Electronica/Dance

[GlastoBatch2025]

Highlights/Best of all of it or whatever I caught them having at it:

 

Max Cooper @ Arcadia

Richie Hawtin @ Glade

Groove Armada / b2b Jungle @ Levels / Arcadia

Daniel Avery b2b Imogen @ Glade

Fish56Octagon @ Glade

Pearson Sound @ IICON

Amelie Lens @ Glade

Thursday night thru almost early morning at NYC Downlow

Edited July 14, 2025 by GlastoBatch2025

[GrumpyRaver]

Right, finally found some time post-festival to reflect a little.  For me, it was an absolute all timer, definitely in my top 5 Glastos, and possibly my best ever for late night stuff.  Body held up surprisingly well, probably because i was taking it easy during the day times, and only thing that stopped me from making it to the Temple on Sunday was the fear of the Monday heatwave on drive home rather than being unable to dance any more.

Here's what I got up to;

 

THUR

MJ Cole (Glade) - nice little set, nothing spectacular, but was great to hear so many tracks that played a big part in my early raving days in that glorious sunshine.
Leon Vynehall (Tree) - predictably and deliciously chin-strokingly good.

Wingdings (Tree) - Kieran smashed it, perfect way to properly start the Thursday party, and really bloody loved having a dance at that stage.
Eliza Rose (Glade) - Pretty fun, but nowhere near as good as she was on Genosys last year.

Joy Orbison (Glade) - left me a bit cold, in all honesty... felt quite perfunctory, which I think he has a tendancy to do a bit too often in my experience.

Marie Davidson (Levels) - now we're cooking.  So much love for that set!  Masterful at times, and one of my highlights of the weekend.

Adiel (Levels) - pretty fun, but feel a little flat after Marie.

Radioactive Man (Assembly) - was great to finally get into Assembly, what a venue that is!  Was pretty cooked by that point though, and was flying solo - but still solid stuff.

FRI
Carl Cox and Eric Powell (Glade) - had a lot of fun at this, but was mainly just happy to find somewhere out of the sun for a while!
Avery b2b Imogen (Glade) - seriously loved this... pounding and thoughtful at the same time, flowed beautifully, and they really popped off each other.  Very glad i decided to forego Busta for this... one of my sets of the weekend.
Logic1000 (Arcadia) - beautifully crafted set, that didn't go too hard to feel jarring but also didn't dilly dally.  A great way to open the stage and tee things up nicely.

Optimo (Arcadia) - fun, but probably the least favourite set I've seen them do... although clear now why that may have been the case.
Max Cooper (Arcadia) - Loved every second... just the right mix of fun, interesting and energising.  And was so good to finally get under the belly of the beast!
Cybotron (Iicon) - was obviously very technically good, but felt a bit flat to me.  Really struggled to get into it.

Peach x Saoirse x Moxie (Genosys) - given my struggles at the giant head, a poor consumption choice, and a particularly difficult mood-killing journey to the SEC it may have been totally a me thing... but i just couldn't get into this at all.  A real shame, as this was my only set at one of my absolutely favourite places to dance.
Amelie Lens (Lonely Hearts Club) - caught the end... and it made my mind up about needing to see the full thing the next night...

SAT
Four Tet (Sunflower) - the PERFECT way to start a Saturday at Glastonbury.  What a set!  What a venue!  What a soundsystem!  What an amazing couple of E&Ders to spend a couple of hours with!  It took a lot for me to commit to missing Nulifer Yanya, but it was absolutely worth it.

Max Cooper (Glade) - utterly masterful, as always.  One of the best live sets i've ever seen from the master.

Charli XCX (Other) - ❤️❤️❤️

Richie Hawtin (Glade) - This set should be packaged up and distributed to every techno DJ as an example of how to construct an absolutely perfect set.  Unf**kingreal.
Amelie Lens (Glade) - she absolutely, totally ravaged me for an hour an a half.  Absolutely pounding, relentless, brutal... and exactly what i needed.  
Blawan (Iicon) - he made us wait, but boy was it worth it.  Another masterclass, weaving and jolting, challenging and cajoling - a proper journey of a set.

 

SUN

Goldie (Glade) - a bit bizarre, but a lot of fun, and pretty much exactly what i needed at that point of the weekend.  A lot to enjoy for a lapsed dnb boy.

