Sunset across the lake: Gottwood has nailed the boutique festival formula

In 2015, we named Gottwood’s location on the Isle of Anglesey as one of the 10 most breathtaking in the world. This idyllic locale is of course one reason to attend the Welsh festival. Its sunrises and sunsets have become something of legend among regulars on the UK circuit, and the Gottwood Estate’s shimmering lake and ethereal forest have also contributed to this rank. But it's also the music that keeps punters coming back. This year boasted the festival’s strongest, most diverse line-up yet. Historically, the festival has suffered from issues with sound but this time, systems were tweaked to perfection.

A predicted washout was avoided, and a little mud only added to the atmosphere of the festival, equal parts raucous and jubilant. Days were spent lazing by the lake listening to ambient sets by names like Anchorsong and Ruf Dug, while nights were spent on jaunts through the forest, where lazers and smoke machines added to the already magical character of the Carreglwyd Estate. Distilling Gottwood down into 10 musical moments may well be an impossible task. These are the 10 that defined our weekend.

Levon Vincent, The Trigon

As newcomers explored the festival site, finding art installations in nooks and crannies and stages in the most unexpected of locations, returning punters headed straight for Levon Vincent on the Trigon, the festival’s largest stage. His set was full of dubby techno but this track burst through like a ray of sun. It was the weekend’s first moment of collective euphoria.

Krywald & Farrer, The Curve

Percolate took over the Curve stage on Saturday with Luv Jam, residents Krywald & Farrer and Leon Vynehall back-to-back with Erol Alkan. Located at the furthest corner of the festival (which only meant an extra 5 minute stroll) the Curve suffered the previous year from poor sound and overcrowding. This year they nailed it – the sound was crisp and the light show almost overwhelming. Despite stiff competition, it was the duo of Krywald & Farrer that delivered the best set of the evening, dropping party starters like Happy Clappers’ ‘I Believe’. They finished with ‘Sweet Harmony’, letting it play out before Leon Vynehall and Erol Alkan took over.

Peak & Swift, The Walled Garden

Peak & Swift, residents at Salon Zur Wilden Renate (or just Renate) laid down their distinctive brand of nu-disco and bubbling techno on the Friday at the Walled Garden, undoubtedly the most magical stage, surrounded by high brick walls covered in vines. They played a set consisting heavily of music from the club’s associated label and brought a dose of Berlin to a remote part of Wales.

Move D (Disco Set), The Trigon

Move D has become synonymous with Gottwood. Now a close friend of the Carpenter family who run both the festival and own the idyllic Welsh estate, David Moufang plays multiple sets each year. Without fail, his Saturday afternoon disco set draws the largest crowd of the weekend. By this, the festival’s eighth year, it's a ritual and for good reason. He ended on this one; a stone cold classic that had muddy dancers singing to the sky.

eLDOKO, The Lawn

Gottwood is full of surprise delights. Can't get into the Walled Garden to see Roman Flügel? Stroll less than 50m for a set of dirty electro from Helena Hauff. Locked out of the Trigon because half the festival wanted to see Move D’s annual disco set? Trot to the lawn to watch to find something different. eLDOKO was exactly that: something different, something novel. Dropping tracks like Zinc’s 'Super Sharp Shooter’ and Booka Shade’s ‘M.A.N.D.Y’, he finished by playing this beautiful number, which inspired Radiohead’s 'Reckoner', sped up just a little.

Antal, The Lawn

Antal Heitlager, Rush Hour head honcho and all-round musical connoisseur, may have delivered the finest daytime set of the festival. As the sun sank behind the lush treeline and rays bounced off the lake, Antal played to a rapturous crowd on the Lawn stage. Over two hours he moved through afrobeat, Brazilian disco, Kraftwerk and techno before finishing with Donna Summer and Giorgio Moroder’s ‘I Feel Love’. Perfect.

Helena Hauff, The Treehouse

Hauff’s sets are notorious for both their intensity and fragility; the electro which defines her sound ranges from Drexciyan ambience to violent breakbeat. Her set at the Treehouse stage veered between both. But this track marked the peak of her set’s vigour. It’s long build-up sent heads spinning and had the crowd, packed into the rectangular space, whooping and cheering.

Blackhall & Bookless, The Trigon

Among the techno-heavy line-up, Blackhall & Bookless were two lesser known names. But Gottwood is a festival that prides itself on placing talented artists where they deserve – in this case on the Trigon stage, the festival’s largest dance floor. The duo played after Ryan Elliott as part of Jaunt's 10th birthday celebrations (the label they run together) and it was the most exceptional and industrial set I saw all weekend.

Ross From Friends, The Lawn

Live music played a greater role at this year’s edition. Red Axes, Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda and Lindstrøm all delivered solid sets across the week. While Ross From Friends were not able to deliver the same sort of euphoric intensity of Lindstrøm, nor the pure joyousness of Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda, they did fit the setting to a tee: tired bodies were soothed by their blissed out tones and jaded ears were serenaded by the live trio’s signature under-produced claps.

The Black Madonna, The Treehouse

In 2015, Motor City Drum Ensemble closed Gottwood on Sunday at the Treehouse stage, a sheltered space in the almost-Elysian forested area of the Carreglwyd Estate. This year it was The Black Madonna’s turn. Due to the somewhat draconian licensing imposed by the local council, music ended at three on Sunday. But Marea Vierge-Noire, Smart Bar's Creative Director and torch carrier for the Chicago sound, delivered a set that made the adoring crowd forget all that. Playing house and techno meshed with obscure disco and classics like Black Box’s ‘Ride On Time’, Stamper finished with this, one of the late, great Bowie’s finest tracks.

Alex Green is Mixmag's Weekend Editor. Follow him on Twitter