This August marked the inaugural festival for a brand which has exploded into the scene over the last couple of years. Based in Manchester, Teletech is the brainchild of Anton Stevens & Tom Shenton; two promoters with a wealth of experience between them and an unrivalled vision to bring the very best in techno from around the globe right here to the UK.
The pair also spearhead an event in collaboration with The Warehouse Project named XXL, which has since become the largest indoor festival of its kind. Adding to their already stacked resumes, Tom & Anton also head up the event programming for local raving hotspot Hidden, which has been the home for many memorable Teletech club shows in the past.
Since its inception, Teletech has pushed the envelope for hard and heavy sounds, shining the spotlight on the darker shades of electronic music which aren’t as accessible in the UK. Beginning their journey as a residents party in Fallowfield, Teletech quickly became notorious for their no holds barred parties with an inimitable energy, inclusive atmosphere and face-melting music policy.
Fast forward to today and you can find their cult-like following regularly travelling between London & Manchester for multi-room showcases & 24 hour marathon events, often with debut sets from the most in-demand and best emerging talent the genre has to offer. Along the way, they’ve also picked up two resident DJs who are the epitome of all things Teletech; UK sensation Charlie Sparks and French starlet Parfait.
This August saw the brand take things to the next level, with their very own festival. Held in Trafford Park’s BEC Arena, the venue was transformed into a techno utopia with custom-built stages, mind-bending production and even a Boiler Room arena. In true Teletech style, the festival ran for a staggering 21 hours from 12pm through to 5am (with an after party for the last standing until 10am). Between the four stages on offer Teletech had curated one of the best lineups we’ve seen in years, packed with a who’s who in industrial, raw and unhinged techno.
Don’t just take our word for it, here’s our review of Teletech Festival 2022 in 10 photos.
Perfectly orchestrated opening set from Azyr
Setting the pace for an event is not a simple task, but Azyr delivered perfectly. As the room filled, so did the energy of the set and by the end of the two hours everyone was firmly prepared for a day of pumping techno. Seeing Azyr jump onto the table sent hands straight into the air and cheers from the crowd. Standout track has to be Infectious – “I Need Your Lovin (95 Happy Hardcore Heavy Extended Version)“, this one had the whole crowd singing!
Like-minded crowd
Throughout the day we saw thousands of welcoming, friendly and positive ravers from different backgrounds all coming together with a common passion for techno. It’s a unique experience being amongst a Teletech crowd, feeling connected to every other raver on the dance floor. Many of whom were donning the same coveted Teletech t shirts which often sell out in minutes.
Gabber Eleganza tearing up The Serpent
Alberto Guerrini AKA Gabber Eleganza originally started his project as an online archive for hardcore and post-rave music before turning his eye to DJing, and we’re glad he did. We were hard pressed to ID the set, but in the beautiful sunshine he dropped some body-shaking electro and breaks alongside the techno and gabber he’s known for. Almost needed a sit down after this!
Water for £1
A big thumbs up from us here. Given the heat in peak summertime, cutting the price of bottled water to just £1 to ensure all ravers could stay hydrated throughout was a class move by Teletech and one which gained our full respect. They also had free top up water stations at each bar, bravo.
Energy in the Boiler Room like no other
We’ve been to our fair share of raves, but we’ve never felt an atmosphere like that . The vibe was electric from start to finish. Sweat was dripping from the walls and ceiling but not a single person in that room was in any hurry to leave. Absolute scenes.
The Shipping Yard
Does it get more industrial techno than raving between shipping containers to relentless beats? The Shipping Yard was our favourite stage visually, perfectly complementing the soundtrack on offer. This outdoor arena was rocking all day long and came to life even more as the sun began to set and nightfall loomed over the containers.
The hand-painted oil container
A standout installation found at the back of the Shipping Yard was a custom designed oil container which had to be delivered in to the site by a crane. The container become a popular feature for ravers as a backdrop for their photos and immersed the crowd deeper into the Teletech underworld.
DJ Boneyard closing The Serpent
The enigmatic DJ/producer shrouded in mystery closed the outdoor stage in emphatic style. Littered with hard-hitting tunes including “GTFB” by fast-rising artist Ben Prophet and his own sinister tune “I Survived 2k18”. In the closing moments of the set, we saw the tempo pushed all the way up to 180bpm with some outrageous gabber. One of our standout sets of the day.
Charlie Sparks’ debut Boiler Room set
The Teletech resident took the crowd by storm for his first Boiler Room, showering the indoor stage in earth shattering rhythms. The energy from Charlie was unmistakable, and his record “Welcome To London” had to be the standout track. Shoutout to @rupertjrthebluefintuna for making a special appearance at the end of his set too!
Mind-bending production in the Warehouse
Once the daytime party was over, the night took centre stage with a blitzkrieg of stunning production. Large LED panels on the stage and suspended from the ceiling, as well as the infamous Teletech neon sign were the backdrop for the evening. Coloured spotlights, lasers and blinding strobes added to the mind-bending experience.
Summary
What a special day. From start to finish we were bouncing off our feet with an admiration for the location, crowd, and every DJ set. Swift bar queues and pleasant security made for an easy day too. We would have liked some more subs in the warehouse just to pack that extra punch, but the vibe throughout the day was second to none. Roll on next year.
On 27th August, Teletech are back at the London techno institution FOLD for a 24hr party, bringing with them a dizzying line up of hard and fast techno DJs. Alignment, Azyr, Cassie Raptor, Charlie Sparks, Chippy Nonstop, CLTX, DJ Heartstring, DYEN, Høleigh, Lucia Lu, Pawlowski, and ØTTA are all set to play. You can find tickets here.
Cant wait until next year for another Teletech Festival fix? Good news, XXL is set to return this Autumn to the Mayfield Depot once again, with yet another a seismic lineup including Amelie Lens, Fjaak, Richie Hawtin, DJ Stingray, VTSS and many, many more. Be quick – very few tickets remain, seal your place here.
Words: Ben Lovejoy and Eliot Harris
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