On the Ground With Refuge x Zalando at MELT Festival
As the heat bore down on the beginnings of Germany’s MELT festival, it was the Refuge x Zalando stage that kicked things off. Close to the campsite and the first to bring the noise on the opening day, its unassuming cabin-like structure pumped out bassey house into a leafy, grassy cloister – perfect for partygoers to swim, chill, and warm up for the weekend to come.
Sun-drenched and lakeside it may have been, but for the carefully curated selection of artists that opened the festival’s final edition, the meaning of the day ran deeper. The performers – Josiane, DJ Westfa, Lisa Hill, Miszo, and Nalamazon – had all been part of Refuge Worldwide and Zalando’s program for upcoming DJs over the summer, and this was the finale.
Despite its increasing democratization thanks to social media, the music industry remains notoriously difficult to access. To perform at a festival like MELT is a golden ticket that rarely comes by. When speaking on the value of the Refuge x Zalando experience, however, the artists value the the idea of community just as highly as the breadth of exposure or technical skills gained across the month of mentorship.
DJ Westfa singles out the importance of having a face-to-face mentor. Mixing is an art form which is so often self-taught via endless YouTube tutorials or just ‘figuring it out’, and Westfa emphasizes that he’s “never sat down with someone and discussed the technical part of DJing.” He also calls out the “inspiring” production workshop given by Sarah Farina, a Berlin-based DJ and activist who, as part of the program, showed the artists a few tricks at Refuge’s Neukölln HQ.
For Josiane, it was about confidence. Her target for the mentorship was to get to a point where she could become more carefree in her performing – to “not be afraid”, to “not overthink”, and just go for it. On the day, this was undoubtedly reflected: closing the evening, Josiane’s set was the heaviest of the lot, and took the energy from daytime sunbathing to the start of the rave.
Refuge Worldwide is known for fostering a strong sense of community, and it was that vibe that Miszo, Nalamazon, and Lisa Hill all took away. “Being able to exchange with other like-minded DJs and seeing the work that Refuge Worldwide has been doing in person is a huge gift,” says Lisa Hill. For Miszo, sharing with each other their “journeys as DJs” was a valuable experience, and Nalamazon was grateful for the “inspiring” people around her.
Lying in 30-degree sun by a lake, popping in and out of the crowd to dance, exchanging stories and experiences – the opening day at MELT brought together artists who were as pumped to be there as the crowd, who were basking in the tunes and the rays. Oh, and there was free mochi. Chef’s kiss.
You can listen back to recordings of the Refuge x Zalando sets here, and discover more about the project here.
