article written by Alex Lambeau

When people come to Miami Music Week, they are faced with over 300 events spread out over the course of 7 days. If there is one event to attend, it is Ultra Music Festival, bringing in over 100 of the hottest names in dance music to Bayfront Park in Miami. One of the highlights of the 2023 lineup is, without a doubt, the RESISTANCE Megastructure stage. While most of the hype and media will focus on the main stage performances from Martin Garrix, David Guetta, Hardwell, and Swedish House Mafia, the DJs at RESISTANCE cannot be overlooked. Festival Squad has put together five can’t miss performances from this year’s Megastructure.

Eric Prydz Presents HOLO

When phase one of Ultra Miami was released to the public, hundreds of people pulled the trigger on buying tickets for this Ultra Exclusive performance. One of the most exciting visual and audio experiences over the last decade has been none other than Eric Prydz’s HOLO show. Tailoring a progressive house and dark techno set to some of the most stunning and immersive visuals make HOLO one of the most anticipated two hours of the festival. Ultra officially kicks off Prydz’s HOLO tour before he ultimately heads to Coachella, Creamfields, Tomorrowland, and more. Likely ready to debut new music and a handful of newly curated 3D images.

CamelPhat

One of the fastest risers to worldwide headliner status has been the British duo of CamelPhat. Having cemented themselves at the top of the melodic-techno scene with Tale of Us, CamelPhat will bring their hit singles “Breathe”, “The Sign”, “Panic Room”, and more to Bayfront Park. In 2022, the duo played the smaller RESISTANCE stage and packed out the stage past capacity. With their success and recognition clearly outgrowing the Cove Stage, CamelPhat has moved into an impressive third-to-close set at the Megastructure.

Maceo Plex B2B Michael Bibi

Maybe the most interesting booking of the festival, Maceo Plex and Michael Bibi will go back-to-back on the decks on Friday Night. With a Solid Grooves showcase on Friday Morning at Club Space, Bibi will likely head straight from the popular club to Ultra. Serving up minimal tech-house and non-stop groovy basslines, Bibi will be sure to keep the Miami crowd moving their feet. On the other hand, Maceo Plex will add a techno element to the set, in what will be sure a spectacle to see. While at first glance, the styles may not seem to mesh together, these two talented DJs are masters at their crafts, and will put on a performance to remember.

Mathame

Hailing from Italy, this brother-duo will provide a unique and psychedelic techno experience. While Mathame has received plenty of fame for their releases on Afterlife, their signature sound has been prevalent in their latest releases on the American Astralwerks record label. Easily some of the most distinctive and eerie synths in techno, Mathame can hardly be contained into a single genre of music. Mathame has been a veteran to worldwide RESISTANCE events, but 2023 marks the duo’s first appearance at the highly regarded Ultra Miami. With Ultra being the only announced show thus far for the Italian brothers, Mathame has established themselves as a must see for many in attendance.

Tale of Us

In 2023, Ultra Miami is not complete without a Tale of Us booking. Having built their name on a
global scale year after year, Tale of Us may be the most anticipated performance for the entire
festival. Carving out the modern definition of melodic techno, these Italian producers are behind
the most captivating singles in dance music. Using NFTs to create stunning 3D visuals for their
songs, thousands will head to the Megastructure to get their chance to see Tale of Us.
Comprised of both Anyma and Mrak, the majority of songs from Tale of Us have come from
Anyma singles. Arguably the hottest name in dance music behind Fred Again, Anyma has
released “The Sign,” “Eternity,” and even his own remix of Swedish House Mafia and Fred
Again’s “Turn on the Lights Again.” Ready to take Miami by storm, Tale of Us will play second-
to-close on Sunday.

Don’t forget to grab your tickets to Ultra!

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The post Five Can’t Miss Sets at Ultra’s RESISTANCE Megastructure appeared first on Festival Squad.

Suki Waterhouse—actress, model, and icon of the Tumblr years—is now pouring her talents into taking her music to the next step. After teasing fans with a single or two nearly every year for the last six years, Waterhouse released her debut album, I Can’t Let Go.

The highly anticipated, full-length project is even having its impact on those previously released singles. “Good Looking,” released in 2017, hit #1 in the US, Canada, and Australia within one week of the album’s debut.

I had the opportunity to check out Suki Waterhouse at Elsewhere for her second sold-out night in Brooklyn last Friday. This was my first live show since March of 2020, and I really couldn’t have asked for a better welcome back.

Beautifully nostalgic

When I first started at Festival Squad, I was still a teenager. Deep in the Tumblr phase and listening to the likes of Lana Del Rey, M83, Arctic Monkeys, The XX and The Neighbourhood (coincidentally, Jesse Rutherford was in line behind me to get into Waterhouse’s show). Friday night transported me back to those angsty days in the best way.

Endlessly grateful

Suki Waterhouse was just as excited to get to perform for the crowd as the crowd was to see the performance. In between songs, her smile couldn’t be bigger. Taking a minute to explain how she had always felt this gravitational pull towards music, Waterhouse expressed how happy and grateful she was with the reaction to the album. When singing, you could almost see the release from all the years of timidly putting out a single here and there and questioning this passion. It felt freeing just as a spectator.

A Timeless Icon

Her stage presence, her voice, her band, even down to the suit she rocked on stage—it was all just so effortlessly cool. A dark, maybe-couple-hundred-cap venue was the perfect setting for the night. I’m really glad I caught her at this stage in her music career. Small, intimate shows are my favorite way to see an artist, but I don’t think Suki Waterhouse will be playing small crowds for much longer.

