Looking Into The Future of 2014

Happy New Year everyone!!

We've had some really great times this past year, especially expanding Electric Ghost Punk into so much more from where it started. Thinking back to the end of 2011, this website and my exploration into EDM was pretty much exclusively in the rave scene. I can still remember when Skrillex was the only producer I could think of off the top of my head, and Camp Bisco being the ultimate first goal in the first year for the site. Not only did we accomplish that goal, but Bisco literally opened the flood gates to seeing how enormous and widespread the EDM community and culture is. I have personally seen how the music and people from all different genres and times come together with and through EDM. We have seen legendary bands like The Allman Brothers  playing alongside current favorites like Lotus. It truly is amazing to see how far everything has come in just the few years of my involvement.

This year, we're going to be creating a lot of personalized multimedia to continue diving deeper into the people, places, and things happening on the scenes. We'll be at parties, concerts, camping festivals, and perhaps a few surprises along the way. It is our goal to continue to provide a light to shine on our wonderful community.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

EGP Festival Watch 2013: Camp Bisco 12

Wassup everyone? It's Wish here, about to drop the first look into festivals this year. Year round music festivals are happening all over the world. Every year they are becoming more popular and different festivals have become known as the ones to go to. With this wave of increased festival participation, new music festivals with their own flares have also been emerging all over, some of which are definitely ones to go to. As we get closer to the summer time, and already some festy tickets have gone on presale and sold out in record times, we are going to start letting you know about some of our selection of favorites. From new festivals to old favorites, we're going to start, now.

Last year I had the opportunity to attend my very first festy, Camp Bisco 11. Going in as press, as well as getting a vendors and campers perspective, the whole experience was mind blowing, in a nut shell. It also set me up to what set off a small festival tour, essentially preparing me for what to expect, what to bring, and how to mold into the community that is built in less than a day.

Getting Through the Crowd by Nick Soley

A Small Portion of the Camping by Times Union

Held upstate New York at a place known as the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, Camp Bisco will become home to tens of thousands of people from around the world this July. This year will make for Camp Bisco 12, and probably the largest one to date. This is a festival that has grown and morphed over the years, but without ever loosing that essential artistic and community vibe. Even when the initial boost of people came in for Camp 10, and left the townsfolk not to happy, MCP Presents showed their professionalism by making Camp 11 one of the smoothest to date. With another new festival under their belt (CounterPoint), this will be a fantastic and hopefully very smooth year for them. So far they have our full attention.

Skrillex by Wish

Silent Bisco by Wish

It Get's a Little Crazy by Wish

There is so much to do at camp. Of course there is a very large emphasis on the music with three main stages, side stages, RV DJs, campsite parties, and musical ice cream trucks. Silent Disco is an awesome experience when the stages shut the sound off. There are live art exhibits, projection screens, and plenty of people making their own art. There is basically a vendor village, with a line of vendors selling everything you can imagine. Walk far down enough to get to food you can buy.

Dancing the Night Away by Wish

It was a wild time last year, and everyone is very excited to go back again this year. The lineup was dropped today, and it's looking quite appealing. Some favorites I'm looking forward to catching live again include Bassnectar, Zoogma, Gramatik, Break Science, Designer Drugs, Heroes x Villians, Lotus, and of course The Disco Biscuits themselves. The released list is not the full list. There are many more acts to be released in the coming days, and oyu will find the updates here.

Water Flower by Wish

Hooping in the Fields by QRO Mag

 Unfortunately, early bird tickets are sold out. Ticket's are still under $200, and there's vip/platinum available, so now's the time to grab them. This about getting all your friends into a large campsite. There will probably be a bunch of contests that will include carpoolers, themed camp sites, and who knows what else. This is a big one, and there will be plenty of surprises around every corner.

You can see more details for Camp Bisco 12 at these links:

MAIN WEBSITE
TICKETS
LINEUP
INFO


Official Release:

CAMP BISCO ANNOUNCES PERFORMER LINEUP FOR 3-DAY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL IN MARIAVILLE, NEW YORK THIS JULY 11-13, 2013

 

Performers Include The Disco Biscuits, Bassnectar, Passion Pit, STS9, Animal Collective, Umphrey's McGee, Flux Pavillion,

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Lotus, Wolfgang Gartner, Boys Noize, Squarepusher, Tommy Trash, Dillon Francis, Toro y Moi and Many More! 

