My Neopop journey started as soon as I landed in Porto! After such a smooth journey into the heart of techno I entered Viana De Castelo. I could hear and feel the thumping sounds of techno spreading across the city. I arrived at the hotel at 1am. I unfortunately failed the team and was out for the count! However from conversations with the other journalists the who were also attending the Neopop press trip they were all full of excitement for Friday nights set list!
I managed to wake up in time before breakfast closed and fuelled my body for the long day ahead. The Neopop team were so kind to invite all of us in the press trip to lunch at the Restaurante Tashquinha Da Linda. Which was situated right outside the festival in all its glory! It was no where near opening time but I could feel the venue oozing of energy for the evening ahead. The lunch that the Neopop team had organised was such a treat! We was spoiled with amazing food and wine! Which was also accompanied by great conversations! Everyone on the press trip was so lovely and it was such a pleasure to spend time with everyone! After a few vinos and a full stomach we all headed back to the hotel.
After a well deserved nap. I woke up and could hear the festival tunes piercing through my hotel window I was instantly ready to get myself down there and party! I had the tunes going on and making sure I was drinking enough water (as this Portuguese heat does not play). I was ecstatic to see the venue at nighttime and I needed headed over there in time to catch Kink’s set! When I arrived the big purple Neopop signs were flashing so boldly felt like you could see it from space! The entrance was full of all the attendees that were flying through the gates with anticipation to get inside! Friday nights tickets were all sold out! Neopop had attracted fans from across the country and over 50 nationalities gathered for a weekend of immaculate vibes and a line up full of the most established and undiscovered artists! Walking through the festival I felt instantly zoomed into the Mecca of electronic music. Neopop smashed it at creating such an immersive and expansive space for all the ravers to be free and have room. Even though Neopop had thousands and thousands of attendees there was no long queues and a bar in every corner to quench your first!
Now getting on to the part you all want to hear! The DJS. Neopop blesses us with two stages. You’ve got the first one the Heineken Anti Stage that gives us a blend of hard and fast techno beats and the Neo stage that gives us house and pop techno tunes! I started the night with heading to the the Neo stage to see kink. The crowd was a sea of moving bodies that went far and was pouring out the most love and hyped energy awaiting for kink to arrive on stage! Kink performed an array of house, techno and broken beat mixes that prepared us for the night ahead (or shall I say the morning ahead as it was 1:30am) I then ran to the Heineken Anti Stage as I was desperate to witness Héctor Oaks worship the decks and hypnotise the crowd by his mixes of breaks, ghetto, oomph grooves. His stamina and mixing skills kept me and the whole crowd infatuated by his talents. If you’ve got the chance you can’t miss out on watching him perform. Straight after Héctor was X Club there was no stopping for the weak! If we thought Héctor Oaks blew our minds, well X Club transformed us into another universe performing the most groovy dance music and 90s inspired techno beats with elements of future-facing drum and bass mixes! Oh and I hope you lot reading didn’t miss out on the dirty beat drops because it blew the crowds mind! Speaking of the crowd they made the festival, when jumping on the dance floor the attendees energy and excitement just made the music even more powerful.
I woke up Saturday afternoon (May I add I didn’t get back till 5am) with the dreaded feeling of urgency for coffee, snacks and water! Breakfast had obviously finished way way back but what an excuse to get out in the sun and walk to the supermarket (don’t we all love a European supermarket ahh too good!) Truth be told I just bathed in the sun till the that itch for some electronic music hit me. My plan was to pack, get ready and then hit the festival till my driver was picking me up at 5:45 am. intense I know but it had to be done! There was a few artists I wanted to see but when I was walking past the Heineken anti stage I circled back asap and needed to see face to face who was trancing the crowd with an infectious blend of electro, techno, jack-tracks and heavy electronics and then we got hit with elements of dub techno, drum and bass and tech house. It was Interstellar Funk B2B with Priori. They undeniably transformed that stage with flowing and intertwining beats effortlessly that pleased all our ears and it was such a buzz to see how hyped the crowd was and I didn’t want to leave that stage.
Don’t worry everyone I made my flight! Yes so very slept deprived and still feeling the buzz of all the music that consumed my brain but oh it was worth it! I had such an amazing time experiencing my first big electronic festival aboard and was blessed with incredible music and life longing memories with dancing till the sunrise with all the attendees ! We want to thank the incredible Neopop team for inviting Broke Mag and can’t wait to attend in futures years to come!
Images by Rafael Farias, Neia and Eduardo Filho