The sun is still blistering as Dam-Funk brings in da funk, brings in da noise. There’s a two tier set-up, one with the decks, another one with a small synth and a set of mics, and he alternately plays some records and plays some music. A constant there, they all are funky as heck, some on the disco side, others going all out house music. So we get the Detroit, the Chicago, the NY (Dam-Funk helpfully guides us through all that), and he’s sure not to forget to honour the late Prince, doing a couple of his songs.

So, in the sweltering heat, we are dancing. It’s real disco and real house, so it might be too slow for some who like dance music, but it’s my sweet spot, and evidently that of the people behind me as well. So at the front the people are swinging, singing, movin’ and grooving to the house beats and the disco divas. And to Dam-Funk, who, when he takes the reins, shows us the prowess of his own vocals, and who brings the wobbly with his synthesizer as well. A little bit of that Warehouse and Studio 54 in bright sunlight, but in the end, it’s the music that makes the dancing, and this set/show certainly delivers right there.

On that very same Pitchfork stage, just a little bit later, it’s Jenny Hval who does right what Holly Herndon, in my opinion, didn’t succeed at. Yes, it’s experimental, and it is perhaps closer to performance art than it is to music, until you hear the singing and the music, and then it’s a combination between both that downright works. She and her two companions all don wigs with long, blonde hair, and throughout the show they cut in it, use some of it as pubic hair, and rub it all over their arms before finally, for the last two songs, discarding them completely to unveil, for the first time, Hval without mask. Just to, for the last song, quickly throw on a cape for some dancing in unison with one of her partners on stage.

It’s not only that, clearly, she has something to say and, clearly, she isn’t afraid to get in there and get messy in order to convey her message. It’s also that her voice is absolutely beautiful, both in spoken word and singing, and that near the end she even goes for all out party with a nice, catchy beat and the aforementioned prolonged dance routine. And, when she takes off the grotesque mask that she’s been wearing all day, what she unveils is the beauty of womanhood underneath. Which, surely, can be decoded as some sort of symbolism in a performance that’s full of it.

Chairlift gives it the good ol’ dancing try with their set, mixing some of the older, more dreamier work with some of the new, more punchier singles. Personally, the dreamier work does it for me, and you can do a little dancing with your eyes closed on those ones (though at the risk of missing the entertaining and energetic lead singer). The audience, though, goes berserk especially for their single ‘Ch-ching’, which they save as last and which, for most out there, seems to be the right choice.

To end the festival we take a seat at the Ray Bans stage to see Julia Holter and band doing their thing. Her voice sounds good, and you can see these are the pros at work there, with the whole performance oozing with professionalism. Holter is just the latest strong female performer that performed at the festival this year, and she, too, gives the gathered crowd a reason for why they might join her in her European tour later on this summer.

After this seated show we take one more look at all of it all from the top end of the festival site. One more time, the city lights, one more time the throng of people, even though at that point we are seemingly by ourselves in the room upstairs. As the city is prone to do, we become voyeurs, witnesses to life or some sordid thing like it, disconnected yet surrounded by those that at least come close to being similar. Combine this mood with the perfectly eclectic soundtrack throughout all the three days, and it’s just the right darn place to be.

The Weekly Froth! A weekly take on six tracks, most of which have recently popped up somewhere in the blogosphere. Bit of a mixed bag with a slight leaning towards house, disco, and remixes, but generally just anything that for some reason tickled the writer’s fancy.

Track of the Week: ‘Cloud 9' by Kasper Bjorke

From the get go, there is this warmth in the synths that reminds me of why I love Kasper Bjorke so. At 49 seconds, another reminder, adding again to the whole atmosphere, diving into a sort of beautiful melancholia strengthened by the slower, deeper sounds he uses. Just before the two minute mark he adds a bit of extra percussion for rhythm purposes, and a good 20 seconds after he again infuses it with that typical synth sound. Bjorke really is an expert in creating and sustaining that feel. Even at 3:15, when he stops and just lets the ethereal synths take over for a moment, returning to slow and deep at about 3:45. This track has vocals (by Urdur), but this is the instrumental version of it. Since my favorite Bjorke tracks all do have vocals (think of the wonderful ‘Young Again’ or ‘Efficient Machine’ for example) I can’t wait to hear the upcoming mini LP this guy is releasing, because even sans the vocals this is a mesmerising piece of work.

