UNUM is a festival with a knowing crowd and already a great community feel. This year it was back with a superb third event with another irresistible line-up of proper underground sounds. It all ran from Wednesday until the next Tuesday so technically six days of music in a stunning location on the Albanian Riviera, with mountainous views in the distance and pine forests in the background.

The crowd this year was again made up of plenty of locals from the Albanian Riviera with a small selection of lucky European tourists who have now cottoned on to this secret but essential gathering. The location is special indeed, with lovely sandy beaches, tall pine trees and great weather all adding an extra special vibe to the world class soundtrack. That came on three stages – the main stage, beach and pine stages, with super sound systems in place at each so that every beat was crispy clear.

What went down on the main stage was memorable indeed – highlights include Seth Troxler on Friday who served up a slick minimal masterclass and Jamie Roy going deep. Seth stayed for a mad back to back with Traumer too and that went well into the next morning.

On the Beach Stage it was gold all week with Radio Slave and Shimza going deep and loopy with infectious grooves getting the crowd fully locked in. On the more intimate pine stage it was a minimal affair with masters such as Priku on Saturday morning, but also unreal sets from the likes of Gene On Earth (and an epic back to back from him with Unum favourites tini and Dyed Soundorom on the Sunday morning.)

The way the sun sets into the mountains across the water from the UNUM festival site will stick long in the memory. It lights up the sky with all manner of deep reds and oranges that never fail to pause conversation and take your breath away. Add in a crowd who are friendly and seriously in the know about their tunes, and the sun that beats down to add an extra wave of positivity and good vibes and you have the perfect recipe for a unique festival, in a beautiful and untapped corner of Europe. With this super offering in 2022, UNUM assured its place at the top of the European festival list.