Animal Crossing Presents Summer Of Love – An Interview with their Creative Director

Animal Crossing have a history of putting on the most incredible parties in the most unusual locations.Fusing music and arts to create bespoke environments, transforming everything from abandoned car showrooms, to railway arches with Summer Of Love being their biggest adventure to date. The two day music, arts and wellness festival will take place on 21st & 22nd of August 2021 within the grounds of an abandoned warehouse in the heart of Manchester City Centre. Dance Rebels also had a chance to have a chat with a member of the Animal Crossing crew, to talk all things ‘Summer Of Love’ too…

Hey, welcome to Dance Rebels, how are you? Please also introduce yourself; what’s your name, and what is your role @ Animal Crossing? Hey Dance Rebels! I’m Olli Ryder, creative director/co-founder/ booker and one of five members of the Animal Crossing Crew.

How did you become involved behind the scenes @ Animal Crossing? How long have you been working with the brand for? My involvement has been from inception, the brand came from an evening in the studio as the stars aligned and Animal Crossing was born! The brand was founded in 2018 and we’ve been creating adventures ever since.

On the 21st & 22nd of August, Animal Crossing is set to host the ‘Summer of Love’ festival, what makes this a unique event? I think there are a number of various elements that tie together to create a special kind of uniqueness surrounding the event. Musically, the people we showcasing are categorized as genuine artists. To take control of a room for 10 hours plus and have everyone on the dancefloor connected is a skill that not many have. You go to the theatre to watch a show, these guys provide that emotion with the music & selections that provide a similar type of feeling. It’s nothing short of magical. Creatively, we’ve really been able to spread our wings with the onsite look and feel, it will be a big ball of love from the moment you pass through the gates.  

We’re proud to be working alongside Smolensky Gallery who’ll be showcasing an abundance of local Manchester artists in forms of spoken word, poetry, live art and so much more. We back ourselves to find good sites, and I say with full confidence this is the most special to date, there is no question. It had to be. There is a certain weight and responsibility that comes with hosting a festival. You’ll walk through the roller shutter doors, into the Love Factory and that will be all you’ll need to get it. It’s a double double special gaff. to source a space situated a mere 5 minutes from Victoria Station, slap bang within the heart of Manchester City Centre is a rarity. The environment itself is taken from the 80’s, a disused print factory passes light through it’s gigantic atrium windows pulsate. Excitement levels are hight. Roll on the weekend…
 
Animal Crossing pride themselves on fusing music and art together too, how much planning and preparation does it take to conjure such a combination behind the scenes? There’s a whole lot that goes on behind the scenes, every minor detail of the experience is mapped out in advance. We like to create these environments where all people have to worry about is having a good time and enjoy the full peripheral aesthetic & dance to the music. To have this extra love and care for the party is what gives us that motivation to keep creating those wow moments in these magical spaces.

COVID-19 has affected everyone, especially the music industry, over the last 18 months we’ve been in lockdown sadly, what have you learnt during this period to aid with planning festivals post-COVID? As a crew, we’re always looking at the glass half full. The past year and a half pause has allowed us to stop, sit back, think and plan exactly where we want to be in the next 10 years. Without the break, there’s no way we would have had this time. We’re coming out of the back end with a club, a festival, and a desire burning stronger than ever before. Lifes all about perspective, it’s just how you want to view the world.

From the current line-up, which is stacked full of talent, if you could single-out 3 artists everyone should see spin, who would it be, and why? The full programme brings delights across the weekend. From our headliners, the mysterious RPR. These guys headlined Circoloco back in 2009, they’re a part of the original movement that has remained within the underground. They haven’t played in Manchester for over a decade, for anyone who doesn’t understand how much of a moment this is, all I can advise is to sit back and enjoy. The full musical and visual experience will blow you away for four hours straight. Shonky plays b2b with Traumer for the first time ever, Dyed is in the Love Factory, the RA+RE girls will have the place bouncing. The wizards Onur Ozer & Evan Baggs, Hamish & Toby, Truly Madly, It’s just a really really good weekend of music.

The festival is also going to be built on 3 stages, will these be themed, and what can attendees expect to see aesthetically, to compliment those A* choooowns being dropped in sets?! You’ll be living and breathing the love, from visuals, to set design & 360 graff. You’ll be welcomed to the Summer of Love.

Finally, if you could invite any DJ/performer that is not on the bill for Summer of Love, to perform a special set, who would it be, and why? For year one, we couldn’t have dreamed of a better selection of artists. Any other names, I guess you’ll just have to stay tuned for next years line-up ;)

For More Information/Tickets, Please Visit https://www.summeroflovefestival.uk/