Catch Suki Waterhouse on tour with Father John Misty later this summer, and keep an eye out for future shows here.

The post Suki Waterhouse Just ‘Can’t Let Go’ appeared first on Festival Squad.

If you are a lover of bass music like I am, allow me to introduce you to the next rising bass star, Ravenscoon. Paul, aka, Ravenscoon, is enormously talented and performs with the skill of a seasoned veteran. He brings his audience on a journey through sound- effortlessly blending bass, rap, melodic dubstep, trap, and even drum-n-bass. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform live last weekend and he played an absolute rowdy set of bangers–the crowd went wild. He has since become one my new favorite bass producers. I was supposed to interview him in person, but alas his flight was delayed and we weren’t able to sit down together; I’m thankful I was able to conduct the interview via email. I did get to meet him after his set and can confirm that he’s a very kind, humble person, contrary to the filthy set he had just played.

Ravenscoon just released a new single “Speakaz” from an upcoming EP on the Wakaan label, of which he is incredibly proud. Give it some love below, but I wouldn’t operate heavy machinery while listening–you’ve been warned!

Lucky for us, he posts lots of mixes and sets on Soundcloud–I’ve linked one of my favorites below (his remix of “WAP” is *chef’s kiss* perfection). He hosts a radio show called “In The Nest” and features guest artists. If you have the chance, do not miss seeing Ravenscoon perform – I promise you won’t regret it. 

Festival Squad: Your music spans an impressive number of genres– bass, death metal, hip-hop, trap, drum-n-bass, rap and trance. Where do you draw inspiration from? Any specific artists?

Ravenscoon: I am constantly being inspired by everything around me in life. From movies, books, music, friends, fleeting conversations, the way the wind blows through the trees. I take all of the beautiful moments around me and try to incorporate them into my music. As for specific artists that are inspiring me – my current list includes Deadcrow, Skeler, Peekaboo, Flozone, Tape B, Illanthropy, Emurse, ISOxo, G Jones, Tripp St, Sully, Super Future, AHEE, and many, many more than I can name.

FS: What inspired you to make the transition from music lover to producer? Was there a specific artist or moment that made you decide this is what you wanted to pursue?

Ravenscoon: I had been making fan mixes on Soundcloud because I wanted to hear the songs I loved in the order that I wanted to hear them in. My friend Drew and my fiance Taylor both encouraged me to take it a bit more seriously and start creating my own original works. Eventually I took the dive and decided to learn – as it had always been something that I was interested in. Even back in 2010, I did a self-directed study on music production in high school, so it was a long time coming.

FS: Please walk me through your creative process of producing music.

Ravenscoon: I have a different process many times when I decide to write music, but what I’ve found most successful is when I use a template I created with a palette of drums, FX, and my sound design that I can use to write something that sounds like me, but new and different. Oftentimes after playing or attending a big concert I find myself teeming with creative juices and want to sit down. Typically I like to start a song in a 5-6 hour session.

FS: I read your interview with EDMIdentity where you shared your lifelong struggle with sleep disturbances– night terrors, sleep walking, sleep paralysis, astral projecting and lucid dreaming. You said your dreams have really shaped your waking life. How do you draw inspiration from these experiences in your music?

Ravenscoon: Many of my songs include ethereal sections of pads, sparkling arpeggios, and psychedelic vocal chops – all of which I feel induce a dreamlike state to my music. Many of the lyrics and samples in my music also reference dreaming, dreams, your mind, etc. I feel like music is such a powerful outlet for me because I can recreate some of those moments of beauty, fear, terror, and love – and still get people to groove and dance to it. It’s very cathartic for me.

FS: You’ve been open about your sobriety in a world where that must be incredibly challenging. Do your sleep disturbances play a role in your sobriety? 

Ravenscoon: I think the sleep disturbances and sobriety are separate things that I deal with. They may be related or tie in with some mental health issues that I also struggle with, but I haven’t explored that with a doctor before. It could be interesting to do a sleep study with a doctor and figure out more, but that is expensive and time consuming, so for now I just learn to deal with the hand I’ve been dealt.

FS: Who are some artists you’d like to collaborate with?

Ravenscoon: My top list of dream collabs (living/realistic collabs) would be Skeler, Deadcrow, Liquid Stranger, Zeds Dead, Subtronics, Nero, Rusko, Caspa, Peekaboo, Jantsen, Rezz, Infected Mushroom, LSDream, Barnacle Boi, Griz

FS: How did you arrive at your name, Ravenscoon?

Ravenscoon: My last name is Conversano. I put it into an online anagram generator and picked the first one that stood out to me, “Ravenscoon”

FS: What are some of your pre-show rituals? i.e. Meditation, yoga, eating a delicious meal or working out etc.?

Ravenscoon: I like to get to the state I’m playing to early. Check in, eat, take a nap, and then take a HOT shower before heading to the venue. Typically I don’t like talking much to other people ~30min leading into my set as I’m getting in the mental zone to give my best possible performance.

FS: What are you passionate about outside of making music?

Ravenscoon: Food/Cooking, Politics, hiking, film, astrophysics, science

FS: You’ve caught a lot of hype in the last few years, which is impressive given live shows weren’t happening. How did you hustle to make a name for yourself?

Ravenscoon: I dedicated all my free time to producing and getting better there. I also released 14 songs each year and about a dozen mixes and live streams. Consistency is key!

FS: What advice would you give your younger self? What words of wisdom do you have for yourself going forward?

Ravenscoon: Live in the moment. Things do get better. If it feels wrong, it is wrong. Be patient, kind, and listen more.

