The castle of Medellín becomes an electronic festival
“In this country the first question that arises when talking about a festival is always the same: 'which artists are going?'... when the questions that should be asked are: 'what kind of festival is it? what philosophy do you have? is it environmentally friendly? Bet on local talent? Will there be spaces in which we all feel comfortable? Do they have fair prices? Is there a good atmosphere and sense of community?'”.
who speaks is Rodrigo , one of the organizers of Ithaka Series #01 . And all these questions are the ones he asked himself along with Amy, Guillermo and Irene at the create the festival . This quiz became his mantra.
The world of culture is, increasingly, one of those who take risks. Betting on sure success, the hackneyed or the predictable, is the simple thing . Make it known subversive , in an atypical place and with values where there is no room for vanity or greed, is what is strange.
Okkre playing in the castle of Medellin at sunrise
We are lucky to have great festivals in our country and to be able to see bands that we have all dreamed of; but we are much luckier to be able to experience initiatives like Ithaka Series #01, which open new paths, take care of every detail and create a community that goes beyond the days of the festival itself.
Last year, these four companions finally gave birth to their big dream. This year, they present a second edition that will take place from september 6 to 8 . “For this edition, as in the first, we will keep a maximum capacity of 500 people To keep the family and community atmosphere What we got last year."
The beach of Medellín or the bath in the Guadiana
The number of attendees is just a small clue of what we will find when we arrive at the Medellín castle. Another, that we will not find any headline among the artists: “We want to create a different experience from the usual festival circuit and implement a model in which community building and design of a musical tour without headliners are the main elements ”.
Seeing the Ithaka Series #01 poster, it is likely that no one will ring a bell because the idea is precisely that: let yourself be surprised, listen to new rhythms, explore the terrain of the most avant-garde music in our country , “all this without highlighting any artist over another, since each one of them is an essential stop on the journey we have designed ”.
Medellin Castle
A journey through electronics and music to come, which in turn is a route through Medellín and the three stages of the festival: the Castle, the Plaza and the River . Music will vary based on location and time of day. The most "solar and organic" rhythms will be found on the river beach; the most danceable and experimental, will move between the castle walls at sunset.
FAR BEYOND MUSIC
In this musical gymkhana there is room for ambient music, funk, contemporary R&B, dark copla, techno... a mix designed with great care and that goes hand in hand with great pioneers of the audiovisual world.
Baiuca in Ithaka in the 2018 edition
Thus, in Ithaka "homage is paid to figures such as Patricia Escudero and Luis Delgado who will perform 'Satie Sonneries' after 32 years, a work that revises some of the contemporary composer's works in an electronic key Erik Satie ; The Dream of Hyparchus , who will present their audiovisual project 'Hormonal Environments' , first published in 1989; either Fran Lenars , resident DJ of the legendary club Spook and a key figure in understanding what happened during the golden years of The Valencia Route ”, Rodrigo comments to Traveler.es.
Some of the artists who will make their mark on Ithaka will, too. at the claim level , another of the great pillars of the festival. Such is the case of the Lisbon artist odete , “whose music approaches the most danceable spectra of club music and which he uses as a tool to reflect on gender activism and queer narratives ”; or of CRUHDA, “which uses the copla and other folkloric styles to create, through its reinterpretation in an electronic key, its own imaginary of the Castilian musical identity”, concludes Rodrigo.
Ithaka is more than music, it is more than Medellin, more than claiming, giving names and surnames to the artists who are leading the way in our country and abroad. It is also, make an inclusive and environmental discourse a reality , aware of the differences and the environment, and sensitive to the different realities that can occur in an event of these characteristics.
Therefore, Ithaka is only the first step "Series #01", and will have its evolution and continuation in Series #02 , “which will focus on more purely cultural and sociopolitical of electronic music and that will be developed through presentations and round tables", and in Series #03 "which will continue to explore the possibilities of club music and cutting-edge experimentation in unique locations."
Ithaka is a journey and it is knowledge. Let the journey begin.
Medellin Castle Stage, Ithaka Series #01