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James Holden on the main stage at Glade Festival
After last year’s total wash out, 2008’s Glade can be claimed as a success for all. On Friday night Noisia display their love for the sort of twisted drum and bass that leaves the thought of an impending collaboration with Amon Tobin mouth watering, Pendulum working the masses up even higher into a state of delirium afterwards. For all of their mass market appeal which provokes talk of blandness rather than innovation, the atmosphere inside the tent is irresistible to all. Ital Tek heads up the Saturday, the gushing melodies disguising the dub rhythms into a form of IDM first and foremost. Friction later pulls one of the biggest crowds of the weekend, with no record on for longer than a minute or so, triple dropping at a ridiculous pace and consistency, his set pleasing the most hard worn of drum and bass veterans. Border Community’s James Holden makes us wait for a good 15 minutes before the washed-out synths give way to rich high ends and a thumping techno beat. His set is of a varied nature, with Four Tet, AFX, and The Knife all being aired. Afterwards he’s visibly ecstatic as he dismounts to the embrace of those waiting backstage. “I played the first Glade four years ago, and I just don’t know where the time’s gone.”
Rob Hall’s complex formula of hip hop and electronica is constantly occupying, but he is inevitably only the warm up for those that follow, Autechre. As in accordance with everything you would do to lose a crowd, the tent’s lights and visuals are completely blacked out, and there is nothing but two shadowy figures hunched over a fascinating array of gear, pounding away multiple rhythms and jarring bass lines, some of which stutter to an abrupt halt, whilst others build up to a euphoric madness. There is simply no-one like them, and as their last beat slows to a halt, an obvious ending to the most complex of hour-long compositions, their followers are once again assured that they are still in a league of their own. Current Value continues this IDM trend, albeit with more of a likening for the stop-and-start familiarities of break-core, and before I know it, it’s light outside, and I’ve not only lost all my friends, but also the feeling in my legs.
Sunday’s arrival is signalled by Elemental, who’s thoroughly having it behind his laptop in a manner that suggests he’s been here amongst us this whole weekend. Daedelus’s performance is fascinating as always, and whilst we stroll around the site, eventually settling for a cup of Chai, we have much to talk about. “It’s challenging playing to new audiences. It’s really fun to be able to drop songs I wouldn’t normally touch. I love twisting the kids up.”
Caspa & Rusko are visibly buzzing to be playing to such a large crowd, the latter having to keep a sober tab on his partner’s actions throughout. The pairing is comical, and their wobbly bass might be tiresome by the end of the hour, but their performance behind the decks is one of the best of the weekend. Finally, Warp’s Clark savagely lets rip in the Overkill tent, where a weekend’s worth of smoke machine is emptied on the spot, the crowd only glimpsing him once or twice throughout the hour.
