Seven Deadly Festivals

As much as we don't want to accept it, the end of summer is nigh. But before we're literally drenched in the depths of autumn and winter, there's a handful of intimate festivals that have grabbed our attention here at MOTZ. Unusual surroundings with a mix of top dog headliners and our favourite, lesser known artists (but in no way less brain melting) are paying necessary visits to gathering from Berlin to Portugal over the next few weeks. If you're willing to travel into unknown and at times ominous territory, these are the festivals that are sure to dissolve your sanity under the sun...

Krake Festival, Berlin

'A week of good music.' A week, (yes a full week) of brutal techno graces Berlin with the likes of Clouds, Emmanuel, SHXCXCHCXSH, Pedro Maia, Ancient Methods and our national treasure Sunil Sharpe spinning across a series Berlin's techno haunts. Kicking off in Silent Green before progressing to Urban Spree and ending the debauchery in Griessmühle, we can't wait to blow off some steam from now until Sunday.

Ribbon Presents: The Tower Festival

Bringing an industrial element to a spectacular venue located in a 1930's water tower, this hard hitting line up consisting of Perc, Freddy K, Domenico Crisci, Max Durante, Gigi Galli, Balance and Simone Leva will be sure to shake the walls. An array of music, street food and art to keep legs moving and jaws chomping is on offer throughout the 10 hour experience. A weekend well spent.

Voltage, Belgium

A gathering taking place in an abandoned electricity plant, Voltage has signed up heavyweight artists from Dublin's own Matador to harder heads UVB, Ansome & Ossian to take the reigns under the muggy Belgium vaults. If you're in the area, be sure to head down there and loose yourself in the electric volts this weekend.

Katharsis, Amsterdam

'... the kind of pleasure I would consider the real pleasure would be so deep, so intense, so overwhelming that I couldn't survive it.' In other words, Katharsis is in the great stinkin' Warehouse Elementenstraat in the heart of Amsterdam. Friday highlights include Rrose and Ulwhednar (live) (Abdulla Rashim & Varg) but it's Saturdays line-up that's truly stolen our hearts. Paula Temple, I Hate Models, Orphx & JK Flesh (live), Irelands own Eomac and a personal favourite Shadows live (AnD) all spawn their sounds over a two day bender. Not for the faint of heart.

Scrobarnach, Cork

Looking to relive your childhood days in a field with your mates, a shitload of booze and beats dirtier than a pair Glastonbury 05 wellies? Then expect absolute carnage at this BYOB festival in Ireland. With the likes of Stranger, Ansome, Fish Go Deep, Head Front Panel, DeFeKT, Neil Landstrumm and ELLLL just to name a few chopping their way through records, you’ll be guaranteed a stomping sesh all weekend. We suggest you book the rest of the week off work to recover from this one.

Berlin Atonal, Berlin

Situated in Berlin's well established Kraftwerk venue, the underground mecca is hosting a filthy festival from Wednesday to Sunday catering for those with an undeniable dedication to techno. Tresor, Globus and OHM are included on programming duties, as well as gooey installations accompanying the squelch to make us feel truly at home. A mixed bag of legends like Regis to techno staples like Varg pop up along the way, as well a BBC Radiophonic Workshop to keep our brains in check. Get the vitamins in before this long haul trip.

Festival Forte, Portugal

A rave in the historic Montemor-o-Velho castle in Portugal's Coimbra District, there's not much that can wrong apart from a few bits of dust particles landing in the dilated pupils of the eager Portuguese techno community. Blawan, Dasha Rush, Shlømo, Vatican Shadow and Varg all make an appearance during this four day trip, definitely one for last days of August.