Get the Inside Scoop on Dimensions Festival’s Best Acts
Dimensions has become a behemoth fixture in Croatia’s busy summer festival circuit. The five-day event showcases a heady mix of house, techno and beyond, and this year it takes place from August 26-30 at Fort Punta Cristo in Pula. We enlisted one of the festival’s driving forces, Noah Ball, to walk us through some of his top picks. Timing for most slots will be announced closer to the start date, so keep an eye on the Dimensions website here.
Cover photo by Jack Pasco.
Opening Concert with Floating Points, Four Tet and Little Dragon
Floating Points has done a few live things in the past, but he has never before put together a full performance for an ensemble, which he’ll present on August 26 at our opening concert. He hasn’t told us much about it so far, but I know that he’s trying to pull some of the best musicians in the scene to contribute to his 10 or 12-piece band. Four Tet is working on a special light show to go with his live act that takes the setting—a 2,000-year-old, 5,000-capacity Roman amphitheatre—into consideration. The mayoral office has only allowed us to utilize the space in the last few years, and it’s quite an honor to be able to put on an electronic music show in such a decadent venue. They usually have symphony orchestra-style events and operas there.
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George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic
Sunday night in the clearing we’ve got George Clinton, Moodymann, Jeremy Underground and Motor City Drum Ensemble, so it’ll be a night full of Detroit-inspired, soulful, funky music. Clinton, the backbone of Parliament-Funkadelic, very rarely plays for less than a two and a half-hours, so we’re going to give him a load of time and let him take the night away. It’s a full 10 to 15-piece band and a crazy show with lots of fancy dress: men wearing cowboy outfits and nappies. The funk, soul and disco movements have had a massive impact on today’s electronic sounds; Clinton is one of the most sampled acts in the world. Each year we try to put together a patchwork of new, cutting-edge artists alongside those in the same lineage, which is why we put Moodymann alongside Clinton. There’s a hell of a lot of funk and soul running through all of the acts that night.
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Secret Party @ Zerostrasse
Throughout the ground beneath Pula runs a network of tunnels that connect the numerous fortifications situated around the area. The network was implemented by the Austrian empire and continued by the Yugoslavian Army. Details of the party we’re hosting there and its lineup won’t be announced until much nearer to the time.
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Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra
In previous years, we’ve booked musical originators like Lonnie Liston Smith, Jr., Roy Ayers and Tony Allen. This year, we’ve got Dele Sosimi, who was Fela Kuti’s bandleader when Fela was playing with the Egypt 80. He’s got a ten-piece afrobeat band that will play over the weekend as well. He’s continued releasing his own material and has a new album out on Wah Wah 45s.
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Underground Resistance presents Timeline Live & Juan Atkins
Our theme of showcasing originators and legendary figures continues with Underground Resistance and Juan Atkins, some of the forefathers of techno. We always try to join the dots between the originators and those who are carrying the torch nowadays.
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Giegling Label Showcase @ The Moat
In terms of the newer artists booked for this year, we’ve got Giegling at the Moat on Sunday night. The imprint works with house, techno, slow-mo beats and instrumental hip-hop. Konstantin will go back to back with Dustin, and both Edward and Vril will play live. That night they’ll share the stage with headliners Truncate and Ben Klock. Of all the new techno I’ve been listening to, those guys have definitely been keeping things exciting.
Metalheadz Takeover
We’re taking things in a slightly different direction with a Metalheadz takeover featuring Goldie, Jubei, Ulterior Motive, Source Direct and Paradox. That’s in Mungo’s Arena, which has one of the bassier sound systems at the festival. At the moment, Goldie has been working with the 50-piece Heritage Orchestra on a live version of his album Timeless. Hopefully we’ll get that show in the amphitheater next year.
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Boat Parties
Every year approximately 30 party boats set sail on the Adriatic, where you can watch the sun set over the Istrian coast and see headliners perform in the most intimate of venues. This year some of our favorite labels, like Eglo, Hessle Audio and Metalheadz, are hosting boat parties. Get more information here.
Published August 24, 2015.