Si prospetta un’estate calda anche il prossimo anno a Montemor-o-Velho, località situata nel distretto di Coimbra in Portogallo e sede del Festival Forte, kermesse dedicata alla musica elettronica e che si svolge tra le mura del castello della cittadina, fortezza oggi classificata come monumento nazionale portoghese. L’organizzazione, con l’adeguato anticipo di chi si prefigge di lavorare con una certa professionalità ha già comunicato le date della quarta edizione che si svolgerà il 24, 25 e 26 agosto 2017.
Già attiva finanche la prevendita direttamente dal sito – www.festivalforte.com – ad un prezzo speciale e a scatola chiusa…mossa strategica che lascia quantomeno intravedere la consapevolezza di poter eguagliare, se non perfezionare, gli standard delle passate edizioni. Anzi conviene quasi affrettarsi sicché la capienza è limitata a cinquemila ingressi.
L’edizione del 2016 ha visto una line-up notevole con grossi nomi del panorama europeo e qualche chiccha veramente speciale: si sono alternati infatti sul palco del castelo Ben Frost, Cabaret Voltaire, Daniel Miller, TRADE (Blawan & Surgeon), Helena Hauff, Apparat, Ben Klock…
Questo il report dettagliato della manifestazione
– – Welcome to Festival Forte – where techno ravers find their acropolis! – –
Authoress: Liliana Carvalho
Montemor-o-Velho’s Castle is a venue of an indescribable austerity with a considerable historic background and an innumerable legacy. Nowadays it gives home to peculiar and traditional events such as Citemor, Medieval Fairs, it is part of the National Gastronomic Route (with its famous Lamprey and Rice Festival), …
Nevertheless, it is not the first time that this royal household walls resonate with electronic beats: it started in the 90´s with a praised electronic music festival called Tecnolândia. In its line-up throughout the years featured names like Plastikman, Kevin Saunderson, Jeff Mills, Carl Cox amongst others.
Since Forte’s first edition in 2014, this inevitable reference has been inherent – one would be led to understand that an old school feeling had been awoken.
As the night falls in the cozy camping, the music lovers started to make their way towards their first congregation on the dancefloor. Architect Miguel Figueira escalators help us on our way up through subtle lines that design a modern figure on Montemor-o-Velhos’s landscape – this contemporary path establishes the open-mind of this town’s population to innovative inceptions. There is no better way to climb to an ancient Castle – one that will provide you such musical occasion that prides itself for its cutting-edge on the techno music scene.
One could sense the growing anxiety for the festival’s beginning as the crowd gathered restlessly for Ben Frost opening act…
Once the clock strikes 00.00, an electrifying and waved sonority accompanied by a frantic video art work filled the urge of each visitor. If you were one of those who were not expecting anything like it or were not familiar with Ben Frost’s works or productions, it would be inevitable to engage in this powerful experience of experimental audio reflection. Alongside with MFO’s (Marcel Weber) corpuscular synapse alike visuals, the Australian composer and producer performed a Castle-fitted adaptation of their mesmeric work AURORA. Imagine yourself emerged on low frequencies and obscene beats and suddenly the music stops (should be understood as another one of Frost’s signature)! One would reckon the fluster on people’s faces as this brilliant scientists astonished us with their violent beauty act. Another daring venture that this festival has been doing with its past editions in their opening performances.
As silence became brutal, Cabaret Voltaire (i.e., Richard H. Kirk) started playing towards a defused crowd with a stimulating frenetic industrial technopop combined with turmoil glitched super 8 videos displayed on 3 screens – he reminded us how blistering the post punk aesthetics were. One more surprising experiment, though this one with a psychedelic maturity topped with a political and social awareness.
Probably the most eagerly awaited performance of the night entered the stage. After the two previous sizzling shows, the German Sascha Ring (aka Apparat) had to conjure its audience with a lodestone set. I personally believe this was not his best effort. Throughout a groovy dazed DJ set lacking techno beats, he presented a predictable formula that bursted with Moderat, Jon Hopkins or SBTRKT tracks that would (and did!) drawn the attention on a so far apprehensive crowd.
The British legend Daniel Miller offered us an eloquent DJ set: a bouncing deep down to earth bass beat that carefully drove the audience into a techno journey where tracks like ‘Singularity’ by Stephan Bodzin, would come across instinctively layered in his musical choices. Despite musical tastes and each one’s cup of tea, understanding his iconic value due to his remarkable contribution on electronic music would make you realize his expertise on how acquiescently you can reach out to the crowd. And with this submersive set, my first night was over. A very special mention to Olga Studio`s astonishing visuals during these last performances.
The second night begun with a Portuguese print: Manu, a DJ and persistently devoted promoter of the electronic music scene in Portugal and Schuro, a producer, DJ and owner of its own label ‘Sombra’. Followed by 5 more acts, they engaged us on what could be the most interesting night of this electronic celebration music-wise. Two of the only (!) three feminine figures featured on the whole festivals’ menu (!!!) were performing tonight.
