Dekmental Selectors 2017 has been one to remember!
In the last ten years Adriatic coast has been one of the most desired destinations for electronic music fans and festival goers. The Dekmantel team returned to the beautiful coastal scenery of Tisno for the second edition of Selectors, an extended weekend (24th-28th of Aug) of over 60 DJs playing finest selection of disco and house rarities, oddball techno, wave, funk, jazz and ambient music.
The setting at Garden Resort makes for an ideal location to host an intimate and diverse crowd, ready to indulge in a wide range of rhythms and melodies during both day and night. Music is spread out between several stages: a laid back DJ booth next to the Garden restaurant; The Voodoo stage tucked behind a small olive grove; Beach Bar on a dock entering turquoise sea; Beach Main overlooking the water with parts tucked in a mesmerizing collection of pine trees; and Barbarellas club, for night parties, a few kilometres down the coast. On top of this visitors are also treated to three boat parties a day, providing spectacular views of the neighbouring islands.
Missing the first day of the festival, we arrived on Friday night just in time for the start of Objekt’s set, which was definitely one of the more memorable performances. Next day we hopped on a boat for a party hosted by 20/44 club, one of our favorite Belgrade venues. Quite a unique experience of parting in the middle of a crystal-clear Adriatic, was elevated by Dj Brka and his unmatched collection of Yugoslavian disco gems as well as the always exciting Young Marco.
Another surreal moment was swimming around Beach Bar stage while Music from Memory‘s Jamie Tiller and Red Light Radio’s Orpheu the Wizard were seamlessly transitioning between odd-ball house, afro-funk, ambient and jazz (pro tip: bring a waterproof phone for shazaming purposes).
Intergalactic Gary, a long favorite of ours, did not disappoint mixing italo-disco, electro and everything in between which perfectly suited smoke filled darkness of the Voodoo stage. Other highlights included Zaltan, Ben UFO, Rabih Beaini, Vladimir Ivkovic and Motor City Drum Ensemble. However nothing made us move more than the mixing masterclass of DJ Stingray who nailed it with a set of tight-electro and Detroit techno, only to close it with an unexpected yet surprisingly effective R&B-like trap track. Bar was set high for the closing night’s b2b set between Solar and Joy Orbison, who successfully rose to the challenge and propelled the crowd to dance well into the sunrise. These are exactly the kind moments that make Selectors such a remarkably thrilling festival – the mixture of eclectic music and divine natural setting provides a deeply immersive experience which stays engraved in your mind long after you’re gone back to reality.
Until next year…
Co-author: Mladen Pejic
Photo credit: Kasia Zacharko
