," Oskar Offermann wrote a few days before DGTL. "On Monday you can probably put me in a mental institution." His early afternoon back-to-back with his old sparring partner Edward was his third of four gigs on three continents, but you never would have guessed it. The pair eased through deep house, house and electro-leaning fare at Frequency, a bright greenhouse-style room with plenty of sunshine, plants, smoke machines and energetic dancers. The more rhythmic the track, the stronger the crowd reaction. Their set was among the weekend's classiest, so when Andhim took over and launched straight into their in-your-face tech house, I couldn't help but wish that Offermann and Edward had been booked for a longer slot.
Sandrien
The crowd was out in full force to catch Sandrien, a local techno hero, on the Generator stage on Sunday. The dark and cavernous arena feels built for pummelling tunes, so any track with a big bassline was greeted with hundreds of claps and whistles. Her mixing and flow were as smooth as expected from a DJ with almost 20 years experience, so what the set lacked in curveballs it made up for in sheer precision and expert pacing. Every breakdown hit harder than the last, proving that this Amsterdam DJ knows how to please hometown crowds big and small.
DJ Koze
DJ Koze might be the most adventurous big-room DJ out there. Where many house selectors at festivals take a direct, linear approach, Stefan Kozalla isn't afraid to let the energy drop every now and then. Instead of smooth and safe transitions, he'd occasionally cut the bass from both channels and play with the faders while blending two tracks, bringing the sound down to a murmur. But a big moment was never far away—Koze is a master of tension and release. Delivering something between a club and festival set, he's one of few DJs who lets his personality shine through in high-pressure situations like DGTL.
Photo credit /
Tom Doms - Maceo Plex & Lord Of The Isles, Jennifer Cardini, Oskar Offermann & Edward
Tim Buiting - Lead, Sandrien
Jennifer Cardini Jennifer Cardini looked like she meant business in the minutes leading up to her closing set on the RA stage on Saturday. Stone-faced, puffing on a cigarette and wearing a leather jacket, she seemed like someone about to lay waste to the festival's cosiest dance floor. But instead of no-nonsense bangers, she spun melodic and cosmic-flavoured house heavy on arpeggios and dreamy atmospheres. The set's flow was as good as you'll ever hear, with tight transitions that allowed the layers of melody to liven the room. A veteran DJ with an ear for bright tunes, Cardini was in top form.
Oskar Offermann & Edward "My craziest weekend ever is about to start," Oskar Offermann wrote a few days before DGTL. "On Monday you can probably put me in a mental institution." His early afternoon back-to-back with his old sparring partner Edward was his third of four gigs on three continents, but you never would have guessed it. The pair eased through deep house, house and electro-leaning fare at Frequency, a bright greenhouse-style room with plenty of sunshine, plants, smoke machines and energetic dancers. The more rhythmic the track, the stronger the crowd reaction. Their set was among the weekend's classiest, so when Andhim took over and launched straight into their in-your-face tech house, I couldn't help but wish that Offermann and Edward had been booked for a longer slot.
Sandrien The crowd was out in full force to catch Sandrien, a local techno hero, on the Generator stage on Sunday. The dark and cavernous arena feels built for pummelling tunes, so any track with a big bassline was greeted with hundreds of claps and whistles. Her mixing and flow were as smooth as expected from a DJ with almost 20 years experience, so what the set lacked in curveballs it made up for in sheer precision and expert pacing. Every breakdown hit harder than the last, proving that this Amsterdam DJ knows how to please hometown crowds big and small.
DJ Koze DJ Koze might be the most adventurous big-room DJ out there. Where many house selectors at festivals take a direct, linear approach, Stefan Kozalla isn't afraid to let the energy drop every now and then. Instead of smooth and safe transitions, he'd occasionally cut the bass from both channels and play with the faders while blending two tracks, bringing the sound down to a murmur. But a big moment was never far away—Koze is a master of tension and release. Delivering something between a club and festival set, he's one of few DJs who lets his personality shine through in high-pressure situations like DGTL. Photo credit / Tom Doms - Maceo Plex & Lord Of The Isles, Jennifer Cardini, Oskar Offermann & Edward Tim Buiting - Lead, Sandrien