 

$185 General Admission Tickets Now On Sale

 

Mariaville, NY (February 21, 2013) - Camp Bisco has announced the performer lineup for its twelfth annual three-day music and arts festival, in Mariaville, New York this July 11-13, 2013.  Boasting its strongest lineup to date, this year's performers include: The Disco Biscuits; Bassnectar; Passion Pit; STS9; Animal Collective; Umphrey's McGee; Flux Pavillion; Macklemore & Ryan Lewis; Lotus; Wolfgang Gartner; Boys Noize; Squarepusher; Tommy Trash; Dillion Francis; ℧Z; Aeroplane; Alvin Risk; Audrey Napoleon; Baauer; Bear Mountain; Boombox; Break Science; Cherub; Chris Malinchak; Clockwork; Com Truise; Congorock; Cosby Sweater; Crizzly; Dan Deacon; Designer Drugs; Dirtyphonics (Live); El-P; Eskmo; Flosstradamus; Free Energy; Gigamesh; Govinda; Gramatik; Grandtheft; Green Lantern; HeRobust; Heroes x Villians; Indobox; Killer Mike; Koan Sound; Manic Focus; M | O | D; Nadis Warriors; Nick Thayer; Paper Diamond; Party Supplies; Popeska; Project 46; RL Grime; Rubblebucket; Ryan Hemsworth; The Werks; Toro y Moi; Twiddle; Vacationer; VHS or Beta; Wick-It the Instigator; and Zoogma. Additional details about this year’s festival will be announced in the coming weeks. 

 

Camp Bisco will return to the picturesque Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, New York for a seventh straight year. The venue is located approximately 30 minutes travel time from Albany, New York and sits on 200 acres of rolling, grass fields. This year, the festival will enhance its expansive dance tents with surround sound and add greater concert production to all stages. From large-scale art installations and artist workshops to performance art demonstrations, carnival rides and more, Camp Bisco is also increasing the interactive elements in 2013 to create an even better festival experience for patrons. Long distance shuttles will also return, offering service from Albany, Baltimore, Boston, New York City and Philadelphia.

 

A limited allotment of General Admission tickets are on sale now for $185, before raising to the last minute price $199. All-inclusive VIP packages are available again this year, starting at $480 for VIP and $1400 for a pair of Platinum VIP tickets. Four person Platinum VIP packages are available for $2800. Camp Bisco has also introduced a layaway plan, where fans can divide payments on General Admission tickets equally between the on sale date and June 10th. Tickets are available online at  www.campbisco.net. Camp Bisco is an 18 and over event.

 

Camp Bisco is produced by MCP Presents.  Visit www.campbisco.net for the most up to date information.

2012 Festival Tour: EvolveFest - Open Mind

Wassup ya'll, Wish[Paus3] here! A few weeks ago we were telling you about a yoga-arts-music festival in New Jersey called EvolveFest. Being a few years in existence already, this festival has a nice following, and the following is full of open minded, spiritual, and quite flexible people. It was here that the community aspect I always talk about really came to light, this festy really hit home for me.

When we first pulled up to the festival grounds, you could see the camp sites already popping up from the main road. Last year we heard it was at another more secluded location, so The Warren County Fairgrounds was a new spot for all the return Evolvers. It was a cozy size with multiple stages and locations for workshops. Everything was nicely set up, with the majority of campers set up in a field, a vendors' row, and more places to explore such as where the Green Bus was parked and the old barn houses.

This festival is known for it's yoga workshops and spiritual lifestyle attraction. It was interesting to see the combination of EDM and this part of the community. The music was diverse, featuring some awesome talent that really blew us away. We checked out Karmic Juggernaut, Telesma, Consider the Source, and Mercury Landing... just to name a few. The music wasn't only on stages, it was pretty much everywhere you walked. There were drum circles in the fields throughout the day and around bonfires at night. Guitars, didgeridoos, drums and other percussion instruments were no strangers to the festival grounds. Everywhere we walked there were different sounds and music playing.

Karmic Juggernaut

Mercury Landing

dude.

Telesma

Now the main reason I fell in love with this festival was how open people were. The sharing of energy, conversation, knowledge... it was truly awesome how close I felt to everyone. It was easy to walk up to any tent, hammock, workshop, vendor, really anybody at all and start talking. As we spoke to more people, we created many connections. I mean, the ability to get over initial judgements and see people for who they were was extremely refreshing. Zodd and I met healers, yoga teachers, musicians, promoters, dancers, singers, bakers, artists... all these different people with different skills and life experiences. It was pretty awesome to hear everyone's stories in this wholesome environment.