FS: Any exciting things you’re working on that you can share with us? 

Ravenscoon: I am releasing the first single of my EP on Friday via WAKAAN. This is the biggest, best, and most cohesive body of work I’ve ever put together. I also have 10 other songs in addition to that and some cool shows/tours/festivals to announce…

FS: You’re playing at a few festivals this summer. Which ones are the most exciting for you?

Ravenscoon: Honestly all of them. I think the stand out is Bonnaroo because that was the first festival I ever went to, 10 years to the date. It feels very surreal to have these incredible opportunities.

FS: If you could create a festival of your own, who would be on the lineup?

Ravenscoon: Griz, LSDream, Liquid Stranger, Bonobo, Deadcrow, Skeler, SBU, Hyperforms, Ytho, Emurse, Barnacle Boi, Brothel, Sully, TVBOO, Kumarion b2b Reaper, Notlo, Sky Suite, Infected Mushroom, Of The Trees, Black Carl, VCTRE, Tipper, Mize, Taking Back Sunday, SoDown, A Hundred Drums, Wreckno, Moore Kismet, Austeria, Rufus Du Sol, Sum41, Blink 182, Kendrick Lamar, Gucci Mane, J Cole, Miley Cyrus, Bring Me The Horizon, Slipknot, Deftones, Flume, Tool, Radiohead, Jack Johnson, Glass Animals, Purity Ring, The Story So Far, The Devil Wears Prada, Tame Impala, Lana Del Ray, Peekaboo, Desert Dwellers, G Jones, Clozee, The Widdler, Pushloop. ATYYA, Goopsteppa, Meduso, Molokai, Illanthropy, Sully, Canabliss, Redrum, Sharlitz Web, Ganja White Night, Detox Unit, ISOxo, Moody Good, Xaebor, My Chemical Romance, Papadosio, STS9, String Cheese Incident, Lettuce, Jantsen, Rusko, Minnesota, Tape B, Tyler The Creator

FS: How do you feel about pineapple on pizza?

Ravenscoon: Big pineapple on pizza guy. I don’t get it often and instead get it as a treat. I prefer pineapple with ham and jalapenos 

For tour dates, music, mixes follow @Ravenscoon and visit https://linktr.ee/ravenscoon

The post SIT DOWN WITH BASS MUSIC’S NEWEST PRODIGY: RAVENSCOON appeared first on Festival Squad.

I had the honor of sitting down with the wildly talented Megan Hamilton at Same Same But Different Festival 2021. LA traffic almost prevented us from meeting, but luckily we were able to reschedule and I’m so, so thankful we were able to meet. As soon as I met Megan, she immediately was warm, kind, down to earth, and cool — very cool. Any nervousness I had melted away instantly. Meeting her felt like meeting a friend I just hadn’t met yet.

Her set was so much damned fun– the crowd was going wild and the energy was palpable. Her energy fueled the crowd who reflected it back to her, making her set one of my favorites from the weekend. Not only can she throw down hard, but she’s a wealth of knowledge. She spoke with such fervor and passion, whether it be about the BLM Movement and other social injustices, the history of singers/songwriters (especially women), food, or crickets in her mackerel. It’s refreshing to know the person behind the decks is a good and wonderful person. 

Interviewing Megan was fun and effortless; she was easy to talk to and didn’t give cookie-cutter answers. We dove deep into all kinds of topics, which makes for a longer interview but it is worth it to finish it — I promise. 

Festival Squad: Thank you so much for taking the time to sit down with me, Megan. I really appreciate it. This is your second time at Same Same But Different; you played back in 2019 and a little birdie told me that you threw down so hard that a lot of people thought you were the headliner. They also mentioned that you brought out a violinist to perform with you. Assuming we can expect the same headliner energy this weekend, should we also expect any surprises?

Megan Hamilton: Last year I brought a sax on stage, not a violin. It was Alex Kish, who lives in LA now but he used to live in Minneapolis and he used to play in a project that I started called Megan Hamilton and the Bermudas. Kish, myself, and another member, Pat Olson, had a live element during our shows all the time, which was cool. Well, when I started flying a lot that became less sustainable. We want to reintegrate it, but it just isn’t the right time. But Kish lives here in Cali now. So it was exciting to bring him on stage last year and to get to play a few songs with him because we hadn’t done it in a while. And so this year, Will [Magin] of Balkan Bump, hit me up because we have our song, “Big Loco” together. So he came and sat in with me on trumpet last night for the encore, which was such a cool experience too! Will lives in Oakland now, in the Bay Area. I have a special connection in the Bay Area. A friend in San Fran has a family home that allows us to stay when we want. It’s like on the 14th floor of the Comstock building, on the top of Nob Hill overlooking the Bay Bridge. I’ll open the whole wall [of windows] at 6am and watch the sun come up –I’m an early riser. And I’ll just produce until I’m literally getting sunburned from the sun. Wow. Yeah.

Festival Squad: Wow, what an incredible space that must be!

Megan Hamilton: Shout out to Bo for that– he’s such a generous person. And I brought Maddy O’Neal out there before for us to produce stuff together. And that’s where we derived the new project that we’re going to release soon called Housewives.

Festival Squad: Oh, that’s cool! Please tell me more about that project. 

Megan: So Maddy and I will be starting a new project this year called Housewives. It’s basically a Tech-House/Deep House duo with lots of funky influences, as that’s our nature. And we’re really excited to announce that project officially. We officially announced it at Sonic Bloom of ‘19, but then you know the shit hit the fan. It’s still happening and [at the condo] is where we derived the idea for Housewives.

