Monument Festival 2026 : OCCA

It’s Sunday, and we’re slowly approaching the last night of Monument 2026. Before the closing set, one of the more distinctive voices coming out of Japan’s underground techno scene enters Varden. OCCA has spent more than twenty years building his sound and community in Sapporo and Tokyo. That sound is now travelling all over the world, and this night it will journey through the forest in Veggli. «I didn’t plan my set in advance. Instead, I put a large selection of tracks I had in mind into a playlist. Once I arrived at the festival, I gradually shaped the set; enjoying the music, connecting with people, and taking in the nature and weather around me. I wanted to bring an energy that would feel powerful and danceable under the sunlight, while also incorporating something that would make people reflect on the time they had spent at the festival – as we moved towards the closing. I was unsure whether to play a track from a live recording featuring Suzanne Ciani performing with the Metropole Orkest, conducted by Simon Dobson. But when I saw how much the audience was yearning for the music, I felt confident enough to play it. I also can’t forget the scene when the low end of Pearson Sound’s “XLB (Allen Mock x Herbalistek Remix)” ran through the crowd like a tidal wave. When I left the booth, I was filled with joy and gratitude. Passing the baton from Feral, a longtime friend and an artist I deeply respect, to Efdemin, whom I have been a huge fan of since I first started DJing. I had dreamed of playing at Monument for a long time, so finally being able to stand there and play was a very special moment for me.» – OCCA (@oooccaaa) Listen to OCCA, Sunday night at Monument festival, out now on our SoundCloud. Photo: Jacopo Severitano Text: Alexander Lund