During summer in Australia there are three things you can always count on: your cheap pedestal fan will break down during a heatwave, at some point you’ll get sunburnt from falling asleep next to a body of water, and finally, the line for one of Daydreams’ parties will be around the block no matter what time you arrive. After nearly seven years of throwing parties, events and DJing around the world, the Daydreams crew are now helping curate a new festival experience.
A Weekend With is the newest festival to hit the Australian summer, but it’s less like the doof or rager you’re thinking. It’s more like an elaborate dinner party in a huge country house that you and your friends found on AirBnB. With that in mind Mark and Maxwell made i-D this mix to get us excited for it and every other festival this summer. It’s the perfect soundtrack for a long drive through the country — or even if can’t escape but are daydreaming of being somewhere else.
Can you tell us about the festival you’ve been working on?
A Weekend With is a concept Maxwell has been cooking up with Alex Albrecht of Analogue Attic Recordings for a couple of years now. It’s a bit of an antidote to the relentless festival/party/doof scene we find ourself in. It’s a weekend away in an beautiful setting with good music, good food and drink and 500 good friends. Like a dinner party at the world’s biggest Air BnB or a country wedding without the speeches and awkward conversations with estranged relatives. It’s carefully curated in blocks by Hope St Radio, Analogue Attic, Soft Centre and us. For our part we’ve booked Claudia Jones, bebé, Shouse, Digital Afrika and, of course, us.
What do you think makes a good festival?
Attention to detail and an emphasis on the the experience not just the names on the bill. It’s a package deal.
What’s something people should pack for this festival but they’ll probably forget?
Jumper leads! There’s always a few poor stranded souls on pack-up day who left the stereo on too long or blasted the heater/AC overnight.
What’s the mood of this mix you’ve made us?
The mix is pretty steady and balanced, perfect for coming up or coming down. Good for a country drive or getting you through that last hour of work before the long weekend.
A Weekend With makes its debut November 23–25 2018.