It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 Review

<p> </p><h3><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><b> EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  </b></span></h3><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Think In Electronic  | It's Personal Picnic Should Have Been Personal And Deep. Instead, It Was Divided And Interrupted.</span></h1><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;">Celebrating 15 years on paper, Johannesburg’s latest electronic outing had the artists, but somewhere between late gates, sound cuts, the rugby, and a crowd more interested in socialising than dancing, the music struggled to become the main event.</span></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFN8dj2XT0xZtarX2yP963bVyy0V53byP2HelJbWxBNrQd-dNmHy40fchrozHOcBUY33TPEJFn1bCKNIF3wRGdrVc46GB37zdS-Cyq6pcylM3fAWEbpwGOw9RypCrSWxp6gHQO1H4D9aF66cHqOB23Rk5g40rrHvVuzv_RF1F4qmPk11zr78RPLqI7TeP/s1440/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_REVIEW_2026.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 electronic music crowd." border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBFN8dj2XT0xZtarX2yP963bVyy0V53byP2HelJbWxBNrQd-dNmHy40fchrozHOcBUY33TPEJFn1bCKNIF3wRGdrVc46GB37zdS-Cyq6pcylM3fAWEbpwGOw9RypCrSWxp6gHQO1H4D9aF66cHqOB23Rk5g40rrHvVuzv_RF1F4qmPk11zr78RPLqI7TeP/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_REVIEW_2026.png" title="It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 electronic music crowd." /></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Oswald; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">There was a moment when <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2026/08/hvob-its-personal-picnic-johannesburg-2026.html" target="_blank">It’s Personal Picnic</a> looked like it might really live up to its name and to its </span><span data-index-in-node="104" data-path-to-node="11" style="font-family: times;">15th birthday milestone</span><span style="font-family: times;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: times;"><div style="text-align: justify;">The weather had threatened to kill it before it even started. Friday brought relentless rain and gale-force winds, while forecasts for Saturday were still throwing around rain and thunderstorms. The organisers went ahead anyway, setting up a stretch of covered tenting across the grounds. While the rain ultimately stayed away, the grey skies, freezing temperatures, and biting wind remained, leaving the cover feeling slightly small and token against the wide, exposed space.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">None of that seemed to matter much. People came, paying anywhere from R350 early-bird passes up to R650 for final-phase tickets (or close to R1,500 for a pair of GA entries).</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The lineup was strong enough to pull them in: <span data-index-in-node="46" data-path-to-node="14">Indigo</span>, <span data-index-in-node="54" data-path-to-node="14">Abby Nurock</span>, <span data-index-in-node="67" data-path-to-node="14">FKA Mash B2B Julian Gomes</span>, <span data-index-in-node="94" data-path-to-node="14">Shimza</span>, <span data-index-in-node="102" data-path-to-node="14">Ryan Murgatroyd</span>, <span data-index-in-node="119" data-path-to-node="14"><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2015/04/hvob-present-their-second-album-trialog.html" target="_blank">HVOB</a></span>, and <span data-index-in-node="129" data-path-to-node="14">Sona</span>, with the day beginning at midday and running through to the advertised 10:30pm finish.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ingredients were there. What wasn't always there was the connection.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCFeCdiOqc68GGfIq8B8yTY7Tx9mKoHa4wCh96w2PCG4Cov7mY4iLmskQdjCYv-jN48O8qkROlFWbRSTIDQp7Xmx69nlnFnEzhQJM6ngtgfaA5ehu9VVibWLCetFrfzhwn0-kBEkkBHKfw5YIpDF4qV7LNpYD1QQNF0Xp3civojvIlUVzI8bDx_TTj94Q/s3913/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Early afternoon atmosphere at It's Personal Picnic 2026" border="0" data-original-height="3913" data-original-width="2935" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGCFeCdiOqc68GGfIq8B8yTY7Tx9mKoHa4wCh96w2PCG4Cov7mY4iLmskQdjCYv-jN48O8qkROlFWbRSTIDQp7Xmx69nlnFnEzhQJM6ngtgfaA5ehu9VVibWLCetFrfzhwn0-kBEkkBHKfw5YIpDF4qV7LNpYD1QQNF0Xp3civojvIlUVzI8bDx_TTj94Q/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="Early afternoon atmosphere at It's Personal Picnic 2026" /></a></div><h3>THE FIRST SIGN WASN'T THE WEATHER</h3><div>The friction started at the gates. Despite doors scheduled for 12:00 PM, attendees took to Instagram complaining that by 12:30 PM, gates were still firmly locked out in the cold.</div><div><br /></div><div>By around 3:45 PM, the site was filling up ahead of Shimza's 4:30 PM slot. Arriving at this time, the layout was clear: the area directly in front of the stage had gathered a decent, tight crowd, but beyond that pocket, the rest of the venue felt surprisingly open and empty. It never quite built that dense, charged atmosphere you expect from an event celebrating 15 years in dance culture.</div><div><br /></div><div>Getting through security took about 20 minutes. The checks themselves were thorough, bags were fully opened, belongings pulled out and searched. But without dedicated lines for different search types, the flow choked.</div><div><br /></div><div>For those who made it in early enough to catch the tail end of FKA Mash B2B Julian Gomes, there was a glimpse of what the day could have been. Catching roughly 30 minutes of their back-to-back set, the music was absolute fire. Both artists stayed completely true to their distinct sonic identities, and the early crowd locked in front of the stage was visibly enjoying every minute of it. It proved that when the music got the focus, the event clicked.</div><div><br /></div><div>Once inside the broader site, though, a different question emerged: what exactly had everyone arrived for?</div><div><br /></div><div>Because as the day progressed, it became increasingly difficult to tell whether this was an electronic music crowd that happened to be socialising, or a social crowd with electronic music playing around it.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPwiaDlgggeBNNSN7des02_6TFWmNVTDUxK066Sut181JS5Z_c5uGSvEoAjDLvIXlLD4IhBP6ymRnvtJ1QIwYOs7Rm58D47RSC3fWPCw75kvpTl5ulhErln9AsjI-5ewMjBVU2QCaUavOEx-Dy0b0jGe9AQQBk-hGdnQHV-oOga7XDDtdRXrxQoxHQ8j7/s3544/FKAMASH_JULLIAN_GOMES_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="FKA Mash and Julian Gomes performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3544" data-original-width="2658" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPwiaDlgggeBNNSN7des02_6TFWmNVTDUxK066Sut181JS5Z_c5uGSvEoAjDLvIXlLD4IhBP6ymRnvtJ1QIwYOs7Rm58D47RSC3fWPCw75kvpTl5ulhErln9AsjI-5ewMjBVU2QCaUavOEx-Dy0b0jGe9AQQBk-hGdnQHV-oOga7XDDtdRXrxQoxHQ8j7/s1600-rw/FKAMASH_JULLIAN_GOMES_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="FKA Mash and Julian Gomes performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><h3>WHEN THE MUSIC STOPPED, EVERYONE NOTICED</h3><div>The sound system didn't exactly make things easier. Music cut out completely for several minutes at different points, while some changeovers came with long stretches of silence. The interruptions continued through the afternoon and right into the evening headline sets.</div><div><br /></div><div>When <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/11/lane-8-south-africa-debut-favorite.html" target="_blank">Ryan Murgatroyd</a> stepped up and kicked off his set, the technical issues struck immediately, a track got caught in an endless loop right out of the gate. As the technical crew stepped in to intervene, they seemed completely clueless as to what was causing the glitch, dragging out a grueling 10 to 15-minute struggle on stage just to get the system operational. The sheer frustration was visible on Murgatroyd's face before he could establish any rhythm. For an artist performing live, that's a particularly painful and awkward way to begin.