Another time Will and I were there, we made “Big Loco“ in a matter of an hour or two.

Festival Squad: You put that whole track together in a couple of hours?

Megan: Yeah! At the beginning, there’s the stomp clap with the vocal sample. And I actually made that originally for me and Maddy to work on because I wanted a very Gwen Stefani vibe like, [sings exactly like Gwen] “Uh huh, this my shit / All the girls stomp they feet like this.” I wanted a cheerleader- like-marching band kind of vibe in a song. And then me and Maddy didn’t end up being able to work on it. So I had this whip when I went to San Francisco with Will and I was like, “What do you think of this?” And he just was like, [imitates trumpet trills from “Big Loco”] and I was like, “that’s so sick!”  And then we just hammered it out. 

Festival Squad: So you’re about a month into the tour. I’d imagine it was pretty rough not being able to do what you love for over a year, but I’m sure it feels pretty damn good to be back. Aside from obvious precautions, are you approaching shows any differently now as an artist? Anything you’ve discovered during quarantine that you’re taking with you on the road?

Megan Hamilton: Oh my gosh, quarantine was a much-needed break for every touring artist in the world, in my opinion.

 Festival Squad: Really?

Megan Hamilton: Oh my god. Yes, we all needed this. I think I’m going to go a little tangential here, but it is so expected of all of us as artists to bust our asses till we are literally are on the verge of physical and mental exhaustion– it’s mentally and physically abusive. Sometimes the amount of stuff that we have to do on a weekend is absolutely overwhelming. It’s very pushed on us by management, by agencies, by the stigma of the industry that you should be not sleeping, working your ass off, and never not working, the stigma suggests that this makes you a hustler and that’s “cool.” I hate this mentality that working yourself to death is a good thing. And I think that’s a stigma of this industry that really needs to change for the betterment of the health of artists who are especially incredible because they feel extended pressure to continue to be that incredible. I’m not comparing myself to people like this, but you can look at people who have had this intense pressure on them forever, like Britney Spears, Amy Winehouse, and Whitney Houston. These talented artists were pressured and pressured and they felt literally guilty for not giving that talent to the world or not fulfilling the expectations that were created for them by their crew. They feared all of the letdowns that they would create by canceling shows. If Amy [Winehosue] was to cancel a tour, you’ve got four lighting directors, a visual artist, stage techs, and, at that level, a crew of at least 80 people that are out of work for your entire tour, and you’re supposed to be paying them. So it’s a lot of things that add to the pressure of having to keep going. And it’s really fucked up. It is draining the energy of the people that bring all the entertainment to this industry. And it’s frustrating to watch that mentality of a hustler be glorified when it is killing us.

Festival Squad: I don’t pretend to understand the musical portion of it, but I imagine it’s similar to other areas of life, like climbing the corporate ladder. I think glorifying overworking is a generational concept and I also intensely dislike how toxic and unhealthy this mindset is.

Megan: Exactly. When COVID happened, I had this revelation, “well it was a great break, right?” And then all of a sudden [management] said, “Okay Megan, you have 18 dates. Now, jump back in and GO!” And that level of exhaustion of having seven or eight festivals in the last two months after having none was a tough adjustment. To then have a whole other source of sustainable income that you’ve created over COVID to supplement not being able to tour, and then balancing that other source without having to drop it cold turkey when you’re expected to start touring all of a sudden again was really jarring and exhausting. And going through that really made me realize how much is expected of us in terms of just working ourselves to death, like I said, and so I think that was an epiphany that I’ve had where I feel more confident telling management, “I understand that you think it’s a good idea that I play three shows in a weekend so that we can get a good look. But when I’m getting six hours of sleep it’s not worth it to me anymore. And I’d rather have the slow burn, I guess, over time and remain healthy mentally and physically, rather then be busting my ass so hard to get to the top.” And I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve pulled from COVID- you don’t have to do what everyone expects of you. A lot of people were making music that wasn’t what was expected of them, including me, because why? It was my time to do what I wanted. And people who want to hear what I do will listen to it anyway. So it was a good period for deviation and to kind of find out what we care about instead of following trends. I think a lot of people found themselves during this time.

Festival Squad: Since being on tour again, have you felt the power to set boundaries and say, “I’m not doing three shows this weekend”?

Megan: Yeah, I have already done that once. As you tour, you become obviously smarter about what your boundaries and limitations really are. You know, everyone would like to push themselves to the limit so that they can network, network, network, and meet all their fans and just grind. You have to set those boundaries for yourself if you want [your career] to be sustainable.

Festival Squad: I know you’ve been an advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement. I also noticed that you’ve participated in several Twitch streams where proceeds were donated to organizations like Reclaim The Block, The Minnesota Freedom Fund and the Black Lives Matter movement. Thank you for using your platform. Would you mind sharing a little bit of what living in Minneapolis was like during these last during the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd?

Megan: [big sigh] Oh, that is all so still fresh for us having been there. I think everyone gets a little emotional when they think about all of that. We were boots on the ground as much as we could, because that’s the work. And it was mentally taxing, but we have to remember that’s what black people go through every day of their lives. And it is not my time to complain. 

We were at the protest where the semi-truck drove onto 35W and ran into us. We were there. I have videos from the frontlines of all that– it was so scary that the bridge just emptied. And there were bicycles everywhere. My partner grabbed two bikes each and just rode them off the bridge to try to just save somebody’s stuff. People were helping us throw stuff over and while [the police were] shooting gas and pepper spray and all this shit at us -while we were just trying to get the fuck out of there. It was very traumatizing– the whole thing was traumatizing. But on a positive note, we got both bikes back to their owners. 

