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I am so unbelievably excited for StereoTerra! This is the first annual festival for StereoTerra, being held this weekend in Edenville, Michigan. It features one of the best lineups I've seen all summer. On top of that its being held in nature. Imagine the woods, two rivers and a lake... the place looks gorgeous. There's also going to be plenty to do outside of dancing and jamming out, with such activities planned as a festival wide scavenger hunt, their own version of the dating game, and "the worlds largest dreamcatcher" over the course of four days and all for a pricetag of 75 dollars! I have a feeling this may be the festival of the summer and Electric Ghost Punk will be there to provide coverage. Here's a quick sampling of some of the artists playing.
Z here, and I'm just coming back from a long weekend out in Pennsylvania at Big Dub Candy Mountain that took place at Four Quarters Farm, the home of many awesome festivals such as Wicker-Man which I was at earlier this year. I had an amazing time and there was a great atmosphere of the whole place with positive people spreading knowledge and good times, and today at EGP I'm gonna share with you an overview of the community and the overall feel of this beautiful event.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful with a lush forest dotted with hills and creeks with nicely done rock stacking that were breathtaking and clear water open for swimming. Every corner was filled with surprises to no end, there was a gigantic stone henge upon first coming in circling where the main stage was located which I thought was cool enough on its own with massive slabs of rock imbedded into the ground all pointing towards the show but upon closer inspection I saw every individual rock had some sort of charm dedicated to it weather it be a giant crystal geode hidden near it or some geometric tricket. It was a cool little easter egg waiting for whoever looked, and attention to detail like that is what really creates a soul of the place.
The set work was also impressively well done with a minimalist psy-trance-esque nylon set work that focused more on enhancing the natural beauty of the place rather than creating its own which was only pushed even farther being that the meteor shower was going on in the clearest of skies. it gave for a nice effect, and the psy-trance influence was more prominent on the second stage that was wooden platform raised a bit higher that the forest itself with tons of psychedelic artwork influenced from other tribal cultures. They also had geometric sculptures made of florescent painted metal and nylon hanging from trees making lots of well known structures, the life pattern constantly rotating being a predominant one followed some platonic solids and other interesting ones. I really had alot of fun just being in these places even when there were no sets going on, as they kept all their laser shows and lighting on the stages on all throughout the night for whoever wanted to hangout there, and that was awesome of them.
The staff and event goers there were by far the chillest collection of people I have ever had the privileged to hangout with as well. Never have I seen a more mutually intelligent, motivated, and talented crowd. Everyone was sharing lessons and experiences with each other, nobody was a shady character or out of place and the staff were all like minded and helpful as well. They even had a native American style sweat lodge meant for spiritual renewal with actual guides and collective harmonic chanting. I didn't get the chance to go in myself this time around, but it definitely caught my eye. Proving that they are kidding and they take this seriously which is beautiful of them.
The talents that showed up were some of the best light and fire artists I've seen hitup a festival, there were very few amatures and among the pros the ones that stood out were like elites. I saw poi chipsets that haven't even hit stores yet, amazing hoopers, and got introduced to a bunch of new dope gloving cocepts. This seems to be the trend at Four Quarters Farm since whenever I end up here people are passionate about this places and aside from whatever festival that goes on and brings whoever there are people that come to every event here regardless of what event it is. I saw alot of familiar faces and alot of new faces and honestly it was one of my favorite events this year.
Hey guys, Z here! This past weekend...where to begin?! Oh man stacked weekend all
around guys, I know all of you have epic stories on the mayhem that
ensued at the annual Mad Decent Block Party in Williamsburg Park last
Saturday instead of its last year location South Street Seaport. It
was crazy event thrown for free by the amazing people at Mad Decent
which I personally enjoyed the hell out of, torrential downpours and
biblical lightening aside but we'll elaborate on THAT later. It was
one hell of a scorching hot and humid day on asphalt with literally
no shade whatsoever but all the free Vitamin Water and music kept everyone
there hydrated and sane [lol]!
Looming-Dooming Clouds Will Not Separate Us
The Mad Decent block party returned to NYC this year in its long standing run since 2008 in Philly where it humbly
started with a lot of (now) big names. This year other than NYC it has
hit it's home again along with Toronto, and if you haven't caught it
and are lucky enough run over to it in Chicago on the 18th and soon
to be Los Angeles on the 25th. Never away from a festival setting have
I seen a more dedicated and connected crowd, it seemed everyone had
their own thing to add or experience to share with everyone and it was
all just a great time. Lots of old friends and new ones and the collective
mayhem that went down was something to be admired. For now though I'm
gonna share with you my opinion on who put down the best shows at this
years Mad Decent Block Party.
Zebra Katz
Zebra Katz was definitely a crowd bringer,
literally hipster girls and guys from all over started running to the
stage as soon as they were announced. It was quite the spectacle, with
asses shaking everywhere to their signature song I'ma Read which they
dropped every other song I'm certain was an I'ma Read remix. It didn't
piss anyone off as most might think it actually got crowds going again,
and again.