Leon Vynehall (Glade Dome) - the type of ecclectic and ridiculously fun set I now take for granted from him.  A great way to end my raving for the weekend.

Wata Igarashi (Tree) - a beautiful cherry on top of the whole festival.


So many memorable set, and it was so great to see/catch up/meet so many of you.  You really are the absolute best people to party with.

 

[gfa]

Just seen 2manydjs did a special set using acts from Rock Werchter's past lineups for a special set for their 50th birthday.

 

Looks like an absolute party, would be unreal this at Glasto - maybe get Fatboy on it!

 

 

[GrumpyRaver]

1 hour ago, gfa said:

Just seen 2manydjs did a special set using acts from Rock Werchter's past lineups for a special set for their 50th birthday.

 

Looks like an absolute party, would be unreal this at Glasto - maybe get Fatboy on it!

 

 

Or get 2manydjs on it, and it might actually be good 😂

[Semprini]

I won a competition on Insta a few months back for 2 x weekend tickets to Junction 2. We live a little bit away so planned to only go on Fri and Sun. The tickets have now arrived and they're individual for each day so if anyone wants a couple of freebies for Sat please let me know? I'd rather they went together but can split if necessary.

If anyone is going to be there on Sunday then my lad found out at the weekend that, out of over 850 entries, he's won 1 of 12 DJ sets on a new stage Beatport are hosting called 'The Block'. It's a custom modified container with a Funktion-One sound system and he'll be on from 2-3pm. It should be easy to spot me - look for an overenthusiastic, middle aged man with grey hair going mental near the front!

[Powder_Finger]

Would love a Saturday ticket please! Also congrats to your son, that’s great news!

[Semprini]

6 minutes ago, Powder_Finger said:

Would love a Saturday ticket please! Also congrats to your son, that’s great news!

 

That's fine, if you DM me your email address I'll send one across.

[Powder_Finger]

On 22/07/2025 at 11:21, Semprini said:

 

That's fine, if you DM me your email address I'll send one across.

Hey sorry completely forgot to respond - I don’t think I can make it anymore so feel free to offer it to someone else. Will be there on Sunday so will try to catch that set if I’m around!

[Semprini]

No worries and hopefully catch up with you at some point tomorrow.

We had a really good time yesterday and was impressed with the set up and general vibe of the festival. We moved between the stages quite a bit and probably spent the most time out of any set watching DJ Seinfeld b2b Prospa. There's a bit behind the stage in the Hanger you can go to so was nice to see things up close and look out across the crowd. Heat in that tent was pretty oppressive for most of the day but got a bit better in the evening.

We managed to hook up with the guys organising the Beatport Block stage and they took us into their backstage area where there were lots of free drinks! Saw a few of the other competition winners and then O'Flynn who played the last set on there. Finished things off with Deadmau5 who was decent but we only saw the first half as had to get back for our train.

 

I've got a spare ticket for tomorrow if anyone wants it? 

[tigger123]

Sorry if I missed it but are we getting @bennyhana22's post Glasto review of what he saw? Fingers crossed!

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Lovely to see that the vast majority of people had a great time. There are some nice reads amongst these and other posts. I'd echo the general positivity, there were so many perfect elements to the festival this year. From an electronica perspective, mine generally went as planned. After eight days on site, and leaving some in the tank, the Prodigy mosh pit finally emptied it and I had nothing left for KI/KI, which was a shame but as always, I wouldn't have changed anything that came beforehand. The Randall tribute at Stonebridge on Thursday (particularly the Micky Finn/Kenny Ken b2b) was great, Grooverider/Fabio b2b at the Glade Dome was just ok but missing something. Calibre on the Sunflower rig was incredible. Four Tet proved every bit that he was a great shout for Woodsies headliner, it was a beautiful few hours in there along with Floating Points. There's loads of other stuff of course, but that's what immediately springs to mind atm. 25 was the year where I zipped about everywhere and didn't put roots down in one particular stage for too long (probably a contributory factor into my tiredness - and 256,000 steps - at the end). I liked the new Shangri-La setup but I definitely think it's time for a complete redesign. Same goes for IICON. I've been an advocate for their more avant garde music policy since 22 but I do now think that space is too big and hardly ever packed out. That could be seen as a positive for some but I reckon they could maximise that field a little better. I realise I might be in the minority with this opinion but I'd like to see a bit of a South East corner overhaul for 27.

