Review: Strawberry Fields was a perfectly curated escape hidden deep in the bush

Matthias Meyer - Organic Audio, Saturday

We broke away from the bright costumes and joy of the main stage to make our debut at Organic Audio for the deep, melodic sounds of German don Matthias Meyer and were treated to one of the absolute sets of the festival. Tucked away in the shade of a small collection of gums on the opposite side of the festival site, the stage was a hidden paradise for those in the know. With wooden structures to rave atop surrounding the small clearing, the aesthetic was similar to the festival’s old site secluded in its own world among the trees. Ravers moved above while an Ozzy Osbourne-esque security guard ducked through the dancefloor dishing out high fives and a welcome cool breeze drifted through. Meyer’s new collab with Ryan Davis, ‘Hope', Dale Middleton’s remix of Energy 52’s ‘Café Del Mar’ and Mighty Dub Katz's ‘Let The Drums Speak (Butch remix)’ were highlights as we couldn’t wipe the smile from our faces at the scene. Closing with Bicep’s remix of Blaze's ‘Lovelee Dae,’ the vibe was as real as it gets.

Ecuadorian-based maestro Nicola Cruz brought together sounds from across the globe beautifully as the sun set on Saturday and kicked off a string of sets from Tim Engelhardt, Monolink and Frankey & Sandrino that flowed together perfectly as the night continued. Pan flute and percussion set the scene early before remixes of Fela Kuti’s ‘No Possible’ from Chris Deepak and Simple Symmetry on Cruz’s own ‘Tzantza’ – from his ‘Visiones’ EP on Multi Culti this year – were joined by ‘The Trees’ by Motel Express and a pitched down play of Santiago Deep’s ‘Bonsoca’ to provide a hypnotic, rhythmic soundtrack as the festival transitioned into darkness and the night ahead.