Rainbow Serpent 2018: Fire, sweat and techno

Smoke billows up towards the sky just over the hill that divides the campsite from the undulating plains of the central Victorian bush.

One of the bolts of lightning that had cracked and rippled above our heads moments earlier had struck the dry landscape only 400m from Rainbow Serpent, just outside the tiny town of Lexton, two hours’ drive from Melbourne, sparking a fire in the mid-thirty-degree heat and humidity of late afternoon at the peak of Australian summer.

The flashing lights of a fire engine rush through the site entrance, carving their way towards the threat, with the opening sets of 2018 moments away from kicking off beneath our perch in the east camp.

Minutes later, torrential rain, mentioned nowhere in weather forecasts poured over all week, drenches the festival as the bushfire is controlled and a blackened hill provides a stark backdrop while Sleep D opens the Sunset Stage from 4pm. As Revolver resident Kids Table takes the reins, slugging out absolute bangers, the skies open once again, washing away any stress of a hectic opening as feet splash in mud to techno and pure smiles grow across ecstatic dancefloor faces.

When things clear, a previously moody Mother Nature beams down upon more than 15,000 festival-goers as a massive Rainbow arches across the site and the party kicks into gear with three full days and nights of freedom, hedonism and new experiences stretching ahead.

This year’s festival was one of extremes, with brutal humidity and temperatures sitting around the high 30s for most of the four days.

But the creativity, outfits and attitudes were as vibrant as ever, with the stages always packed beneath vivid shade structures adorned with welcoming sprinklers keeping bodies and minds cool beneath.

“It’s not every decade you get to celebrate two milestone years in a row,” the festival’s program reads, and its 21^st delivered as solid a line-up as ever following the huge 20^th anniversary celebrations of 2017.

Kompakt led the way on Sunday, with label boss Michael Mayer and Patrice Bäumel driving the Market Stage through five hours after Gabriel Ananda, before Croatian maestro Petar Dundov stunned with his emotion-laced, intelligent techno in a blue and purple laser-riddled live show that followed: a definite festival highlight for us.

Desert Hearts’ Tara Brooks, Berlin-based Aussie Claire Morgan, Shlømo, Thomas Schumacher, Robert Babicz, Alex Stein, Third Son, Miss Melera and Solee also killed the always-amazing Market Stage; the non-stop hub for house and techno throughout the festival.

A beautiful Opening Ceremony paid respects to the traditional indigenous custodians of the land at the Main Stage before it transformed into the usual psy-trance-heavy beast (it’s open only for an all-guns-blazing 20-hour stint in the middle of the event). Israel’s Captain Hook took control from just after midnight as a rave veteran pulled up next to us with tales of his 18 straight Rainbows.

Meanwhile, the Sunset Stage, at the back of the festival site, runs either side of the Main, with Edu Imbernon, The Librarian and locals Bec Grenfell and Willaris. K among those playing this year.

Of course, you’ve also got the theme camps (shout out to Mixmag favourite Coco Poco Loco), The Playground tent and the Chill Stage, where Melbourne duo Albrecht La’Brooy played a stand-out restorative improvised ambient live set on Sunday, to explore as well.

Thought-provoking art installations and panel talks, discussing issues including harm minimisation and environmental sustainability, are all part of scene-leading Rainbow’s appeal as well.

This year, local Labor politician Geoff Howard, chairman of a state inquiry into drug law reform, dropped by to talk about pill testing in a step forward for the important measure, yet to happen in Australia. Professor Fiona Measham, of UK organisation The Loop, was also on hand, along with local advocates including Dr David Caldicott.

As always, we’ve brought you a selection of the tracks that moved us most booming out of the Funktion-One systems across the weekend.

Check them out below and we’ll catch you next year.

Edu Imbernon - Sunset Stage, Friday

The Spanish producer stepped up to the Sunset Stage for two hours from midnight on Friday, the first official night of music following smaller theme parties for the most keen of Rainbow revelers when gates opened a day earlier. Glowing jellyfish umbrellas and ‘doof stick’ totems bobbed up and down as the Valencia local dished out his distinctive melodic techno and tracks including Audiojack’s ‘Reverie’ and Boris Dlugosch & Cassara’s ‘Traveller.’ An edit of driving Johannes Heil belter ‘From Within’ with soulful ‘Music is the Answer’ vocal shining over the top was a definite set highlight booming through the festival’s back blocks. The hypnotic rhythm of his own production ‘Lucent’ soothed us into the weekend with the clinging humidity of the day and earlier evening finally behind us for the night.

Tara Brooks - Market Stage, Saturday

It’s fair to say the Market Stage would be one of the favourite places in the world of plenty of Australian ravers and there’s nothing quite like wandering down for the first time on Saturday as the summer sun beams down on thousands of vibrant faces and colourful outfits having the times of their lives. Desert Hearts’ Tara Brooks led the charge from 2pm before Third Son and Revolver legend Boogs took control. The heat was fierce with the beats to match with tech-house rollers slugging out of the Funktion-One set up. The acid squelches and chimes of Kim Ann Foxman’s ‘E4 Energy’ ramped up the vibe as a sign spruiking ‘FUCK IT’S HOT!’ summed things up perfectly.

