André Cascais is a special one. His records bag, loaded with the most assertive and poetic uncertainty, brings butterflies to the stomach and chicken skin at each mix. He started in Porto, almost twenty years ago, was record selector at Discomundo, played at Secretsundaze while studying fashion in London, was a resident of Lux Fragil and is the box-to-box of the RDZ Music Agency. Clearly, André is playing at Elétrico, in July!

Call Super is one of Joseph Seaton’s alter-egos, the London based dj and producer who’s conquering the world with his bold interpretations of the electronic dance music. Joe has two albums, “Suzi Ecto” 2014 and “Arpo” 2017, on Houndstooth, the sub-label of the legendary Fabric London, and several EPs with the stamp of labels like Throne Of Blood, Dekmantel and Hessle Audio.

Delano Smith was born in Chicago but grew up in Detroit. And this combination, out of the blue, perfectly defines the music of this electronic dance music guru. It isn’t exactly House. And not really Techno. Delano Smith was a DJ long before the boundaries between these two styles were drawn. In the production, Delano is a true Midas. Whatever he touches, it turns to gold. In addition to his “Mixmode”, it is impossible to dissociate him from the mythical “Sushitech”, where he has just released his third album. “Detroit Lost Tapes” in July at Eléctrico!

DeWalta is the stage name of David Koch, the German musician who started paying French Horn at the age of seven, studied Jazz in Berlin, and now lives surrounded by synthesizers and drum machines. Davis has released three albums – “Wander” 2012, “Illumination” 2014 and “Dark Matter” 2017 – and several EPs, on labels such as Vakant, Cynosure Recordings, Cocoon and his own Meander, where we find collaborations with Mike Shannon and Cristi Cons. DeWalta, at Elétrico, in July!

Diana Oliveira war born in Lisbon, grew up in Braga, but it was in the underground circuit of Porto that this “Kadupul” flowered. Diana is the striker at RDZ Music Agency, resident DJ at Industria Club, and its exquisite taste, coupled with the charismatic presence, take us on an intimate journey, from the most sensitive and profound fields of House to the most hypnotic sounds and grooves of Techno. In July, at the Elétrico garden.

Dharum comes from Sanskrit, means “what remains true to his nature,” and is the stage-name of Nuno Peixoto, DJ and producer since 1994. Hélder Renato, Pizzicato, started playing the piano at the age of six, went through the viola, but is with the violin that his soul sings. Both are from Porto, and together they present this project that, using different instruments of strings, percussion and wind, translates into a meditative journey, where love for the universe and inner self peace is promoted, and at the very bottom symbolizes the awakening of the festival. Dharum & Helder Pizzicato, and the performance of Karen – Raio de Sol, are the Energy that flicks the Elétrico’s switch! Friday at noon.

Fumiya Tanaka was born in 1972, started playing in 1990, founded in 1993 the first Japanese label focused on the dance floor, released the first album in 1997, the second in 2001, the third with his second label – Sundance – in 2008 , and the last, a couple of years ago, at Perlon. A sinusoid course, in terms of styles, with tracks ranging from Tresor to Half Baked, but that resemble on talent and make Fumiya Tanaka the “Minamoto no Yoritomo” of Japanese dance electronics. In July, at Elétrico!

Gustavo Pereira is 100% Porto, half of Freshkitos, one third of Neopop, and a polynomial of BPM and Brunch Eletronik. That is to say, a kind of superhero who watches over the health of the increasingly fiery national dance electronics. In music as in shirts, when compared to Clark Kent. Flushed, unpredictable, but essentially cunning in the way he reads the dance floor. Fly in July for the Electric!

Honey Redmond was born in Chicago and had the best school, and probably after-classes, with the living legends of this movement. Derrick Carter first, Danny Tenaglia after, clearly jump in sight. In dance electronics, as in life, Miss Honey Dijon does not see genres, races or musical styles. She sees the warmth of the dance floor, the energy emanating from it, and the tantric state of mind of dancing forever. Has been djing for a couple of decades, but the album she edited in late 2017 – “The Best Of Both Worlds” – by Classic Records brought her to the big stages. And it fits her. Tight!

João Maria comes from Lisbon, started playing 18 years ago and is one of the most serious and voracious activists of the capital. Without ever distorting his beliefs, he was a key player in the development of projects such as Ministerium, Lisb-On Jardim Sonoro and Lisboa Electrónica. Its Assemble Music, founded in 2012, already has more than 20 releases and contributions from icons such as Ricardo Villalobos, Daze Maxim, Dorian Paic and Robin Ordell. The Assemble is in July, at Elétrico!

João Semedo was born in Viseu, and became a main figure of the underground circuit of Porto, by the wide, broad and eclectic musical taste. He launched “Where Words Fail” in 2016, which began as a breath of fresh music on “Rádio Quântica”, and is now one of the nights where music speaks louder, at Plano B, where he is also a resident dj. In July, João Semedo is at Elétrico!

João Tenreiro is from Porto and grew up literally surrounded by records. At an early age was already listening to Kruder & Dorfmeister, Fila Brazillia, Moodymann or Idjot Boys. Is an avid vinyl collector, started spinning them at Passos Manuel in 2012, and up to clubs like Industria Club or Lux and festivals like Lisb-On Sonoro, it was a short trip. And he is again on the move: João at Elétrico, in July!

