After last year’s successful debut, Glitch Festival – touted as Malta’s boldest electronic music festival – returns with a bigger second edition. This summer, electronic music enthusiasts from all over the world are once again called to gather at the gates of a veritable house and techno fortress for two solid days on a sonic adventure.
Partygoers can lap up the last of the summer sunshine against a backdrop of house and disco music, followed by darker, disjointed techno, acid and electro, which will take the party through the night.
The 2017 edition of Glitch Festival takes place on September 7 and 8 at Gianpula fields, framed against the iconic skyline of the fortified city of Mdina.
This year’s event will feature multiple stages and promises a diverse quality line-up of industry titans, including Maceo Plex, Jon Hopkins, Marcel Dettmann, Ben Klock and Recondite. A rare appearance by the legendary Mr G will also be one of the festival highlights, together with Drexciya-affiliated DJ Stingray, Blawan, Dax J, Legowelt, Vril, Palms Trax, DJ Seinfeld, Jupiter Jax, Hail Blk and more.
www.glitchfestival.com
Meet some of the artists
Mr G
Having been in the game for around two decades now, Mr G is widely considered to be one of the most under-rated artists around, with only true music fans appreciating his contribution to dance music.
In 1999, Mr G decided to go his own way and founded the Phoenix G label in order to create his unique brand of analogue bass-heavy electronic tech-funk, which immediately attracted props from his peers and the music press alike.
Having achieved great acclaim for releases on other labels, such as Defected, Duty Free, The End and Skint/Loaded, and remixing a wide range of artists – overground from chart-topping Roger Sanchez to Ms Kittin, and underground from Xpress II to Josh Wink and Ben Sims – he also received much attention for his releases/remixes out of Detroit on Moods ‘n’ Grooves.
Ben Klock
Having become a Berghain resident in 2005, Ben Klock needs little introduction and has since established himself at the forefront of Berlin’s modern techno movement, an ever-present symbol of the city’s vast musical landscape.
His long-standing relationship with the notorious techno institution has formed the backdrop to his success, providing an invaluable platform that has allowed him to become one of the most in-demand DJ-producers of the current generation.
Those who have witnessed him perform will note not only the diversity in his track selection, but also his ability to create a room rather than just play to it. Though intense and powerful, his DJ output reflects a certain kind of fervour, capturing an artistry and emotion that can often appear absent from the techno genre. He also possesses a wonderful understanding of how to adapt his music to the circumstances, a competence that means he can be found at both large-scale festivals and small, intimate club settings around the world.
Legowelt
His vast musical output spans many different worlds – some real, some imagined – and does so in a unique and captivating fashion that keeps listeners enthralled. Since first emerging in the early 1990s as a key part of the Dutch West Coast scene and Bunker family, he has become a core member of that crew who takes inspiration from Detroit and Chicago pioneers but also fantasy films and sci-fi culture, and is nowadays a modern-day techno pin-up in his own right.
Legowelt’s unique style comes from an unfaltering devotion to hardware, be it old, new or totally knackered. Jamming all day long on music-making toys, his output veers from dense and foresty techno to whizzing electro, deeper electronic and stuff for which there isn’t even a name yet.
Maceo Plex
Always searching for the future of electronic dance, Maceo Plex has never let himself be confined by the rules of styles or genres as he makes his way through the fickle industry.
The producer, who performs under several names including Maetrik, Mariel Ito and Plaex, is making incredible leaps and strides, releasing some of the most devastating yet unique music in the industry. The rich, dynamic production and unique blend of techno, house, funk, and electro make him in great demand.
And, 11 years since his first release on the respected Immigrant Records back in 2000, he is still holding strong to his quest for the future of dance. Whether working on his ‘other-worldly’ compositions as Maetrik, his alien-sounding electro as Mariel Ito, or his innovative dark house music as Maceo Plex, he is always putting aside trends and crushing genre boundaries.
Marcel Dettmann
The DJ and producer is recognised as one of the most influential proponents of contemporary techno. Widely associated with iconic trademarks, including Berlin, Berghain and Hard Wax, Dettmann stays true to his roots by consistently innovating his interpretation of electronic music, integrating art with the scene.
Raised in a small town near Berlin, Dettmann had already begun to develop his passion for electronic music in his youth. Bands like Depeche Mode, The Cure and Front 242, as well as post-punk and industrial, count as his earliest influences, long before he discovered his affinity for techno.
Today, Dettmann quests tirelessly for new ways and inspiration to further develop his own concept of electronic music. His label MDR (Marcel Dettmann Records) serves as a platform upon which to shape his musical vision, and through its releases, to launch new talent onto the techno scene. As a curator and producer, Dettmann fosters the call to create in a way that is equally timeless and innovative.