Specifically, how did you come to work with SEKOIA? Though they are considered one of the countries most influential promoters, for a country of its size, the Netherlands plays host to a wide spectrum of quality dance music professionals, what makes SEKOIA the right fit for Together? How much of a hand in putting together the SEKOIA event’s lineup did you have?
The Together crew were all fans of SEKOIA’s podcasts for a while and it was a great surprise when Ryan Emmen, formally of Dutch Culture USA, connected us and helped push the idea along. When we first spoke I called Ward from SEKOIA and we just geeked out for an hour over parties we’ve been to and artists we love like Daniel Avery and Stimming etc etc and we quickly realised we were on the exact same path…just in different countries. The SEKOIA guys have great taste and have the right attitude. They aren’t doing this to show off money and fancy cars or any of that bullshit they are doing this to create a special vibe and to create a special moment for their audience and the artists they showcase.
Together and SEKOIA got along so well in fact both teams co-curated the entire lineup. We didnt want to do what other cities were doing by just throwing names on a flyer and slapping a logo on it. We picked the artists, the space, and really worked on making sure we had the right experience put together. This event was a real collaborative effort from the beginning.
Besides the diversity of artists, how does Together Festival align itself within the global electronic music scene? How does it represent the city of Boston, specifically?
Boston is a young international city. We have more universities here than anywhere else in the USA and it’s a special place in that regard. Sometimes it can be a challenge because when the students get older they leave, but more and more each year we see a chunk of people invest in retention. There’s a movement going on here, especially having to do with forward thinking dance music, and that is a big reason Together exists.
Globally forward thinking festivals like Mutek, Dekmantel, Dimensions, and Sonar (to name a few) have paved the way for festivals like ours. We are here to keep our finger on the pulse and program progressive, honest, and legendary talent. We still have a lot to learn and we want to keep getting better at what we do, we don’t necessarily want to get bigger.
Do you have any International Together related dates on the horizon?
Working on that now 😄
What are you most excited about at the 2015 edition of Together?
DVS1’s return to Boston, Resident Advisor Showcase w/ Mano Le Tough, Bob Moses, Project Pablo, Scuba playing Make it New, after hours with Frank & Tony, the final performance of Breakbeat Lou, and of course, SEKOIA x Together Showcase.
Martyn | Tom Trago | Florinsz Janvier | Cursed P | VJ Heleen Blanken |
13 May 2015 | Together x SEKOIA | Tickets | Middlesex Lounge