Kappa Futur is an absolute must for any techno fans, and it has been that way since day one. The 2015 edition took place on the 11th and 12th of July to a packed out crowd of people from all over Europe, but with an emphasis on Italians.
Being a two day festival that offers 12 hours of music on both Saturday and Sunday, it is a true marathon that requires a bit of restraint on the clobbers behalf. Not everyone in our party manages this and as such miss out on some serious goodness on day two, but for those who are used to trips to Ibiza and the like, 24 hours of techno is not enough, let alone too much.
The setting for Kappa Futur is an old industrial park, perfectly suited to housing the banging techno sounds on offer throughout much of the festival; raw, unfussy and in tune with the sometimes industrial edged aesthetic of some of the sets. The large hangar in which a top class sounds system is set up is long, tunnel like and never less than packed out with people. It is not decorated in any way, and there is local graffiti tags and steel roofing as well as plenty of pylons and big concrete walls all around us.
The thousands strong crowd is a mix of boys an girls of all ages and backgrounds, some are dressed up, some are dressed down, but they all get along and make for an incredible atmosphere across both days. As well as this vast main space, there are also smaller arenas that are more suited to the cosier house sounds on offer in them. The Dora stage, Disco Stage, and Techno stage, despite paling in size and numbers to the Big Daddy, each have their appeal and deliver an unequivocal charm to the venue as a whole.
That main stage is where we head as soon as we arrive on day one. It finds Diynamic label boss and huge Croatan star Solomon, who has not one but two of his own events in Ibiza, playing a slightly edgier and harder set than you might expect. Still, this is a techno festival after all. 30, 000 people pack in overall, and it seems most of them are here for this.
After Solomun comes none otaher than global techno dandy and crazy character Seth Troxler. The former Visionquest man is a wild DJ with a uniquely hypnotic style and he wastes no time in getting the crowd right into the palm of his hand. Beats bounce off all the walls and dancers get ever more excited throughout his set, which is a special back to back effort with Martinez Brothers, with whom he has just started a new label.
After those US stars com some big European techno heavyweights in the form of Ben Klock and Marcel Dettmann. Their concrete funk goes down well here and sounds perfect in the surroundings. Lights and lasers add to the trip and people go bat shit crazy throughout.
For those who like it deeper and slower, there is plenty to enjoy here, with the likes of Black Coffee playing on another stage and serious house gods David Morales, Louie Vega and Tony Humphries all going back to back in a rare and rich hose treat that took us all the way back to the roots of this thing we call house.
See also: Interview: PillowTalk
Day 2 is no less fierce, with plenty more techno from Sven Vath, who does his colourful carnival thing, and then some more lush and romantic sounds from Pillow Talk, a close group of talented musicians who light up the Dora stage with their moving vocal tracks and striking instrumentals. The closing set we catch is form Joseph Capriati, a man hugely revered n this area and for good reason. He sends us all off happy having had 48 hours of the finest techno treats you can every wish for all in once city.
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