Houghton. Houghton, Houghton, Houghton. Our annual pilgrimage, our happy place. Since 2018, we’ve reviewed this magical land year on year. It never gets old, or boring, nor stale or repetitive. Quite the opposite in fact.
The longer it operates, the more honed it becomes. Stages tweaked and fine-tuned, with artists rotated to play different locations each time. It keeps it exciting, darn exciting in fact. This might have been up there with one of the best year’s yet.
Harry McCanna, The Earthling. 11am, Saturday morning. Sleep levels, negligible. When in such a state, what better medicine than two hours of pumping, UK minimal. Upbeat and jovial, Earthling felt like a daytime house party, where familiar faces from London and further afield danced together in good, honest company.
OGAZON, The Pavillion. The set that caught us most off-guard throughout the whole weekend. Perhaps because we’d only seen her once before, supporting Charlotte De Witte at Printworks… this was a different kettle of fish entirely. Playing before Call Super, stripped-back was the name of the game. A stripped-back seamlessness, a constant sound that never faltered, instead subtly morphing from track to track without ever really changing.
Rhadoo, The Pavillion. Rhadoo… more like Rhadon’t. Rhadon’t get us started. Outrageous seems the most fitting word. Thick kicks, as thick as they come, hung in the night-time air. The mood was set early on… looping, low-slung minimal descended upon The Pavillion, mixed by a man who knew what to serve and when. This is what we came for, the bread-and-butter sound that invokes such a feeling. A cold and shadowy form of unadulterated dance music, woven and spun by a craftsman who, simply, does not care about the audience’s desires: you get what you’re given, in Rhadoo’s world
We’d spotted him wandering around the site alone the day before, wearing a navy hoodie and past-knee-length grey shorts with wired earphones in tow. He strolled in a pensive silence, nondescript and understated, humbly modest in his approach.
They’re just few of our highlights. There’s so much more to speak about, be it the beautiful surroundings, incredible soundsystems or the simple act of ambling through wooded alcoves and forestry. The choices really are endless at Houghton.
To summise: this festival is a non-negotiable. It’s a holiday, probably one of the best holidays in the world and genuinely up there as one of our favourite places anywhere.
Thank you once again Craig.
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Photo Credit: Khroma Collective.
Houghton 2025 will be taking place at Houghton Hall, Kings Lynn, sometime in August. Tickets will be available here via the Houghton Festival website.