</div><div><br /></div><div>But Ryan Murgatroyd recovered.</div><div><br /></div><div>In fact, his set became one of the strongest moments of the day. His live performance, track selection, and mixing felt considered and purposeful. There was real narrative and movement in the music, and for a while it felt like the kind of set that could pull the entire field into focus.</div><div><br /></div><div>The room just wasn't always willing to focus.</div></div><div><h3>SHIMZA HAD THE CROWD. THE MOMENT NEVER QUITE ARRIVED</h3><div>If there was one artist who clearly had the audience behind him, it was Shimza.</div><div><br /></div><div>His 4:30 PM slot drew one of the biggest crowds of the day, and the set had enough familiar material to give them plenty to work with. Embers with Camelphat and Julia Church appeared early. There was another familiar <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2014/10/3rd-remix-of-otto-knows-parachute-this.html" target="_blank">CamelPhat </a>track with Köyé, Yellowitz's Goddess, an edit of Biscits Bringing Me Down, and Shimza's own edit with Darque of <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2013/11/the-chainsmokers-own-night.html" target="_blank">The Chainsmokers</a> and Coldplay Something Just Like This.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then came the  Afrojack & Shimza vs Rüfüs Du Sol – Innerbloom vs Fire Fire Mashup. This was the crowning moment the audience had anticipated all night, marking the ultimate crescendo of his performance.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fire Fire got people moving. But this was where something felt slightly off.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3FNKLfkrDboKTNTRIpcEyzqFNuzc6FGylUFgMS96n4DXmbsf4nXhVVnWR3CxV9hhI1CtaC4XbeRIEi7AOIQNDOGP0Q1UA173gRZoCG9f8yKMoQIHGEox5vSWwKeVP-h-7ke65GVcU_DgvUQ7kNUjZ6Oc0Up5dNNwPJUmEhhWYZi6lhQSTqc9cXMJKXEu/s3096/SHIMZA_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Shimza performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3093" data-original-width="3096" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ3FNKLfkrDboKTNTRIpcEyzqFNuzc6FGylUFgMS96n4DXmbsf4nXhVVnWR3CxV9hhI1CtaC4XbeRIEi7AOIQNDOGP0Q1UA173gRZoCG9f8yKMoQIHGEox5vSWwKeVP-h-7ke65GVcU_DgvUQ7kNUjZ6Oc0Up5dNNwPJUmEhhWYZi6lhQSTqc9cXMJKXEu/s1600-rw/SHIMZA_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="Shimza performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><div><br /></div>For a track with that level of familiarity, the huge collective singalong never really arrived. There was energy, but not the kind of crowd response that takes a moment from being good to being unforgettable. At points, the ambient chatter of the crowd actually drowned out the lyrics, making it feel more like a background conversation than a shared peak moment</div><div><br /></div><div>And that became a pattern for the day: the ingredients for a moment were there, but the moment itself kept slipping away.</div><div><br /></div><div>The sound cutting out during peak sections certainly didn't help Shimza. But it would be too convenient to blame the equipment for a set that, compared with the peak-time performances he has delivered elsewhere, felt surprisingly restrained.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, when Shimza finished, people left. A noticeable portion of the crowd simply disappeared.</div><div><br /></div><div>The frustration around the running order was already visible online when the set times were announced on prior to the event. One attendee commented: “What is this even? How can you put Shimza on at 16:30 but you give the main set times to someone no one has ever heard of and the last set to Black Coffee's son...this is why people want the set times before buying tickets.”</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a blunt assessment, and a wildly uninformed one, Ryan Murgatroyd is a foundational name in South African electronic music (having previously dominated as one half of <a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2013/10/crazy-white-boy-ghettotech.html" target="_blank">Crazy White Boy</a>), while HVOB were the international headliners. But the comment exposed a massive disconnect between the lineup as programmed and the lineup as understood by a section of the crowd.</div><div><br /></div><div>Another attendee told us directly on the day that they were “just there for the vibes” and had only come to see Shimza.</div><div><br /></div><div>Taken alongside the crowd that arrived specifically around Shimza's set and the sudden drop-off once he finished, it was difficult to ignore the feeling that a sizeable part of the audience had come for a general social outing with the music being purely secondary.</div><h3>RYAN MURGATROYD DESERVED A ROOM THAT WAS LISTENING</h3><div>Ryan Murgatroyd's set deserved far more attention than it got. After surviving the 10–15 minute ordeal of a looping track and a seemingly clueless tech team, he found his footing and delivered a set that understood exactly how to build a journey.</div><div><br /></div><div>But around him, attention was constantly being divided.</div><div><br /></div><div>People were talking, moving constantly between the bar and food areas, or congregating around the large rugby screen positioned toward the back of the site, which broadcast the match right through Murgatroyd's set. People left the dancefloor, wandered back, and drifted off again. The music was forced to compete for attention in a place where it should have been the sole reason everyone was there.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggg92mDI2lFJVrMX58O9ineqm4dQx9f3wZ2BOf9FlDphu4S7DP2LpqQR5fX3ctYKBACxiiHQFSi9XT0i2NC8_88IK-zlnG9t8EwDwxNT7mvHye-xpxmcSAvULZvPMTDLqsxa9Gm8d4P6_r1LocmjvuFOc6_xjUXJReDgolLFctaSGEmZoydiFQlzNxw_-/s3666/RYAN_MURGATROYD_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Ryan Murgatroyd performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3666" data-original-width="2750" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhggg92mDI2lFJVrMX58O9ineqm4dQx9f3wZ2BOf9FlDphu4S7DP2LpqQR5fX3ctYKBACxiiHQFSi9XT0i2NC8_88IK-zlnG9t8EwDwxNT7mvHye-xpxmcSAvULZvPMTDLqsxa9Gm8d4P6_r1LocmjvuFOc6_xjUXJReDgolLFctaSGEmZoydiFQlzNxw_-/s1600-rw/RYAN_MURGATROYD_ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_2026.jpg" title="Ryan Murgatroyd performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><div></div><h3>HVOB WERE GOOD. THE CROWD WAS THE DISTRACTION</h3><div>Then came HVOB.</div><div><br /></div><div>The international headline act didn't suddenly become a different band because they were in Johannesburg. They brought the exact same atmospheric, hypnotic live quality that has made their show work globally.</div><div><br /></div><div>The set included Cool Melt, The Last Song Written, Let's Keep This Quiet, Panama, Dogs, and Clap Eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Having caught HVOB three times previously in Beijing (including their November 2025 show), the familiarity was noticeable. Several tracks appeared again, and the overall set felt close to what they delivered on tour. That isn't a criticism, touring live acts have a precise show, and HVOB delivered theirs cleanly.</div><div><br /></div><div>The problem was the physical chaos happening all around them.</div><div><br /></div><div></div><div>During some of the set's most subtle, delicate moments, you couldn't get through a single track without someone walking directly in front of you. Tall people stood right in your line of sight, blocking the stage entirely. Friends pulled each other backward through the crowd, bumping into anyone trying to listen. Phones were held up everywhere.