This was a first for us and 100% not the last. To be able to connect with our friends the way we did and meet and connect with so many other people was truly a beautiful thing. Check out the pictures on our Facebook, and see all of them fly by in our Pictorial Walkthrough's and even this crazy drink called AhhMigo, check it out below.

EGP PICTURES/VIDEO:

Wish's Album
Zodd's Album

Z-Dar: Alpha Data's Newest Release "I Am The One Who Knocks"

Woah, Literally that is all I can say at Alpha Data, new melodical onslaught of an EP release that had just dropped hot off the internet presses earlier this month. "I Am the One Who Knocks", contains four new banging tracks from the man, James Ristvedt. I was blown away at the releases intensity and the direction he's going in is a lot more consise composition wise and his production style on this end is getting alot more varied as it seems he is flexing his new skills in all directions, using new samples, meatier melodies, and more distinct drum play that is evolving the Alpha Data sound we all knew and loved into something a lot more substantial and long lasting than his previous efforts. He has been pouring his all into the Glitch Hop scene as of late with frequent releases all over the community such as his new remix of Madeon's Icarus, and his remix of Papa Skunk's Loud Noises. So in honor of the hard work he's been putting out lately here at EGP I feel a review of his most recent release track by track is in order. You can catch the EP and his other releases at his Facebook or Soundcloud, but for now check it out here and read the reviews!"Are You Watching Closely" is the first track off the new release that does well to introduce you to his newer more refined stylings starting off with a lighter melody that eases you into a comforting space. Don't let that fool you its hard without being heavy, making a dense entry into his catalogue that you can drop without being in full blown banger

Alpha Data - Challenge Accepted (Original Mix) by Alpha Data

"Challenge Accepted" is a fitting drop in from the last track that does not disappoint that whole need for the bass intensive banger if the last track kept you at a standstill. Lighter on his melody play that he's well known for its more of melody disguised under bass and drum play that is more pure Glitch Hop than most of what he's done thus far. 


Alpha Data - I Am The One Who Knocks (Original Mix) by Alpha Data
 

"I Am The One Who Knocks" [Shoutouts to Walter White the OG Breaking Bad(ass)] is the album title track and going by the name fitting enough its the most badass song on the release.It's my personal favorite of the four it's the one that shows the most that Alpha Data has been up to progression wise. It has some of the catchiest melody and sickest drum play I have heard in a while with distant melodies that mix together well with the upfront melodies that make a surrealistic head space environment that definitely catches eyes.


Alpha Data - See Ya In Another Life, Brotha (Original Mix) by Alpha Data

 

"See Ya In Another Life, Brotha" is the final track on the release that ties it all together with an airy vibe that shows his more reserved side, with a more melody intensive synth play and pianos that is fitting for an end credits on a touching movie. its one of the best songs I've heard in a while and far outstretches the confines of the word EDM. It proves Alpha Data's musicianship beyond EDM and is a promising end for the release as if this is any indication he will do more in the future with his skills beyond what we have known already than you can count me and thoroughly excited for any future releases.

HELPFUL Alpha Data LINKS!

Music Festival Watch 2012: CounterPoint: Whatever Fitz - by Fitz

What's up guys, it's Fitz. We're a few days away from hitting up CounterPoint Music Festival in Atlanta, GA, this weekend and we're super excited to say the least. I've been passing the time listening to some new music and starting to plan out my weekend, because when you go to a festival with a lineup as crazy as this one you're going to need some prep-time if you want to miss as little as possible.

Click For Links To All Artists!

Thusday is a smaller day when looking at the rest of the festival, but of course CounterPoint cant let you have an easy time choosing between ten acts on two stages. Personally I plan on starting the day off with Nobody Beats The Drum at 6:15 in the evening, followed by Adventure Club at 7:15. My prediction is after that set my night is going to have alot of running cause I want to catch all of the following sets. 8:45 gives you the choice between Run Dmt's heavy hitting psychedelic dub or Beats Antique's unique mix of world music and electronica. The real choice is between Colorado's best saxophone infused electronica with Big Gigantic, or check out Up Until Now, who brings a jamband sensibility to the world of electronic music, and are playing with STS9's David Murphy. Then I'm going to try and split time wisely there, but I wouldn't doubt Dom and Jeremy trapping me over at the beat tent.

