Atlas Electronic
Atlas Electronic is a Moroccan-Dutch organization that organizes an annual music festival in Marrakesh.[1] Its members operate from Morocco and the Netherlands, aiming to support various organizations and their projects in Morocco; according to The Guardian, it focuses on "underground music and cross-cultural collaborations".[2] It was founded by Karim Mrabti, who grew up in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.[3]
| Atlas Electronic | |
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| Genre | Electronic, African music |
| Dates | July/August |
| Location(s) | Marrakesh, Morocco |
| Years active | 2016 – present |
| Founded by | Karim Mrabti |
| Website | atlas-electronic |
Festival
The festival is held annually since 2016, in an ecolodge, the Villa Janna outside of Marrakesh; organizer Mrabti found the place via AirBnB.[4] The festival stood out, according to Scene, because besides Gnawa and other African music, it had such things as art exhibitions, cycling tours, and cooking demonstrations. Mrabti used to promote dance parties in the Netherlands, and organized the first festival within a year after the first conception.[5] At least since 2017 the organization has partnered with Red Light Radio.[5][6] The 2017 festival, which included British DJ Ben UFO, Floating Points, and Chilean DJ Shanti Celeste, was attended by a reviewer from The Independent, who called it "a stunning Marrakech weekender".[6]
Mrabti has since moved from Rotterdam to Morocco. The fourth installment, in 2019, has "mobility" as its theme.[4] Besides DJs and musicians, there are daily events and workshops, panels, and presentations pertaining to the topic of mobility and a variety of socio-economic issues.[4]
2016 edition
Information on AE 2016 |
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The inaugural festival opened with shows by James Holden and Maallem Houssam Guinia (son of Mahmoud Guinia).[7] Other artists: |
2019 edition
Information on AE 2019 |
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References
- Jennings, Helen (10 July 2019). "After Yves Saint Laurent: The New Creatives Putting Marrakech On The Map". British Vogue. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- Faber, Tom (27 October 2017). "Desert nights: how Marrakech's party scene is taking root". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- Rapkin, Mickey (23 July 2019). "Music in Morocco: The ultimate sonic journey". National Geographic Traveler. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- van Meijeren, Emma (19 July 2019). "Atlas Electronic wil dat mensen niet alleen voor het lekkere weer en de palmbomen komen". Vice. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- Adel, Fady (16 April 2019). "Moving Forward: Atlas Electronic Founder Karim Mrabti on Making the Moroccan Festival More Inclusive". Scene Noise. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- Macdonald, Kit (13 September 2017). "Atlas Electronic review: No more lonely nights in the desert". The Independent. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
- Clark-Ward, Marlon (15 August 2016). "The Inauguration of Atlas Electronic". Don't Panic. Retrieved 7 August 2019.