A short drive from Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania's vibrant capital, lies Bánffy Castle, the captivating setting for one of Europe's most eclectic music festivals. Electric Castle, celebrating its tenth year, embraces a diverse sonic landscape, blending heavy metal and hip-hop with dancehall and drum and bass, prioritising energy and atmosphere over genre trends. Even with a handful of acts stranded due to a global internet outage, the festival delivered an electrifying lineup across ten stages, each bursting with talent.
Friday night saw the castle grounds pulsate with excitement, with Bring Me The Horizon, performing for the third time at Electric Castle, taking centre stage. The band seamlessly blended their original deathcore roots with their recent forays into pop-punk and electronica, creating an explosive spectacle enhanced by pyrotechnics and captivating video projections. From the opening chords of "DArkSide" to the final notes of their crowd-favourite "Throne," Bring Me The Horizon proved why they are at the pinnacle of their powers, electrifying the audience from start to finish.
Saturday's lunchtime witnessed a sudden lightning storm, but the captivating sounds of Khruangbin quickly dispersed the dark clouds. Their psychedelic guitar riffs and infectious Caribbean-funk basslines set the crowd in motion, transforming the atmosphere into a sun-drenched, smoke-filled Bristol nightclub. Later that evening, trip-hop legends Massive Attack, accompanied by a roster of special guests including the Mercury Award-winning prog-hip-hop trio Young Fathers, presented a captivating mix of their iconic hits. From the soaring melodies of "Unfinished Sympathy" to the haunting depths of "Karma Coma," their dark industrial sounds reverberated through the countryside, solidifying their legendary status.