23 September 2014 (gig)
28 September 2014
Dimensions is a festival that embraces you with warmth and bright sun, drowns you in bass and pink cider and entices you not only with great curation, impeccable sound systems but also with the wonder of nature and one of the friendliest crowds you could ever hope to meet at a festival.
Not only is the festival site remarkable, Campsite Brioni is the perfect location to experience a more glamorous side to camping than offered at other festivals.The location provided a constant cool breeze to help curb the intense sun that greeted us every morning thanks to the beachfront and shadiness of the location. The relaxed vibe and beautiful surroundings helped create a cheerful and spirited mood among the people. Camp Brioni is situated on a rocky beach with sparkling water, perfect for daytime activities like swimming, sunbathing and dancing. The stage at the beach is where the party started and the and the smaller Pacino’s stage further down the coast is where it ended for those who were still itching for a dance on Monday night after the festival site was closed. Highlight performances included Awesome Tapes From Africa, Opolopo, and the splendid full band performance that played to the spectacular view of the Croatian sunset; The Internet.
The stages in the festival site were extraordinary with phenomenal sound systems set up to create a smooth and clear sound. The Clearing stage featured some of the biggest names on the lineup, such as Roy Ayers, Metro Area, Warpaint, and Gilles Peterson amongst many others. Roy Ayers had the energy of a young man, leading his band with his vibraphone, and encouraging the crowd in a sing along to “Everybody Loves The Sunshine”.Bringing a vinyl DJ set of Moodymann’s calibre to a large open air stage like the Clearing was a definite winner. The funky atmosphere was created by Moodymann’s choice in disco tunes, before going into a little Seven Davis Jr. segment, playing his debut EP ‘One’, as well as his latest release on Apron, “P.A.R.T.Y” and then continuing to mix deep through the records in his bag, throwing down sultry house bangers. Gilles Peterson served a foot-stomping4am mix of global electric grooves. The apex of his mix was arguably a clappy, jacking beat with a shameless Baile Funk vocal sample that created a euphoric moment for many people in the crowd.
The Fort Arena was a stage perfectly suited for its chosen artists with a psychedelic atmosphere created by the coloured projections on the tall stone walls. The electronic vocal stylings of Jessy Lanza, who recently released an album on Hyperdub, was a treat due to her set being intimate and sensual with the high point for many people being her performance of “Beach Mode” produced by Ikonika. Kelela was also a memorable performance as she brought the heat with her silky, smooth voice over pumping Night Slugs beats.
Mungo’s Arena offered the best soundsystem onsite along with a constantly joyful audience. The stage was tightly packed and in full swing for Mala who brought the true DMZ vibe to the abandoned fort that night. Another artist that truly made the Mungo’s Arena a special place was Kutmah who performed a unique set filled with quick mixing and various different styles.
The Moat and The Void were definitely the most popular stages with legendary artists performing there such as Ben UFO and Svengalisghost at the Moat and Theo Parish and Floating Points at The Void. The other smaller stages such as The Garden and Noah’s Ballroom completed the festival site as it enabled the festival to offer a large range of music which meant that one could always find the atmosphere that they were searching for that night.
Last but not least, the storm on Sunday night is definitely worth mentioning as it was a surprise to many people. Despite that it forced some to stay in the campsite taking shelter, many fearless souls braved through the torrential rain and lightning and were exceedingly rewarded with the liveliest night of drenched dancing. The last night featured stage takeovers from Metalheadz and Eglo Records; both well worth getting a little wet.
Dimensions is a unique and charming festival that attracts the friendliest crowd that one could experience at a festival. The festival creates a community vibe with enchanting music that brings all these people together. It was an incredible experience, one that I hope to relive.