Thankyou City - Market Stage, Saturday

After watching the Opening Ceremony at the Main Stage we headed towards the inviting blue and purple glow emanating from Thankyou City’s illuminating live set. Yet to be released ‘Resend,’ out in the next few months on LA label Sol Selectas, was an absolute stunner early on with plenty of space to move freely up the back before the crowd filled out. The Melbourne duo moved through their deep productions including the acid-tinged Inxec remix of ‘Nothin’ But Chi,’ all sounding incredible on the system, with last year’s release on Open Records ‘Desert Fathers’ a highlight in one of our favourite sets.

Simon Sliecker B2B Christopher Coe - Theme Camps, Saturday/Sunday

Feeling a bit adventurous after some solid high energy sessions to Thomas Schumacher and Alex Stein, we ventured into the night towards the theme camps run by some of Rainbow’s finest party people at the festival’s far south end. A familiar rhythm carried on the night’s air as we approached the pop-up community of about six small set ups, drawing us towards the low-lit ‘Camps with Amps’ tent behind a neon sign bearing its name. Four Tet’s ‘Love Cry,’ served via a Simon Slieker and Christoper Coe (who just launched a live-oriented label with Carl Cox) B2B was a lucid moment providing a refreshing breather after hours of relentless techno at the Market Stage.

Gabriel Ananda - Market Stage, Sunday

Gabriel Ananda marked the start of a decent eight-hour stint at the Market Stage for Mixmag from 4pm on Sunday. Dropping his remixes of Rob Hes and Steve Slight’s ‘Focusing’ and Balcazar and Sordo’s ‘Matter of Time’ early, the German soulful techno master jumped on the mic asking ‘Rainbow people, can you feel the heat, yeah!?’ (Did we mention it was hot?) to cheers as hands plunged into drink coolers. Butch’s remix of Mighty Dub Katz ‘Let The Drums Speak’ and ‘Rides’ by Chuckie were highlights as seasoned ‘doof stick’ sign ‘Donald Bump’ rubbed shoulders with newcomer ‘Kim Jong Unce Unce Unce’ in a touching moment of rave unity. Monika Kruse and Pig and Dan’s ‘So Good’ glided towards the end of the set before the off-kilter sounds of Ananda’s own ‘Hey Blop’ provided a profound moment and a glitch track closed.

Patrice Bäumel - Market Stage, Sunday

Patrice Bäumel was up next for just over two hours before Kompakt boss Mayer played three, bringing up the energy beneath the Market Stage misters as the sun began its final descent on the penultimate day. The Subconcious Tales remix of Nicholas Van Orton’s ‘Noseaun’ carried the vibe, with Adriatique’s remix of ‘Monument’ by Tale of Us and Vaal another standout and set highlight before the uplifting afro house of French artist Manoo’s remix of ‘Amalohni’ - Stones and Bones ft. Toshi provided a moment of pure joy in the dirt-turned-mud beneath the cooling spray soothing from above.

Michael Mayer - Market Stage, Sunday

Michael Mayer’s three-hour set from 8.30pm was one of the stand outs of the festival, moving through huge releases on his Kompakt imprint from the likes of ANNA, Jürgen Paape and Clarian in an electic set that closed with ‘Love is in the Air’ to a loved-up pink laser-bathed crowd up. Both tracks off ANNA’s latest on the label ‘Speicher 101,’ ‘Hidden Beauties’ and ‘The Dansant’ were absolutely huge, with the former our choice in a set packed with massive tracks. Even the security guard at the front of stage was going off to this one, with the legend’s moves and embraces of the front row making their way onto Mayer’s Instagram. Life-affirming. Special mention to Paape’s ‘Whisper Echo,’ to which the Market Stage’s Sunday night lasers first started ramping up, piercing the sky with green, purple and blue as the night moved into its next era to the alluring, stuttered vocal and textured techno.

Solee - Market Stage, Monday

Mad Monday - Christmas Day, if ‘doofing’ were a religion, according to an unattributed pull quote in last year’s 20^th anniversary program - featured Dutch artist Miss Melera, German veteran Robert Babicz, Solee and Quivver from 11.30am till the Market Stage’s close at 7pm. Darkening overcast skies and a rolling wind threatened to bring another storm as Babicz dished out techno and acid tracks. Pelting rain hit with Solee’s set, with Mixmag taking cover in a tent decked out with colourful curtains and pot plants centre at the back as the strings of ‘Morgenrotsonate’ built up the bubbling energy of the festival’s last party, considered by many to be its best, with scenes getting even wilder in the festival’s final throes. The German producer’s melodic, energetic set was another of Rainbow 2018’s finest, as we got in the thick of it for one last club before our well-worked legs clambered to the campsite for the final time.

Scott Carbines is Mixmag's Australian Digital Content Editor, follow him on Twitter

Image via Zeazy