Pretty Lights

Adventure Club

Friday is when the festival really starts to come alive as 32 acts come on the four stages. The day looks like its starting with Dr. Fameus, who you may remember as the drummer from the Disco Biscuits at 2:45 in the afternoon on the Blackbeat Stage. ill probably then make my way over to new york rapper Theophilous London before chilling out with chillwave artist Washed Out. after that things seem to be getting a little tight as im trying to catch Mimosa, Tokimonsta and Atmosphere all within an hour and a half, before turning down Crystal Castles and heading over to Archnemesis, which is quickly becoming one of my most anticipated sets and a good way to start off the craziness of friday night. 7:30 youll find me at Feed Me, rocking out to his high energy electro before letting Excision drop one of the most agressive sets of the weekend, with his signiture brand of  heavy metal influenced dubstep, but be wary because youre going to need your energy to make it back over to the point stage for the king of festival dubstep, Bassnectar then I hope I have enough energy to make it to R3hab and A-trak afterwards before preparing for Saturday's non-stop party

Com Truise starts things off early in the afternoon at 12:30, but come 1:15 your going to have  to choose between jam and electronica heavyweights Zoogma, the heavy hitting deathstep duo Mantis, and trap superstar and ATL native Herobust. Whatever time you have after, enjoy, that because your going to be hard pressed to find time to stand still after 3:30 because saturdays lineup is packed. 3:45 brings you Paper Diamond followed by 12th Planet at the Beat Stage, while Toro Y Moi rocks the Counterpoint Main Stage. Emancipator will tear it up at 5 at the Blackbeat and half of ATL's own outkast, Big Boi on the Point Stage. Conspirator starts at 6, and though I'll be jamming hard for the first half hour, im going to have to move over to the Blackbeat for the Pretty Lights Music showcase (minus Elliot Lipp and Break Science) and Paul Basic at 6:15 and will probably stay there through Supervision, Michal Menert and Gramatik. though you may want to go check out such massive names as Steve Angello, Zeds Dead, Lotus, or Skrillex, i dont think i can turn down six hours of pretty lights music, because come 10:15 Pretty Lights brings counterpoint to its climax. Seeing 20,000+ people groove to such funky futuristic bass mixed with just about any style of music you can think of at summer camp and electric zoo are some of my favorite memories of the summer and I can't wait to be there again. If pretty lights isnt your scene, Porter Robinson and The M Machine are on call at the other end of the park to keep you moving until the late night sets start, but no matter what makes you move, you'll find something Saturday night. Ghostland Observatory and Laidback Luke keep things grooving on the beat stage while Alvin Risk and Zedd end the weekend with a bang of high energy electrohouse.

So that's what my music schedule is looking like two days before the festi. There's sure to so much to do on the festival grounds. I can't even begin to cover all the vendors, the forest, and the potential surprises around every corner. Make your schedule, get a good nights rest and come say hi in Georgia. You can follow us a little moar on Twitter/Facebook @EGPunkOfficial/ElectricGhostPunk!!

USEFUL COUNTERPOINT MUSIC FESTIVAL LINKS:
Main Website
Buy Tickets
Lineups/Artist Schedules

Evolvefest 2012: A Higher Celebration

This weekend will mark one the busiest weekends for NYC this summer, especially because Electric Zoo will be bringing in the a-c names in electronic music. It is because of that festival that I am making sure to trek to Jersey and experience an entirely different festival that is one of the biggest of it's kind, Evolvefest.

Evolvefest is a four day festival running this Labor Day weekend, August 31 - September 3, 2012, in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. It looks to be very spiritualistic and quite majestic, that's split between music, nature, meditation, art and education. It is hailed as one of the top ten yoga festivals in the world, it's family friendly, and it's very close to New York City and Philadelphia. Let's take a look into what you can expect at Evolvefest and the top three reasons I'm most excited for this weekend!

Greenbus

So Much To Do!

We are so used to there being music pounding out the beats almost 24 hours a day, and in some cases this was true to an extent (Camp Bisco 11). However, there are multiple stages of multiple activities. There are two music stages, with some awesome acts performing both live bands and DJ/producers, such as Telesma, Bad Buka, Outersect, or Consider the Source. The music plays pretty much all day, 9am-11ishpm.

