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HYTE New York Delivers the Darkness NYC Techno Die-Hards Have Been Yearning For [Event Review]

July 11, 2017 By Brie French-Sorgini

This past Independence Day weekend, New Yorkers showed up big in all black everything for what was the best techno festival Manhattan has seen in recent memory. Following in the lines of Awakenings New York in 2016 and Time Warp New York in 2015, HYTE New York’s return fully delivered in its promise to gather a group of the industry’s best players in an idyllic, isolated location that would make you quickly forget about the dark, sweaty warehouses techno revelers typically yearn for. Set in a spacious, dust-filled field along the Hudson, engulfed by a sea of over 5,000 moody attendees moving to heart-wrenching beats, this one-day festival was truly the anti-Coachella: moody, heavy, intoxicating, and everything we were desperately craving.

Hosted by RPM Presents, the show took place on Governors Island, which meant a quick ferry ride was in order. The journey was smooth sailing, in every sense of the phrase. Security was efficient, the lines were short, and the ferries were plentiful; we arrived to our techno asylum without a cinch. Once off board, it was a bit of a trek to the festival grounds set on the opposite side of the dock, but undoubtedly worth it. Its location was seated between outrageous views of the Statue of Liberty standing tall on one end and the Freedom Tower glistening in the distance at the other. It allowed for plenty of space to dance and meander around with friends, and ensured that the drumming sounds coming from each stage would remain in their separate realms. At the entrance, we were welcomed by food trucks, vendors, and a gloriously shaded beer garden. In the distance stood the main stage, and a short walk around its backside lead us to wide, open field where Detroit’s Movement Stage stood small, but fierce. Although the sun was blazing at what felt like 100 degrees, techno lovers were dressed head-to-toe in black and white to match their demeanors submerged in deep, thundering beats being laid upon us. It was the ideal day-to-night setting to nose dive down the rabbit hole.

The main stage saw phenomenal performances from players like Julia Govor and Marcel Dettman. The mastermind that is Maceo Plex played a sensational sunset set, turning the twilight’s cotton-candy sky into pure darkness as he brought deliciously dark beats to the only 3-hour time slot on the lineup. Following this was the almighty Richie Hawtin’s closing set, which was as amazing as you would expect it to be (if you missed out this time, you now know to never make that mistake again). The Movement Stage was built on a much smaller, more intimate scale, but gave way to some of the most powerful performances of the day. Jackmaster delivered the grooviest and one of our favorite sets of the entire festival, and Chris Liebing & Speedy J’s collab absolutely shattered the crowd’s insides to bits. Other players who graced the stages throughout the day included Peggy Gou, Maya Jane Coles, Loco Dice, Matrixxman, and Rodhad.