DGTL has been doing so since its birth in Amsterdam 7 years ago. Just 2 years later, it has already exported its concept to another of Europe’s most advanced cities in terms of industry and modernisation: Barcelona. We are talking about a commitment to combining contrasted and new names in terms of underground music. We are talking about a festival that understands the diversity of tastes and atmospheres. With a 100% industrial aesthetic and 4 stages -Modular, Generator, AMP and Frequency, names that emulate different components of electronic music production-, DGTL combines contrasted stars from the underground DJ scene with proposals much more difficult to find in the city’s annual calendar.
Industrial and accelerated techno will be well represented with eminences of the genre such as Jeff Mills, Len Faki, Marcel Dettmann, Paula Temple or Chris Liebing. The big-room tone, but equally acidic and accelerated, even with trance touches, will be provided by people like Charlotte de Witte, Anna or the German duo Pan-Pot. The most intimate melodies close to deep and house will arrive with Mano Le Tough, Tale Of Us, Henrik Schwarz, Barnt and Roman Flügel or the unprecedented b2b of the acclaimed producers Recondite and Marcus Worgull. Finally, lovers of tech-house, groove, house and disco can have enough to dance with Marco Carola, Paco Osuna, Jeremy Underground, Moxie, Lil’ Louis, Larry Heard or the much-awaited b2b2b between Seth Troxler, Dubfire and Tiga.
Doesn’t this convince you or are you looking for an alternative route? You don’t go to DGTL to listen to what you already know? Do you want to discover? We’re one of them, so we’ve made you a shortlist with 10 performances by artists you (perhaps) don’t know and who, we think, will surprise you. If you go to any of these shows… we’ll see you there!
FRIDAY
Anetha [6 pm to 8 pm // Generator]
As you can see, Anetha has been harvesting high-level work in her studio for some time now. This young French producer is part of the Paris-based Blocaus collective and is one of the most striking up-and-coming talents on the European rave scene. Her sound is accelerated, dense and dark and usually advocates references to the acid of the 90s. It will be necessary to be mentally prepared to start the festival with this desire for the rave.
Satori (live) [8:30 pm to 10 pm // Modular]
He’s not at all a young talent, but perhaps some of you don’t know or haven’t yet been bewitched by the charms of the Dutchman Satori. This multi-instrumentalist has let multiple influences from the world permeate his sound spectrum. The result is a live act in which, with diverse gadgets, Satori takes us on a trip embraced by tribal bases and ethnic sounds of low revolutions.
Octo Octa (live) [9 pm to 10 pm // Frequency]
In 2018 she reached the sky with an overwhelming live performance at Sónar Barcelona. This year, she also visited the Catalan city performing as a DJ b2b with Eris Drew, with whom she also enamoured Dekmantel’s mainstage this August. At DGTL, we’ll again enjoy Octo Octa’s solo live, being able to navigate between her predilections for UK garage, last century’s house and the most introspective, linear and enveloping downtempo techno one can imagine.
Colin Benders (live) [10 pm to 11 pm // Generator]
He is a classical musician and director, but in his free time, the Dutchman Colin Benders stands in front of gigantic synthesizer walls to improvise and interpret an acid techno that could well sound… in the best rave in the world. His peculiar taste for this analog sound has made him the real king of modulars. His rise in the last 1.5 years has been massive, reaching the ceiling in 2018 bringing his particular laboratory to the Awakenings festival. This is one of the great events of this DGTL Barcelona 2019.
Mr. G (live) [12 am to 1 am // Frequency]
Colin McBean has taught a lot of people throughout his life, both in classrooms and on stage. His obsession with reducing performance and live shows to a minimum has made him one of the most genuine and risky performers on the British house scene. A war veteran, Mr. G (as he is called) will make us dance more than ever, although it’ll be difficult for anyone to move better than he does. Unmissable!
DJ Harvey [1 am to 3 am // Frequency]
We know that many of you will already know DJ Harvey, but if you take a good look at the timetables (his closing will coincide with those of Tale Of Us, Stephan Bodzin, Marcel Dettmann and Pan-Pot), we thought it necessary to emphasize his performance. This London selector and collector was one of the great supporters that allowed that bridge between the underground of the UK and the US to be created. Funk, house, imperishable disco pearls… His sessions are a party, literally. A true daring that, with good reason, made DJ Harvey the great icon of Ibiza for more than 2 decades. A legend among legends, his closing at the Frequency stage will be for sure anthological. Don’t say we didn’t tell you.
SATURDAY
Xosar (live) [6 pm to 7 pm // Generator]
Shazam won’t help during this live. Xosar improvises every time she appears before the audience. With rhythm boxes and multiple sequencers, the American offers a violent techno proposal, in which there is hardly a break to rest and in which, also, certain experimental and futuristic bases have their place. As they are not (mostly) pre-produced or rehearsed tracks, her shows constantly superimpose one sound on top of another, thus generating a sense of collective madness on the dancefloor. Once again, the Generator stage will soon start to get out of control with her.
Mr. Scruff [9 pm to 11 pm // Frequency]
Mr. Scruff is a curious guy. He knows more about tea than anyone else in the world and humour is something he delivers very, very well. He’s been giving us awesome music since 1994. Classic house is his greatest flag, although he’s always been characterized by playing extended sets in which, simply, he plays everything. At DGTL he’ll have 2 hours to show us what one of the great hidden talents of the genre is capable of.
Skatebård [11 pm to 1 am // Frequency]
When your country’s disco scene has Todd Terje, Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas as main references, it’s relatively understandable that talents like Skatebård attract the attention of the most curious music lovers. Few succeed in projecting as much happiness with their sessions as he does. Disco, house, melodies that fill even the loneliest soul… Skatebård’s performance at DGTL is a must for any digger in search of new and delicate sounds.
SUNDAY
Acid Pauli [8 pm to 10 pm // AMP]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ8I81s-tb0
One of the great novelties of this year at DGTL is that, on Sunday, we’ll have a Closing Party, also at the Parc del Fòrum. It’ll happen at the AMP stage, the only one located under roof in the whole festival. It’s a key factor to fight the heat, as the party will take place from 1 pm to 10 pm. The last 2 hours will be for Acid Pauli. This is the aka of the German Martin Gretchmann, a man who, in addition to being in charge of the synthesizers of the band 13 & God, produces electronic music of multiple formats. His performance, always at the crossroads between hybrid and DJ set and 100% eclectic in style, will be the finishing touch to this 5th edition of DGTL in Barcelona.
(Cover Image: © Oriol Reverter)
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