 

Still not a lover of the new Glade arrangement and I don't think I ever will be. Genosys has become a tad stale. The Temple still rules above all! Didn't spend a huge amount of time at Arcadia. Loved the Tree Stage (my first visit, didn't make it there last year), it felt like a much needed respite from the repetitive beats. Spent a good amount of time in Babylon Uprising, always vibe central, I wonder if they get a bigger space in the future? The Sunflower tent was fabulous every time. I can't wait to experience it again this weekend at Dekmantel! I might even report back. Hope everyone is keeping ok. 

[danbailey80]

If you haven’t heard Deep Dish latest essential mix, do. Utter sublime. From 40mins particularly fire. 
 

Gorgeous deep house/ prog house. 
 

https://on.soundcloud.com/K1w08mt6OV0D3wmYHK

 

[Ben7amin_]

Woop just bagged Daniel Avery Tickets - little disappointing the album is out the same day as the gig as like to listen before hand but hey il squeeze some in 

[Fishman]

Shame this is at bloody Drumsheds, but this is quite the line-up.

[gfa]

On 27/07/2025 at 00:47, tigger123 said:

Sorry if I missed it but are we getting @bennyhana22's post Glasto review of what he saw? Fingers crossed!

He sadly goes quiet between festivals - maybe drop him a DM as he may get an email notification about that.

[nikkic]

4 hours ago, Fishman said:

Shame this is at bloody Drumsheds, but this is quite the line-up.

Yeah that’s some line up, very very tempted 

[Fishman]

18 hours ago, nikkic said:

Yeah that’s some line up, very very tempted 

Indeed ... so tempted that it's booked.

👍

[GrumpyRaver]

On 02/08/2025 at 09:33, Fishman said:

Indeed ... so tempted that it's booked.

👍

If i wasn't at Fold the weekend before i'd be all over it.  Still tempted to sell those tickets and do this instead, it's that good!

 

[GrumpyRaver]

On 27/07/2025 at 00:47, tigger123 said:

Sorry if I missed it but are we getting @bennyhana22's post Glasto review of what he saw? Fingers crossed!

 

I'm gonna try and catch up with him at Green Man, so will give him a prod if I see him.

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Just got back from a solo trip to Dekmantel and I loved it. In summary, I would class it as a festival for purists and audiophiles (paging @bennyhana22). Beautiful location in a wooded park near Schiphol airport, I was surprised by how intimate it felt (15,000 cap) but still had loads of space within and between each stage. Nowhere ever feels overly busy. The vast majority of production clearly goes into the sound quality, there are no screens or lasers, just the odd strobe and a whole load of smoke machines. There's no glitter, no sequins, no gimmicks. If you come expecting all the stalls and attractions of a modern festival, it might not be for you. It's relatively low-key in terms of punter attire. People aren't there to be seen, they're there to dance, which is also reflected in the very noticeable lack of phones. I'm not going to jump on the "live in the moment" argument, everyone is free to enjoy their festival experience as they see fit, but it was really refreshing to see. No lines of kids daisy-chaining through crowds, people just picked a spot, stayed there and danced. Can't say I've felt that way in a festival for a decade or more.

 

Some very cool stages, including "Radar", which is a multi-level scaffold arrangement where you feel right on top of the DJ. They actually have a no-phones policy on this stage as it's the area that gets live-streamed throughout the weekend. Stickers are placed over cameras and the rule is impeccably adhered to. Unbelievable vibe when it's going off in there. Tim Reaper's b2b with Special Request will live long in the memory. The "Greenhouse" is literally that, a fully glazed structure, complete with various items of flora and faunae making it feel like a rave in Kew Gardens. The added bonus this year was that Floating Points brought the Sunflower rig along for the entire weekend. I wondered how the sound would be in a fully glazed venue but I needn't have worried. It was immense. FloPo himself played all day b2b with Palms Trax on Friday and I popped in a few times throughout the day. Enjoyed Sabres of Paradise in there but really would have preferred to see them in darkness. "Selectors" stage is beautifully nested amongst what I think were weeping willow trees, "The Nest" is another scaffold-heavy construction with raised platforms on either side. Highlights in there were Tim Reaper alongside Flinty Badman (one half of Ragga Twins) as well as Coki & Joker. The "UFO" stages create such a dark, club feel, like no other festival I've been to. Like I say, minimal production, fantastic sound. It is quite literally all about the music. DJRum and Objekt b2b in "UFO II" was sublime.

