We start the new decade with the eighth edition of Let THem Eat Cake….

‘Unless stated, all photos by the incredibly talented Duncographic. And check our LTEC 2020 playlist at bottom of the review!’

When you celebrate something as important as the turn of the decade, you have to choose wisely. Thankfully, LTEC has become a sure bet for those in two minds about NYD. Entering its eighth edition, Let Them Eat Cake has firmly ingratiated itself as part of Melbourne's annual entertainment calendar. This year, Melbourne was spoilt with festival options; however, LTEC isn't Melbourne's longest-running NYD dance music event due to potluck. A festival is more than just a lineup, it is the sum of its parts, and one large part is the idyllic grounds of the Werribee Mansion. It has been said in the past, but LTEC feels like 'you're having a private garden party in your best mate's backyard (with your 10,000 friends)'. And what a grand ol’ party it is.

The space is vast, and it would take a lot of time, and a highly dedicated and creative team, to turn that lush location into an efficient festival. Well, eight years in, and one dedicated team later, the riddle has been solved. With 2020 featuring the likes of Jon Hopkins, Honey Dijon and Denis Sulta and a near-perfect day of weather, Let Them Eat Cake solidified its reputation as one of Australia's top events.

Adventure Time

As soon as you set foot into the grounds, you get a feel for what Alice felt like when she entered the Wonderland. The grass is so manicured you could play a game of pool on it, and the thicket of trees makes it feel like you are wandering into an adventure. Explore further, and you will be rewarded with a lake inhabited by some dawdling ducks. Finding shade isn’t an issue as you are literally in a botanical garden, and with the day winning the weather lotto with a delicious 26 degrees, that is a godsend. The festival layout has had some changes over the years, and the last couple settled on the main stage facing the stately Werribee Mansion. This really is the move, and it opens a massive walkway which improves the flow of punters during the day. Exploring the festival to calibrate yourself is part of the fun, and the event’s eight-year run really shows as organisers utilise the massive space very efficiently. More importantly, the sound across the venue is crystal clear - and there is no sound bleed between the four stages. WIN.

Nintendo Time

This year the main stage (Bastille Stage) looked unreal. Falling in line with LTEC’s new digitally-inspired branding, it resembled a 3D installation of colourful cubes that felt like it was taken from a Nintendo game. And the sound emanating from the large Funktion-One’s were crystal clear. It was huge, and you could literally feel it.

The first international on the main stage was Berlin’s Cinthie, who started the day right with a sweet mix of sunshine house and bouncing funk. She even dusted off some under-appreciated classics like ‘Fly Away’ from Mysterious People, the bassline still filled with thick funk after twenty years. The Mousse T remix of Moloko classic ‘Sing It Back’ escalated things, Roisin Murphy’s vocals making light work of those still wondering which stage to join. All in all a delightful start to the day.

Bermuda Triangle

📸 Jackie Dixon: We have arrived in Bermuda….

The vibe-filled Bermuda stage was the place to be for a more intimate experience. With its local-heavy lineup, the area's piece de resistance was an old Ansett Australia plane cut up and divided into sections. Those sections were scattered all over and made up the DJ booth, a chill-out area and a bar. Also dispersed around the space was legit aeroplane seats, complete with safety belts, filled with punters who actually needed to come back down. Right in the middle of these sections were the bones of a hangar decorated with accoutrements that felt like it was made for an episode of Adventure Time. And the vibe was fan-fkg-tastic.

New kid on the block Marli showed why she is becoming more than just 'another name' on Melbourne's DJ scene. She kickstarted the day with a delicious selection of house that perfectly suited her timeslot, infusing every square inch of that dancefloor with beaming smiles. Later in the day, Glamorama host Bosco injected NOS into the crowd with cuts like Patrick Topping's 'Turbo Time'. Towards the end, Gold Haus residents Willem and Ricky Nord showed why they are at the forefront of a new generation of Melbourne DJs coming through, delivering deep, main room heaters to an appreciative crowd ready for nocturnal activities. (Nandu's 'Transitions' made for some highly expressive CHOON faces).

Local Aristocracy

Stage two’s Palace of Versailles sported an impressive and intricate wood design. As was the case with previous years, it was the place to be if you needed some reprieve from 4/4 kickdrums. Upon my arrival, new local Moondog looked the part, and her deep selection of introspective broken beats a precursor to what lay ahead. She cruised her way through unusual dubby cuts, standouts including Daisy Moon’s ‘Chambers’ and Klein Zage’s ‘She’s Out There’ (Local Artist Cult remix). Just like the handful of local punters who duly noted her name, you too should take note.