Festival Squad: Wait, how?

Megan: I posted on Facebook in lost bikes groups and we got them back with serial number confirmations and receipts within like three days of that protest.

Festival Squad: That’s wonderful! I bet the owners didn’t think they were going to see their bikes again.

Megan: Probably not. And that was really a positive side of that particular incident. But going back to George Floyd square, which is still there and is a very emotional experience. There’s just so much more work to be done with our families, the way that we talk to people, and the way that we allow people to speak. 

I think that Minneapolis is the best place I could have ended up, coming from Montana where I was raised to be racist and sexist…and I wouldn’t say not a good person, but a person with bad or false values, who is ill-informed and uneducated. People are afraid of what they don’t know. Moving to Minneapolis was great for me in a lot of ways and helped to make me much more progressive. I don’t think I would have come out as bisexual had I not moved to Minneapolis. It’s done a lot of amazing things for me. 

Being there for that time–I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. And it was very tough. But I will continue to forever push advocacy for what needs to be done with my platform until I die. Because my platform is a gift that was given to me and to not use it for something besides myself is fucked up. And I refuse to do that. And the opportunity is so easy for everyone. Every single artist at this festival could be having shows that are supporting things that they care about….but the bottom line with agencies and management is money, and I just don’t want to be one of those people.

Festival Squad: Well it’s amazing that you are using your platform when a lot of people don’t feel that they have the freedom to do that. Thank you for being vocal and for supporting for the BLM Movement.

Megan: Yeah, I think they do have the freedom to but people are afraid to take initiative. They’re afraid to alienate people who shouldn’t be their fans anyway. I don’t really give a shit–if you don’t want to like me because I support civil rights, women’s rights and I support equality for every person on this planet — then you can go fuck yourself and don’t come to my show and I don’t give a shit.

Festival Squad: Amen. Given the events that have occurred over the recent years, people have grown more and more adamant about demanding change when it comes to diversity. Have you noticed any improvements in the music industry in regards to underrepresented groups, i.e., members of the LGBTQ community, women, and people of color? What are some changes you would like to see happen? 

Megan: To be honest, I don’t think I’ve experienced any bias based on my [sexual] orientation. But the industry was made by men, for men. I am friends with a couple of women who were the initial big deal dubstep act of Minneapolis and in the country. They were assigned to play under me, signed by Play Me Records, and best friends with Reid Speed, who is one of the most OG women in the whole entire industry. They had to request a drum riser for their sets so that they could be tall enough to DJ on the tables, so people could see them above the LED walls. So there’s one example where this industry is made for men. It’s made for people that are not 5’-0”, 5’-2”, 5’-3”, like some of my friends. I’m 5’6″-5”; when I play in front of a huge LED wall like that, lucky for you, you can see 2/3 of my face. On some stages, you can barely see me at all. It’s just how it is. 

Another example is one that really irks me: when you tour there’s no consideration for the fact that as a woman, you’re not able to get ready like a man is. I cannot count the amount of times I put my makeup on in a public restroom to get ready for a show. I’ve changed my clothes in a public restroom because the only bathroom in the green room has had five men take a shit in it. And after you’re driving in a van for eight or nine hours, all you want to do is freshen up and be able to brush and straighten your hair, put your makeup on, you know, things that men don’t consider. In the last year when I was on tour with seven men, we never one time stopped at the hotel prior to the show. Every single show I did my makeup looking at a foundation mirror–the tiniest mirror on the planet–so that I could feel like I looked good enough to go on stage. That really irks me–not being able to freshen up before shows.

Festival Squad: Have you started to request on your rider for both a space for you to freshen up and enough time to do so?

Megan: I don’t think that I have because I’ve just started to realize this huge disparity that’s happening, and how unfair it is. And I think I learned to just accept it for a long time because that’s the way it was, but that’s not okay. And the more and more women that come into this, the more and more we’ll start hearing about these sorts of issues, I hope, and those kinds of things will be changed. But one of the first steps that I do need to make is to talk about it more and to make specifications on my rider to make sure that those things aren’t happening to me anymore.

Festival Squad: Yes, requests for a full-length mirror and a space to decompress and to get ready in. A request for your own bathroom/a clean space–those aren’t big asks and they don’t make you a diva.

Megan: No, they’re not. If our fans and patrons get a women’s bathroom, why don’t I? And at some venues, I do get my own room and I do get my own shower, so this is not a general complaint. But when you’re on tour in a Sprinter van, you don’t have time to go get ready. You’re showing up right on time for soundcheck and there’s no consideration for needing extra time as a woman. A dude could throw a hat on and a new t-shirt and they’re done. Yeah, I cannot do that. And that really weighs on my reputation because I’m a woman. Because of the way I’m expected to look all the time, the way that I’m expected to act, the way that I’m expected to talk and the way that I’m expected to present myself in front of everyone is very much gender ruled….and it gets really old.

I’m expected to look good on stage and expected to look good after I’m done playing on stage, when people want to take photos with me and my hair is absolutely covered in sweat and my makeup is running and I look horrible. It’s just not a thing that men have to deal with that much. The gender role expectation…I feel the weight of it. I feel pressured to look good all the time. And not only that, I also know that it does impact the way people see me and the way they react to me, and the way that they perceive my entire set and everything that I do. So not being able to look my best all the time, it kind of sucks. You even have to get all ready if you want to do a reel on Instagram!

