Review: The Sonic And Visual Spectacle That Was Smalltown
Pics by DUNCOGRAPHIC
Marli Grosskopf spent the day on the St. Kilda foreshore for smalltown with Bodzin, Dettmann, Dense + Pika, Made In Paris and Very special guest, The Sunset…
With Stephan Bodzin leading the charge, something supernatural happened in St. Kilda on a Sunday afternoon…
In a miraculous series of events, the stars aligned, the oppressive clouds dissipated, and the smalltown event featuring Stephan Bodzin, Marcel Dettmann, and Dense & Pika took the cake for one of the most epic techno day party’s in Melbourne’s illustrious history. To those of you who missed out on the day sesh, and in turn have been living vicariously through your mates who wont stop talking about it/ this incredible footage: I’m sorry for your loss. Indeed, it was epic and appropriately it unfolded on possibly the best day of the year, the International Day of Techno.
After spending Sunday morning reloading the Bureau of Meteorology forecast for the 30th time (the 90% chance of thunderstorms doing little to curb my enthusiasm), I put on a poncho, said a small prayer to the lords of techno, and made my way to the picturesque sea-side spot, the Catani Gardens in St Kilda.
Early in the day local artist Made In Paris did Aussies proud, getting a sea of youngsters prepped for the union of some of the biggest names in techno.
Dense & Pika were a delicious appetizer for the day. The UK duo boast regular appearances on labels Drumcode, Hotflush, and even Hypercolour, the institution of which one half of Dense & Pika runs. Honing in on their grizzly industrial techno productions, Dense & Pika seriously got the ball rolling. Beers spilling everywhere due to excessive head banging, and of coarse, the occasional “yeww” of approval from a sea of grinning punters. With a swift goodbye from the UK pair, we were ready for the next heavyweight of the day, Dettmann.
From Berghain to St. Kilda…
Marcel to his close friends (of which I have deemed myself one despite not having met him), Dettmann was clearly the turning point of the afternoon. The German-based techno prodigy looked cool as a cucumber upon a stage designed to like a princess’ castle, occasionally tucking his brown locks behind his ear, allowing him to focus on the absolute bangers he was bequeathing onto us. His sets often feature genres a little less expected such as the occasional Chicago Deep House tune, or perhaps something a little more experimental: it was a quintessential Dettmann set that really got the crowd going. Highlight? His 2008 original composition ‘Lattice’ released on Marcel Dettmann Records.
At the end of his set I whispered a soft ‘auf wiedersehen’ to Marcel, and had a quick group huddle with the crew who knew there were no more beer runs or bathroom breaks allowed: ‘can’t lose this spot guys… it’s time for the main event’.
BFF’s Dense + Pika…
Stephan Bodzin has always been a well-respected artist in his field. The man who seems to carry a warm breeze with him wherever he goes, can be audibly identified with his use of beautiful expanding melodies stacked upon some of the heaviest techno percussion your heart could handle. Our favorite German-based baldie walked onto the stage, welcomed by a sea of youngsters who literally didn’t even care if it was about to pour down with rain… he is worth it.
Perched upon the stage next to his analog partner in crime in the form of custom made PO10 controller, his set was enough to summit perhaps the most beautiful sunset Melbourne has ever witnessed. The set was rich with the right amount of swells, a delectable amount of synth stabs, and all the emotive elements that he is synonymous with.
Bodzin began to close out his set with his infamous 2015 track ‘Singularity’, a red sky setting enough to bring tears, and for a brief moment every person in the crowd decided that this was the best moment of their life. Yeah, I’m calling it on behalf of everyone at the festival… it was pretty bloody special.
One final good bye from Stephan Bodzin and hundreds of pleas for “one more song”, we left smalltown with a feeling of elation. Some scurried for a cheeky post-sesh kebab, some kicked on to the epic after party held at Chasers Nightclub, and others (like myself) went home feeling truly, deeply satisfied, at the audible techno magic I had just witnessed. Bravo Novel, smalltown was a success.
The money shot…
Words by Marli Grosskopf