Pictures by Rob Jones, Cal Chaplin, Perry Gibson, Kate Berry, Daniel Kiršić and Dimensions archives ©
Dimensions Festival 2018 brought together a global party crew for its seventh edition, uniting over 7,000 party people, 150 artists, labels, collectives and more in Dimensions iconic fortress setting. Undoubtedly one of the most stunning festival locations, Fort Punta Christo played host to ten stages, beach parties, boat parties and more; also this year there was the introduction of Zerostrasse tunnel parties, and the Subdub arena. As diverse in sound as ever, there was chunky, bass-laden techno, jungle riddims, grinding electro to euphoric house, soulful jazz, world music, afrobeats and the slickest hip hop.
Shouts to the inimitable Kraftwerk, Ezra Collective, Skee Mask, Anastasia Kristensen, Sean OD, Nina Kraviz, Helena Hauff, Fatima, Alexander Nut, DJ Stingray, rRoxymore, Mark Turner and of course Hunee, bringing the Sunday evening stars out as the beach stage came to a close. A fusion of sounds and sets were delivered across the four Dimensions days, and of course much love to the Dimensions DJ Directory talent – the extended global family of selectors brought non-stop vibes to the Ballroom and beyond.
Wednesday’s concert was the perfect start, with Kraftwerk delivering a triumphant, 3D techno showcase, taking Pula’s much-loved amphitheater to another realm – still sounding as fresh as ever alongside Moodymann, Josey Rebelle and Nubya Garcia. Thursday’s heavy line up consisted of a mega TRIP takeover in the famous Moat stage – alien acid and thundering techno came courtesy of label boss Nina Kraviz, Bjarki, Volruptus, K-Hand and emerging talent, Imogen. Resident Advisor’s Void takeover saw Willikens and Ivkovic, DJ Python, Kuniyuki and the inimitable John Talabot. Friday was another smash with J.A.W family, Alexander Nut, Red Greg and Maurice Fulton transforming The Void into a disco wonderland. Shouts to Shy One, Sean OD, Will Lister and more shredding it in Stables and to the Subdub Arena – a firm fave with mind-bending DnB, dub and jungle from Skee Mask, Darwin and more. Helena Hauff tore it up in the Moat following stand out selections from Courtesy and hardcore belters from The Exaltics. Euphoric blends from Avalon Emerson brought the Clearing to an epic close.
Saturday was a melting pot with electro, acid, techno and trap from Carl Finlow, DJ Stingray and Billy Nasty rocked the Void. Skee Mask traversed through the hi-octane jungle, hardcore and techno following Timedance don, Batu’s slick selections. Exit Records celebrated their label with the fam – highlights from dBRIDGE, Skeptical and Steve Spacek. Flexing the sounds of the Croatian scene, The Ballroom hosted the likes of Felver & Jogarde and Bebetto, while Sonja Moonear and Margaret Dygas kept the Garden grooving until morning with an eclectic selection of deep house, tech and 2-step beats. Sunday saw the final night ending on a high, Hessle Audio took full command over the Moat – Ben UFO, Pearson Sound and Pangaea slammed jungle, acid, house and rare garage cuts. Soulful sounds filled the Stables with Peanut Butter Wolf, Gilla, Lexis’ slick and smooth as ever. Massive shout to Mark Turner too, who brought ghetto house stompers with a Dance Mania special – sure to be talked about for years to come. Bringing the festival to an incredible close, Bonobo’s blissful 7 and half hour electronic marathon took the Clearing on a wild ride, with non-stop energy, and hands in air moments aplenty.
The Sound Studio brought an education element to the festival, with panels, discussions, drop ins and more, with Pioneer, Native Instruments and Japanese brand EDWIN supporting with some enviable merch and a killer Dungeon party. New for 2018, Dimensions ventured underground, to the Zerostrasse tunnels – old skool rave vibes galore – thanks to Saoirse, Courtesy, The Exaltics, Paula Temple, Anastasia Kristensen and Resident Advisor.
Seven years deep, Dimensions Festival continues to pave the way for forward thinking music in a truly remarkable setting – year on year, the team, an incredible line up, partners and party-goers come together creating an unparalleled vibe. See you next year.