Following her was The Oddness who injected his live set with all sorts of fun midday sleaze. Following a rather productive 2019 remixing the likes of Satin Jackets, his LTEC call up was well deserved. In Melbourne we are blessed with some great talent, and The Oddness might just be one of the most underrated.

Harvey Sutherland was arguably the main drawcard on stage two. His chops as a live musician are well documented, and he did no harm to that reputation. Surrounded by a merry band of experienced musicians he won the crowd over with old fave ‘Coast 2 Coast’ and new fave ‘New Paradise’. Later that night, Madam X steamrolled through some heavy post-dubstep, and blistering techno, a fresh change of pace fro stage two. Please Madam, can we have some more - and very soon too, please.

All about the eighties

In years gone past, stage one and three fought it out for the day's best-on-ground vibe, and 2020 was another close call. (To be honest, this year the Bermuda stage edged both of them). Beatport darling S.A.M. endeared himself to an appreciative crowd who grew with every beat he dropped. You know a DJ had a good time when they roll out Christopher Cross' 'Ride Like The Wind'. Well, S.A.M. must've had a good time as he did just that. And what better track to follow with than one of 2019's most played records, his very own 'Fury's Laughter'. Fun times.

Tom Trago must've felt the vibe as he jumped straight on with a remix of an old Andy Gibb (he of Bee Gees fame) track called 'Desire'. This is where I forgot about reviewing and started enjoying the vibe. Sorry. The Rush Hour and Dekmantel regular was just that good, and he once again confirmed why he is so popular in Australia.

A Scotsman does a shoey

On the main stage, anticipation started to grow for Scotland's finest, Denis Sulta. Whatever you think about his music, there is no denying his personality. It's hella infectious. He danced, he screamed, he laughed, and halfway through he even applied a generous layer of suntan lotion to his shirtless Scottish winter skin. But if you really want to endear yourself to Australia millennials? Do a shoey. Which he did. (Quick question: what happens if you do a shoey from someone's shoe which has Athlete's Foot? Anyone?) But back to the music…

A Denis Sulta set can be a wild ride through dance music's forgotten gems (Mason's 'Exceeder' felt like it was a blast from a very distant past), but his technical prowess should really get more airtime. Don't judge the hype, he is the real deal. He can drop different tracks on a whim, making them fit like an expert Tetris player. The way he mixed Caesar's Palace's 'Jerk It Out' into Gala's 'Freed from Desire' to finish his set was a thing of beauty. With the crowd fully lathered, he set the scene for Honey Dijon.

Right on the Honey

You won't be out of line saying the American was one of 2019's biggest drawcards. And the crowd she drew at Cake backs that up. In fact, it was the biggest crowd I've ever seen assembled at the festival for one act, and she quickly wrangled the day's biggest cheers. Compared to some of her past sets, she started on a deeper note than expected. But the kicks were still as big as sledgehammers, and you could hear a collective 'WHOOOAAA' from the crowd with each drop. She quickly found her groove though, dropping classics like Donna Summer's 'I Feel Loved' and Martin Solveig's remix of Salif Keita's 'Madan'. Talking about technical ability, Honey Dijon can rumble with the best of them. With one CDJ completely dedicated to acapellas, she kept busy. You never really knew what was playing as the majority of the tracks were being mixed, or remixed, on the spot for something unique, never to be repeated again.

Spoiled for choice

For the final act of the day, it was a toss-up between Jon Hopkins and HAAi, and in the end, HAAi got my attention. I’ve been a huge fan since she started breaking through two years ago. Eschewing her tropical flavoured house beats, she climbed behind the decks with intent and played a blistering set of nu-techno that would make her BFF Daniel Avery proud. The dancefloor lapped it up too, and she quickly squeezed j’adoration from a crowd that seemed primed for techno. The ex-Sydney producer is quickly becoming one of our more popular musical exports, and if I have to choose between her or fossil fuels as our best-known export, I choose HAAi every time.

As the lights flooded over the mansion’s grounds, you could feel the satisfaction beaming from many punter’s dials. As the stately and almost surreal grounds of the mansion would suggest, the event once again managed to walk a fine line between escapism, professionalism and, of course, some well-needed hedonism. Starting a new decade only happens one of every ten years, so you have to make sure you choose the right celebration. And for the start of the ’20s, everyone attending LTEC knew they made the right decision. Here is to another 10 years of delicious cake. 🥂