</div><div><br /></div><div>Groups stood in tight circles with their backs completely turned to the stage, drinking, smoking, vaping, chatting, and taking selfies while entirely ignoring the music. You had to physically shift locations just to try and hold onto the set's momentum.</div><div><br /></div><div>And there was very little actual dancing. There was movement, people shifting around, drinking, vaping, smoking, and chatting, but very few people looked absorbed in what was happening on stage.</div><div><br /></div><div>The front-of-house sound had also become heavily bass-driven by this point, making HVOB's delicate live vocals difficult to hear. It's an issue noticeable at their last Beijing show as well, but for an act whose atmosphere relies heavily on vocal presence, it further eroded the experience.</div><div><br /></div><div>HVOB were doing what HVOB do. The room just wasn't listening.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXEzFoOwG27BsMZjo4uZRbrlmz_T0i6jgMPmPRHJbCtr4GlJPT2gn291i_vv1TE7amWWIJCjPWu2Cl7ygbXivri8BlEWkgZ1n1C1efmfcPOPIGL9c_JJMf2lUdBvVvREdI6V7OT9BYGw9UnxzST_r_EWdLBywk2Jy5WLMAWRsKYI-cIQendUKadiJt_WZ/s3362/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_HVOB_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="HVOB performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="3362" data-original-width="2522" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXEzFoOwG27BsMZjo4uZRbrlmz_T0i6jgMPmPRHJbCtr4GlJPT2gn291i_vv1TE7amWWIJCjPWu2Cl7ygbXivri8BlEWkgZ1n1C1efmfcPOPIGL9c_JJMf2lUdBvVvREdI6V7OT9BYGw9UnxzST_r_EWdLBywk2Jy5WLMAWRsKYI-cIQendUKadiJt_WZ/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_HVOB_2026.jpg" title="HVOB performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><h3>BY SONA, THE DAY HAD LOST A LOT OF ITS CROWD</h3><div>Sona came on at 9:00 PM, but by then It’s Personal Picnic felt like a completely different event.</div><div><br /></div><div>The crowd had thinned considerably after HVOB, and more people continued to leave during Sona's set. Musically, Sona took things in a heavier, darker, techno-leaning direction than what had come before.</div><div><br /></div><div>For the people still on the field, it was a definite gear shift, but it didn't pull the crowd back in. Leaving the venue, one attendee told us directly that he felt the event wasn't all that great, explaining that the sounds felt repetitively similar and that he needed far more vocal hooks and lyrics to actually get into it. Sona also played Talk to Me, a massive track across Instagram, but it failed to trigger the kind of recognition that might have anchored the remaining crowd.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was an opportunity to give the remaining audience an iconic final moment. Instead, the floor kept clearing.</div><div><br /></div><div>Then, at 10:00 PM, it ended.</div><div><br /></div><div>The advertised finish was 10:30 PM. Sona had played for just an hour, while earlier DJs had been given 90-minute slots.</div><div><br /></div><div>There was no final release, no crescendo, no nod to 15 years of history. Just a sudden cut of sound, a field already half-abandoned, and a crowd left to drift out in the dark.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVF6PQtB-rZdI5sNL4vhrkzbhnxDjnyRNUaFRZ74ovfjMsVkBhiUTqw8loycN6Mv3pyZN-wmPvf7StkNYRANBdJr0MS-Zu5GB7Etn931sm4ZUOE3eP7y6wBi_0dMQSxLaiZZw3qlpI4JHriWCgaZxM2dCdFxt5VA62MN5tn_DaacSDCMr7Q0e7VOXjZgxp/s2901/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_SONA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Sono performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="2901" data-original-width="2481" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVF6PQtB-rZdI5sNL4vhrkzbhnxDjnyRNUaFRZ74ovfjMsVkBhiUTqw8loycN6Mv3pyZN-wmPvf7StkNYRANBdJr0MS-Zu5GB7Etn931sm4ZUOE3eP7y6wBi_0dMQSxLaiZZw3qlpI4JHriWCgaZxM2dCdFxt5VA62MN5tn_DaacSDCMr7Q0e7VOXjZgxp/s1600-rw/ITS_PERSONAL_PICNIC_SONA.jpg" title="Sono performing at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div><div></div><h3>SO WHAT WAS IT’S PERSONAL PICNIC ACTUALLY MISSING?</h3><div>Not the artists. Not the track selection. Not even the potential of the venue.</div><div><br /></div><div>What was missing was cohesion.</div><div><br /></div><div>The strongest parts of It’s Personal Picnic existed in isolation. FKA Mash B2B Julian Gomes delivered a sharp early set to a small crowd; Shimza drew the biggest turnout and played great records, but couldn't turn it into a shared moment; Ryan Murgatroyd delivered a brilliant live performance to a distracted field; and HVOB gave their fans a refined live show while much of the crowd stood with their backs turned, drinking, vaping, and watching the rugby screen.</div><div><br /></div><div>By the time Sona came on, the site was winding down. The sound dropouts kept interrupting the flow, and the dancefloor functioned more like a social lounge than the focal point of an electronic music gathering.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>There were enough standout moments to prove why It’s Personal Picnic has reached 15 years. The frustration was that those moments never locked together into one convincing, collective experience.</div><div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFHyTL-sTDuAvrFeFIBLDIEofkhfP2dEVtqJI9cckrr8dVz8Esfm2zenxQWYUQ3htUT0dTUm55SHelsOO12rBtGrbFSrjv4hlubyL60XCnyi3A5el1pfqFPCeuumGUGHbLF-fRTPqD4e5iQiZVdHJt-z4m2go2WthgOJgu_V7HqE9t3SZuaXbJYunNwSN/s2989/HVOB_JOHANNESBURG_2026.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Crowd watching HVOB perform at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." border="0" data-original-height="2989" data-original-width="2242" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigFHyTL-sTDuAvrFeFIBLDIEofkhfP2dEVtqJI9cckrr8dVz8Esfm2zenxQWYUQ3htUT0dTUm55SHelsOO12rBtGrbFSrjv4hlubyL60XCnyi3A5el1pfqFPCeuumGUGHbLF-fRTPqD4e5iQiZVdHJt-z4m2go2WthgOJgu_V7HqE9t3SZuaXbJYunNwSN/s1600-rw/HVOB_JOHANNESBURG_2026.jpg" title="Crowd watching HVOB perform at It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026." /></a></div></div><br /><div></div><h3>THE BOTTOM LINE</h3><div>It’s Personal Picnic should have been personal and deep. Instead, it was divided and interrupted.</div><div><br /></div><div>The artists were there. The setting was there. The audience was there. But an electronic music event lives or dies on what happens when all three lock together. At It’s Personal Picnic 2026, they kept missing each other entirely.</div><div><br /></div><div>The music deserved a room that was ready to listen. The room never quite got there.</div><br /></div></div></span></div><response-element class="no-md" ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" style="font-family: Oswald; font-size: x-large;"><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----><!----><code-block _nghost-ng-c2071998203="" class="ng-tns-c2071998203-44 enable-luminous-code-block ng-star-inserted"><!----><!----><div _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="code-block ng-tns-c2071998203-44 ng-animate-disabled ng-trigger ng-trigger-codeBlockRevealAnimation" data-hveid="0" data-ved="0CAAQhtANahgKEwio2I2q896WAxUAAAAAHQAAAAAQigE" decode-data-ved="1" jslog="223238;track:impression,attention;BardVeMetadataKey:W1sicl8yNDFjZWM2NjA4ZjA0MDNhIiwiY184ZmQ3YjI1MWEzMDc4ODNkIixudWxsLCJyY19jOTdjZjQ5NDA2OGIzMDAwIixudWxsLG51bGwsImVuIixudWxsLDEsbnVsbCxudWxsLDEsMF1d"><!----><div _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="formatted-code-block-internal-container ng-tns-c2071998203-44"><div _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="animated-opacity ng-tns-c2071998203-44"><!----><pre _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="ng-tns-c2071998203-44"><code _ngcontent-ng-c2071998203="" class="code-container formatted ng-tns-c2071998203-44 no-decoration-radius" data-test-id="code-content" role="text"></code></pre></div></div></div></code-block></response-element></span></div>

