Editors' Pick: Kallida Festival

Published on 2020-07-06 00:00:00 by Frederick Sugden

_For this version of Editors Pick, Jack selects a charming recollection of Kallida Festival, reminding us of the kind of reckless abandon we will no doubt be able to recreate in the not-too-distant future.._As we head into July, a month which is on average the warmest month in the Northern Hemisphere, and which was named by the Roman Senate in honour of Roman general Julius Caesar‘s month of his birth, Loose Lips’ focus is zooming in on one special event, Kallida Festival.It was last summer’s highlight without a doubt. Having been lied to for years by festival promo with the idea that true diversity can only be found in larger festivals where claustrophobia and chafing are supposedly all part of the fun, it felt like a group of like-minded tune-lovers had now eventually nailed something bonkers, intimate and truly eclectic!As the 19-22 July 2019 gets closer and closer, we thought we’d wet the appetite by reflecting on last year’s madness, as an insight into what you might expect to experience in a few weeks time…If you’re looking for the type of small festival that provides your yearly dose of glitter and disco edits on repeat, we’re discussing the wrong fucking festival. Not since Bloc quit their weekender have we been to an over eighteens event that matches family feel debauchery with an incredibly fine tuned line up, like Kallida does.Where else in the UK are you going to get Parisian club favourite Teki Latex playing Eric Prydz edits at night, UK hip hop and neo-soul giants Children of Zeus absolutely killing a main stage performance in the day, Daniel Avery slaying some weird off-beat bangers, and Off Me Nut’s naughty wobbly bassline echoing out of the 2nd room, all at the same festival!? Where some small festivals opt for one big act with lots of fairly unknown but often good support, Kallida goes for extended family and up and coming artists. The festival has become a pilgrimage for members of a certain northern city, although quite far geographically from said city, Kallida is definitely a family affair, but a very welcoming one without a doubt.
Also, having a main building as the centerpiece of the festival grounds provided the perfect setting. This year coming, that focus stays the same, with the festival at the beautiful Sparkford Hall in Yeovil, Somerset. Never before had we attended a festival where the campsite is ten steps from the campsite, but it works. Not once did anyone wait for their friends or say “shall we head in then”. We had amazing food from the canteen, £3.50 pints, the chance to watch the World Cup live, real toilets where you felt like you weren’t at risk of following on from the famous Glastonbury punter who covered himself in human shit – incredible!Another aspect that was incredibly striking about the festival outside of it’s seemingly perfect handling of logistics and choice of location, was the visual displays. A particular example was the purple strip light installation in one of the rooms, which for us will stick in our minds as the iconic image of the whole festival. Imagine the aesthetic of Tron but instead of just projections it’s right there in front of you as an actual structure. That is dedication!
There were also of course an array of other incredible DJ sets and performances across the weekend which we’ve been talking about since. Our favourite two DJ sets were from ITOA and City Guys, the latter of whom almost exclusively played their own productions throughout (midi slap bass lines galore). We also loved HarleyLikesMusic, the absolute nutcase/surprisingly chilled bloke who smashes out live chiptune, using a Gameboy Advance SP. It was the second time seeing him for one of us and with that in mind we can safely say he’s incredible. And finally, Kodäma, a group you MUST check out who seamlessly combined the influences from the likes of J Dilla, Massive Attack and Thundercat into something truly euphoric.
Now, with the 2019 poster in front of us, after reflecting on last year’s extravaganza, there’s a heap of butterflies in our stomachs. All available signs, including the fun-loving line-up and the previews of the new location, suggest that 2019’s forthcoming outing is going to be run with the same dedication and love for bringing different musical communities together. We’re especially looking forward to our teenage sweetheart Joy Orbison, recent R&S releasee Yak and UK funky madman, SNØW.If you can make it down, we’ll be there filming some interviews with anyone and everyone, so come and say hi! We can’t bloody wait!—2019 Tickets