Back home after a week of enjoying the sun and some fine music. Very tired, sunburned and with aching feet but in the meantime happy, inspired and motivated. It was a good week.

The place where we were staying was niceness galore. Very decent accommodation, a superb big breakfast every morning, the nicest host we could wish for, a swimming pool right outside our little chalet, a sound system where I could connect my laptop to, … . Just perfect. A slight minus was that it was in Béziers and the Worldwide festival was 50 km away in Sète. But it didn’t make me enjoy it one bit less.

The festival itself was good. Maybe no Southport. It was a bit too much a la Française with lots of room for improvement organisation-wise but maybe we Northern folk are a bit too much used to everything being strictly planned. Anyway it was irritating to hear Lefto begin his set but not being able to enter the site because for some dark reason the security didn’t open the doors. Or to have to wait at the bar for more than 15 minutes before being able to order when you know you could organise the whole thing far better with just the same amount of people. But it didn’t really spoil the fun for me. They got the sun and the genius setting to make up for it big time.

Music-wise there were up and downs. Lefto played one of the best sets I ever heard from him. Eclectic and with an impeccable flow. Setting standards for the rest of the festival that would rarely be topped. The first day he was by far the best act I saw. Didn’t see Benga though. And only a little of Gilles Peterson himself. Didn’t connect to the grimey M.I.A. Influenced female MC’s at all. Not my thing. Enjoyed Roots Manuva. Can’t wait to play that new single. Left halfway Ben Westbeech and Die’s set. It simply didn’t make me want to stay.

Second day started badly at the beach. Just missed an apparently ace set by Toshio Matsuuri to hear a cat named Dynamax play an awful R ‘n B set that literally scared everyone away from the dance floor. Made us leave for La Theatre de la Mer early. Where Little Dragon impressed me and Breakestra rocked the venue. At the beach party afterwards the decks had been recovered by decent dj’s and both Simbad and Pilooski got me dancing. This was what I hoped for and they delivered it nicely.

The last day I went to the beach early. Although the afternoon dj’s hadn’t been nice to my ears some other things had been just that to my eyes. Haha. Anyway, far better music this time. Enjoyed it a lot but it was getting a bit too hot for me and I left for Sète centre. To eat some ice cream and watch the boat game they like to play there. And to be early for the Pascal Comelade and Cinematic Orchestra gigs at the theatre venue with sight on the sea. They both blew me away. They could have played on for much longer and I wouldn’t have minded it. The combination of spheric music and top surroundings was a winner. But they stopped and I dragged my ass on last time to the Base Nautic where Henrk Schwarz had begun his ‘live’ ableton set. Which was dope to say the least. The man’s got an oeuvre that stands, brings it with enthusiasm and reaches that deepness I love so much. Loved every single second of it and ending with his Omar remix got me all exited. Together with Lefto and Cinematic Orchestra my personal highlights of the festival. Only watched Laurent Garnier begin. Was too tired and we needed to drive 50km over dark French roads.

Felt bad I had to miss the Sunday afternoon afterparty (Gilles Peterson vs Laurent Garnier) but we had to come back. Could have stayed for much longer and it will take me some time to get back in the daily rhythm. But the inspiration and motivation shot I got make we want to start some things urgently.

Big up to Meriam, Axel, Yayou and Elsa for being such great hosts. Big up to the crew; Phil, Dizze, Lieven, JF, Fluppe and certainly my main man Karl. Had a blast. And shout outs to Jos Diephuis and his girls, Lefto and Fatou, Simbad, Gilles and everyone else I talked to but forgot to ask their name.