XRDS - Crossroads festival

It’s gradual, poly, and ambiguously tense when it needs to be. @donato_dozzy is back alone this time for a stage closing. Last seen at XRDS25 alongside @neelrome as @voicesfromthelakeofficial , the Italian dub techno pioneer and @spaziodisponibile co-founder is coming back to the place he keeps returning to: our favourite concrete-woven nest buried at the heart of our Viaduct floor.

Swimming in a tear of joy ࿐

Gazing from afar.

Some stages never leave you, ever. ‘Outskirts’ is one of them as it will speed on Friday, just like last year ࿔ Drum & bass was born in the UK, early ’90s London, in spaces never meant for music but transformed by it anyway. Thinking back, out of that came jungle which slowly mutated into something tougher, faster, more percussive. Thirty years on, its culture and sound still hit just as hard. With artists like @miakoden , @dj.mantra , @s_p_e_c_i_a_l_r_e_q_u_e_s_t , @sully.e64 , and of course @sherelle_ , they each carry a piece of that lineage forward. And @mrgoldie might you ask? Let’s say he’s part of the ink on that very blueprint, and we can’t wait to take that plunge once again. In the end, Outskirts’ common thread is untethered personality. It’s why we love it, it’s why it’s there, and that will never change.

Into softer winds, finally 🌱

For the first time, we’re stretching things out past midnight, with music playing until 01:00 on both days. Every year, we put a little more love into what happens after the sun goes down. Last edition felt like a turning point for our scenography: more color, softer light, theatrical minimalism with a vision. This time, @_dreamplant gets a bit more room to do their thing: to plant that dream, let it breathe, and turn Parc Des Étangs into the glowing escape we keep coming back for.

@sherelle_ doesn’t really do slow, and it’s not a new thing. The British artist has been digging through jungle, footwork, and anything above 160 BPM since her Reprezent Radio days, long before it became the kind of thing people write think pieces about. She’s played the full circuit, but is not the type to read the room and soften the edges. You get what she plays, and if the room catches up, great. There’s been a lot of talk about jungle “making a comeback”, but SHERELLE’s pretty direct about it: the music never went anywhere, it just found its moment. Faster tempos til she dies, with festivals booking her or not. An urban selector at heart, always dancing around breaks and footwork, tapping into something you couldn’t name if you tried. Old-school Kemistry and Storm energy sitting next to something that sounds like it was made last week, and maybe it was. It doesn’t always look perfect on paper, but it lands, and she’s been doing this long enough to know when to tell a story and when to just floor people. Playing Friday on our ‘Outskirts’ floor. She’s fast, loud, and not particularly interested in being tidy about it. Come prepared. More info at www.xrds.be

‘M’as-tu vu’, a portrait series by @elke_pannier for @destandaard 𓁼

Quite a few familiar faces are returning this year. @daxj1 (live), @chlaer_ , @ben_klock , @marron.ec , @dj_nobu_ft , @d.dan___ and @philippapacho , all of them have played XRDS before, and all of them are coming back in different settings and formats. They’re the ones behind some of our most cherished moments, and the ones making records we keep lifting off the shelf, again and again. In our eyes, they ground everything we believe in, and we can’t wait to have them back.

We’re heading into a year with more techno than ever before. Whether we lean toward the classics or get lost in today’s upper tempos, @yanamaste stands right at the center of it all, and there are few who symbolise techno’s evolution better. Inspiring many young producers, he’s seen his already genre-defining productions released on major labels such as @mutual_rytm and @vault_sessions among others while gaining traction as a @khidiclub club resident for years. For those new to his sound, it’s built on modular experimentation, a wide musical background, and the intensity of the Tbilisi scene, all driven by a relentless work ethic and a strong belief in creative authenticity. Particularly influenced by his Georgian roots, he comes from a place where clubbing is perceived as a true escape from a reality that can often feel oppressive due to political instability in the country, turning music and the underground scene into something more meaningful and important. A reality that shaped his music, persona and playing style to this day. He will join us Friday, August 14th at our ‘Viaduct’ floor. More info at xrds.be or via the link in bio.

Melt away at first sight. From the smallest inch of grass to the tallest pillar, our fifth run begins here 𓇢𓆸