For all those who have been to Outlook or Dimensions Festival, you'll know what to expect at an event organised by the same people who form the line ups that grace the Istrian peninsula. At the festivals this year there were posters dotted around the campsite and fortress promoting the reunion party but as there wasn't a line up released, there was a real buzz about who would be performing. Due to artist commitments the organisers unfortunately couldn't release the listing ahead of the event, but personally for me the element of surprise added to the anticipation of certain artists possibly heading to the Coronet Theatre in London's Elephant & Castle area.
The night arrived and I couldn't stop thinking about who could be on the bill for the evening. As soon as people got inside you could see everyone hunting down the usual printed list of names that most revellers will seek as soon they enter a club. Having not been to the venue before, I had heard about the size of the place but not experienced it firsthand. Spread over three floors and with four rooms open, there was a lot of opportunity for all sorts of genres to be touched upon over the course of the night, and the line up didn't disappoint. It exceeded my expectations and personally for me, the main room couldn't have been any more to my taste. Judging from the volume of people by the end of the evening it would seem many others were in agreement.
As the reunion party was for both festivals, the choice of artists needed to cater for both events' audiences. It appeared that the rooms had been separated to do this as the listings seemed to be pretty individual in styles for each depending on genres.
I'd arrived earlier than I usually would so I could explore the venue and get some feeling of the vibe for the evening and what was to come. The choice of opening acts was ideal to recreate the Croatian atmosphere of the festivals. Dub Smugglers opening the main room seemed the perfect choice for the reunion party because of course those who attended Outlook this year would enjoy being reminded of the beach parties in the day and the incessant bass that was projected from the stage and echoed across the campsite and coastline. Room 4 was live from the start with some disco vibes from Carlton & Marlons' opening set, a pair whom I had not heard of before but whom I will be certainly looking out for on future event listings.
I'm sure at least a few people would agree with me saying that Outlook, and Dimensions now in its third year, is a community. It’s more than a festival. It's an event in which coagulates different groups of music lovers into one place and allows new musical discoveries as well as enjoying favourite DJs and acts. Each year the festival allows you make new friends from all over the UK, Europe and the world. Events such as this reunion party and the string of seemingly endless launch parties across Europe connect people and allow that community to maintain its electricity throughout the year. Seeing the amount of people who were reconnecting, perhaps having met up specially for the event, really generated a buzz on the night. As the evening progressed the place really filled up with festival attendees, excited for a night of reminiscing that Croatian sunshine and cocktails on the beach. The listing for the evening got better and better as it went on and in all four rooms finished with arguably some of the most popular acts from the festivals. I was in my element in the main room thanks to the Outlook team. Finishing with Hatcha, named as one of Mixmags' greatest DJs of all time according to his Facebook page, the night drew to a close, and again I was more than convinced that I'd be buying my return ticket to either of the festivals for the fifth year in a row.
Words by: Tanya Tribbell