As the winner of 2013’s “Best New European Festival” award, the third-annual B my Lake Festival kicks off with high expectations tomorrow afternoon at a new location: Zamárdi, a town with wonderful lakeside location and amazing panorama, merely 110 kms away from Budapest.
During August 19-22, sweeping Lake Balaton views serve as the backdrop for nearly 100 DJs playing epic electronica amid sprawling lawns, where swimsuit-clad crowds lounge between refreshing dips in the “Hungarian Sea”.
Located on a sprawling lakefront area in Zamárdi on the southern shore of Lake Balaton, this festival is continually crowded with swimsuit-clad party people from near and far. Getting here from Budapest is easy by rail – direct trains depart from Déli Station every day at half past every hour from 7.30am to 9.40pm (check out www.mav-start.hu for more details). From the Zamárdi train station, the festival entrance is a 15-20 minute walk towards the lakefront (just follow the shirtless hordes).
Driving to B my Lake is fairly straightforward – take Motorway M7 west from Budapest and keep following it until you pass the exit for Siófok; the exit for Zamárdi will appear soon afterwards, and plentiful signage leads to the festival grounds, although the nearest available parking spot might be several blocks away from the entrance. The festival’s gates open at August 19th at noon.
Check out www.bmylake.hu for complete English-language information about the B my Lake Festival and ticketing, and here are some details about some of the premier performers who will send blasts of sound across the lake all week long.Sven VäthAugust 21 (Friday night), midnight - B Stage Sven Väth is a DJ who has produced a large body of work since his career began in 1982. He was one of the founders of legendary trance music labels Harthouse and the now-defunct Eye Q, as well as being among the very first DJs to play trance records. Today he is the owner of the Cocoon Music & Event GmbH, which contains his label, Cocoon Recordings.
Since his beginnings in the Frankfurt club scene in 1982, when Sven Väth attracted interest with DJ sets of several hours and a completely new understanding of club culture, his name has not only stood for the constant development of this art form called Electronic Music: with his platform Cocoon, he has also revealed a real dedication in the support of young musical talent showing his passion for bringing great music to the fore.
GusGus (Live)August 19 (Wednesday night), 11pm - B Stage Started as a left-field music project in the early ’90s, Reykjavik-based GusGus have emerged to the forefront of the international electronic-dance community. Today, the Icelandic group has nine full-length LPs under its belt, first debuting on legendary indie label 4AD before developing in a more dance-oriented outfit, switching labels a few times before finally signing to Kompakt with 2009’s 24/7. Following the 2011 best-seller “Arabian Horse”, Birgir Thorarinsson, Daníel Ágúst, Högni Egilsson and Stephan Stephensen release their third full-length album “Mexico” via Kompakt in 2014, where they leave no stone unturned on their journey to sonic bliss, delving ever deeper into timeless melodies with every subsequent track and stepping further into the future of anthemic pop music.
Mano Le ToughAugust 20 (Thursday night), 4am - My Stage This repatriated Paddy living in Berlin has certainly found the spiritual home for his blend of cosmic disco, deep house, and modern techno. Always one to watch, Mano in Berlin has released on labels such as Dirt Crew, Tensnake’s Mirau, District Of Corruption, Norwegian space disco legend Prins Thomas’ Internasjonal, and has found a home for his debut 2013 album “Changing Days” on Munich-based Permanent Vacation. Making the most of his classical piano training, Mano Le Tough performs regularly all around Europe, stirring crowds into a frenzy at festivals like Sónar or clubs like Panorama Bar, as well as running his own night, Passion Beat, at Loftus Hall in Berlin. Internasjonal, indeed!
FrictionAugust 21 (Friday night), 1am - Lake Stage
Brighton-raised, multiple-award-winning Friction is one of the most revered and recognized names in bass music today. Having risen steadily through the ranks since the turn of the century as one of the most ferocious players in the scene, Friction now holds court in the drum ’n’ bass Hall Of Fame thanks to his inauguration at the 2011 Drum & Bass Arena Awards.
Friction has a vast catalogue behind him and has worked with most of the major labels in the genre, including Hospital and Metalheadz. However, it was in 2004 when he founded the now-infamous record label Shogun Audio, when the Friction name really pushed further into the musical limelight.