Then There's the Yoga Stage. There you can not only participate in what might be the largest yoga pool of people you've ever been in, but you will also be learning and involved in sessions with seasoned instructors such as Sara Gallmann, Stephanie Sirico, and Beth Filla. Oh, what's this?! It's a music stage as well! You can catch acts like DJ Inanna, and DJ Knowledge!

That for the stages, don't forget about all of the workshops that are being offered as well. A few that caught my eye include Beekeeping, Kung Fu Movement, and Sacred Geometry. All the workshops are held at one of four different camp ground locations, to give you an idea of the size, in fact check out this nifty map!

Made Extra Large for those Hard of Sight

The Community Aspect:

The fact that this environment is family friendly says a lot. To be able to bring your kids and have a safe place for them to enjoy themselves, as well as being exposed to so much art and culture is really a wonderful thing. There are sure to be many vendors as well. I'm hoping to see more on the side of homemade items, as well as certain specialties, and less of the main line of merchandise. There is also going to be a ton of art and art of all forms. Whether it's paint or dance, I can't wait to see all the live art, the opportunity to sit down and take a minute to actually write, fire spinning, drum circles, story telling and so much more... it's all very exciting to see how everything will pan out.

Joe Longo Photography

Joe Longo Photography

  
A Different Side of EDM Followers

As a whole collective, their is a very large community behind these events. The biggest picture is covered under "EDM" with every event from Sensation to Camp Bisco, or Burning Man to Electric Daisy Carnival, the music is the initial focal point for gathering. In this festival, there is a much different focus aside from the music. The music comes into play with a higher sense of being. Yoga, meditation, art, these are all forms of expanding one's mind and using a more creative side of our brain.  This festival garners more peaceful vibes, I don't think the getting pushed out of the way while dancing will happen here.

This is the 6th annual Evolvefest, there are sure to be many return campers as well as new comers such as myself and Z. It will be a different turn from the pounding dubstep and hardstyle nights spent in the warehouses and mainstream festivals. It is highly anticipated by us both.

Participate!!

Ticket prices aren't going to kill you, and fr what you get this will make for a great getaway from your average event. Get your tickets now, and come join us for what is going to be a beautiful weekend! Find more info here:

Home Page
Facebook
Buy Tickets
FAQ

Z-Dar - Herobust

Whatsup people! Z here and It's been a while since I threw anything up that wasn't covering any of the events we've been at, so I decided to share some music with you for your own collective enjoyment.

Hayden Kramer aka heRobust hails from Atlanta, Georgia and he's one of those guys where you can just tell he has swag in spades. He is a master of synth work with glitchy breaks molded around Hip-Hop, Dubstep, and Trap that never really sound like any of those in his practice, but definitely sounds like its coming from Atlanta, making a sound that my friends can attest to my personal definition of "purple as hell".  Herobust has 4 releases out currently, his debut release Albumin, his twin albums Late Night and Morning After, and his more recent release Rob & Hood. Here, check out some tracks that really stand out to me and will give you a clear picture of the versatility of heRobust.

Facebook Lift by heRobust
 
This one is the first track off "Late Night". It's a souled out song that has elements of hip hop, funk, blues, dubstep, soul, and god knows what else. It's a buffet of swag and you can instantly tell that he's on to something bigger and better than alot of other artists around. It was my personal introduction to the artist and I feel is a great example of the soundscapes and creativity that Hayden Kramer is known for.

Swagriculture by heRobust

This one is his second track off the twin album off "Late Night" called "Morning After" and it really shows off his more Hip Hop side with light airy glitchy hip hop beats that are telling that this is where he came from and cultivated his style from hip hop forward. It's a great driving tune or for doing anything in those hours where its way too bright and nobody else is awake; beach runs anyone?

Beanie Babymama by heRobust

This next track is one banger of a tune, its the second track off his new EP "Rob & Hood" where he explores more of a Trap influence in his repertoire. The results are nice and the entire EP gets you going. It's a synth onslaught as the polyrythmns and sampling are on point and creative as hell.

