★★★★

At any time of year, Lewes offers a therapeutic escape from the hustle-bustle of city life. Its narrow, cobbled streets, cosy pubs and views of the South Downs lend the town a faraway, almost whimsical feel.

What better location, then, for a psychedelic and experimental music festival? While Brighton might perhaps seem a more logical location for such an event, there is no doubt the historic yet homely surroundings of Lewes’ All Saints Centre is an alluring prospect for gig-goers young and old.

The liquid light projections of local artist Innerstrings illuminated the stone walls, resembling the most trippy cave drawings you’ve ever seen. The aesthetic was a fitting accompaniment to ambient afternoon sets by Inwards and Eva Bowan in the “small psych room” just off the main church.

The former makes effective use of modular synths, carefully plugging leads in and out of a control panel to create a tranquil but dynamic soundscape. Bowan’s immersive set incorporated field recordings, with natural and industrial samples interwoven into longform drones.

The electronic approach was in further evidence later in the main church, as duo Sculpture brought a heavy, glitchy edge to proceedings. They manipulated analogue equipment – most notably a turntable – in a warped and visceral performance. The repetitive bassline of their final song, though, introduced a thrillingly propulsive element into the set.

This joyous rhythm was continued by Lucid Dream, a Carlisle four-piece who juggled feedback-laden Krautrock with slower, reflective numbers. While they displayed a few nice melodic turns, it was difficult to escape the notion that the high points arrived when the instrumentation was brought to the foreground.

The same could be said of Flamingods, whose structurally traditional songs seemed stodgy in comparison to the scorched, uptempo psychedelia they showcased in the latter stages of the set. It would be misguided to dismiss the band's globetrotting ethos – they were formed in Bahrain and make use of obscure, far-flung instruments – but occasionally their lyrics, encouraging people to lose themselves and see the world, came off as trite and shallow.

That impression didn't deter the dancers in the front row of the crowd, however, or derail a festival that is sure to provide a sweet escape for years to come.