It’s Personal Picnic Johannesburg 2026 Review

   EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC   Think In Electronic  | It's Personal Picnic Should Have Been Personal And Deep. Instead, It Was ...

Bonobo’s China Debut Was More Than Just a DJ Set

<p> </p><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b> EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC </b></span></h3><h1><span style="color: #ff0072; font-size: large;">Bonobo’s Shanghai Debut Proved Crowd Energy Still Defines the Atmosphere</span></h1><h2><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>An intimate and emotionally immersive night where the audience shaped the atmosphere as much as the music itself.</i></span></h2><div><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoL2pDxsjlONYTd_PUZsQtaGqINChtQbBMCcBXH2U7WRc5YdCePRB0_s7lVYYoIgqg1TG2JqC8G22fWH2BmR8grIrzvUUKphfdJeL7-tAaPQ_wBCXakLM-p1yOGqYPaCrFUc-sY8Xqnj4JeXSxh6DHYqWVbTdujJxQ_miCVcho93WO7kh0B0FRU5-eMLt/s1440/Bonobo_debut_Shanghai_2026_review_think_in_electronic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bonobo performing live during his Shanghai debut in China" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLoL2pDxsjlONYTd_PUZsQtaGqINChtQbBMCcBXH2U7WRc5YdCePRB0_s7lVYYoIgqg1TG2JqC8G22fWH2BmR8grIrzvUUKphfdJeL7-tAaPQ_wBCXakLM-p1yOGqYPaCrFUc-sY8Xqnj4JeXSxh6DHYqWVbTdujJxQ_miCVcho93WO7kh0B0FRU5-eMLt/s16000-rw/Bonobo_debut_Shanghai_2026_review_think_in_electronic.png"></a></div><i><br></i></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><span></span></span></div>

Bonobo’s China Debut Was More Than Just a DJ Set

   EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  Bonobo’s Shanghai Debut Proved Crowd Energy Still Defines the Atmosphere An intimate and emotionally ...