Iggy Azalea - My World (BUSTED by heRobust) by heRobust

This is one off his remix collection he likes call the BUSTED collection. Released in no specific grouping, all those tunes are gems and you should definitely check em out. A sick Iggy Azalea Dubstep/Hip Hop remix that you know if it got dropped anywhere live there would be some definite problems.

heRobust getting it in BY Paper Blog

heRobust is quickly becoming a household name for EDM fans, especially with the whole Trap movement going on, even though I wouldn't really put him in that category aside from being from the south. Be on the look out for any future releases and events. I do know I will be catching him in New York on 9/31 at Club 39, so to any of our New York fans (which is a majority of you) do yourself a favor and catch that show; till next time.


Love & Light
Z aka Zodd

Festival Dreams and Nightmares: Gnarnia 2012

Wassup everyone? It's Wish[Paus3] here and I'm hunkering down in NYC while Zodd and Fitz are making their way out the Michigan for StereoTerra! Ever since preparing for Camp Bisco, I have had my ear to the festival community becoming a little more fine tuned. One event that caught my eye instantly was a Facebook page that popped up in my news feed called "Destroy Gnarnia the Festival" (EDIT 8/17 It seems the page has been taken down). I started looking into the page, why would someone create something like this without reason. Well the reason was pretty shocking. According to posts on the page, there had been 490 arrests, most of the felony charges, in and around the festival. Holy cow right?! I had to look in deeper. What I've been finding is more disturbing than the initial shock and question of, "who's to blame". The differences between posts there and on the official event invite are vast...

Let me start by saying the festival looked awesome. It was a first for the folks behind it, this was Gnarnia's inaugural year. All the pictures and video that came out, the lineup, the grounds... everything looks so legit. The website provides everything for you, from camping guidelines, to ride sharing, to a ton of activities they were holding. There's no doubt that people would be wanting to come out to this one, this was no underground festy. The problems began when there were more people than expected, and of course the increased amount of police presence in the area.

Fact is, police are in every event whether you know it or not. Breaking the law in any way WILL put you in a position to get caught by law enforcement. Being at a festival is not an excuse to do illegal things, but that is a personal decision. At Gnarnia, it seemed that the police were a little, hyper-active if you will. DT's trying really hard to set people up, harassing and arresting people next to tents that weren't theirs, being violent, randomly searching persons, hippie profiling, and all-in-all using terror tactics to get what they wanted. This is what stands out as the most significant issue here. Not the problems the producers had with tickets or camping, or even having the cops in the festival grounds.

  

  "If you are for the path of open communication and change, share this article"

According to one trusted festival goer, the majority of arrests happened outside the festival at road blocks and at hotels and cabins. Apparently the festival grounds were not connected to the camping fields, one had to take a shuttle to get back and forth.... too many people decided they should drive their own cars. They had also told me about the sale of alcohol on festival grounds. As normal as that seems, North Carolina has a department for that, called the Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE). This allowed them to be on festival grounds whenever they wanted, in other words, more law enforcement around. So you had several different police departments doing "their own thing".

Getting back to the Facebook pages. The "Destroy" page has been garnering a lot of attention, but in my opinion is negatively affecting the community. People are angry their friends got in trouble, as anyone would be. Everyone is looking for someone to blame, which is literally pulling people apart. If anything everyone should get together and figure out a way to change legislation. I personally have been blocked from posting on the page after posting my rant to the page owner (I apologize for my French!). It sickens me that people are seeming more ok with seeing a police state in action than they are with a first time festival having first time festival issues. On top of that, people like myself, who are looking for answers and momentum and not just suggestions of conspiracy within the ranks of the promoters, are being silenced. The owner of the page won't even release his/her name to the public, but they will sit behind their desk and do nothing but instigate. When asked for pictures, I was replied to that I should post them, and people were "too scared" by the police to actually pull a camera out and film. If you don't exercise your rights, they will be stripped away from you. It's all smoke and mirrors to me, tactics to get people riled up, but there is no clear cause. On top of that, the page is censored (as certain posts have been on the event page as well). To me, it means make up your own mind. It's obvious that there are gaps in this story, but once again the over all lesson seems clear to me. This is a motion towards a police state. Ya'll didn't like it? Guess what, stop blaming everyone else but yourselves.