Chicago, 1977. Larry Heard aka MR Fingers was seventeen years old, played drums, but quickly realized that the Drum Machines and the Synthesizers would change the game. It didn’t took long to leave the sticks for the buttons, and he started making House when no one was even sure about what House Music was. Mr Fingers’ first big hit – Mystery Of Love – was released in 1984. The first album – Amnesia – in 1988, followed by three more: 1992’s “Introduction”, 1994’s “Back to Love” and “Cerebral Hemispheres” in 2018! Mr. Fingers is alive, is kicking, and his contribution to the movement that brought us here, is invaluable. We will do our best to honor it, in July at Elétrico’s dance floor.

Mafalda was born in Porto, and from a very early age she bred a sunny view of dance music. In 2015, one night with Sadar Bahar and Floating Points at Corsica Studios, flipped the switch, and Mafalda moves to London, where besides working in a record shop, has an astonishing agenda that goes from radio programs on NTS and Worldwide FM (from Gilles Peterson), to festivals like Dekmantel and Dimensions. Mafalda runs Melodies International with Floating Points, where they release Soul, Disco and Funk classics, which are sold with a “Melozine”, that offers collectors an experience that goes beyond music. Mafalda, directly From The Sun to Elétrico, in July!

Nicolas Lutz is probably the most “underrated” name of this festival. But since we’re in World Cup time, let’s put it this way: it’s a kind of Luís Suarez of the records. He just doesn’t bite, neither lives in Barcelona. But he is Uruguayan, moved to Europe and has just released his debut EP under the alias “Draculas Lutz”. Poetic, don’t you think? My Own Jupiter is Nicola’s label, was launched in 2014 and, in his own words, is a multidisciplinary art platform. A hell of an artist! In July, at Elétrico!

Nightmares On Wax is George Evelyn, the English DJ and Producer that in 1989, with Kevin Harper, presents the newly founded Warp Records to the world, with “Dextrous”. Two years later comes the first of eight albums – 91, 95, 99, 02, 06, 08, 13, 18 – that make Nightmares On Wax one of the essential names of the club culture. “Shape The Future” is George’s latest work, it came out in January and is a brilliant manifesto about our mission and the impact we have on the planet. Don’t (You) Wish, anymore. Nightmares On Wax, in July, at Elétrico!

Peggy Gou is the South Korean DJ and Producer who made it all the way to the top, on the electronic dance music scene, in two years only. With an eloquent charisma and an easygoing approach to the various musical genres, Peggy Gould’s sets are a breath of fresh air in the current panorama, and her productions, with releases on Phonica Records, Rekids and Ninja Tune, a panoply of flavors that resembles an opulent Bibimbap. Don’t cry over spilled milk and get ready to go bananas! Peggy Gou, in July, at Elétrico!

Radu Bogdan Cilinca is the lead actor in “Rominimal,” the film that tells the rise of Bucharest electronic scene to essential, across Europe’s most demanding dance-floors.
He founded [a:rpia:r] in 2007 with Petre Inspirescu and Raresh, and there we find some
of the most profound and beautiful daydreams of artists like Ricardo Villalobos,
Thomas Melchior and Dan Andrei. His records are released on Amphia, Understand and Cadenza.
With no stuntman or safety nets, there’s breath-taking music in July at Elétrico!

Rui Vargas is the “Guru” of dance music in Portugal. Has been spinning records since 1988, is the Dalai Lama of Lux Frágil, and a kind of Saramago at the national radio, where he weekly tells an impossible story, of love and wisdom. If you can listen, hear. If you can hear, dance. Rui Vargas, Sunday 22nd, at Elétrico.

SIT – Sideways Invisibility Theory – is the name of the project that brings together Cristi Cons and Vlad Caia, and which gives Romanian techno minimal/micro-house a more ethereal and outer space feeling. They founded Amphia in 2011, where they released the first album – Sideways – and returned this year to the Long Plays, this time on Sushitech Records, with the “Invisibility Chapter I & II”. Impossible to miss, SIT LIVE act, in July at Elétrico!

Sonja Moonear studied classical music in her youth, but is behind the turntables that she looks like a Swiss watch. Sonja grew up in the underground scene of Geneva, and her Alps’s chocolate dj sets, boosted by the music released on Ruta 5 and Perlon, took Sonja to the edge of this movement. In July, at Elétrico!

Vasco Valente was born between walls of shale, hand planted by anonymous sculptors of the Douro World Heritage. Dj since 2005, is nowadays resident and content director of Industria Club, RDZ and Elétrico Festival. In music, as in wine, his sets are colored with House, exude aromas of ripe Deep, tasteful flavors of fresh Techno, and the end is long, persistent and full of Disco.

Thomas Franzmann aka Zip aka Dimbiman, is the “boss” of Perlon. Nothing more would be added, if the underground dance music had the hype of a saint’s festival. Perlon’s records on the most demanding dance floors, are like sardines and cornbread in our own Saint John’s street festival: indispensable. German, 48 years old, and in the music since the early age of 16. Had two bands – Second Voice and Bigod 20 – in his youth, followed by an audio-visual project – Pile – with Markus Nikolai and Chris Rehberger. With Nikolai, in 1997, he gives birth to Perlon. 21 years later, the record label goes on its 116th release, stays true to the vinyl exclusive releases and has rarities being sold for several hundred euros in the madness of Discogs. There are not many in the world who choose music like Thomas Franzmann. He is choosing it for us, at Elétrico, in July!