That’s what it’s like being a woman in the industry: you don’t get time to get ready. You don’t get consideration for the time you need to meet the expectations of the crowd, per my gender role.

Festival Squad: Yes, those expectations set on us [women] by society as a whole.

Megan: It’s the way it is. Every revolutionary woman in history has dealt with “the way it is,  the status quo.” Every minority in history has spent time thinking that the way to get past something is by causing the least amount of trouble, but that’s clearly not what changes things…George Floyd speaks to that one million percent.

Festival Squad: I really love what you spoke about women, but what about other groups within LGBTQ community, such as the gay or bi members? From a fan’s perspective I have noticed in the last few years, more and more artists felt empowered to come out as gay or bi. 

Megan: I think it’s awesome we’re able to be present with that. I think we’re ahead of some other sectors of the music industry that have not been able to do that. However, I do often have the conversation with people about how about 90% of the women that I meet on tour are gay, specifically those who have their own solo act – why is that? When you look at the ratio it seems to be very common. And I wonder if it’s because masculinity is so prominent in this industry that women who exhibit more masculinity than they do femininity are more accepted into this community. 

Festival Squad: Wow, that’s fascinating and interesting. I never would have drawn that conclusion on my own, but I can see how that makes sense.

Making a hard left turn here. But your disco take on Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” is absolutely amazing. You worked with some pretty incredible names on it as well. Can you walk me through the process of creating it? From the moment you found out “Jolene” was written at 114 BPM to calling in all these great artists, like Jason Hann and Brian Powers, I imagine it was quite the journey.

Megan: Once I realized that “Jolene” was at a House tempo, essentially, I was like, “this could be a disco song.” So initially I wrote a drum beat at 125 bpm (beats per minute). The first person I sent it to after I had laid down some guitar and basic keys to get the progressions down was a bassist. And he accidentally recorded it at 120 bpm, but it was way better. So I slowed it all down and then sent it out to the guitarist, Pat Olson from The Bermudas, and he laid down on that. And then I sent that out to Todd Stoops (keys), Jessica Board from Spectacle (violin), Jimmy Geisinger (keys) and Jason Hann (bongos), the percussionist from String Cheese Incident. We also worked with Brian Powers, who is the mixing and mastering artist for Victor Wooten and has done stuff with the Doobie Brothers, Prince, and lots of other people. And they were all super, super stoked on this and I just wanted to really do it justice. And like I kind of said to you earlier, I just knew I couldn’t do that by myself just using samples and this and that. So I really wanted to provide some authenticity and something that was really real. It was an amazing experience. It would never have happened had COVID not happened and we did it all remotely–none of it was done in person. So that was kind of the process.

And then it was super serendipitous: just sort of shortly after I finished the track, (we hadn’t released it yet) I had made a comment that I would love to design some beer cans because I’m a graphic designer by trade. I got a commission and the first one they’re like, “Since it’s International Women’s Month we want to do a beer can with Dolly Parton on it, and it’s called ‘Working Nine to Pie’ and it’s a guava, lime, Marshmallow, graham crackers sour.” So I got to design the beer label for a can in Minneapolis that was called, “Working Nine to Pie” and do this whole Dolly artwork for it (shown below).

I also got to do one for Listermann Brewing out of Cincinnati, Ohio. For International Women’s Month, I featured four of my favorite women and pioneers in the music industry. It featured Mary Clayton, who did all of the vocals for The Crystals (everything you hear is her and not The Crystals). On the Rolling Stones track, “Just a Shot Away,” [The Stones] called her in the studio at four in the morning and they said, “we need you here right now. That whole song is a ‘one take Drake’ by Mary Clayton. 

I also did a beer label for Linda Ronstadt and was such an OG. She sings the song “Different Drum.” It turns out, Linda Ronstadt is actually half Mexican. So she didn’t grow up speaking a ton of Spanish, but she did overtime. She became one of the most famous female artists during the pre-Americana rock era of women becoming popular. She was really good friends with Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris. She told her label, she wanted to an all Spanish speaking album, and just like Selena wanting to do an English album, they told her to “fuck off.” That album is the number one selling Latin album of all time to this day. 

Then I designed one for Carol Kaye, who was the bassist for “The Beat Goes On” and “These Boots Were Made for Walking” and so many other songs. If you look up her on Wikipedia, the amount of things that she contributed to was absolutely unbelievable. She did the bassline for “La Bamba” by Los Lobos.

There were so many absolutely incredible women that people didn’t even know were part of famous bands. She was part of The Wrecking Crew, [as well as the only female member.] Editor’s Note: The Wrecking Crew were a collective of musicians/singers in Los Angeles in the 60’s and 70’s who contributed to many of the famous songs and movie soundtracks. Their contributions went completely uncredited in order to maintain the illusion that most of these famous musicians played their own instruments or sang their own songs. They could be counted on to produce a wide variety of musical styles quickly and at the drop of a hat.

And so the last beer label I did was of Dolly Parton. So [the commission I did] featured all four of those women. I got to do two Dolly cans in a month, and that was really cool. 

Festival Squad: That’s really special because you had just worked on “Jolene.”

Megan: Yeah, it was so serendipitous and made me feel like I was doing the right thing. 

Festival Squad: What a great way to pay homage to these incredible artists and women, which is so important. I didn’t know most of what you just shared with me, that all of these women were propping up these all-male groups. You don’t hear about that part and it’s tragic that they’re not the ones who are getting credit for anything.

