Review: Szentek 2018

Article by: Marco Marcelline

Szentek 2018 delivered yet again. For the third year in a row, it set the standard for alternative events in St Andrews.

Kornél Kovács (Photo by Szentek)

Stockholm-based producer Kornél Kovács took centre stage at Kinkell Byre. His pulsating house set was undoubtedly one of the highlights of the night, and as 1200 students vibed to the fun, unserious synths injected with a typical Scandi mischievousness, it became clear that there was no better place to be in Scotland than Szentek at that moment. Amidst the summery house tunes, Kovács also briefly paid tribute to some old school drum and bass which came as a brief, yet welcome breeze to the blisteringly hot house affair.

New Zealand-born duo Chaos in the CBD preceded Kovács. The talented siblings rolled out an exquisite selection of hazy tunes. Their hypnotising set featured some trumpets and smooth jazzy chords which brought an aura of mystique and seduction with it. The temperature of Kinkell went up a few notches as their set increased in speed and became a frenetic concoction of colourful synths and smoky beats. The delicious delicacies hand-crafted and delivered by these brothers left you desperately wanting more. The energy in the room truly mirrored the set, and for a moment, it was difficult to believe this was all taking place in a barn in Fife and not in Kreuzberg.

Szentek 2018 (Photo by Szentek)

Szentek stayed true to its roots, however, and produced techno music galore. A storming set from Wax Collective on the outdoor stage, while Edinburgh native Tom Williams performed in the smaller room, proved that St Andrews does not need to look far and wide from its three streets to secure some banging electronic talent.

Resident Advisor listed Szentek as one of the best places that week to party in the UK. There are high hopes that next year will be even better.

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