Anyma ÆDEN Shanghai : When the Screen Becomes the Show

<h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b> EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC </b></span></h3><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-size: large;">Anyma Presents ÆDEN Shanghai 2026 Debut Was Built For Spectacle, But The Crowd Treated It Like Content | Think In Electronic Review</span></h1><h2><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>A visual masterpiece undermined by endless phone screens and indifferent energy </i></span></span></h2><div><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28fi1FcaQPnSBw5lcUSfgogZ94k9wdEs5R04GYYouH_lbZJ2TIGIp-vpe-jihxvFrTY5t44GYNwvf5ZxOSO24pkfBGPwR00nmzp49OBnpErJH8eEPK_nuwCZVJl9CG8FdiJAOA8WZykyV8zBoAnFkQV8VepllA-mEALm8mIUq-GEqm4ZwCIQOTGXj2rUC/s1440/Anyma_presents_%C3%86den_Shanghai_2026_review_think_in_electronic.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Anyma performing at ÆDEN Shanghai with crowd filming on phones" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28fi1FcaQPnSBw5lcUSfgogZ94k9wdEs5R04GYYouH_lbZJ2TIGIp-vpe-jihxvFrTY5t44GYNwvf5ZxOSO24pkfBGPwR00nmzp49OBnpErJH8eEPK_nuwCZVJl9CG8FdiJAOA8WZykyV8zBoAnFkQV8VepllA-mEALm8mIUq-GEqm4ZwCIQOTGXj2rUC/s16000-rw/Anyma_presents_%C3%86den_Shanghai_2026_review_think_in_electronic.png" /></a></div><br /><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Anyma</b> has been on our radar for years. Long before the <b>Sphere</b> and long before <b>ÆDEN</b>, there was<a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2015/02/toy-toy-bridges-for-music-presents-tale.html" target="_blank"><b> Tale of U</b>s</a> in 2015, a formative set that landed at a time when techno still felt far from the mainstream and every detail of the night from the energy, to the room, and the crowd, made it unforgettable. Since then, Anyma has continued to push the project outward, from <i>Save Me </i>with <b>Cassian</b>, which was once our most-played track of the year, to the boundary-breaking 3D visuals and immersive storytelling that have helped define his rise. By the time<b> ÆDEN</b> was announced in Shanghai, it felt like a show we couldn't miss, especially after missing Anyma's Genesys debut at VAC in China back in 2024.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">There was always going to be anticipation around<b> Anyma's ÆDEN </b>Shanghai debut. As the first presentation of his new audiovisual production in the city, the show arrived with a level of expectation that had already been built long before the doors opened.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">That history matters, because <b>Anyma's</b> evolution into a fully visual live act has made his work as much about image as sound. By the time <b>ÆDEN </b>reached Shanghai, much of its identity had already been formed online through clips, teasers, and footage from earlier appearances. In that sense, the show did not arrive as a mystery. It arrived as something many in the crowd already knew how it was supposed to look.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: times;"><i></i></span></b></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-family: Oswald;"> "The problem was that the live setting never fully caught up with the digital version of  itself."  </span></i></b></div></blockquote><p style="color: #444444;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4NQXx3XNmnZ0NJ00DYE2KF_YYXDQqkeiOuwgLipJUcp-Kwe6V2yKhOM_AVWi43mNZ38Xo7Ol-45vdr77UUdNJjGigokdXkACptSQ5qxiLZfbZGCMQzi6h8itK2KEsj8EicbkpIvcumjpLFHTqOb96W5y2nFpwZyLzk4MLnzBtZRU3D-x6vx6PzCxOAVv/s2564/Anyma_%C3%86DEN_SHANGHAI_2026_CROWD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img alt="Anyma Playing in Shanghai 2026 ÆDEN debut show crowd shot" border="0" data-original-height="1923" data-original-width="2564" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4NQXx3XNmnZ0NJ00DYE2KF_YYXDQqkeiOuwgLipJUcp-Kwe6V2yKhOM_AVWi43mNZ38Xo7Ol-45vdr77UUdNJjGigokdXkACptSQ5qxiLZfbZGCMQzi6h8itK2KEsj8EicbkpIvcumjpLFHTqOb96W5y2nFpwZyLzk4MLnzBtZRU3D-x6vx6PzCxOAVv/s16000-rw/Anyma_%C3%86DEN_SHANGHAI_2026_CROWD.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Getting into the venue set the tone. The walk from entrance to security, and then onward to the main arena, was unusually long, while the site itself was arranged across broad, segmented zones that stretched far back from the stage. Despite reports of a sold-out crowd, the ground never felt full. Instead of one concentrated audience, the event seemed to dissolve into pockets of space.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">The staging did little to resolve that. The visual box sat between sections, speaker towers obstructed portions of the view, and the screen, the central object of the entire concept, did not always command the room in the way it should have. For a show positioned as an immersive visual experience, sightlines mattered, and in several parts of the venue they were compromised.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">The atmosphere also felt misaligned with the scale of the production. With no alcohol sales, children present, and groups spread out on the lawn eating and socialising, parts of the evening felt closer to a daytime picnic than a club-adjacent music event. Phones were out early, and not simply as a way of documenting the music. The attention in the room was already shifting away from the stage.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2014/11/review-balance-presents-kolsch.html"><b>Kölsch</b> </a>opened with a set that included <b><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2016/01/time-to-breathe-with-eric-prydz-and-rob.html" target="_blank">Eric Prydz's</a></b> <i>Pjanoo</i> alongside his own material such as Let Me <i>Show You, Camisra, Kinema, Moments, Grey,</i> and his remix of <b><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2014/04/london-grammar-hey-now-sasha-remix.html" target="_blank">London Grammar's</a></b> <i>Hell to the Liars.</i> Even with records that are widely known and usually capable of cutting through, the response stayed muted. The crowd appeared largely disengaged, standing around rather than building momentum with the music. It was not a hostile reaction so much as an indifferent one, which in a setting like this can be even more difficult to overcome.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">By the time <b>Ben Böhmer</b> took over, the venue had filled out a little more. His live set brought a different kind of emotional texture, opening with <i>Beyond Belief</i> and moving through his track with <b>Malou</b> and <b>Nils Hoffmann</b>, <i>Breathing</i>, alongside<i> The Space In Between, Wall of Strings</i>, and <i>Evermore</i>. Even with a more emotional arc, the set lost some of its impact as attention remained fractured. Ben also finished around 10 minutes earlier than scheduled, which made the momentum feel slightly cut short just as the room was beginning to settle into his performance. People filmed themselves, watched through their screens, or shifted focus away from the music entirely. The result was a set that had real beauty in it, but not enough collective attention to let that beauty land with full force.