Baauer
Baauer KILLED IT, Best set of the whole day
with Trap galore as we would all expect from the man. I never
seen a crowd wave so hard to bass in my life, and when Harlem Shake
dropped, man I even went in. He played a relatively short set but MY
GOD was it a banger and a half. His amount of energy was buzzing all
around the crowd, literally when he was more into it, the crowd got
more into it making a back and fourth twisting of energy that really
got everyone noticing and excited as hell.
Riff Raff [if you see somebody hating point them out]
Riff Raff is a guy that nobody quite knows
if he's serious or if he's kidding, and at Mad Decent it was incredibly
apparent to me that this guy was hilarious. Rap skills aside, people
say he's bad but if you look at it satirically it's genius. He blatantly
on purpose decided to lip sync rap which is unheard of and kept showing
it by talking to his DJ while his verses were up and joking around on
stage. It was my personal introduction to him but honestly I loved the
show and I'd see him again. Here's the crowd in Philly during his set:
One thing that kinda sucked was the intense
storm that got the rest of the show cancelled during Erol Alkan's set
leaving no appearances by Major Lazer which kinda got me angry but it
wasn't their fault. Diplo himself came out and gave an apology and offered
to play a longer set at the after party at the Music Hall of Willamsburg.
It grinded at a lot of people since it was a 10 dollar show for 21+ when
the block party itself was free and all ages, but I supposed there was
nothing more that could have been done. I felt bad for Mad Decent since
they did put together all the effort in the world for a great event
for free and they were getting a lot of backlash, but their precautions
proved to be true because right after the announcement came up riots
in the street and chaos ensued as a torrential downpour came out of
nowhere as if we all stepped into a shower. This is literal, no exaggeration.
I watched as lightening stroke buildings right near where I was running
with thousands of other people. In retrospect it was fun as hell, and
a little bit dangerous but no harm done. I mean it gives for a great
story doesn't it?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Hey everyone, Z Here! I'm sure a lot you guys already know that Zedd and Beatport are throwing a remix contest for that catchy tune of a song Spectrum,
and if you didn't then now you know why everyone and their mom has
heard this particular song or one of its many remixes floating all over
the EDM scene in the past couple of months. That isn't at all anywhere
near a bad thing in my opinion this song is one of the most killer
tracks out this year, and the plethora of amazing remixes that these
artists new and old, established or grassroots, big or even small as
hell keep this song and the entire scene fresh.
Never has one contest
amazed me over and over, and I feel us at EGP need to give a certain
spotlight to a few of these soon to be contenders in the EDM field. So I
took the time myself to get over to the contest page and check a bunch
of remixes out and pick out a few that really stood out to me as a
couple of my favorites and who I think would win. Keep in mind that this
is all my own opinion, I tried to do this with variety in mind so if
anything you know that if you don't like any of the individuals up here
you can figure that there's sure to be a bunch out there that you most
definitely will like. The contest winner gets announced by August 14th, so in the meantime enjoy some tunes!
This first one up is one by none other than AaA,
most don't know this man, the Laguna Beach native Erich Vickers, but he
really knows how to make a presence for himself. He's fairly well known
in EDM circles, and his remix of Spectrum goes hard with a higher tone
on the overall package, an amazing spaced out glitch hop kinda feel
which borders on funk and catchy new rythmns that fit in equally well
with the originals tone in and out. This one is a personal favorite of
mine which I know for a solid fact I'm gonna be bumping this for a
while.
This second one I'm showing you here is by ILLECTRIX.
He's another big name coming up from the UK. Nick KJ has been
producing for a couple years and has just started to come in circles
that are getting his name out there. He's pulled together a banging
electro house drumstep mix for the competition using what I think are
precise drum kicks and some heavy wet bass sounds to make an altogether
dope remix.
This banger of a third is by Foxsky.
He's from Fremont, California. His version of this song is an INTENSE
moombahcore track with syrupy slow melodic choruses bringing in an
altogether complete package if you love that spanish sounding beat
timings. Which I do. Bassssssss.
Now this Fourth one, is who I think will win, Now I could be wrong but lets see here. I'm sure you've all heard of Stratus
and if not, You should play catch up quick cause the EDM world is
moving on fast and furiously without you. This remix although just a
dubstep mix of Spectrum, gets treated with Stratus signature flair with
lots of intense novelty sounds into almost vertigo speed inducing tempo
shifts backed with a classic composition just only there to remind you
what genre you're actually listening to. It's a work of EDM art if you
ask me.
[scratchy records] WOAH
Hey ya'll, it's Wish[Paus3]. Z was telling me about this contest, so I had to check it out. Here's my two cents about he contest. I checked out the top voted, the mixes were hot! But, I know how sometimes talent can be overshadowed, so I went dooooown the list of entries and votes. I checked out this one mix by Razihel, and I'm glad I did! He clearly has a following, but the votes are lacking. Sitting between songs that were listened to at 700 something and almost 3,000 hits, Razihel's mix is almost at 6,000. Busing out some dubstep on the track is appropriate and he does it right.
That wraps it up for my coverage for
the contest. Hopefully I gave you all some insights into some directions
to look for new music, sparked maybe a couple of ideas for upstart
producers, or even showed you the new "favorite" song. Let me know what you think of the mixes in the comments below!
'We'll Hiiiiiide where love can save us... lol, its catchy. don't shoot me'
