Prepare to dance: This year's Peacock Society was pure musical alchemy

Kekra, Squarehouse

Wandering across the site for the first time, punters were greeted not by the dull, distant thud of a kick drum, but the rolling snares and nimble word play of Kekra, a local hip hop group opening the Squarehouse to a sizeable and energetic crowd. As various parts of the universally French crowd erupted into mosh pits, it became clear that each and every person in the crowd had arrived early to see Kekra. Tracks like ‘9 Milli’ exemplified the masked and hooded posse’s sound; a combination of boom-bap and trap with just a hint of grime. The Peacock Society sells itself as a techno festival. In any other country this would entail a lineup consisting purely of techno. But in France’s capital scenes collide; hip hop and techno do not exist in separate worlds. Instead, communities mix, exchange ideas and thrive by stepping outside of their respective comfort zones. As they left the stage having performed ‘Boombastick’, techno faded in through the speakers as the stage was prepared for the first DJ of the night. The transition was seamless.