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Prospa</b> brought the most direct dancefloor energy of the night, leaning into a firmer selection that included <i>Free Your Mind, Love Songs,</i> their brand new release today with <b>Murda Beatz</b> <i>Baby</i>, a new ID with <b>Kettama</b>, <i>Think Of You</i>, and another unreleased track said to be linked with <b>Max Dean</b>, <i>Innocence</i>. Their set lifted the tempo and triggered brief pockets of movement, but even then the response was isolated. The wider crowd stayed comparatively static, reinforcing the sense that the event was being observed more than lived.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">By the time <b>Anyma</b> came on, the weather had shifted again. The drizzle became more noticeable, and smoke hung in the air, thickening the atmosphere just as the headline set was about to begin. <b>Anyma</b> also started about 15 minutes later than scheduled, which stretched the anticipation even further. It should have been the moment when the room finally locked into place.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Instead, it confirmed the night's central tension.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">Phones rose across the crowd almost immediately and stayed there for the duration of the set. Screens blocked already limited sightlines, and at least one attendee in front of the stage area kept a GoPro mounted on a stick in the air for long stretches. The result was a live environment that increasingly resembled a recording session. </span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><span><blockquote><b style="background-color: #ff0072;"><span style="color: white; font-family: Oswald;">" The show was no longer being experienced as a collective moment, but as a series of  individual  attempts to capture proof of being there."  </span></b></blockquote><p style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"> </p></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEIwAZe_Px5FNbOVuiHf-ZzEO52v7hMyjhyphenhyphennIuAfBmFd7K3zVAYPZEvcBO69RXwBq20Jrnnv1FntadkWMZRTXNWWBh7FhX87PvhwnIRmZAHZeiVTNIexRWi2WtwqeNJynYfBeUb9bTcW0aoH-u6U3fWGcqGgH21gkEPljVKcro-Co8fE6TeByXinsO1wI/s3666/anyma_%C3%86DEN_SHANGHAI_2026_STAGE.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img alt="Anyma ÆDEN Shanghai 2026 stage set up and visuals" border="0" data-original-height="3666" data-original-width="2750" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpEIwAZe_Px5FNbOVuiHf-ZzEO52v7hMyjhyphenhyphennIuAfBmFd7K3zVAYPZEvcBO69RXwBq20Jrnnv1FntadkWMZRTXNWWBh7FhX87PvhwnIRmZAHZeiVTNIexRWi2WtwqeNJynYfBeUb9bTcW0aoH-u6U3fWGcqGgH21gkEPljVKcro-Co8fE6TeByXinsO1wI/s16000-rw/anyma_%C3%86DEN_SHANGHAI_2026_STAGE.JPG" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">The setlist itself showed plenty of intent. It moved through new and unreleased material, some of which had already been debuted at <b>Coachella</b>, with tracks like <i>Aden</i>, <i>Ritual, Atoma, Prophecy, Carrier Of Souls, Voices In My Head,</i> and<i> Desire</i> shaping the arc. The visuals matched the songs in tone and scale, but they never fully fused into one cohesive story.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">That was the real issue. The production had vision, but not enough narrative continuity to hold the room. The visuals were strong on a scene-by-scene basis, but the emotional line between them never quite locked in. Musically, the set held together, though not always with the flow it needed, and the absence of <i>Save Me</i> was noticeable given the track's significance within <b>Anyma's</b> wider catalogue.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><div><span style="font-family: times;"><b>Anyma</b> also leaned on fan favourites like <i>Hypnotized</i> with <b><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2014/05/seven-lions-dont-leave-ft-ellie-goulding.html" target="_blank">Ellie Goulding</a></b>, <i>Bad Angel </i>with<b> LISA</b> (the track most of the crowd actually recognized), </span><span style="font-family: times;">and </span><i style="font-family: times;">Consciousness.</i><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><i style="font-family: times;">Destination</i><span style="font-family: times;"> with </span><b style="font-family: times;">Becky Hill </b><span style="font-family: times;">where the visuals created a beautiful, memorable scene captivated the audience</span><i style="font-family: times;">,</i><span style="font-family: times;"> alongside the unreleased </span><b style="font-family: times;">Swae Lee </b><span style="font-family: times;">collab </span><i style="font-family: times;">Phenomenal</i><span style="font-family: times;">. These should have landed with real force. Instead, even those moments felt muted in the room, interrupted by distorted views and constant phone screens. The closing stretch delivered an epic ending with </span><i style="font-family: times;">Beautiful</i><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><b style="font-family: times;">(Anyma & Joji)</b><span style="font-family: times;">a genuinely powerful finale, but </span><i style="font-family: times;">Midnight City</i><span style="font-family: times;"> beforehand fell flat, landing with less impact than the record would normally command.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #444444; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53eoutmL1gEDHPpOpXm6ujZkQM1n6U4hHHhEz-ZCCZtfSVCPOyb4tMCFc_-4KCpY7a_pEYUWoBHmRy1zek1IPpDS8rp_elJMuc1tJT4n6Hm6dyygsHKLUhozuXUIc2kdbsvT9lMFtEqWxf5VIHq9qRRUkRAvF9RFdSKXxTiZJgdjB8aFfnwRGQAOpA-2U/s2257/ANYMA_%C3%86DEN_SHANGHAI_2026_REVIEW_CROWD.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: times;"><img alt="anyma presents Æden Shanghai crowd with phones" border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="2257" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi53eoutmL1gEDHPpOpXm6ujZkQM1n6U4hHHhEz-ZCCZtfSVCPOyb4tMCFc_-4KCpY7a_pEYUWoBHmRy1zek1IPpDS8rp_elJMuc1tJT4n6Hm6dyygsHKLUhozuXUIc2kdbsvT9lMFtEqWxf5VIHq9qRRUkRAvF9RFdSKXxTiZJgdjB8aFfnwRGQAOpA-2U/s16000-rw/ANYMA_%C3%86DEN_SHANGHAI_2026_REVIEW_CROWD.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: times;"><br /></span><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">What lingered most from the night was not the spectacle itself, but the way it was received. <b>ÆDEN</b> <b>Shanghai</b> was designed as an immersive experience, yet much of the audience seemed more interested in documenting it than inhabiting it. The performance existed in front of them, but for many, the primary version of it was the one being assembled on their screens.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">That is where the show felt most diminished. Not in the quality of the music or the production, but in the way the crowd absorbed it. In a room full of phones, the live moment struggled to stay intact.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b>ÆDEN Shanghai</b> had the scale, the lineup, and the visual ambition to make a strong statement. But for all its technical polish, the experience never fully translated into something felt in the room.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">It looked impressive.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">It felt less alive than it should have.</span></div><div style="color: #444444; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div></span></span></div>

