Access The Music are defined as a collective focused on bringing innovative electronic music together from all over the globe. This year, we found their second instalment of Access The Festival glittering in the (rare) British sunshine, as we ventured into the Warwickshire countryside for the start of festival season.
Spanning across 3 intimate stages, each with world-class line-ups, the air sparkled with vibrant electronic sounds. A promising pink haze blanketed the arena as DJs blend through grooves to make us move: a house, disco and techno paradise! We knew this was gonna be one for the books.
The Funkyard stage embodied pure festival energy, as a large crowd gathered to witness French maestro Sweely setting the mood for the early evening. Dancers swayed to the wobbly beats in unison, seeming to collectively realise that summer had arrived. Access The Festival felt like a teleportation into that time of year we’ve all been waiting for.
We drifted over to the Daylight Disco to find Demuja spinning soulful melodies that had the dancefloor alight, treating us to a swift B2B with Dan Shake as he changed over to control the vibe; bucket hat on, high-energy tunes locked in, ready to dance into the dusk.
We watched this hidden gem of a festival twinkle in the setting sun, unable to resist a quick go on the fairground rides before exploring Old Jamaica’s boozy ‘Paradise Pitchers’, with topical names such as Discology and Funk Me Up.
Tucked away in a darker, magical corner, we discovered the Groove Garden. This secret hideaway was hosted by label and collective Houseum, and brought together electronic artists from across Europe. We swayed in the shade to the mellow sounds of Ricky Razu and Marc Brauner until nightfall, when DJOKO B2B Harrison BDP had the tent bouncing. The light and sound system gave the feeling of an intimate club venue, mediating perfectly between the bigger stages.
Meanwhile, dynamic duo Mathame had The Funkyard in a trance, hooked on the progression of their interplanetary beats. DJ Boring followed, bringing the festival to a close with a blazing set from start to finish. He blessed us with remixes of nostalgic club classics such as Benny Benassi’s ‘Satisfaction’ and ‘Toca’s Miracle’ by Fragma.
As the crowds disappeared to afterparties and motives alike, we set up camp in the staff car park – a glamourous experience – and slept under the stars.
We were rudely awoken from our fezzi-infused dreams the following morning, as we realised the car battery had died overnight. We were now stranded in a West Midlands field, 140 miles from our London home. As we waited for jump leads to start the car, we sat and reflected on our Access experience.
Our team felt as though we’d shared a mystical fever dream, or entered a parallel festival universe where the artists, crowd and energy were nothing but on-point throughout.
The small scale of the festival provided a sense of community and made it possible to see every artist perform. We concluded that this set-up wouldn’t look out of place by the sea: Access The Beach™, anyone?
This latest edition of Access The Music certainly fulfilled their mission to innovate and elevate their production value, and deliver immersive events and sounds.
Our faith is fully installed in the future success of this organisation, and we can’t wait to be back next year to soak up more Access festivities.
Photography by Jak Howard