Preview: Odyssia Festival 2016

 
Art & Culture

They say that in the early days of Ibiza there was a hedonistic sense of wonder which has not been rediscovered since. Each year more and more festivals seem to appear in the calendar, each offering a reinterpretation, a take on those sun kissed days which many spent on the sandy beaches of a Spanish island now lost to tourism and consumerism. A new found home for those displaced has not yet been built, at least not until now that is.

In three weeks time a small group of travelers will touch down amidst the outback of Greece. They will move across country through idyllic surroundings to a bay which sits buried beneath green mountains overlooking the crystal blue ocean. Is this the place they lost long ago? No, it is not, it's better.

Odyssia Festival is a new found venture which seeks to restore and rebuild the roots of tropical nightlife. In a time when many festivals are attempting to outdo one another in scale, extravagance and experience there is something wholeheartedly refreshing about the approach which the Odyssia team have taken. Taking place in the tiny coastal town of Schinos they have invited a host of musicians, disc jockeys and dancers to a ramshackle bar with a big heart. Cariocas has long since been an outback home for electronic music. Behind the booth sits a montage of records, many of which have roots in musical culture formed far away. However, this certainly hasn't stopped them making their way across land and sea to spread joy and excitement on a dancefloor by the shore. 

Over the course of a week the club will play host to the likes of Dj Harvey, Marcellus Pittman, Midland, Boo Williams, Gilles Peterson, Invisible City and an array more. It will be the largest influx of musicians that the tiny bay has ever witnessed. Late nights will be followed by tropical boat excursions to secret beaches and beyond as the sun sets across the rugged landscape of Greece.

Musically speaking the event is programmed with a sense of elegance and understanding. It comes with the experience gained over many years of events promotion and research. This is no throw of the dice. Artists such as Boo Williams play to a crowd more well versed in house and the roots of dance music whilst Invisible City for example reflect the depth and breadth of knowledge amongst tastemakers expected to attend. 

There remains a firm focus on cultural relevance at the festiva.l  One of the most interesting link ups comes through the form of a collaboration between Discodoma, Cocktail D'Amore and Amateurboyz who are all perhaps best known for their role within the queer community. The festival brings the three parties together for an international gathering made up of bodies from London, Berlin and Athens which will be soundtracked by wild disco, house and everything between.  

It is with some delight that Ransom Note is able to voice its participation in such an event. We take to the seas on the Friday joined by our own Ally Tropical who will play alongside the outstanding Marcellus Pittman. Prepare your sails, all eyes are on Greece…


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