REVIEW: OFF WEEK FESTIVAL @ PARC DEL FORUM, BARCELONA

June 2019 saw Barcelona host OFF Week Festival, an epic three-day party from the 14th through to the 16th which was unparalleled by any English event I’ve ever been too.

In previous years, OFF Week Festival shared its weekend with Sonar to produce a series of parties across Barcelona, making use of the unique spaces and venues across the city. However, in 2019 the two Spanish events separated their weekends, with Off Sonar moving to July and OFF Week relocating its venue to Parc Del Forum.

Parc Del Forum, situated in the northernmost part of the city, is a concrete paradise. Vast, unique and modern, this expansive venue is the perfect space for festival goers to enjoy the music without being crammed in or pushed about.

The mainstage, the Amphitheatrum, which hosted Afterlife’s opening party on the Friday, Diynamic Outdoor on the Saturday and Paradise on the Sunday, is an incredible open space positioned next to the seafront.

The second stage, the Auditorium, is tucked away deeper into the park and was home to the likes of [a:rpia:r] and Fabric. For me, one of the highlights of this festival was the wall of steps which bordered both stages and elevated the crowd, acting as platforms to dance or as seats to relax and take a breather while still enjoying the sets.

On Sunday, the festival introduced its third stage; the Temple. Smaller than the other stages, the Temple offered a shaded, more intimate stage to watch the FUSE gang take control of the decks.

As for the music, the sound system used was outstanding, with no music clashes between stages, despite fears that the music from the mainstage would disrupt or ruin the sets taking place in the Temple.

Admittedly, it could be argued that the production and décor of the festival was basic compared to other festivals and events but in my opinion, this did not matter. This festival was all about the music and the raw talent of the DJs showcased, rather than glamorising the event with props for show.

The best set of the festival was Maceo Plex’s Friday set at Afterlife as he warmed up the decks for Tale of Us’ closing set. Combining his usual deep percussion with ambient electronica, the US born DJ offered an upbeat and energetic set, layering melodic tracks to create a heavy, bullish set.

Towards the end of his two-hour set, Plex blended in crowd pleaser Insomnia, a personal favourite of mine with its ominous vocals and powerful base. Tastefully executed and perfectly timed, the talented DJ had the whole crowd dancing when he playfully dropped the tune, supported by the intense flashes from the lighting.

As expected, Tale of Us preformed a notoriously moody set with dark, momentous beats pathing the foundations of a futuristic inspired mix. Characteristic to their iconic sound, Tale of Us charmed the crowd with a fusion of dramatic piano loops and repetitive gloomy strokes to evoke emotion from their audience and to create an awe-inspiring ambiance to complete the overall moving experience.

On the second day of the festival, most of our time was spent at the Auditorium watching Craig Richards b2b Nicolas Lutz, followed by the devilishly inimitable and fearlessly unpredictable Ricardo Villalobos.

While undeniably talented, I’m still yet to make up my mind on Villalobos. His unusually quirky sets can either go one of two ways, presumably depending on his mood or how intoxicated he is. Having never seen Villalobos live before, we chose to watch his closing set over Solomun’s.

Overall the set was good, but a string of highs and lows. There were times when the set peaked with rapid rhythms and tantalising drops but at times the mood was flat and lacked the energy of a closing set.

The final day offered a much more light-hearted series of sets, delving deeper into the tech-house genre, with Ibiza’s Paradise governing the main stage. Presented by critically acclaimed tech-house giant Jamie Jones, Paradise exceeded all expectations with a huge day of alluring tunes to boost the energy of the crowd, now three days deep into the relentless festival.

Nicole Moudaber surprised me with an incredible, high-octane and energetic set while Loco Dice showcased his talents, flirting with iconic tech-house tracks throughout his set.

After a period of avoiding Jamie Jones following a series of disappointing samey sets, it seems he is back, bigger and better than ever. Simply put, Jamie Jones is everywhere. His ability to read the crowd unlike any tech-house DJ in his category makes him one of the greatest and most iconic performers in the current industry. An electrifying end to the weekend.

The Spanish have done themselves proud with this festival. With minimal queues, a great crowd, efficient staff and an outstanding venue, OFF Week is easily the best set up of any festival I have ever visited.

Somehow, We Are FSTVL just isn’t going to cut it for me anymore.