Swiss-based music festival Polaris have returned to skiing resort of Le Mouton Noir – Verbier for their fourth edition and it’s quite easily their best line-up yet.
Spread over four days, music heavyweights such as Ben UFO, Massive Attack, Nina Kraviz and Jeff Mills will be gracing the icy mountain tops. It’s a fantastic follow on from the previous editions containing the likes of Richie Hawtin, Luciano, Dixon and Seth Troxler.
However, the stage which has got Trommel’s mouthwatering is the Farinet stage which features a whole host of minimal and eclectic talent. The festival has done well to provide an excellent mix of established names and those who can be considered emerging talents.
Also spread over four days, day one on Thursday 29th features Saar and Sorin Milea before Uruguayan selector and all-around mind boggler Omar gets the party started on the first night. More and more partygoers are being educated on the hotbed of talent that is Uruguay at the minute. If you’ve never managed to catch Omar, he’s a must. Mixing his own fantastic productions with a selection of hard-to-find old tracks, giving them a fresh touch up.
Friday sees Leeds based selector Jordan Magee get the party started for the one and only Francesco Del Garda. It’s not the first time these two have shared the billing, with Jordan and Francesco also crossing paths at Leeds Distrikit Bar no less. The Italian is arguably one of the hottest properties in the underground as of now and for good reason. He is simply an unbelievable DJ, combining fantastic sonic storytelling with the best tracks you’ve never heard, and will never find.
Saturday’s fixtures begin with the Farinet’s first and only back-to-back, Butter Side Up resident Jonny Sleight teaming up with London based and co-owner of Catch Recordings, Nadsat. Another Leeds DJ talent fills the billing on Saturday, with tomorrowaudio and Mugpie associated talent Ethan Mcnamara getting the grooves going on. Ethan is an excellent DJ in his own right but he’s warmed the floor for the likes of Petre Inspirescu, The Ghost and Andrew James Gustav. Joining Ethan will be London based and co-owner of Catch Recordings, Nadsat.
Leading the way on Saturday night, however, will be none other than Yoyaku and Discobar affiliate Lamache. The Paris based DJ is an excellent choice to be wrapping up the Saturday night. By this time, festival attendees will be in full on party mode and ready for anything. Lamache’s high energy and eclectic selections make this a match made in heaven.
The last day of a festival always has a hint of melancholy in the air but Polaris’ selections for the Sunday will make it hard for such emotions to be doing the rounds. The Leeds thread continues to stretch into Sunday with Chin, one of the most respected diggers in his local scene, taking the reigns with what will be an extended timetable during the last day. The Leeds-Polaris baton is then passed onto Oscar Conway who will be transitioning for some very exciting DJs.
Helping to close out the Farinet are two acts that Trommel are incredibly excited about. Following on from Oscar is none other than James Creed and Josh Tweek AKA The Ghost. Describing the pair as ‘unbelievable DJs’ would feel like an injustice of sorts. It’s always an incredibly party whether they’re involved but even after three days of seeing top DJs, they’ll be ready to rock the boat and take you in musical directions you hadn’t even thought of.
Speaking of rocking the boat, the penultimate act will be the uncompromising selector that is Onur Özer. After your musical palet has been fulfilled by the likes of Omar, Lamache and The Ghost, the Berlin-based selector will be on hand to combine everything you’ve heard over the past three days into a jaw-dropping set. You can expect techno, electro, breaks and anything in between, each track more weird and wonderful than the previous. Closing out the festival will be a two hour live set from the mysterious Javier Goldin.
All these talented DJs will be performing in a custom made and aesthetically looking DJ booth. They will also be performing completely free of charge to yourself if you put your name on guestlist beforehand. However, it’s in an intimate setting with just 300 capacity, so you’ll want to get your name in quick.
If you’re interested in attending this fantastic line-up, you visit Polaris’ website, RA page or Facebook event. Happy raving!
