We are in Amsterdam at Lovelands where Solomun, HOSH, Adriatique, David August, Stimming and some other fine artists are performing. Here’s what happened…
Over the course of the past few years, few labels have kept us on our toes quite like Diynamic. Much of that is due to the unyielding work of the label head, Solomun, but if ever there was a label that epitomised a family ethos, it’s the Hamburg imprint. This was evidenced from their latest ADE takeover, where practically the entire crew rocked up for the Lovelands gig, proverbially blowing the roof of the place in the process.
And if you were in town to see what the label is really about, then you’ll have been more than happy with the results here. From standout performances by H.O.S.H. (which was one of our sets of the weekend) to excellent house fare courtesy of DJ Phono to techno inspired jams from Kollektiv Turmstrasse, we were greeted to practically the full scale of the underground electronic music spectrum.
And having entered the impressive venue that is Loveland around 11am, we were blown away to see the venue already packed. It’s fair to say that the Diynamic crew are loved in these parts, and the DJs obviously wanted to give something back, such was the strength of the sets that we heard. Indeed, each and every one of them seemed to be delighted from the first gig to the last, with David August’s set a case in point. The young German seems to constantly display a musical nous that’s far ahead of his years, and he once again reminded us just why this is the case thanks to a set that was brimming with harmonious sounds and snippets of his own work too, not least his brilliant recent edit of the aforementioned Kollektiv Turmstrasse. As a warm-up, Magdelena is really starting to make a name for herself too, and it can’t be long before she rises up the dance music ranks.
Although Uner was disappointingly missing from the line-up, such was the wealth of talent on offer that it never became an issue. Besides, if there’s anyone capable of stepping up on such big occasions, it’s H.O.S.H. The captain of the seas threw down a set that was amongst my favourite of the weekend, as he drew on a wide-ranging arsenal of tracks to whip the crowd into a frenzy. The fact that H.O.S.H. is now regularly spoken of in the same breadth as Solomun himself tells you all you need to know. Adriatique, meanwhile, proved once more just why they’re so heralded in these parts, as they pulled out all the stops in the Main Room, with their own track, the brilliant Rolex getting one of the night’s biggest cheers.
That said, it’s still Solomun whose influence reigns supreme around these parts like no others. Culminating the party from around the 4am mark, his set was heavy with melodic jams and tough cuts, the latter we perhaps hadn’t bargained with. While some DJs seem to reach the top without practically no effort on their behalf, Solomun continues to impress for all the right reasons: most significantly, the music. A team effort much like their German compatriots in this year’s World Cup, here’s hoping Solomun doesn’t pull a Philip Lahm for some time yet.
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