Helena Hauff certified and confirmed her presence with an empowering and thriving mix which blended sharply 90’ish (mostly) old school techno releases, either Chicago, EBM, Electro, New Wave or Acid Techno. One could sense a Drexciya mood in her bouncing beats. Not only she did that, but also endorse it with a shaped and established imprint of her own. Quite a proper approach to have in a millenary Castle that nowadays raves once more to old school beats!
Another well-defined signature was the German Michael Wollenhaupt project – Ancient Methods. He entered the stage with a lot of certitude: a drilling and grinding metallic and industrial live beats resonated the Castle walls. The dark sliced waves allured to machine-like atmospheres as an obliterative statement towards the dancefloor. Assembling this sounds as he did boosted this experience unto a solid geared techno that kept the crowd wide awake!
Adding up to these outlined music structures, the exquisite Rrose follow. We were blessed with the rework of an established set-up scanned onto a dancefloor scenario. By the time this ascending live hit its climax, one could feel the accelerating pace in the air. Probably the best mood to be in as a surprising performance was about to start. If there were any doubts about music preferences regarding Blawan or Surgeon, your answer probably lies in TRADE. Their performance seemed like a provocation towards one another: a dialogue with pure raw techno from two acclaimed artists with distinct backgrounds exchanging their know-how. You could even notice that once a beat or new sample was introduced, one would catch-up and follow patching organically the other with its own shaped modular setup signature. The crowd danced their hearts out!
The Germanic Ben Klock closed the second night with a DJ set of the latest Berghain trends.
And now, time for a little bit of Forte browsing!
If Forte’s first edition was an example of how a festival can be produced in an incredible location enhancing its space and ambience with a ludic arty awareness, the two past editions regarding the exploration of this venue and its features were, without a doubt, a work in progress with impressive outcomes. The camping, as in past editions, provide us with a welcoming chilling area, amazing crafty sculptures/installations, a bar and restaurant and a mini-market to buy the everyday needs for campers. You could hear DJs throughout the afternoon and watch the sunset with an appropriate soundtrack.
Just an FYI: this Castle’s location is more less a twenty minutes’ drive from Figueira da Foz beach, if Sea would suit you better on a hot Portuguese Summer day.
As for the Castle AV works displayed, the ambience created was as good as it gets! An eye catching mapping was used as a game of flashing squares on the floor for an adult playground kind of feeling. A shaped screen inside Santa Maria de Alcovaça’s Church with a graphic projection would make us question if the video pitch was according to the music. An L shaped form transformed into a bench with swirly liquid alike projections surrounded with few sofas for you to chill at your own pace. Next to little stalls selling traditional pastry, one could contemplate the Tea House’s facade covered with a glitchy matrix projection of old television advertisements. Nevertheless, the huge stage screen led us to believe a 3D projection was happening by involving us within its concave shape. Being present in Forte’s past editions and experiencing other few festivals throughout the years, I must highlight the quality and accurateness of its sound system acoustic-wise – best one you could get when presenting a live set!
And what better way to complete a raver’s diary than a 24 hours non-stop music day?
In this last night/day the Portuguese Amulador and Vil started this music quest. The Canadian duo Orphx follow with one of, what people called, ‘the most distinguished live sets of techno in Forte’. Silent Servant’s live set was quite an experiment of emergent sounds, where he shared devotedly his potent bass beats throughout the audience.
Kobosil presented us his full-bodied choices for the night. Followed by a distinctive atmosphere created by two prominent music artists on the Swedish electronic music – Sebastian Mullaert and Ulf Eriksson. A fresh breeze of swirling organic and melodic electronic tunes that felt like a reboot – reminding us that this night was still young!
The Germanic Rodhäd (as in this festival’s first edition) continued this musical mission with a solid and boosted set that encouraged everyone for the next round as the sun started to peek announcing a shiny day. And it turned out to be indeed a proper Portuguese Summer one. A perfect time urged to position strategically the huge sun hats on the dancefloor providing shade for the relentless dancing crowd. The organization’s major concern was for people to enjoy with comfort and safety, so the audience was showered every once in a while with the Portuguese Fire brigade’s help. Every smile was a reflected appreciation with continuous ongoing bouncing techno beats as soundtrack.
The well-fitted extensive list of music artists on this day ended, for me, with David Rodrigues on the mix – a dedicated figure of the Portuguese electronic music scene. Among projects that cement his loyalty to music, such as Cosa Nostra promotion agency, music aliases (DuoDu and Hedonic2) or his captivating radio shows on the eccentric RUC (TBT: more than a radio, a music school!). Among references like Robert Hood, Voiski, Redshape, Surgeon’s ‘Search’ or the superb ‘La Piscine’ from In Aeternam Vale, could well describe his mojo.
My Forte 2016 was over. I had a plane to catch!
Out of the three Forte editions, Kings or Pawns, this year’s one as conquered with a clean musical checkmate.
Thank you and keep us curious Forte!