'What U Do' by Moullinex & Lorenz Rhode

Apparently, a love for Stevie Wonder was the base for this house stomper, with Lorenz Rhode on vocal duties and Moullinex making sure the beat, the rhythm, and all the synth sounds are there for the dancefloor. First it’s primarily the beat that gives the dancers something to dance to, but after a good minute there’s a more pronounced bass, and then the synths start coming in as well. Soon though, the bass takes over again, with the synths moving away from rhythm duties. At 3:30 it gets a moment to its own though, with the beat and bass stripped completely. Then vocals come in, singing that You’re the only one, as the synths start building up and up, working towards a return of the B&B brothers for rhythm. Rhode implores you to Never stop, and with the rhythm provided by Moullinex there’s really no reason to.

‘Emmanuel' by JKriv & Free Magic

JKriv and Free Magic waste no time in getting the bass rolling in a mid-tempo kind of pace, bringing the loungy horns and piano in for some jazz vibes. And the write-up below the track isn’t lying when it talks about that jazz feel, because this certainly does transport you to a nightclub where people smoke with a smoke holder and do some jivin’ to the band on the stage. I love the piano that gets in there and gets increasingly more prominent, just to get some rhythm with that soft and sultry bass just before the two minute mark. The low key transitions are real nice, shifting its allegiances, small motion in the pace, and sometimes adding a bit of this, a bit of that. Apparently the A-side to this release is a party dance track, something which we’ve seen JKriv work often, but this one takes it back to NY '30s with the dresses and the lasses doing that slow dive jive late at night.

‘Don’t Tempt Me’ by Adam Chini

At about twenty seconds in the bass rears its head providing a nice dancing groove in just the right pace. Then, the super smooth vocals, asking Girl, don’t talk, don’t talk tonight, adding shortly after that She’s looking so fine. It really has that right pace with the bass to get close and do some of that love dancing to with the one you’re having your eye on. I like the instrumental interlude that follows. It is lengthy, but the bass keeps moving it forward, so you’re protecting that bit of funk to keep people dancing with each other. After the next batch of vocals, again, the instrumentals, adding some new ones but also returning to the sounds of the instrumental period before. It’s got this nice vibe of lovin’ in there to cozy up on the dancefloor to. The Soundcloud link is a teaser, for the full track go to the Bandcamp page.

‘U & Me’ by Alkalino

How about some of that House by Alkalino? The synths set the rhythm, but soon the bass and drums come in to give you the whole shebang. In the mean time, the soulful vocals are singing U and me, ohhhh! Alluding to some of that sumthing going on. In the mean time, Akalino is not stingy with the pace, giving us that good house speed with the rhythm, and providing all that for the right house vibes. Including the vocals, giving you that one line on repeat, and when it rests, the instrumentals are sure to pick up the slack. The full track gives you the whopping seven minutes worth of this, but it probably only takes these three minutes to hear the house in this one (so get those dancing shoes shined babes, we’re gonna go clubbin’ tonight!).

'1999' by Prince (Nightfunk remix)

Playing the tunes of those that have passed on does keep them alive a little bit, doesn’t it? Nightfunk takes on Prince, bringing in the dancefloor house beat, though he dials that back even before the track hits the minute mark. No worries though, an even more house like rhythm is brought back in (as in, old school house vibes there), with at 1:30 the high pitched vocals of Prince coming through the deeper beats. Around the two minute mark he dives into Prince a bit more, as he sings that we are Going to party like its 1999. Though the beat that re-enters definitely has its roots way before the millennium mark. Which isn’t a bad thing, as it allows for some old school jackin’. At 3:40 he starts working the original riff a bit, which definitely provides a touch of funk. Just another one of those Prince remixes that will help with the good vibes on the dancefloor.