Repercussion Festival 2022
at Depot Mayfield in Manchester, UK
words by Dan Tsourekas

The Warehouse Project showed it is back again for another impressive year, with the second Repercussion Festival, a massive success on all fronts.

In 2021, the first ever Repercussion festival emerged onto the scene, bringing people together after a tough couple years of uncertainty for society, the music industry, and touring. It was a monumental moment for The Warehouse Project team, who have become a staple in the Manchester nightlife scene providing avid music listeners with some of the best line-ups and shows the electronic, grime and hip-hop scene has to offer. Located at the historical Mayfield Depot, it was quite clear to see why this pilot day festival was a success.

Fast forward to September 2022, and Repercussion is back with a phenomenal line-up consisting of some of the best fresh and experienced talent around. Arriving at the Depot at 4 o’ clock, it is quite fascinating to see the amount of people already queuing up to enter the old, abandoned warehouse. It is obvious that the earlier set times feature more eclectic sounds and rhythms, lesser known to the mainstream audiences. Artists the likes of Soichi Terada, A Certain Ratio and MYD located in the Archive stage, or David Rodigan, Mikey Don, and Me Gusta Collective commanding the newly added street party in blocked off Temperance Street manage to incorporate the spirit of the festival perfectly before the Depot becomes fully inhabited by ravers and music lovers.

It carries the same unity and spirit Boomtown Festival preached earlier this August, with the difference of presenting it in a highly entertaining underground manner. The warehouse’s urban feel and atmosphere elevate the performances to another level, making it feel like an old school rave in the 90s, like a crammed house party where no one knows anyone, yet the music leads the way. It is pure bliss and enjoyment.

Split into different sections and stages, each segment has its own unique character and experience. Archive is predominantly relaxed yet upbeat, with an exquisite mixture of trip-hop, and house. Concourse features a niche lineup, constantly amazing the audience located around the decks and below the stage, admiring the brilliant lighting setup and atmosphere. The transformation of what is Escape to Freight Island, into a bright plant room filled with vinyls and high spirits truly shows how above and beyond the Warehouse Project has gone to fully provide an experience worth attending.

The impressive lighting setup is only a mere fracture of the experience. Soon enough Little Simz appears for her first ever show at Mayfield, and completely knocks it out of the park. With spot on flows, a magnificent live band playing behind her, and the signature cool, calm, and collected energy she emits while on stage, the hype and attention surrounding Little Simz’ name is fully justified. Playing fan favourites like ‘Venom’, ‘Introvert’, ‘Selfish’, and many others, the artist successfully sets the tone for the following headliners, being met with an abundance of praise and cheering.

Following Little Simz, Fred Again.. takes to the stage in what can easily be described as the best set of the night. The upcoming producer shot to fame with his Actual Life project releases, and since then has been providing a live show worth seeing. Now collaborating with legends, the likes of Four Tet, and Skrillex, the set consisted of unreleased singles of which each sounded more sharp, complex, and better than the other. There isn’t a moment during the hour long set in which the audience isn’t moving or chanting along to the vocals presented in his tracks. The format of his live shows are physically demanding, and yet is masterfully pulled off as the artist alternates from drum

machine, to piano to vocals seamlessly. Without a doubt the highlight of the night, Fred Again’s set perfectly follows up with Folamour’s fascinating audio-visual set and Jamie XX, who with no introductions needed, closes the day festival with style, never once letting the crowd take a breather during his one-and-a-half-hour show.

In conclusion, the Warehouse Project’s second Repercussion Festival is once again a massive success, proving once again that they are a powerhouse in the UK’s music scene, and can easily provide masterclasses on how to construct and provide unforgettable events for their audiences.

REPERCUSSION FESTIVAL 2022