The 11th edition of our flagship Amsterdam festival boasted plenty of change, as well as a return to the five-day format.
More than 150 acts played, and there was an all-new stage design for Selectors courtesy of Zelt Studio founder Johannes Offerhouse, plus a new artistic direction for RADAR that saw Joeri Woudstra mix facial recognition technology with face-blurring digital anonymity. The Greenhouse also got a special glow-up courtesy of Floating Points, who installed his custom Sunflower Sound System and brought many magical moments.
We wanted to relive them all one more time, so we have put together some of this year's many highlights.
Words by Kristan J Caryl
Oude Kerk & Aan Het IJ
Moritz von Oswald at Oude Kerk
Moritz von Oswald opened the festival with a masterful concert of deep, sculpted sound and set a sophisticated, forward-looking tone for the days that followed.
Leftfield at Muziekgebouw
These long-time electronic legends dropped turbo-powered live beats and plenty of classics that rattled ribs and shook the walls of the famous concert hall.
James Holden & Wacław Zimpel live at Bimhuis
This pair drew from their lifelong pursuit of trance and transcendence to recreate their latest album, The Universe Will Take Care of You, with modular synths, reeds, folk, jazz and endless repetition. From moving arpeggio storms to luminous ambient drift, it was a masterclass in improvisation and shared musical curiosity.
Friday
Four Tet at The Loop
Three hours of bliss from the UK maverick will not be forgotten quickly. It was always intense, whether emotionally or physically, and left many ID questions unanswered. We've registered and released the full set, so dive in!
WSNWG live at UFO I
Rødhåd's label gang members and studio collaborators JakoJako and Fadi Modem joined him for a surreal fever dream of contemporary techno that spun off into every mood, colour and style imaginable.
British Murder Boys live at UFO II
Regis and Surgeon lived up to UFO II's experimental reputation with a brutal barrage of industrial and techno that was not for the faint of heart.
Ogazón at Selectors
This Selectors OG returned and continued to make a mockery of genre distinctions with a freewheeling ride that perfectly epitomises the spirit of this stage.
Coki & Joker at The Nest
Every facet of dubstep and bass were explored by this pair of UK legends, always with serious low ends and great control of tone and tempo.
Dr. Rubinstein at RADAR
Pure musical medicine from this all-vinyl mid-day session as the Dr blazed through old school rave, wide-eyed trance and euphoric breaks without missing a beat.
DJ Nobu at RADAR
Japan's notorious techno mentalist warped space and time with another unrelenting tapestry of psychoactive sounds and intergalactic energy.
Saturday
ROD & Sterac UFO I
These local legends and long-time Dekmantel regulars did what they do best: shut down Saturday with a premium, heads-down techno set full of hypnotic power.
dBridge & Donato Dozzy at Greenhouse
Techno in its purest form with meticulous loops, prying basslines and an otherworldly sound to transport you to a different dimension.
Verraco at The Nest
The on-fire Colombian dropped not one but two monumental closing sets for us this summer, and both rewired club music with a whole new DNA.
Batu at RADAR
This was wall-to-wall bangers, Batu style, which of course means sinewy, rhythmically off-kilter and endlessly danceable.
mad miran at RADAR
There was a rawness to this selection that made it really stand out as Miran collided bass pressure with levitating breakbeats and plenty in between.
Honey Dijon at The Loop
The Chicago party starter showed her class with a closing set that was doused in the perfect mix of house heat and techno energy while The Loop's famous lights added an extra sensory edge.
Sunday
Satoshi Tomiie at Selectors
The minimal maestro delivered a purposeful yet playful masterclass in groove that went from Chicago house roots through to fresh modern textures.
Avalon Emerson at The Loop
A spectacular late-night shutdown that blazed through shimmering techno, acid and electro-infused house with great invention.
Yaeji at The Nest
A truly hybrid sound from the NYC-via-Seoul artist that was an inspiring kaleidoscope of everything from driving bass to pop-sampled euphoria.
Efdemin at UFO I
The German's deep, dynamic and rolling techno came with a signature reflective edge that drew the crowd inward and made the stage feel both cerebral and physical.
Djrum & Objekt at UFO II
A dual assault of percussive ingenuity and forward-thinking rhythm. Djrum’s broken beat wizardry and Objekt’s hyper-detailed sonic architecture collided beautifully to keep us both alert and amazed.
DJ Koolt at Selectors
The Uruguyan selector wrapped up this stage with an all vinyl set that threaded together an industrial collision of rhythm and texture into a suitably seamless and colourful finale.
Arsenal Mikebe & Valentina Magaletti at Greenhouse
A kinetic, improvisational performance that served as a dialogue between the past and the present as percussionist Magaletti and Ugandan drumming ensemble Arsenal Mikebe traded exchanges between their organic drum skins and wiry machine drum electronics.
Evan Baggs & Rey Colino at RADAR
Packed with deep, carefully dug out gems and stitched together with years of well-honed restraint, there's a reason people are calling this one of the sets of the year.
Head to Soundcloud to find many more sets from Dekmantel Festival '25.