We are FSTVL review: this was the epitome of Ricardo at its best

When the organisers of We Are FSTVL announced the launch and line-up of the latest addition to the growing list of electronic festivals in the UK, it really was a jaw-dropper. It was arguably one of the best line-ups for techno and house ever seen before in England, even stacking up well against the huge festivals around Europe. Everyone was there, Cocoon Heroes with Sven Vath and Ricardo Villalobos, Crosstown Rebels headlined by Damian Lazarus and Art Department, Secretsundaze, Mulletover, and even Ibiza's Kehakuma who were in full force with big players such as Apollonia, Matthias Tanzmann, Davide Squillace and DJ Sneak.

Arriving at the festival for around half past three we were immediately greeted by Vath, who was tearing up the main stage with his usual dose of top quality techno. The crowd were lapping up the strong selection of favourites, including Ame's remix of Radio Slave's ‘N.I.N.A’, the ever popular remix of ‘It's Only’ by DJ Koze and the techno bomb that is The Third Man’s ‘Double Dawn’. Sven is no stranger to the odd 'hands in the air moment' and these came aplenty. The main stage itself was in prime location with plenty of field space for dancing in the glorious sun. It looked great, a grand size with decent visuals to boot, and of course the ever lovely Cocoon ladies strutting some moves on the platforms.

We quickly scurried over to Kehakuma, who hosted both an indoor and outdoor tent to cater for Nick Curly's extensive arsenal of troops. Over in the outdoor were Apollonia; Dan Ghenacia, Dyed Soundorom and Shonky, together spinning a selection of groovy and deep tech-house back to back to back. The bass pulsated round the small tent which gradually filled over the start of their set, a showcase of the unique sound of sexy deep house that we attribute to the trio. Apollonia were the reason behind many a scrunched up face as those in the crowd got deep into the groove.

Mathew Jonson was due to start a live set over in Crosstown Rebels, so we went over to see the master at work. However we were left disappointed by the volume, which was far too quiet. It was near impossible to concentrate on the music when the bulk of noise came from the buzz of club chat in the tent. It was a shame, but after five minutes we had to give it up. We took in a brief spell in the sandy beach of Secretsundaze, before the time had come to get back to the main stage for our next tonic, Ricardo Villalobos treatment. 

When Villalobos is on form, he really is the one. This was one of those occasions, bringing his A-game to the festival by seamlessly mixing through a stack of the best techno around. The atmosphere was electric as a very busy crowd lapped up all that he had to offer. Magically layering beats of heavy bass, minimal sounds and percussive drum rolls into a playful and exciting set which had faces in the field before him beaming with delight, this was the epitome of Ricardo at its best.

The moments were raw and not to be forgotten, especially as the sun began to set, basking the surroundings in shards of orange and red to a soundtrack of wonders such as Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love'. Ricardo's extended set was by far the highlight of the day and it was a shame it couldn't have continued deep into the night. Fortunately for the surrounding residents, if not the festival goers, the main stage shut shop at 10pm, an understandable measure for a festival so close to the city.

Having said that, the festival was still far out enough for the shenanigans to continue with little hindrance, many of the tents not shutting until after 2am. For us it was straight back to Kehakuma, this time indoors for the back end of Squillace and Tanzmann's tag team effort as the duo knocked out some energetic tech-house, Circoloco style. Together they are a force to be reckoned with, and they certainly had the atmosphere very much alive in Kehakuma. DJ Sneak followed on, and as he took up position, we were again subject to disappointment with the sound, the volume levels dropping rather drastically. Reluctantly, we left the House Gangster for something louder.

In the smaller of the Kehakuma tents, we were more than happy to find Guy Gerber playing a monster of a back to back set with somebody equally as knowledgeable of exactly what it was the crowd wanted, Niko from Krush. The two saved the day with a series of banging grooves, far removed from the lightweight sounds all too often found at present. They delivered powerful, fist-pumping tracks that had the tent brimming to its fullest with immensely happy party animals determined to see their day at the festival out in style. It was the perfect way to end the onslaught of top quality techno and house we had been hearing all day, from start to finish.

What an event, although not one completely shorn of gripes. The bars were limited and it took far too long to get tokens and drinks, a situation which was intensified in the VIP areas. It’s reasonable to assume that the extra expense of these tickets provide this benefit, but in this instance it simply wasn’t the case. A word of warning as well regarding transport after the festival; make sure you book in advance as those who didn’t (this reporter included) faced long waits. And as stated earlier the sound at times could have been better managed.

Overall though this failed to take the gloss off a great day - what a festival! They pulled it off in style, with the music remaining brilliant all day. The tents looked cool, the layout was cool, and there was certainly a great amount of attention to detail. There's bound to be teething problems with your first festival and there are a few learning points to be taken on board, but this was the start of something special. Expect We Are FSTVL to have a long and prosperous future; already we can't wait for next year!