Anyma ÆDEN Shanghai : When the Screen Becomes the Show

 EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  Anyma Presents ÆDEN Shanghai 2026 Debut Was Built For Spectacle, But The Crowd Treated It Like Content ...

Keinemusik in Hong Kong: When the Crowd Shapes the Journey

<div><h3 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-size: x-large;"><b> EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC </b></span></h3><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff0072; font-size: large;">Keinemusik Hong Kong 2026: Afro House Elevated, Crowd Energy Tested | Think In Electronic Review</span></h1><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><i>A long-awaited Afro house moment at AXA Wonderland that never fully reached its potential</i></span></h2><h2 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJfBne4d3hzuDvkGNNcLDe36oEuLNb2xHGy6g_fPxBSNhRuvK5qtncGBxlnDjaZEm-oZNAuCDyzmIgEqSEG59MDtNFZsHFzvC25f7-7R9NJoUooi49Xiz1L1eXDvWbbIaw3O-IiwWMyKygHfvRZzdj5Lj59W7FeJuqtR34gq08HA1NrKIzmXHbaLIugbp/s1440/keinemusik-hong-kong-axa-wonderland-stage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt=""Keinemusik performing at AXA Wonderland Hong Kong with Sky100 backdrop" border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPJfBne4d3hzuDvkGNNcLDe36oEuLNb2xHGy6g_fPxBSNhRuvK5qtncGBxlnDjaZEm-oZNAuCDyzmIgEqSEG59MDtNFZsHFzvC25f7-7R9NJoUooi49Xiz1L1eXDvWbbIaw3O-IiwWMyKygHfvRZzdj5Lj59W7FeJuqtR34gq08HA1NrKIzmXHbaLIugbp/s16000-rw/keinemusik-hong-kong-axa-wonderland-stage.png" title="Keinemusik Hong Kong AXA Wonderland" /></a></h2></div><p><b><i><span style="background-color: #ff0072;"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"><br />“Afro house thrives on shared presence—when that loop breaks, the rhythm falters.”</span></span><span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></i></b></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: times;">When<b><i> Keinemusik</i></b> touched down in South Africa in November 2025, it felt like a cultural homecoming—a defining Afro house moment that rippled far beyond the dancefloor. But for us, it was also a story of split worlds. One of us was in Asia, too far to attend. The other was in South Africa that same weekend, witnessing <i><a href="https://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2025/10/lane-8-is-redefining-deep-house.html">Lane 8’s</a> </i>long-anticipated debut. Two monumental nights unfolding in parallel, each pulling in its own direction.<br /><br />Afro house, where we’re from, isn’t just sound. It’s rhythm, identity, and exchange—a dialogue between DJ and crowd that transcends geography.<br /><br />So when Keinemusik announced their Hong Kong date five months later, it felt like a second chance.<br /><br /> Set against the Hong Kong skyline, with the <i>Sky100 Hong Kong </i> rising in the background, AXA Wonderland had all the ingredients for something special. The stage leaned into local identity—a peace-sign structure illuminated with nods to the Qingming Festival.<br /><br />Visually striking, the setup worked—but not completely.<br /><br />Keinemusik’s shows often unfold through their <i>“Kloud”</i> aesthetic, where production frames the narrative of the night. Here, that layer felt stripped back, leaving an open-air event that looked premium but lacked the atmospheric depth of their signature worlds—especially when compared to landmark sets like the Keinemusik Giza set.<br /><br />Rain delayed the start, trimming what was meant to be a four-hour journey into a shorter window. <i>&ME, Rampa, and Adam Port</i> took over around 6:25 PM and ran through until 10.<br /><br />The set opened with an iconic unreleased ID, known to fans only through its lyrics, immediately setting the tone for the night. From there, the trio moved through a carefully balanced mix of familiar cuts, deeper selections, and unexpected turns.<br /><br />Technically, it was immaculate—clean transitions, rich layering, and that unmistakable Keinemusik polish. Yet despite its precision, the set felt compressed. Rather than fully leaning into their deeper, hypnotic terrain, it often sat closer to the accessible end of their catalogue.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVS_ZrbgMJnW3qdvjKHXobp74teXdt7AjjVb30W3y8qgnsLre9PzKDDpNmJ7c1iZ1SmseyFzL2XDmUIzqM76TlsUa4fq_-LieG4oQVzzEuz5L8mxgBnCls1DYvWXWh2WVRRE6SGbYp02-7PdFi4vGaIZv-n9XwYtnZVDLCTK1CEcKMUVn_cHVX5R8BbJ2f/s5267/keinemusik-hong-kong-sky100-backdrop.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Keinemusik afro house in Hong Kong AXA Wonderland" border="0" data-original-height="5267" data-original-width="3873" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVS_ZrbgMJnW3qdvjKHXobp74teXdt7AjjVb30W3y8qgnsLre9PzKDDpNmJ7c1iZ1SmseyFzL2XDmUIzqM76TlsUa4fq_-LieG4oQVzzEuz5L8mxgBnCls1DYvWXWh2WVRRE6SGbYp02-7PdFi4vGaIZv-n9XwYtnZVDLCTK1CEcKMUVn_cHVX5R8BbJ2f/s16000-rw/keinemusik-hong-kong-sky100-backdrop.JPG" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #ff0072;"><span style="color: white; font-size: medium;"> “It felt less like a journey—and more like a condensed version of one.” </span><br /></span></i></b><br /><span style="font-family: times;">A modern rework of <i><b>Inner City’s “Big Fun”</b></i> bridged Detroit legacy with contemporary minimalism. A wicked remix of <b><i>Abra’s “Feel”</i></b> cut through with unexpected weight, while <b>Chris Lake’s “Ease My Mind” </b>brought a more familiar, vocal-driven moment that connected more immediately with the crowd—highlighting where the night’s energy naturally gravitated.<br /><br />When<i><b> Lovebirds’ “Want You In My Soul”</b></i> dropped, it carried timeless emotion—though the reaction it received told a different story. Back home in South Africa, that record still stops time. In Hong Kong, it barely made a ripple.<br /><br />Then came the night’s defining moment: an unreleased ID widely believed to be <b><i>Peaty & Jawora’s “One Time</i><i>.”</i></b> Fluid percussion, emotive synth work, and a perfectly resolved drop—it was a reminder of why Keinemusik’s curation remains unmatched.<br /><br />Ultimately, the night was shaped as much by the crowd as by the music. Hong Kong’s expat-heavy mix brought diversity, but not cohesion. At times, it felt fragmented—clusters of conversation cutting through transitions, attention drifting away from the floor.<br /><br />Afro house depends on reciprocity. The crowd feeds the DJ, and the DJ responds in kind. Here, that exchange never fully locked in. Even deeper moments—<b><i>Thandaza, Les Gout,</i></b> and <b><i>Uncle Waffles’s Tanzania (Rampa Remix)</i></b>—landed flatter than expected. In contrast, tracks like <b><i>Move, Positions, Say What, and See You Again </i></b>drew the strongest reactions, subtly steering the energy toward familiarity.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGQWkTqRiIMaqEQHpW_yw-BUWBqygw2F-xzKAXFGuK2m_Iyn159rJuN7T6WpVl5EYDQ1-QQA1TrYYCn92ovgLOG0tUbg5-Wt6vLozVitsNljG2BqGzBSRgeBsDXarp1NU63Lkbpj6ve8ouq4y_Oa5zFxTisN_HF65mcFC_4I8OWv_xKZBBD6vonxbXp2d/s3666/keinemusik-hong-kong-rainy-set.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Keinemusik Hong Kong AXA Wonderland 2026" border="0" data-original-height="3666" data-original-width="2750" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhGQWkTqRiIMaqEQHpW_yw-BUWBqygw2F-xzKAXFGuK2m_Iyn159rJuN7T6WpVl5EYDQ1-QQA1TrYYCn92ovgLOG0tUbg5-Wt6vLozVitsNljG2BqGzBSRgeBsDXarp1NU63Lkbpj6ve8ouq4y_Oa5zFxTisN_HF65mcFC_4I8OWv_xKZBBD6vonxbXp2d/s16000-rw/keinemusik-hong-kong-rainy-set.jpg" /></a></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: #ff0072;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #ff0072;"><i><span style="color: white;"> “The music was there—but the environment didn’t always meet it.” </span></i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family: times;"> For seasoned listeners, a few omissions stood out. There was no <i>Muyè,</i> no <i>All I Got</i>, no <i>Rapture</i>, and no <i>Cloudy Eyes</i>—tracks that define Keinemusik’s emotional depth and Afro-inflected identity. Their absence gave the set a lighter touch, trading narrative weight for accessibility.<br /><br />The stage setup added an unintended barrier. Positioned low and wide, visibility was inconsistent across the venue. That physical distance translated into a subtle but noticeable disconnect between artist and audience. <br /><br />Logistics told their own story. Entry for FAMFAM ticket holders was seamless—perhaps too seamless. There were no bag checks, no security searches, and despite repeated pre-event messaging, no ID verification. Many arrived early in the rain, passports in hand, only to realise those checks were never enforced. It’s a small detail, but one that speaks to a wider point: in events of this scale, clarity and consistency shape trust as much as the music itself. <br /><br />The night found its resolution with <b><i>Guy Gerber’s What To Do (&ME Remix)</i></b>—a nostalgic closer that finally unified the crowd. For a brief moment, conversation stopped and movement returned. An encore felt possible, but it never came.<br /><br /><b><i>Keinemusik’s</i></b> Hong Kong show at AXA Wonderland wasn’t a failure—it was a meticulously crafted set that never quite transcended its conditions. Because with Keinemusik, the difference between good and unforgettable lies beyond the mix: in time, space, atmosphere, and the crowd that completes it. This time, those elements didn’t fully align. When they do, magic happens. When they don’t, even a near-perfect night can feel just out of reach.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlAYjvdT-sS-fOSmBdXIrai6fNlfqFdxzFF_MATHB4A-E78HimoeYhCTCpZv8_BX7lRKxQWyyr8oquT4mdrqgi9W-Lj5SH-nWM9t1iwSjwqddQzsfgAIm103DZ9BbkoK_OeP7ntuBWKW3VxsmiL6vJe0P0YPESdKp-VROAgQNEMW1XB_Ce5tNPvxGxfE1/s3631/keinemusik-axa-wonderland-peace-sign-stage.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Keinemusik performing at AXA Wonderland Hong Kong april 2026" border="0" data-original-height="3631" data-original-width="2150" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlAYjvdT-sS-fOSmBdXIrai6fNlfqFdxzFF_MATHB4A-E78HimoeYhCTCpZv8_BX7lRKxQWyyr8oquT4mdrqgi9W-Lj5SH-nWM9t1iwSjwqddQzsfgAIm103DZ9BbkoK_OeP7ntuBWKW3VxsmiL6vJe0P0YPESdKp-VROAgQNEMW1XB_Ce5tNPvxGxfE1/s16000-rw/keinemusik-axa-wonderland-peace-sign-stage.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">What did you think of<i> Keinemusik's Hong Kong</i> show?<br />Drop your takes below — did the crowd vibe match the music where you were? Which IDs had you buzzing? Follow Think In Electronic for more Afro house reviews, global set recaps, and South African scene updates. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></div></div>

Keinemusik in Hong Kong: When the Crowd Shapes the Journey

 EVENT REVIEW | THINK IN ELECTRONIC  Keinemusik Hong Kong 2026: Afro House Elevated, Crowd Energy Tested | Think In Electronic Review A long...

