Turning 10 is a pretty big deal. 

At ten, you have enough life behind you to start feeling nostalgic, but the future still feels impossibly exciting. You are developing taste, forming opinions, beginning to understand who you are, imagining the very fabulous adult you will eventually become. 

Admittedly, nobody on the Aa team was anywhere close to adulthood in 2016. We were busy dreaming about the fun, glorious lives we would lead once we got there. Because, for legal reasons, you certainly would not have caught any of us sneaking into parties at 15.

Ten years later, we made it. Sort of. And so has Dekmantel Selectors. 

This summer marks the anniversary edition of the festival, which means there is finally a 2016 resurgence we can wholeheartedly get behind.

For 5 days, Selectors takes over The Garden Resort in Tisno for what it calls “a celebration of sun, music and togetherness.” A description that is refreshingly accurate. 

The festival has always been as much about where you are as what you are listening to. Pine trees, warm Adriatic water, boats disappearing from the shore with a few hundred increasingly excited passengers on board. A setting where swimming between sets is not only possible, but encouraged.

Then, of course, there is the music.

As with all things Dekmantel, the programme is less concerned with giving you what you already know than showing you what you did not realise you needed. Five days moving between scenes, generations, geographies and increasingly specific corners of electronic music. You can arrive with a meticulously colour coded schedule if that is the person you have chosen to become. Just do not expect to stick to it.

This year, there is plenty worth abandoning your plans for.

On Thursday, Rozaly takes over The Nest, bringing his Caribbean, booty shaking flow to the trees.

Friday brings Ron Trent to Beach Main, which is essentially an opportunity to receive a Chicago house history lesson while standing beside the ocean. Education has rarely felt this good.

On Saturday, Rush Hour takes over Magnolia. Amsterdam’s favourite record store programming a stage by the sea feels foolproof. Consider us present.

Sunday sees Virginia followed by Roi Perez at Beach Main. Legends in succession. No notes.

And on Monday, Jeff Mills closes the festival. The best to ever do it returns for the sort of high class, high speed techno send off that should make returning to normal life particularly difficult.

Then there are the boats.

Boat parties have become something of a Selectors institution, captained each year by clubs, radio stations, labels, crews and collectives from across the scene. 

Luckily, years spent swimming through the occasionally questionable waters of Damsko have left us adequately prepared for the considerably clearer waters of the Adriatic.

At least physically. Spiritually, we have no idea what to expect. For our first Selectors, we needed a compass. So we turned to those who know these waters best: this year’s boat captains.

First up is Radio TNP, the independent radio station broadcasting from a very cute little studio in Amsterdam Noord. This year marks their third Selectors boat, so at this point, we are happy to trust Ozzy with directions.

Then there is La Cassette, an Utrecht creative collective moving between music, art and night culture. They are setting sail on Friday with promises of high energy, a little madness and some appropriately nautical surprises.

And finally, we went local. Metz Attack is made up of Luka, Tonko and Fabian, three friends who grew up in Vodice, just 15 kilometres down the coast from Tisno. They spent their younger years going to festivals in the area before eventually finding their way behind the decks and into Zagreb’s electronic music scene.

We asked all three what to hear, eat, pack and explore along the way. Consider this our unofficial compass for five days on the Adriatic.

Aa: Can you tell us a bit about Radio TNP and what you’re bringing to Selectors this year? 

Ozzy Ulger, Founder of Radio TNP: Hello Aa! Radio TNP is an independent online radio station with a physical (super cute) studio in Amsterdam Noord (next to Klaproos). 

We’ve been doing this for almost 8 years now and it’s our third time hosting a boat at Dekmantel Selectors – a true honor every time again! 

We’ve invited Crevette Records label & record store boss Alfred Anders, a true inspiration when it comes to leftfield downtempo & house. I’ve never heard him in person but his mixtapes have always been on heavy rotation. Our very own TNP affiliate Maki will be warming up the dance floor before him. Besides being an amazing team member, she’s got an attuned ear for everything dubby, dreamy and percussive. The party is topped off by local star Mia Cecile, who’ll dramatically join our boat by speedboat right after her set at the Nest.

⁠⁠Your sun(set) pick? 

I really enjoy listening to sets with surprises, authenticity, emotion and twists & turns, and in this category Satoshi is up there in my top ten. He has one of the longest running residencies at TNP and every radioshow has been a unique listening experience. I’m certain that his set at the Magnolia stage on Saturday will be full of interesting selections for the ones with curious ears.

