As we approached the rainbow archway that marked the entrance to the inaugural Mountain Sounds festival, it became clear from the tie dyed muscle tees, colourfully printed socks and smocks that everyone was set to chill out and have fun.
Upon entering the festival, we were greeted with the two main adjacent stages, Moon and Fire, a whole heap of hay bails and one of the most popular areas of the site – Couchland.
Playing after Roof on the Moon stage, Wordlife got the early arrivers moving during their high paced set. One remix that stood out in particular was their recent rework of The Preset’s latest single ‘Goodbye Future.’ Combining the song’s instantly recognizable vocals with their slow burning synth and subtle drop, Wordlife created palpable excitement throughout the crowd and set the bar for the rest of the day.
Sticking with the W’s, World’s End Press took over the adjoining Fire Stage straight after Wordlife. Fresh off their tour where they supported French electronic legends Phoenix, WEP blew everyone away with their onstage presence and energy. At one point dancing on the speakers, the four-piece band looked as though they were having the time of their lives. Those that gathered to watch them perform appeared un-phased by the beating sun overhead, and instead began to move in sync to the Melbourne electro-outfit’s driving beats. The beauty of the Mountain Sounds crowd was its diversity and individuality. Looking around during ‘To Send Our Love’ you could see people moving in a manner of different ways, all to the same song. Some would sway gently, taking in and enjoying the moment, while others jumped and laughed with enthusiasm.
Walking around the Mount Penang gardens site, it was clear that this diversity made the festival very different to others before it. The location also played a large part in the atmosphere. Situating the festival in a paddock just inland from the coast had the effect of removing everyone from the city, surrounding them with nature – complete with horses in the neighbouring field. A pink phallic statue near the Flag Stage aptly described the feelings of many in attendance - ‘Don’t be a dickhead,’ while shaggy kids with tanned skin and sun-bleached hair dominated the landscape, bringing with them a relaxed beach vibe.
Softwar took over the Club Mod stage mid afternoon. Playing from the inside of an old school van, which was inherently cool, they got the small crowd that had gathered for their set up and moving in time with the strong percussion. Matching their energy with the up-tempo nature of the music, many also enjoyed a sing-along to the warped lyrics featured in many of Softwar’s tracks.
Back on the Moon stage, Yolanda Be Cooljumped straight into their set following Snakadaktal. As the group of people migrated from one side of the main area to the other, the crowd noises in their set soon became indistinguishable from the real crowd’s whoops and yells.
Much like Big Day Out, the two main stages functioned so that as soon as one act ended, another began. However what made Mountain Sounds different was the alternating sets between bands and DJs. While at other festivals the two stages normally play host to what is sometimes a wide variety of different sounding acts, after each band set at Mountain Sounds you knew you could expect a high quality DJ set to follow. Giving the crowd this consistency, and guaranteeing them a good solid dance in between some of the more indie-rock bands succeeded at transforming the buzz of excitement after a band left the stage into an infectious energy that spurred people to keep on dancing.
Back down on the Flag stage, LDRU summoned the rain with his set, including the recent hit suitably titled ‘The Tropics.’ As the storm rolled in from the south and the dark, threatening clouds approached, punters suddenly found themselves going from one extreme to another. Just as the lightning began to illuminate the distant horizon, an individual dressed as Jesus climbed atop a hay bail stack in the middle of the LDRU crowd. Much to the crowd’s delight and laughter, he proceeded to take credit for the impending storm, raising his hands high and creating a very neo-biblical scene.
Just as quickly as it had arrived, the storm passed with nothing but a sprinkling of rain. Sydney twins Cosmo’s Midnight didn’t let the tumultuous weather stop them from smashing through their set with balance and energy. Those present were treated to a range of the twins’ remixes, as well as their original tracks. Showing the breadth of their producing ability, their set included numbers ranging from their trill infused ‘The Dofflin’’ to the more soulful and subdued ‘Phantasm feat. Nicole Millar.’
In a move that encapsulated the sentiment of the day, a group of people looking to make the most of the final rays strung together a series of cloths to form a giant skip rope, inviting whomever wanted to join. The rope was surprisingly successful, attracting a series of cheering onlookers.
One of the last acts on the Flag stage, Beni, began to play in the early evening. Proving why he is one of the best at his craft, his set provided the perfect soundtrack to take everyone from day to night. Opening with a bass driven number, his set moved seamlessly between his heavier house tracks and his more recent electro-pop fusions such as his own ‘Love on the Run.’
As we hear more and more about the ‘fall of the festival’ and the dying viability of many of the bigger, more commercial festivals, Mountain Sounds appeared to be a welcomed alternative. There was no low point to the day, and despite a pretty heavy police presence, there were no outbursts of serious violence or anger. All those who headed along appeared to do so with the sincerest of motives – to enjoy a whole range of great music in the beauty of the Central Coast.