Out of numerous outstanding performances of 2018, some moments, sets and sounds shine extremely bright. From festivals, open-airs and clubs all the way to Berghain, these are the music moments the MNMT contributors remember with extra special love.
Sam Rubinstein, Writer, Head of Podcast
‘’When the opportunity arises to see one of your most inspiring artists take control of one of the most impressive sound system on earth, you seize it with both hands. Seeing Evigt Mörker play the Sunday morning slot at Berghain was such an opportunity. The Swede pulled of an absolute masterclass on making your Berghain debut, showcasing his passion for deep, hypnotic techno combined with the technical adeptness required to pull of such a profoundly inspiring set. It was one of those sets where it was incredibly difficult to hold back the tears at times, due to the sheer beauty of the sonic journey that the crowd was exposed to. The fact that artists in the deep techno scene aren’t often granted the chance to perform at the institution that is Berghain, made it all the more special.’’
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Vy Tran, Writer
“One of my highlights of this year was Refracted at STAUB. It was the hottest summer since years, and the weather was perfect for an outdoor session at ://about blank. The sunbeams were shining through the top of the trees, and the floor was packed with joyful ravers. I was standing in the middle of all of it, with a glass of cold sparkling wine and enjoying Refracted’s deep and hypnotic trip. Thank you Refracted for this unforgettable afternoon!”
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Hallvard Müller, Writer
“Seeing SHXCXCHCXSH live for the first time made a huge impact on me! They’ve been my favourite ever since I stumbled across their first releases on Avian records, but despite constant nagging, I had not been able to convince any of the local promoters to book them for a night in Oslo – until last summer, right after they’d released the Dekmantel Podcast 181. And then they played a Live set at The Villa in Oslo, almost entirely built around the same material! Never before have I experienced any artists willing to take it to such extremes – this was not about pleasing the crowd at all. In fact, some people yelled angrily at them, wanting to hear “some proper techno”, but for those of us who knew what we came for, this was just adding the icing on top of the cake. SHXCXCHCXSH put punk back into Techno!”
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Umer Ahmed, Creative Director
“I had heard stories about a festival in the mountains, called Parallel, from other Monument team members. They said I had to experience it. So this summer I decided to tag along with the crew. The bus journey from Barcelona to the pre-Pyrenees mountains alone was a joyful experience. Driving zig-zag between beautiful nature with some hypnotic techno in my ears was a perfect build-up to the festival. After the 90-minute bus ride, we finally arrived on top of a mountain to a breathtaking area that was surrounded by even taller mountains. I thought to myself “this the closest and highest I have been to God”. I was wrong, what brought me even higher to the powerful force was experiencing the music in such an amazing place, among like-minded people. The line-up was perfect, but to name a few who really made an impact on me were Valentino Mora, Wata Igarashi andDasha Rush. A huge shout out to the Parallel Festival Crew for putting together an amazing experience.”
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Stefania Trinchero, Writer
“No one knew who was going to join Donato Dozzy and Neel at Village Underground last May, as in all the other editions of Spazio Disponibile label showcase. When the lights turned on, I realized that Retina.it were on the stage next to them and my heart felt fuzzy. The four delivered a 5h set of all things techno, from atmospheric, hypnotic and dark to heavy and bass-infused sonorities. It felt like being in a long movie, a journey on a spaceship guided by the best Italian quartet possible. Bellissimo!”
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Paula Koski, Editor in Chief
“The ambient set Cio D’Or played at Freqs of Nature festival in Germany stood out for me with its unique intensity. The attention on detail of the sound, the pure simplicity of it, the nature around me, the wooden stage that felt like breathing during the fine sounds, the textured, contemporary elements. I was sitting alone in front of the stage experiencing perhaps the most powerful trip of my life, feeling emotions music has never made me feel before, shamelessly letting tears run down my face. It was special.”
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What else the MNMT Crew loved in 2018? Check also our staff’s Top tracks and Favourite releases of 2018.