The wildcard on your schedule? 

DJ Godfather on the La Cassette boat! I think his bouncy ghettotech is going to pair really well with the typical high energy on the boats. I should maybe start figuring out how to get on it…

⁠What’s a restaurant you visit every time in Tisno? 

Konoba Tereža. Their Buzara (mussels in garlic olive oil and white wine) is incredible and a must every time we touch down.

⁠What are three things you absolutely shouldn’t forget to pack? 

Cash, a hat and a disposable usb with a radioshow on it (you know what to do).

⁠One piece of advice for a Selectors first timer? 

There’s more to Tisno than just Selectors. A few years ago I played basketball with locals and had a drink with them after. It was perhaps my nicest memory across all editions.

Aa: What’s La Cassette and what we can expect from you at Selectors this year?

Mees Bob Gerkema, Creative at La Cassette: La Cassette is a creative collective rooted in night culture, exploring the cultural scene through music, parties and art. 

At Selectors you should expect a big bang — our boat will depart on Friday, ensuring people are energised and ready for some madness. 

Also, in true La Cassette fashion, you should expect us to bring some goodies fitting the whole “being at sea” aesthetic.

What’s an afterparty in this year’s programme worth staying up for?

For sure the last one on Monday. We have been looking forward to Selectors for a while now, so you best believe we’re gonna experience it to the fullest.

Who’s set are you making room in the schedule for, no matter what?

Dwarde & Tim Reaper at the Nest on Friday, and the TraTraTrax Boat Party on Sunday! 

One Croatian dish you absolutely have to try?

We’re probably going to keep it very minimal, maybe a can of fresh sardines and definitely some good ol’ rum.

What’s one road trip everyone needs to do before leaving Croatia?

Two years ago, some of us were at Selectors for the first time. We rented a couple of boats, explored the Croatian bay and visited some islands. A must-do when visiting Tisno!

Aa: Metz Attack 101. Who are you and how did it all begin?

Metz Attack: Metz Attack is Luka (Carnero), Tonko and Fabian, three friends who grew up in a town called Vodice, some 15km south of Tisno. While still in high school, and in the first few years of college, we were regular visitors of pretty much every festival in Tisno. Blown away by the quality of music on offer, the experiences inspired us to take up DJ-ing ourselves and spread the gospel of the world beyond the big-room tech-house which dominated the early 2010s in our area. 

After years of honing the craft in Tonko’s garage and doing small events for our friends, we all moved to Zagreb, the capital and the only city in the country with a semblance of a healthy scene. There, we quickly ingrained ourselves within the nightlife ecosystem and during our first winter there we secured a residency at the legendary Masters club, which remained our home for the years to come.

If you could only catch one set at Selectors, whose would it be?

Francesco Del Garda & Paquita Gordon. Two selectors with impossibly deep bags playing from opening to close in Barbarellas, a club perfectly suited for their style. Paquita on beach stage was a major highlight 2 years ago and we expect nothing less this time.

A local artist everyone should know about?

Mimi & Labud. Probably the two best Croatian DJ’s of all time. Zagreb’s scene wouldn’t be the same without them and their Ekstrakt parties, and after 20 years in the game they are still innovating and dominating the local scene. Mimi, when he is on top of his game, is probably among the most technically gifted vinyl DJs in the world with a wholly unique mixing style. He is playing the Adriatic Coasting boat party on Sunday, representing his new record label Casabianca.

One Croatian word we should have in our vocabulary by the end of the week?

JEBIGA – Perfectly sums up the mindset of your average Dalmatian. Its direct translation is “fuck it”, but the actual meaning is more like “it is what it is”. We finish every other sentence with it.

Your favourite view in Tisno?

Watching tired festival-goers at 2AM make their way from the site to their apartments, through what we nicknamed the “Balloon Alley”. If you know you know.

What’s a unique local custom everyone should know about?

Every Croatian knows that your drink of choice on a hot summer day should be Gemišt, a mix of white wine and mineral sparkling water. If we are talking about the festival experience itself, there is nothing quite like treating your hangover with a delicious greasy suckling pig or lamb at restaurant Marin.

The best Croatian island for curing the post Selectors hangover?

You can’t miss any of them, but if we had to pick we would go for Zlarin. If you are feeling ambitious and willing to venture out further away, check out Vis or Lastovo