FACTS:
News Articles:
High County Press - Article 1 /// Article 2 // Article 3 // Sheriff's Office
WSOCTV: Article & Video Clip

Blogs:
Sensible Reason: POST
L4LM: POST

PHOTO:
August J Photography: SET
Kelsey Smith: SET 
Bionic Beatlab - SET1 // SET2

VIDEO:
ChiefSchief333 - Festival Highlights
DubEra.com - Day1 Recap // Day2 Recap
rloerky - 2012 Gnarnia Music Fest

As a community, we are strong. There are hundreds of thousands of us, all with similar goals. We just want to have a good time at these events, but what do we stand for? The problem is that everyone is too comfortable. Festivals become marketing tools and we forever are stamped as a drug culture. If you are for the path of open communication and change, share this article. Don't let a bad experience shy you into a corner, instead make a stand. I hope that those wrongfully arrested and were harassed get their justice (if those stories posted are true).

LAST RANT:

The grounds were held on Beech Mountain, NC. Seemingly the middle of no where (it is), this town is only lively during the winter time when skiing and snowboard season open up. To have a mass amount of people in their town is both a great and terrible thing. As people, we don't like seeing things we are not used to coming into our comfort zone, but business loves it. Something else to think about here is the lower rate of crime in this type of area. Seeing a "neo-hippie" music festival coming into town, well that's an instant mark for law enforcement. I have never been involved with organizing something like this, but take Camp Bisco for example. Last year 25,000 people came through to Mariaville, NY. It caused so many issues with traffic, the locals, and it almost seemed like the festival might have to find another home. But it didn't. The problems caused the year before were handled in a new way this year, and Bisco was in it's 11th year.Now I do not know the way money gets thrown around for both private security and/or police, but it seemed like MCP was working directly with the police to insure the traffic moved and people that weren't supposed to be there were not there.

The Z-Dar: Raf Riley

Whatsup Internet, Z here again and today I felt like I had to share some personal hotness from my collection I feel wasn't getting enough attention in the EDM scene in the U.S. let alone the rest of the world away from the U.K. which even in itself is in spades. So for today's artist overview is on none other than Raf Riley.

The onslaught of a producer Riley is a 21 year old from North London who is currently signed to Labrinth's Odd Child Recordings and is creative quite a stir in the underground for those who pay attention to what I call the "release flow" of music. His style mixes everything from Trap, Drum and Dubstep, Moombahton, and other influences on all sides of the spectrum cultivating a sound that is very much his own and can't even be called any of the genres he decides to take from and build upon. I was literally taken aback by his producerial genius a couple weeks ago as I sampled some tracks so here at EGP today I wanna share with you this bit of EDM gold. I'm warning you here, prepare to be blown away, at least I was. I think you guys trust me enough, now don't ya?

This first track is off his recently released EP Dog Unit, which by the way is available free, and this impressive beast of a song is a certified BANGER. His incorporation of Drumstep stylings twisted into a form only known as Raf Riley with an almost surrealistic feel to its highs, well placed and crunched into a almost royal sounding overtone complete with crushing intense bass and drumplay. 
 
Etta Bond x Raf Riley - Boring Bitches by Raf Riley
 
This next one is featuring vocals from Etta Bond. Her and Raf Riley have another free EP out called ETTA BOND X RAF RILEY for your listening pleasure. This song is just as impressive with a Trap outing that quickly destroys the wall into some more intense bass-play. This is sure to get spun at many events soon, and I for one can't wait to hear this dropped.

This next one is the first track off the Dog Unit EP, and this is Trap at its finest. It creatively mixes that police siren sample in a way that doesn't make me pissed off at it, and that's a feat in itself. The 808 bass is something else and its interludes are surprisingly funky. Making a whole ensemble that feels like something you'd listen to in the future in some far off time where music has evolved beyond comprehension.

I personally believe Raf Riley might be the next big thing especially with the whole Trap movement coming on up in the EDM scene. Keep your ears open, and expect a lot from him. I know I'm gonna be on the lookout for any shows or events in the area that he might spin at. If this isn't enough to make you keep him on the radar then I don't know what is.

Till next time.

Love and Light,
Z

The Z-Dar: Haywyre

Where to start?! What's up people Z here, and I'd like to share with you an artist that has had my ear for quite some time. Haywyre is the name, and if you hadn't been up on this increasingly popular artist then just let me enlighten you for a bit. Martin Vogt has a style that can only be called his own with a sick mix of electronica fused with dubstep, Hip-Hop styling, and classy Jazz breaks that come together nicely. He's definitely one of the more talented artists as he masters and produces all of his own stuff, and incorporates tons of live instruments in his recordings as well. He is definitely one to be on your radar and today at EGP we're gonna share and review some of my more favorite tracks by the experience known as Haywyre.

