Harvest Festival 2006 In Review

Harvest Festival is consistently one of the finest gatherings of the year. It is not just an excellent electronic music event; the organizers and volunteers go to great lengths to make the experience uncommonly special.

Three distinct stages sprouted from the grounds of Wholearth Farms, just outside of Hastings, Ontario. The striking yellow pyramid—resting on a gentle grassy slope beyond the fire pit, its interior layered with carpets and mattresses, eclectic downbeat emanating from its gaping trapezoidal maw—has become one of several iconic features at Harvest. Across from the bonfire pit lay the techno stage. Down a short trail leading the parking lot, the trance tent. Both were lined by sound-dampening bales of hay, ornamentally adorned with geometric designs and psychedelic artwork, alive with the captivating trajectories of limbs and bodies in motion to the pulsating rhythms.

The lighting of the bonfire is the pivotal moment of the evening; the great catalyst for the long night of celebration ahead. Quiescent until the midnight hour, the fire pit becomes the center of activity as flares and fireworks erupt into the night air, calling one and all to gather ’round for a moment as old as human history. As the crowd thickens, anticipation grows with every second. Tribal drummers unleash ancient rhythms. Fire dancers gather in the central ring to pay tribute to the elemental forces of nature, whirling poi, brandishing fingers tipped by kerosene-laden wicks, staves held high in worship. As the massive pile of timber ignites, the newborn blaze racing upward, the deafening roar of a thousand people sharing one primal instant shatters the night.

I thoroughly enjoyed opening the trance tent with music I have not otherwise found an opportunity to play out. Some were surprised to hear me playing the deeper progressive house and electro-influenced styles of psytrance. I have, at times, been criticized for my inconsistent and unpredictable selections, for there are those who feel as if a DJ should stick to one sound. I reject this concept entirely; I play whatever I feel is suitable for a time and place. Light and accessible fare leading into crowd-pleasing electro-influenced progressive seemed to be the right choice for the opening set at Harvest. I ended up recording my set, and it came out well enough to share online; download it here!

Photo: mariazmess

Two other mixes from Harvest have become available. If you appreciate glitchy, minimal techno, you will be glad to know that Noah Pred and Ian Guthrie have also released their sets.

Event photos and reviews are widely available. Many photos have been uploaded to the AlienInFlux gallery, and I have several to share as well. I discovered photo sets on flickr from mariazmess, scienceduck, fotograf.416, and mospin. Alexd from Tribe Magazine has posted over 200 photos from the event, and his message board features dozens of reviews. The Om Festival Board also has a few reviews, and blogger Sookie aptly summarised the festival.

In the days following the event, as most of us recovered from this extraordinary event, the future of Harvest at Wholearth Farms was cast into doubt. Outspoken neighbours and nearby residents had been against the festival for some time now, and it seems as if they have effectively argued their case with the municipal council. The Independant, a local newspaper, published an article days after the festival, strongly conveying the vehement opposition of an outspoken minority. Impassioned letters were written, to no avail. As of last Monday, Harvest is looking for a new home.

Electronic music festivals are perpetually in conflict with their surroundings. These events are best held deep into the countryside, as far from any significant settlement as possible. Rural Ontario is densely settled; there are people everywhere you turn. Finding a completely isolated location is nearly impossible. The pragmatic promoter with aspiration of eventual return attempts to make peace with the locals, but this is seldom successful. The loud music and exuberant hedonism associated with electronic music culture is sometimes perceived as unseemly, invasive, and even threatening. In the worst cases, the stubborn rural temperament is such that no compromise is possible: every effort is thereby undertaken to ensure that the festival goes elsewhere. There are those who are able to see the positive side of having an annual music festival in their backyard, and these individuals deserve our praise and appreciation. Buried within the article from The Independent, area resident Eileen Young was quoted as saying:

“I can’t see why anybody would complain about something like this. They never have any trouble… and they do a lot of good for the area with the food drive, and the money that they generate in Hastings, it’s phenomenal. To have something like this in this area, I think it’s terrific.”

With luck, the Harvest organizers, in their search for a new space for next year’s event, will find an entire town that will express such sentiments. As Justin from AlienInFlux wrote on Tribe, “this is not necessarily a bad thing as good things almost always come with change.”

Massive kudos to Wholearth Farms, AlienInFlux, Promise, BLA, and all the friendly volunteers responsible for making this great event what it is. I extend my personal gratitude to the BLA crew for having me out to play for the second year running. See you next year!

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2 Comments

justin
October 4th, 2006

thanks so much for the great review of harvest.

and hopefully we find a new home soon so we can beging planing for next year.

if you or any one reading has any suggestions please contact me at alieninflux@harvestfestival.org

thank you for being part of harvest.

FHMU
October 5th, 2006

Harvest was wonderful! I had lots of fun prancing around, this way and that. I felt like a fairy.

You know, I totally share your opinion about the flexibility of the DJ. I for one don’t want to hear the same thing over and over. That’s not to say I’m not picky, as you know, I am quite the discerning listener … but I find I get bored of the same thing. I wish you DJs would start spinning with three or four decks, now THAT would be flexible.

But back to Harvest: it is unfortunate that the locals want it to relocate. Alas. But, I’m sure Harvest will find a new home. I’m excited to see what
they will come up with.

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