A festival is much more than the lineup and music being played, it is much more than the location, decorations, spectacular light shows, and banging sound systems. It is a combination of all those things and their result on the most important factor in this equation; the audience.
As contemporaries of the Information Age, our lives as human beings have been greatly affected by communications technology. Modular communications systems in particular played a huge part in cell phone, and mobile technology.
Cybernetics has evolved greatly in the past 50 years, we now communicate with others and with machines in a way that has never been seen before, allowing advances in all fields of human activity.
This has had a massive effect on concerts and festivals also. The audience now has expanded to much more than those who are in physical attendance, the internet has had a great impact, and through various communications systems and applications, we can now bring the show to you.
Modular systems are also observed in nature, as well as engineering, mathematics, education systems, programming, design, and even music. To modulate is simply to exert force or control on a number of independent systems to form a cluster that functions as a single modular entity.
In festivals, Amsterdam's DGTL returned to its birthplace at the NDSM Docklands for its fifth edition, the culmination of their endeavours has led to what was surely their greatest achievement yet.
They transformed the location into a multiple stage underground music stronghold, with various art exhibitions, and the most sublime light installations and visuals we have seen this year. Where they presented their theme for 2017; Modular. We were lucky enough to have been invited.
DGTL is much more than a festival, it is in its self a form of expression, a temporary community popping up at different locations around the world; including a follow up to Amsterdam in São Paulo that took place earlier this month, and a scheduled return to Barcelona in August after a phenomenal 2016 edition.
With plans for much more dates, and many different locations around the world, and in accordance to DGTL's sustainability program, they recently introduced the ECO Coin. An attempt at a new global currency, paired with systems based on workshops and communal activities built to combat climate change, and provide sustainable alternatives through DGTL's Revolutions program.
Organisations developing ideas like this into global revolutionary movements, allowing artists and party-goers to experience and be part of positive change on climate issues and global sustainability through music, art, and dancing is our definition of a brave new world.
Welcome to the DGTL world.
