Despacio: A Portola Festival Feature You Must Experience

Looking for a calming space and slower pace at Portola Festival? Make Sure you carve out a little time for Despacio!

Portola Festival is returning to Pier 80 in San Francisco on September 20-21, with a lineup that excites seasoned and new ravers alike. Acts like The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, The Prodigy, LCD Soundsystem, and Moby are joined by new school artists Rico Nasty, Noga Erez, Blood Orange, and Arca.

But in the midst of all the legendary and up-and-coming artists, sometimes it’s good to have a backup plan in case you get just a little overwhelmed. Luckily, ahead of this year’s edition, Portola Festival has come up with a solution for just such an occasion in the form of Despacio. The immersive listening experience-turned dance party aims to offer a welcome respite from the inevitable chaos of the festival.

What is Despacio?

Despacio is a traveling collective, the brainchild of LCD Soundsystem’s Matt Murphy, brothers Stephen and David Dewaele of Soulwax and 2manydjs, and audio engineer John Klett. This trio of seasoned DJs has come together in the name of music. They strive to take it back to when parties were just about the music — not about the DJs, the money, or the fancy equipment — to offer attendees a different kind of festival experience.

This hidden gem features a custom-built disco sound system that’s comprised of eight stacks of McIntosh speakers and amps, each eleven feet tall, and all totaling 100,000 watts. Even with all of that, the sound isn’t overpowering and doesn’t hurt your ears. Oh, and the DJs billed only play vinyl. As a geriatric raver myself, I argue that’s how it should be!

Photo Credit: @babycakesromero

Despacio’s premise is all about happiness and connection — to the music and to each other.

Think back to those dance circles from raves of years past, where people let the music encapsulate their whole being. That’s the goal here. The audience and the music are at the forefront — under a disco ball, of course — while the DJ setup is off to the side. Then there’s the low lighting and slower BPMs, which offer a subtle sensuality and intimacy. All of this is situated inside a temperature-controlled tent, hidden from the rest of the event. It’s all by design.

Going against superstar culture and club events, Despacio runs five to seven hours long, with Murphy and the brothers Dewaele each spinning hours-long sets. From what I’ve read, that could be anywhere from 70 to 90 songs! As the name suggests, Despacio is meant to be a slow-burning, long-running party, one that attendees can return to throughout a festival.

Since its inception in 2013, Despacio has been a passion project focused on the love of music and not on commercialism. Little money is made off this venture; it’s all done to showcase music the way it should be, with slowed-down, eclectic, and obscure records from genres spanning the ’60s to the present day, including disco, house, techno, funk, rock, and everything in between.

Though created 12 years ago, there’s only been 19 Despacio shows to date as it’s a labor of pure love. And this show marks Despacio’s return after an 18-month hiatus, so this rarity is a must-see. You’ll find me in the tent recharging for at least some of the weekend.

Single and two-day passes are still available for purchase, so grab yours before they’re gone. For a complete list of all pre-and-post parties for Portola Week, as well as to buy your festival passes, please visit the official website.

Photo Credit: @babycakesromero

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