Mezmerize by Haywyre

This first track is off his most recent album Infinite Which is available for free by the way via Bandcamp where you can find a lot more of his music, Its stylings give almost a nostalgic feel with a very video game-esque feel that comes together nicely with an ambient flow in the beginning crushing into one of the most liquidy smooth drops I've heard in a long time. Definitely a favorite by most who know the extended discography.

The Observer (Preview) by Haywyre

This next one is off the Encompassing EP which is available at Beatport. It has an almost dark grinded glitch hop feel with great highs that bring the song full swing into an emotional roller coaster. The real drums in the overall package give it a very evil Big Gigantic feel. This song is totally nuts in the best way possible and its one that I frequent a lot, and that's hard to do. 

This hard little gem is off of his album The Voyage also available on BeatPort. It shows off his harder side with a Dubstep outing that boarders almost on mysticism. It definitely entrances with its sick breaks, and dramatic style. Another personal favorite I thought would be great to share.

Another one off of The Voyage, this track Atmospheric Evolution shows the intense versatility of Haywyre as it starts off with some smooth jazz, all instrument work done by Haywyre himself that prove his legitimate musicianship. It's one of those laid back tunes you play to get that fix of some harder Glitch Hop without getting too intense. Stuff like this really certify that he's got a lot more potential that I feel future releases will blow people out of the water.

Raw Crunch by Haywyre
 

Raw Crunch ft Jay Fresh by Haywyre
 

Rawest of the Raw, Raw Crunch, My FAVORITE track off Infinite, goes ridiculously hard with some of the chillest lightest glitched out intro and interludes that make an altogether full spectrum song. With one of the dopest funk influenced drops you can ever imagine with vicious velocity inducing highs that make anyone wanna dance. It's a killer for sure and there are even two versions of this song at your listening disposal. The second one features rap by none other than Jay Fresh It adds a lot of emotion to the overall package that was already a great track made even better. A god send for DJs that wanna mix some variation into their sets if they are already on the haywyre train.

As you can already tell Martin Vogt of Haywyre spares no punches in his race towards EDM glory. Keep your eyes and ears open for him, He's climbing in popularity as we speak and I for one look forward to seeing him at tons of events and festivals in the future. He has six releases available for download and purchase here at his website but I'll list some quick links for your ease.

Haywyre - Lotus (2009) (FREE!)
Haywyre - Of Mellows and Revalations (2010) (FREE!)
Haywyre - Dubsonic (2011) (FREE!)

Haywyre - Infinite (2012) (FREE!)

Haywyre - Encompassing (2012)

Haywyre - The Voyage (2012)

Love & Light

Z

The Polish Ambassador: Superpowers EP Preview (Fitz)

So, The Polish Ambassador has returned with more news of a future filled with space aged beats. His new album "Superpowers" (which is being released FREE on his website on August 1st) is a marked departure from his last release, Homeboys in Outerspace 2. Sounding more similar in tone to his more recent Explosions in the Sky and Bon Iver remixes, this new EP has six originals that seem to suggest the Ambassador is trying to increase the population of his listeners in more ways than one. This is straight baby-making music with a beat. Equally befitting  night stargazing on an empty beach or a trek home from whatever strange planets your adventures have brought you. You can check out the albums first single "Earth Crush" on his soundcloud now, and while you're there you should catch up with all his music. If you haven't been following The Polish Ambassador already, do a little homework 'cause this mans music is definitely out of this world.

 
Explosions in the Sky - Your Hand in Mine (The Polish Ambassador Remix) *FREE DL** by Polish Ambassador
The Polish Ambassador - Earth Crush by Polish Ambassador
 

You can catch The Polish Ambassador live on tour. He appearing this Sunday, July 29th at Catalpa on Randalls Island, New York, and at Gnarnia in Beech Mountain, North Carolina. The Polish Ambassador's live performance is something you have to see to believe. Imagine a non-stop flow of every type of song, regardless of genre or generation, that makes it impossible to stand still. I frequently refer to his last NY appearance in March with Stephan Jacobs and Alpha Data as minute-for-minute the best show I had ever seen in NY, and I am looking forward to as much time with the Ambassador as I'm allowed.

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