At the end of last year the team behind Outlook announced that a new festival would be gracing the Fort Punta Christo grounds, promising an 'intimate affair' with an 'amazing lineup'. There is no doubt that Dimensions delivered on both of these fronts. The reduced capacity of around 5,000 made for a more personal atmosphere and the lineup boasted some of the most revered names in house, techno and beyond.
The setting speaks for itself, finely tuned sound systems nestled in between the ruins of a coastal fortress. Fort Punta Christo is the kind of venue that a British festival organiser could only dream of. Particularly stunning was the Moat Stage, 5 metre high walls enclose the crowd into a narrow strip where the sonic and visual presence were an incredibly impressive combination. Such an atmosphere was perfect for the industrial sounds of artists such as Untold during the R&S takeover, but it worked equally well for the disco infused tones of Todd Terje.
Eg-Ged-Osis (Todd Terje Edit) - Lindstrøm [Feeedelity Recordings]
During the day time the beach offered the perfect place to relax, catch up on a bit of sleep or go for a dip in the sea, all whilst friendly faces from the likes of Butter Side Up and Flux took to the decks.
However, those in the know headed down to the dock to jump on a boat party or two. We were lucky enough to hear 2562 and Addison Groove lay things down on the Elevate boat, but it was the Eglo Records boat party which provided the highlight of the whole festival. Setting sail in the early evening, perfectly timed to take in the Adriatic sunset, Floating Points, Alexander Nut and Funkineven gave the Funktion One soundsystem and everyone on board a solid four hour work out - from funk and soul to UKG and all the way back again. The wonderful Fatima was also on board for a live PA of her new single, 'Phoneline'.
Returning to the darkness of the fort, the Mungo's stage also hosted some special sets over the weekend. Mark from Iration Steppas created the perfect vibe for Mala's much anticipated appearance. Those expecting to hear his recent Cuban work would have been largely disappointed but to here all those old DMZ records on such a nice system in an intimate courtyard was more than good enough for us! Ben UFO was another DJ who could have easily played for twice as long as his 90 minute set, blending choice Hessle cuts with festival favourites - the boy wonder does it right every single time.
If you were smart enough to save a little energy for the final night then Theo Parrish and Moodymann were there to guide you home. Playing for nearly six hours between them, we're struggling to think of a better end to a festival (maybe Stevie Wonder at Glastonbury though, that was pretty amazing!) Nevertheless, hats off to the Dimensions team - we hope to make it out there again next year.
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