 

The absolute star of the show though is "The Loop". A giant, circular arena over two levels, with the second level acting like a balcony that surrounds the entire "floor". The slightly raised booth also sits within the balcony area. Quite simply one of the best stages of any festival I've been to anywhere in the world and pushes the Temple at Glastonbury very close for the top spot. Again, a huge amount of attention is given to sound quality, with speakers perfectly positioned all around the venue on both levels. Managed to catch a fair bit in there over the weekend, including Blawan (his last 30 minutes was a sonic assault), Four Tet, Sasha, Steffi & Virginia, Anz & Pearson Sound. It was generally clash central and I tried to get in as much as I could but as I said above, your best bet is to sit tight and commit.

 

The location made it a bit of a pain in the ass to get back from. The festival encourages people to cycle to it (makes sense being in Amsterdam) and I've never seen so many bikes parked outside the gates. Judging by the number of bikes, I'd guess that maybe a third of punters take that option up, which must be a very wonky ride back to your hotel or the afters. I used a mixture of shuttle bus (ok) and taxi (expensive AF). Uber was on strike on Saturday night and when I tried to pick one up, they took far too long. Cycling is clearly the move, I'm just not sure I would have the energy or capacity at the end of a long day. Definitely a big consideration for anyone thinking about attending. Speaking of afters, there are numerous events going on after the festival but no way I'm making them at my age.

 

Has a very international feel, loads of nations represented. Interesting fact, it's also a plant-based festival, none of the food stalls sell meat, which as a vegan was another nice touch.

 

Knowing how most of you in here feel about techno, I can't recommend this festival enough. It definitely has all of the ingredients you're looking for and it's obviously so easily accessed for anyone living close to an airport in the UK. If you didn't want to go into Amsterdam itself, you could get a hotel at Schiphol airport as it's very close by. This was my first Dekmantel. The lineup was fantastic and judging by previous years, that's no fluke. The roster always contains a who's who of electronica. This could just be the fallow year replacement you're looking for...

 

 

[hmmmloddy]

On 04/08/2025 at 13:56, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Just got back from a solo trip to Dekmantel and I loved it. In summary, I would class it as a festival for purists and audiophiles (paging @bennyhana22). Beautiful location in a wooded park near Schiphol airport, I was surprised by how intimate it felt (15,000 cap) but still had loads of space within and between each stage. Nowhere ever feels overly busy. The vast majority of production clearly goes into the sound quality, there are no screens or lasers, just the odd strobe and a whole load of smoke machines. There's no glitter, no sequins, no gimmicks. If you come expecting all the stalls and attractions of a modern festival, it might not be for you. It's relatively low-key in terms of punter attire. People aren't there to be seen, they're there to dance, which is also reflected in the very noticeable lack of phones. I'm not going to jump on the "live in the moment" argument, everyone is free to enjoy their festival experience as they see fit, but it was really refreshing to see. No lines of kids daisy-chaining through crowds, people just picked a spot, stayed there and danced. Can't say I've felt that way in a festival for a decade or more.

 

Some very cool stages, including "Radar", which is a multi-level scaffold arrangement where you feel right on top of the DJ. They actually have a no-phones policy on this stage as it's the area that gets live-streamed throughout the weekend. Stickers are placed over cameras and the rule is impeccably adhered to. Unbelievable vibe when it's going off in there. Tim Reaper's b2b with Special Request will live long in the memory. The "Greenhouse" is literally that, a fully glazed structure, complete with various items of flora and faunae making it feel like a rave in Kew Gardens. The added bonus this year was that Floating Points brought the Sunflower rig along for the entire weekend. I wondered how the sound would be in a fully glazed venue but I needn't have worried. It was immense. FloPo himself played all day b2b with Palms Trax on Friday and I popped in a few times throughout the day. Enjoyed Sabres of Paradise in there but really would have preferred to see them in darkness. "Selectors" stage is beautifully nested amongst what I think were weeping willow trees, "The Nest" is another scaffold-heavy construction with raised platforms on either side. Highlights in there were Tim Reaper alongside Flinty Badman (one half of Ragga Twins) as well as Coki & Joker. The "UFO" stages create such a dark, club feel, like no other festival I've been to. Like I say, minimal production, fantastic sound. It is quite literally all about the music. DJRum and Objekt b2b in "UFO II" was sublime.

