On the 27th of April, Ibiza’s famous ANTS colony invaded Holland for two huge parties, celebrating one of the country’s most famous traditions. The Ushuaia based brand have dominated the White Isle since their inception in 2013 and have since travelled the world showcasing their Balearic induced sound. Their trip to the Netherlands would see them in action at two cities, hosting a stage at the annual celebration of Kingsland festival, before travelling to Rotterdam for an after party at Maassilo.
Venue
A sea of orange descended upon Amsterdam RAI; a huge convention centre that holds just shy of 13,000 people. The complex was split into various sections, housing multiple stages with a variety of genres ranging from tech house to EDM. ANTS were located in a vast warehouse space, deep within the centre.
Food, drinks & staff
A fast and friendly team churned ravers through on the door to keep waiting times at a minimum, whilst stewards and first aid staff were on hand throughout the festival for any assistance. Keeping to the city’s continued green efforts, an eco friendly cup refund initiative was in place, alongside a token system to reduce queue times at the bar. Many token stalls and bars were scattered around the site to spread the thousands in attendance with a great selection on the food & drink menu.
Production & Sound
Kingsland’s industrial playground holding the ANTS colony was kitted out with a huge LED pyramid, acting as a vibrant centrepiece of the room and the DJ booth for the day. Within the illuminated pyramid found strobes and beam lights, along with dual panels on either side of the booth and giant ants hanging above the crowd.
Sound was delivered from crowd-facing line arrays at the front of the room which filled the open space with ANTS’ signature beats. The carefully considered system packed enough punch, without overpowering a nearby stage – something many festivals can be guilty of…
CamelPhat
The Grammy-winning duo who produced the iconic hit “Cola” have stuck to their upward trajectory since slingshotting into the limelight back in 2017. Since then, their sound has matured further leading regular performances alongside dance heavyweight Eric Prydz and around the world. Their progressive sets and a hair-raising recent release with Cristoph titled “Breathe” look like a sign of things to come for the ever-growing double act.
A memorable show at ANTS paid credit to this, with a multitude of big room tracks gracing the day and filling the crowd with euphoria. A new piece of work from the duo in collaboration with techno titan Alan Fitzpatrick titled “Kona” made a memorable appearance, as it’s throbbing baseline erupted into the warehouse leaving the crowd fist-pumping away.
Andrea Oliva
The regular ANTS headliner, who’s been part of their journey since the beginning set up camp in the giant LED pyramid for the closing performance of the day. The talented Swiss is no stranger to the decks, after teaching himself to play at the tender age of 13. Since then, his infectious sound has seen him perform internationally at the biggest stages in the business.
Taking over from Richy Ahmed who left the crowd raring and ready to go for the ANTS finale, Andrea kept the pace high – packing out his set with energetic selections. “Piano Not Piano”; being a perfect example, the 2018 release on Hot Creations matched with the pyramid’s dazzling LEDs and hypnotic strobes received a huge reaction from the room as Kingsland Festival drew it’s curtains for another year.
Overall
The ANTS colony came in full force to Kingsland, adding a exciting dynamic to the day and flying the Ibiza house flag. An inclusive and positive crowd packed out the festival, with the ANTS warehouse space kept at an ideal rave temperature throughout the day. Top drawer production & sound was combined with an international DJ bill who put them to perfect use. 8/10
Fancy joining the ANTS army? Check out their website to see where they’ll be invading next.
Words: Omar Thorne
Images: Kingsland Festival
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