An Interview with Electric Elephant's Matthew Johnston

Image: Heather Shuker

The Electric Elephant Festival has been one of the jewels in the Adriatic rave crown for a few years now, bringing that very Croatian premise of a laid back, musically brilliant vibe that allows you to pick up the hedonism at your own pace, or eschew it completely.

This year the the line up is as consistently excellent as ever, with and a slew of fantastic boat parties to boot. What is different though is that the festival is now helmed by Broadwick Live, the brains behind Festival No.6 and Snowbombing, taking over the reins from the festival founders Manchester's Electriks crew.

As the 2015 edition draws ever nearer, we spoke with Broadwick's Matthew Johnston to find out how things are panning out for Electric Elephant under it's new owners, and what to expect at this most idyllic of gatherings.

For someone who hasn't been to Electric Elephant before, what can they expect? 

Electric Elephant is a gathering of like minded party people, with a communal appreciation of the finer sounds in house, disco, balearic beat and techno. A five day celebration of music nestled in a beautiful part of the Croatian coastline with a vibe unlike any other. 

When taking over the reigns from the Electriks guys, how did you ensure you kept its original magic when moving forward? 

Everyone here at Broadwick Live has always been huge admirers of the festival, with many of us being regulars. We ensured the original ethos and approach was maintained by sticking tightly to the critically acclaimed music programme that the guys had cultivated, ensuring that the die hard residents were still involved as much as possible, such as Unabombers, Balearic Mike, Justin Robertson (below), Horse Meat Disco, Dicky Trisco and more.

Photo: Justin Robertson

What sets Electric Elephant apart from the other festivals in Croatia? 

The vibe. It is so nice, relaxed and civilised, and that is what sets it apart from anything else. It has an older demographic, therefore we often find the crowd is more music savvy, friendly and easy-going - they make this festival what it is. Plus the house and disco programme rivals any show out there. 

What do you think will be the stand-out moment at this year’s festival?

David August’s widely acclaimed live show should be something to behold. This alongside our opening bash with DJ Harvey at the helm, an all-nighter in Barbarellas, a sure-fire way to start as we mean to go on! 

It's no secret that some of the most memorable moments are aboard the Argonaughty for the boat parties and the roster for this year is massive. How do you decide who will host the parties?

We have great relationships with both the artists and club partners that have worked with EE for years, combined with an element of simply looking at the line and seeing who is up for it and into the idea.

We also produce and own Festival No.6 in Portmeirion - so we are looking forward to the inaugural No.6 Boat Party this year, with Horse Meat Disco and Justin Robertson playing, especially. 

Photo: Electric Elephant

What is it about Tisno as a location as well that manages to pull so much in for festival goers?

Its unspoilt beauty is the main draw for guests, and the picturesque fishing village of Tisno is an unrivalled place to host a music event. It manages to marry the twin pursuits of a great holiday location with a superb spot for a bit of a party!

You can step away from the festival atmosphere whenever you fancy, and lose yourself in the local area, or head upto to national beauty spots such as the Pltvice National Park, just eight kilometres up the road.  

With The Garden Festival celebrating its last year in Tisno, do you feel you have a duty to look after some more music lovers next year? 

There has long been an excellent relationship between Garden and Electric Elephant, and many guests choose to stay out for both events and make a real holiday of it. Also, Tisno is such a remarkable place and I can imagine a great deal of Garden guests coming back every year - especially with so much crossover on both of our line ups.

Head here for your Electric Elephant tickets 

Looking for Festival options this year? Find the right festival tailored to your needs with our Festival Finder

Tickets are no longer available for this event