Wild City’s Guide To Magnetic Fields 2015

15 December 2015

We’re itching with anticipation for the third edition of Magnetic Fields, which kicks off this Friday (18 December). Not only does this year see the most extensive musical lineup to date, it also features a host of other activities and things to do and see over three days. Our comprehensive guide to Magnetic Fields covers it all – right from the music at various stages to the food and all our interactive installations.

Before we move on, a little bit about how to prepare for the festival. Remember that Magnetic Fields lies in the middle of the desert – so while the winter mornings/afternoons are sunny and warm, the evenings are chilly, so make sure you’re suited accordingly. We suggest you carry good shoes, shawls and anything else to keep you toasty.

Of course, the music at the festival forms the axis around which the Magnetic Fields universe revolves. We’re very proud to be hosting stages and collaborating with some incredibly forward thinking music platforms including Border Movement, THUMP, Resident Advisor and of course, the Red Bull Music Academy.

THUMP joins forces with Border Movement this year for a rare showcase (and a bit of indulgent rivalry) between Bangalore’s Consolidate, featuring _RHL/(one half of) Sulk Station, with Karachi based collective Forever South, featuring TMPST and Rudoh. If we had to pick two cities in the subcontinent who are making truly exemplary music within the South Asian region, we’d probably pick these two. Make sure you’re present for this one.

This edition will also see the glorious unveiling of Alsisar’s sinister and positively evil (well, not really, but we’d like to think so) dungeons. Leading electronic music magazine and event portal Resident Advisor will be hosting their very own party within its dark confines with music by DJ and producer Soulspace and Boston based Soul Clap. Please feel free to make your own puns.

And then of course, there’s the magnificent RBMA North stage, which takes life after hours and includes DJ sets and performances by some of the best selectors and producers in the world (Hunee, Objekt and DJ Koze all made it to RA’s list of best DJs this year). We’ve got a more comprehensive guide here.

The international acts don’t end there – we’ve also got Shigeto (interviewed here), HVOB, Garden City Movement, Bass Sekolah, Palmistry and of course, the inimitable RATATAT.

We’ve also roped in some extremely talented Indian producers and DJs including The Sine Painter, Perfect Timing and Aqua Dominatrix at the RBMA stage, as well as other Indian influencers such as BLOT, Peter Cat Recording Co., Jitter, Donn Bhat, Nicholson and many more (full lineup here).

This year, of course, the Heineken Desert Oasis Disco will be livening up the tent area even more with its own stage!

But like any good festival, Magnetic Fields can’t just be about the music – it’s as much about the activities, people and overall experience that surround the sonic side of things. After all, it is a residential festival for most, so we’ve taken it upon ourselves to make sure you won’t be bored for a minute. With so much to see and do, we decided to chalk out everything happening in a little list:

Fodder

We’ve got wholesome, hearty and delicious fare to keep you fuelled through the desert’s cold nights. You can feast on everything from hot naan wraps and local Rajasthani cuisine (try the laal maas, you won’t regret it) to woodfired pizzas, waffles and desserts.

We also have a very special, exclusive chocolate tasting session (really), by the award winning Marou Faiseurs de Chocolat, who specialise in single-origin Vietnamese chocolate.

You can also take back some beautifully crafted Magnetic Fields inspired chocolate (we do like our candy) inspired by the 5 elements that theme this year’s festival. We have All Things to thank for that happy little addition.


Image credit: Nishant Shukla

Yoga

We’re bringing back yoga classes every morning for our more health conscious festival-goers with Namrata from Nikaya Yoga. Of course, the experience is only heightened when you’re in a 17th century Rajasthani palace away from the dust, pollution and noise of the city.

Mehndi

You can now get yourself henna’d at edition 3 of Magnetic Fields. We’ve roped in Toko Mehndi for some beautiful tribal inspired incredible henna tattoos at the festival. You really should have a look at their Instagram account to see the work, because it’s unlike any other henna art we’ve seen before.

Stargazing

One of the best parts about a festival that’s so far away from the city is the magical night sky glistening with stars. The inky desert sky isn’t a sight you get to see too often in the city, and we’re making the most of our stay by bringing back the stargazers. The team will be setting up comfy stations on the palace rooftops and informing you of the celestial happenings of the night.


Image credit: Nishant Shukla

The Souk

Magnetic Fields isn’t your ordinary old muddy festival where the only practical options for attire are gumboots paired with literally anything. If you look at some of people of the fields from last year, you’ll know that our fellow Bedouins revel at the opportunity to adorn themselves.

The Souk is our own little bazaar where you can pick up little knick-knacks, trinkets and keepsakes from the festival. We’re collaborating with Saloon Vintage this year for some beautiful clothes and we also have some fabulous Indian wear courtesy Tokree. Keep an eye out for updates on our glitter tea parties too.

This edition of Magnetic Fields will also include some limited edition exclusive merchandise like T-shirts and of course, our festival inspired backpacks courtesy Nappa Dori (grab them before they go here) and guide books.

Visuals

Not to sound boastful, but we think it’s safe to say that Magnetic Fields is among the prettier festivals out there (special shout out to WeThePpl for that).

The visuals at the stages will be run by Amandeep Pablay, VJ Zombie and Oblique, who were part of the Border Movement team that was responsible for last year's stunning ocular experience. This year will also see a very special visual and audio showcase by one of our favourite AV duos BLOT (Gaurav Malaker and Avinash Kumar) on Sunday.


Image credit: Nishant Shukla

Get A Tattoo

Delhi's Burrn'ink Studio, famous for their minimal and dot-work designs, will be setting up a tattoo studio at Magnetic Fields 2015! Make an appointment now if you’re interested at getting inked at the festival.

Welfare Area With TATVA

Round the clock festivals can get overwhelming for some. Magnetic Fields cares about the physical, as well as emotional safety of its patrons which is why we’ve joined forces with mental health awareness and emotional wellness experts TATVA for our first-ever dedicated welfare area - a safe and caring zone where there will always be a listening ear and a place to rest.

Nappa Dori Treasure Hunt

Last but not least, Magnetic Fields continues its treasure hunt tradition with Nappa Dori this year. Look out for little clues and secrets scattered in its texts and around the festival grounds. With a bit of thinking and some luck, you could unveil the lost treasure of the Mahal, and claim it for yourself (hint: Little Black Book Delhi are the keepers of the first key).

**Tickets for the festival are still available here on the website. Follow Magnetic Fields on Facebook for more information and join the event page for updates.**

Image credit (main and thumb): Meesha Holley

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