Münk Culture Edition 2 Sets A New Standard

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="background-color: #ff0072; color: white; font-size: x-large;"> EVENT REVIEW </span></h2> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h2 style="text-align: left;"> <span style="color: #ff0072; font-size: x-large;">MÜNK CULTURE EDITION 2</span></h2> <div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogj7_9IwOP1t-liq50WHeKA5vyk2x7g3FIV6zVPNm6Iv5UtrV-ucdZb-STSetEzQihT5_jLFYK9e4hwhMmlCv-mRbQrANGPQqMOV0Mt6aCzA_ghgqJ9aGnKbougcK1zSEJr0M-9D6citV/s1600/Munk_culture_2016.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="munk culture south africa review" border="0" height="320" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogj7_9IwOP1t-liq50WHeKA5vyk2x7g3FIV6zVPNm6Iv5UtrV-ucdZb-STSetEzQihT5_jLFYK9e4hwhMmlCv-mRbQrANGPQqMOV0Mt6aCzA_ghgqJ9aGnKbougcK1zSEJr0M-9D6citV/s320-rw/Munk_culture_2016.png" title="munk culture edition 2 review" width="320" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: #ff0072; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: left;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <div style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Münk is the brainchild of <b>C</b></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><b>ONTRXST</b> a creative startup collective that thrives off creating unique experiences of distinction</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: inherit;">. Their debut event </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><b>Münk Culture</b> was introduced to the world last year and is the amalgamation of four elements <i>bass, social, culture and style</i>. Their <a href="http://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2016/02/contrxst-brings-you-second-edition-of.html" target="_blank">second event</a> promised to be an escape from the ordinary, an escape into a world unlike anything before. With that said we had to find out if it was true or not. On Saturday  06 February 2016, we braced the horrid Johannesburg rain to attended the second edition of Münk Culture held at one of Johannesburg most loved party venues Carfax. </span></div> <div style="font-family: inherit; text-align: justify;"> </div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The line up brought partygoers the bass element, a true experience into the future of music. The social element was created by building an environment welcoming of all diversities and encouraging social interaction with other party goers. The element of culture came from encouraging change and providing a space for individuals to open their minds to new ideas.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">  </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Celebrating new trends and welcoming </span>forward-thinking<span style="font-family: inherit;"> style makes up the final element, style in Münk Culture.</span></span></div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7W1b_5YYsqbblHVV7sJvXUYFc6A4ZQpZLhwQy1shakrnogN2JtV7lx0kAb0WH3jGK5ZXnWUk4tgSYfzX10JiROdvPMFAc85JfEaqwGdkmx22DJo_Ws3Ru4hjcFrvceL7t8kmb6MlOypG/s1600/Munk+Culture+event+.JPG" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="munk culture" border="0" height="480" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif7W1b_5YYsqbblHVV7sJvXUYFc6A4ZQpZLhwQy1shakrnogN2JtV7lx0kAb0WH3jGK5ZXnWUk4tgSYfzX10JiROdvPMFAc85JfEaqwGdkmx22DJo_Ws3Ru4hjcFrvceL7t8kmb6MlOypG/s640-rw/Munk+Culture+event+.JPG" title="munk culture" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">The lineup featured acts such as <b><a href="http://www.thinkinelectronic.com/2014/07/rikay-shows-us-his-deeper-side.html" target="_blank">Rikay</a>, Trancemicsoul, Niskerone, Mooi, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Metro Ticket</b> and <b>Kollective Kulture</b> amongst others.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">Looking at the lineup </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">o</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">ne would have thought that Münk would draw the older more refined crowd. This was however not the crowd that was there to party, it was rammed with young ones who had just received their rights of </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">passage</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> into partying. Okay maybe not, but you get our drift. This was a surprise as we would have thought the lineup would have </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">deterred</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> the kids of today who come across being ignorant with regard to music styles.</span></div> </span><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> </span><br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The venue was packed to capacity and home to two dance floors. The main </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">dance-floor</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> was built into a little </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">oasis</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> from LED </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">panels</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and homed the entertainers for the night. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The night progressed from the hi's and lo’s of techno all the way to deep house, future bass and trap. Each DJ </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">brought</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> their own sound and the night was a pivotal moment in music education for the younger generation and for some hardcore one genre lovers.</span></span></div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br /> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div style="text-align: justify;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1scLP7EC_loKLGwevgqAQ76FOTa1qXDfWRZ-UKyU2Use8x9sxmo_rKa6e6AL4VHBLOYlknzZTEJgR2ofrFd5R5acNWtdLRNpRJJEOhTOHbjiowKisGUOoEwWdvGpxgIZEYvVwamjH9ptw/s1600/Munk+Review.JPG" style="font-family: inherit; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="munk culture review" border="0" height="480" loading="lazy" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1scLP7EC_loKLGwevgqAQ76FOTa1qXDfWRZ-UKyU2Use8x9sxmo_rKa6e6AL4VHBLOYlknzZTEJgR2ofrFd5R5acNWtdLRNpRJJEOhTOHbjiowKisGUOoEwWdvGpxgIZEYvVwamjH9ptw/s640-rw/Munk+Review.JPG" title="munk culture review edition 2" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;">We salute Münk for giving the up and coming DJs a chance to showcase their skills. We also need to give them points for picking a lineup which tapped out from the ordinary sound that everyone has come to love,"bigroom! Aside for the mishaps at the doors, the night was nothing short of superb. The music was the right amount of “underground” and the crowd welcomed it with open arms. The production from stage design to the sound system was up to the level of best.</span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The creators of Münk Culture broke all restrictions, stepped up and<span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> created a</span><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;">  </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">different kind of experience, </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">a festival vibe only in a club</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">. It is without a doubt that they have set a new standard for events in South Africa. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was the illest event we've </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">attended</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> in a while, and</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> we can’t wait for the next Münk Culture! But for now, we will leave partying to the young ones. ;)</span></div> </span></div> <br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div> </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Münk Culture Edition 2 Sets A New Standard

 EVENT REVIEW  MÜNK CULTURE EDITION 2 Münk is the brainchild of C ONTRXST a creative startup collective that thrives o...