Megan: To give another example of women propping men up in the music industry, did you know Mary Clayton was one of the original Raelettes? The Raelettes were the backup singers for Ray Charles. She spent a lifetime working behind and working for [men]. She would sing ghost vocals for people that weren’t doing it themselves. Phil Spector, who was a highly abusive producer and is now looked back on as a total piece of shit, has a lot of successful albums, records, and artists under his wing. He finally told Mary Clayton, “okay, let’s do a solo track for you.” And they did. She heard it one day when she was in a coffee shop or something,  and the radio station said, “and here is such and such song by The Crystals!”  They fuckin fucked her over and she never released anything original. She is on this really incredible documentary called 20 Feet From Stardom, and it’s all about backup singers. And you know, she never wanted to be a solo artist. And you’ll hear interviews with Amy Winehouse and Whitney Houston saying the same thing. So many of those artists didn’t ever want those positions. They were just thrust into them because of their talent and because their family wanted the money and because they knew they had so much pressure on them to pay all these people. She has this really iconic line, in my opinion, ”to be a solo artist, you need a certain amount of ego which I don’t have.” And that’s true.

Festival Squad: How honest of her to admit that. 

Megan: It is. She didn’t want it. You’ll find that with a lot of people who play bass or drums or guitar in bands — they don’t want to be in the spotlight. They don’t have that ego. They want to be a part of something great — but they don’t want to be in the spotlight. 

Festival Squad: Very interesting. Thank you for sharing all of that. Looping back to our last question, have you sent your disco banger version of “Jolene” to Dolly Parton?

Megan: Haha,I would love to. We tried. I tweeted at her but she never responded.

Festival Squad: I mean, I think she would love it. So adding to an already impressive resume, you also teach at Slam Academy. There’s no doubt that your students are in good hands. But I’m curious to know if there’s anything that the teacher might have learned from the students?

Megan: I learned that everyone’s on different levels. That was a hard class to teach when I taught a lot of people at once. We’ve since turned it into private lessons. But it was so hard to teach so many people that are on just different wavelengths, different levels of where they’re at musically. Just learning to meet people where they were at was a good thing for me. Some people have released stuff, some people never have, some people have songs ready for release. Some people have been putting stuff out forever and they don’t know where to go from here. So yeah, it’s hard to talk to all of them at once.

It’s a 12-week program and we just need to refine who comes to that, to make sure that they’re getting the most out of it. Here’s a link to Megan’s classes: https://slamacademy.com/instructors/megan-hamilton/

Festival Squad: Speaking of your resume, I may or may not have just scrolled through the entire Feed of Your foodie account. That “Damned Good Gouda Burger” from Stanley’s looked insane. I’m sure tour life introduces you to great food from all over the place. Is there a city that you get a little extra excited about playing shows in due to the food scene? 

Megan: I love going to Señor Bear in Denver. And they also just also opened Mr. Oso, which is another way to say Señor Bear. It’s one of my favorite little Mexican joints, sort of Americana Mexican–bougie Mexican– it’s not super authentic. I love going to Austin and eating at El Alma or any food truck. Honestly, Austin has a great food scene. I love going to Seattle because I can go eat at Japonessa, which has the best happy hour. If you want sushi I love going to San Diego and eating at The High Dive. It’s right on the ocean and is sort of a dive, but it isn’t. They’ve got some really cool what I call, “gourmet junk food” items. San Francisco is a favorite of mine; Hang Ah Tea Room on Nob Hill is the first dim sum restaurant in the United States. “Dim sum” is a Vietnamese for, “for the soul.” I love Asian culture so much. Mymy is an amazing place to get brunch when you’re there. I could kind of go on and on. I have a list on my phone of my favorite spots to hit per town. It’s absolutely ridiculous. We can catch your reaction here [she pulls up a note in her phone to show me and begins scrolling. There are probably 8-20 restaurants listed PER CITY]:

Okay: New York, the Bay Area, Sacramento, San Diego, Denver, Chicago, Las Vegas, Tucson, Austin, Toronto, Calgary, Santa Fe, Miami, ATL, Portland, Seattle, St. Louis, Cancun, Tulum, Playa, Indianapolis, and Philly. If you ever want to eat anywhere, let me know!

Festival Squad: [eyes wide, mouth agape] Wow, I was not prepared for that extensive of a list! Amazing! Yes, I will always check with you, haha. 

Okay, what is the best dish and weirdest dish that you’ve come across while on the road?

Megan: I mean, that’s relative, I guess to other people. I eat a lot of octopus. Whenever there’s octopus, I’ll eat it. It’s awesome. And I guess that’s probably one of the weirdest things to other people. I’m not crazy adventurous. But okay, there was a king mackerel ceviche at Colita in Minneapolis that had some fresh cut of raw, king mackerel shrouded in a lot of citrus vinaigrette, and then covered in basil, mint, coriander, cilantro and then roasted crickets. And it was one of the best things I’ve ever had. And at first, I was like, “Babe, I think I just ate a bug.” And she was like, “yeah, those are bugs.” And we were like, “Well, it was good!” And then we just ate every bite we had and asked, “Where’s that bug? We need the crunch!” It was delicious.

Festival Squad: So you didn’t know when you ordered the dish that there would be crickets in it? Oh, interesting. It was great you guys were okay with it!

Megan: No, we didn’t, haha.

Festival Squad: I don’t know if I would have been okay with that…but maybe if I was tricked into eating it like that then maybe I would be?

Megan: I think the same is true for me and Sugar Taco in LA. It’s a vegan taco spot where I ate everything up before they were like, “Hey, we have an extra thing of cashew cheese if you wanted some nacho cheese for your stuff” and I was like, “you’re…this…This is vegan, isn’t it?????”  And I’ve eaten fish taco and everything at this point. Didn’t know it.