 

The absolute star of the show though is "The Loop". A giant, circular arena over two levels, with the second level acting like a balcony that surrounds the entire "floor". The slightly raised booth also sits within the balcony area. Quite simply one of the best stages of any festival I've been to anywhere in the world and pushes the Temple at Glastonbury very close for the top spot. Again, a huge amount of attention is given to sound quality, with speakers perfectly positioned all around the venue on both levels. Managed to catch a fair bit in there over the weekend, including Blawan (his last 30 minutes was a sonic assault), Four Tet, Sasha, Steffi & Virginia, Anz & Pearson Sound. It was generally clash central and I tried to get in as much as I could but as I said above, your best bet is to sit tight and commit.

 

The location made it a bit of a pain in the ass to get back from. The festival encourages people to cycle to it (makes sense being in Amsterdam) and I've never seen so many bikes parked outside the gates. Judging by the number of bikes, I'd guess that maybe a third of punters take that option up, which must be a very wonky ride back to your hotel or the afters. I used a mixture of shuttle bus (ok) and taxi (expensive AF). Uber was on strike on Saturday night and when I tried to pick one up, they took far too long. Cycling is clearly the move, I'm just not sure I would have the energy or capacity at the end of a long day. Definitely a big consideration for anyone thinking about attending. Speaking of afters, there are numerous events going on after the festival but no way I'm making them at my age.

 

Has a very international feel, loads of nations represented. Interesting fact, it's also a plant-based festival, none of the food stalls sell meat, which as a vegan was another nice touch.

 

Knowing how most of you in here feel about techno, I can't recommend this festival enough. It definitely has all of the ingredients you're looking for and it's obviously so easily accessed for anyone living close to an airport in the UK. If you didn't want to go into Amsterdam itself, you could get a hotel at Schiphol airport as it's very close by. This was my first Dekmantel. The lineup was fantastic and judging by previous years, that's no fluke. The roster always contains a who's who of electronica. This could just be the fallow year replacement you're looking for...

 

 

What a write up, what an experience! I was Dekmantel curious before, now I'm Dekmantel definite. Can't currently see how I'm going to manage that trip based on life circumstances but my god it's big goal for the long term future now. So pleased for you and what you got out of it.

[Skip997]

Great write up 

[idontgetoutmuch]

Brilliant write up - thank you!  It has made me want to go.

[Semprini]

Fantastic review and really great to hear you had such a good time!

I've been going to clubs and festivals in the Netherlands and Belgium for about 25 years now and have never had a bad experience. Always find the sound, production, organisation and atmosphere to be top notch. Yeah, they like to get drunk and smashed as much as the next person but never seen any idiots or had any trouble.

Was sort of planning to go to Dekmantel (booked a refundable hotel at the start of the year that was about a mile from the venue) but I go to Pukkelpop in Belgium every summer, which is two weeks after, so couldn't really fit them both in. It's 100% still on my list though and I'll maybe have a pop again next year.

[Semprini]

Been really fortunate to have a couple of very special and privileged weekends at festivals recently, so I hope this review won't come across as too gushing or conceited - apologies in advance!!

Mentioned a few posts back that my lad won a Beatport competition to DJ on the Sunday of Junction 2 and we had a pretty crazy day all things considered! Part of his prize was backstage tickets for him +3 so a group of us made the road trip down and we were in the venue not long after opening at midday.

We had use all day of the artist area behind the Beatport Block stage and were able to take full advantage of the free drinks they had on offer, which saved us quite a bit of money! He played at 2pm and there was a decent number of people watching for that early time of the day. I know I'm biased but it went really well and we were all buzzing and on a high from that point on really. Spent most of the afternoon wandering between the stages and there was a relaxed and friendly vibe throughout. wasn't quite as busy as Friday, which was a good thing, so never felt crowded and queues for toilets and food etc were minimal.