“The thing about Orbit Festival is that it puts Utrecht on the map,” notes an artist as we discuss the festival, some weeks ago. He has a point. Everyone knows The Netherlands has fun electronic music festivals (especially when it’s sunny out). But too often, Amsterdam is seen as the centre of that universe.
Orbit Festival, meanwhile, is an initiative by Utrecht-based club WAS, which redirects the spotlights to its hometown—partially by teaming up with well-known players from the local music scene. One of the festival’s stages (called Exal) is co-hosted by Carista’s United Identities and another (Nova) by party series La Cassette. The art is courtesy of the local non-profit art organisation Uncloud.
Granted, the festival isn’t exactly in Utrecht—rather at an ex-fortress on Utrecht’s most southeastern borders. But this only adds to its charm. Because, as it turns out, a historical fortress is a wonderful location for a rave. Especially if that rave’s purpose is to have you meander across fields, climb atop old brick vantage points and stumble through dark tunnels (sunglasses still on) to catch whiffs of industrial techno, classical house, four-on-the-floors or garage on one of its five stages. At Orbit Festival, the stages feel so far apart (if not in distance, then in vibe) that you never get distracted by one stage’s music while dancing at the other. Wherever you are, you’re always fully immersed.
Unlike most festivals, Orbit Festival wants you to get lost. Tuck away your phone and see what lands on your path. For us, this is the aforementioned brick tunnel which led through darkness (again, it probably would’ve been more navigable without sunglasses on, but what’s the point?), before leading you to the Nova stage. It’s best described as pit-like, which doesn’t read as sexy but somehow is. Here, the crowd enthusiastically bounces to the bass. It’s hard to describe the sound of the Nova stage in just a few words. There’s plenty of breakbeats, garage, drum and bass, some reggaeton… music that keeps you interested and on your toes.
As we dance, the DJ – Dey.Rey – drops a remix of Gucci Flip Flops and the saxophone solo from George Michael’s Careless Whisper. What a combo! The rest of her set is equally, irresistibly danceable. She seems to appease the crowd without relinquishing her unique sound, occasionally dropping an MTV-era banger (like Ne-Yo’s Closer) just to toy with the mood. To be fair, the crowd is having it. It’s the kind of crowd where, if your feet are sore and your back aches, you can catch the eyes of a stranger whose dance moves re-energise you like Red Bull.
There’s some time to explore the festival’s art programme too. There’s a large wall of lenses, distorting and fragmenting the natural scenery behind it (by Maarten Keus, Inga Hirsch, and Alexander Köppel). Atop a hill, an interactive digital installation translates thermal imaging into colours, attempting to capture collective emotions like a huge mood ring (by Ines Kooli and Isaiah Stomp).
Down the hill, on the ground level of the fortress, Nene H drops some banging techno and house, with the occasional breakbeat thrown in too. Over on the festival’s main stage, situated amidst a roomier field, Jayda G is about to play. The Canadian producer and DJ is well-known for her silky smooth brand of house. Her music makes the crowd sway, then nearly float away as the evening sun slowly sets, and the sky fills with machine smoke and seductive vocals. She is also quite pregnant, rocking her baby bump Rihanna-style (meaning, in a crop top with a massive slit down the front), while joyfully dancing to her own music.
And just when you thought the energy couldn’t get any more goddessy, Octo Octa and Eris Drew take the stage. In the rare case you don’t know them: Octo Octa (whose real name is Maya Bouldry-Morrison) and Eris Drew are partners romantically and musically, which makes back-to-back sets like these oh-so-special. Well… that, and the fact that they are both great DJs who possess the technical know-how to seamlessly beat-match and mix records (they only play vinyl), all while taking a deeply emotional and spiritual approach to dance music. If you’ve ever gone ecstatic dancing, this is better. Snaps must also be given to Orbit Festival for their solid light effects, which complemented the whole experience without overdoing it.
Back through the tunnel, it is now so busy at the Nova stage that security guards let in audience members one-by-one, while Passion Deez and OG Karin play back-to-back. Opposed to the main stage, where the vastness of the crowd and the ecstasy of the music sent people inward, into a meditative state, the intimacy and sexy bass of the Nova stage turn its dancers into extroverts. In between the breakbeats and UK garage, someone (either Passion or Karin, it’s hard to tell behind all of those bobbing heads) drops Groove Is In The Heart. Here, we are all bouncing together, complimenting each other’s outfits or simply sharing a dance until the festival ends. Let’s go to Utrecht more often.