Festival Squad: Yeah, that’s awesome. What’s the weirdest dish?

Megan: Probably the king mackerel. With the crickets.

Festival Squad: So it was weirdest and most delicious? Yeah,

Megan: Yeah. Weird. But wow, something I normally wouldn’t have picked, probably. 

Festival Squad: I want to circle back to Twitch for a second. There was something euphoric about watching all of these live streaming sets from the comfort of my bed with a stocked fridge and a nice, clean bathroom just steps away. As a performer, can you give us some pros and cons to live-stream performances versus in real life?

Megan: There’s no reciprocity of energy. you can watch the chat but then you’re not doing your job either. The reciprocity of energy is so important. And I’ve said this to people, “you know, I’ve seen people lean on my stage with their elbow. They put their head in their hand before and watch me. As a performer, that kind of bothers you a bit because you’re like, “alright, I’m trying to vibe off you and you’re kind of messing up my vibe.” But then I can always find someone in the crowd who’s getting down and I can lock eyes with them and think, “you and me –we’re doing this” and I just will connect with that person. I remember saying that one time though, to Manic Focus, J Mac. He was like, “dude, how many times have you been watching something you thought was awesome. But you weren’t dancing?” And I said “a lot….” And he was like, “okay, so why is that the metric you measure for someone who’s enjoying your music? They’re watching you with intent. Just because they’re not dancing doesn’t mean they’re not into it.” And that really changed my perspective on it. Sometimes I think, “I still wish I didn’t have to watch you not moving, but I am glad you’re there. Because obviously, you wouldn’t be if you didn’t want to be.”

Festival Squad: I imagine you might take a little personally though, that they’re not celebrating in a way that you’d prefer?

Megan: I’ve realized it’s just a projection of my desire for them to give me energy.

Festival Squad: Well, you seem to really, really feed off the crowd. I’m so glad that we’re doing this interview after I got to see you perform because you were magnanimous, electric, and you can tell that this is your passion and that you love every moment.

Megan: Thank you so much.

Festival Squad: I think you might have been happier to be here than a bunch of fans in the crowd, and it shows! My boyfriend made the same comment during your set last night. He said, “wow, she’s so happy. You can tell that this is what she loves to do.” And I said, “you’re so right.” Your ponytail was swinging from side to side and you were jumping constantly. And I loved your response to when your USB popped out of your laptop [about 15 mins in the music cut off for about a minute] And you got on the mic, laughing, and said, “Wait a second, guys–wait a second! The bass was so loud and so intense that it popped out my USB! Damn you guys know how to get down!!!” It was just such a pure and honest moment. You recovered beautifully and didn’t miss a beat. It endeared you to us as being human but also having a sense of humor.

Megan: [laughs] Thank you. I think a lot of people can get caught up in moments like those and say, “Fuck Fuck Fuck” but that’s so stupid. Shit happens. And to make a big deal out of it– the crowd is gonna reflect your energy. And if you’re gonna have a bad time, all of a sudden, because of something that was out of your control then the crowd is gonna pick up on that, and they’re gonna feel a little weird. And that is just silly. You can’t beat yourself up or something like that. The show must go on. Say, “I’m a human, now let’s fucking get back to it.”

I think it does take everybody a while to get over that [fear] because you can have such anxiety about those things happening. It’s such a waste of energy to get so worked up about things that are totally out of your control. The more you can just own it and move on, the more people are going to do the same.

Festival Squad: Those are all of my questions. Thank you so much Megan for your time and for allowing me to interview you. I so, so appreciate you taking the time to reschedule our interview for today. 

Megan: Me too! Thank you so much! 

If you haven’t seen Megan Hamilton live yet, GO SEE HER.

Check out her socials (she’s super funny and very entertaining to follow) and tour schedule here. 

The post Take a Deep Dive with Megan Hamilton [EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] appeared first on Festival Squad.

Festival Squad [Andrea] : Hey, Dylan! To start off, let’s take a deeper look into your new track “Beauty from Pain.” The song is beautiful and melodic but powerful with its many layers and presentation, much like the process of transformation. Could you tell us a little bit about your inspiration for writing this song and what it means to you? 

Dylan: I first want to say, thank you very much for the kind words in regards to the song! The direction of this creation came from an ongoing battle of relationship failure amongst coming to the end of a terrible year, 2020 (and still living the reality of it in 2021). Each song for me is a guide; each melody at hand is necessary to move forward as a human being. It comes through me from the feelings of the experience that is shaping my present moment. My music tells a story of depth in which ways my voice could not find possible. Finding beauty through a frequency derived from pain, it’s more like a life force and it serves as a therapy… finding importance and healing through each song.

Festival Squad:  I relate to that, having just gone through a breakup after all of this craziness too.

Let’s go for a ride in the time machine. When did you first begin making music and what has had the largest impact on your sound at this point in time?

Dylan: I started around 4th grade and had my first electric bass guitar by 5th, first electric guitar by the age of 13. I really started diving into songwriting and the idea of wanting to perform music for a living when I was 17. At the ages of 21-26, I was performing throughout Colorado, Arizona and California with a friend as a duo called Transfer Station. For the last handful of years, I have been perfecting my sound as a solo artist. That inspires me every day to leave behind something worthy of being proud of. I feel my period of time living in Colorado has had the biggest impact on my influence. It was an incredible time seeing so many amazing shows out there at Red Rocks and the venues of Denver, let alone being a part of an amazing local music scene. 

Festival Squad: In terms of songwriting, what does your creative process look like? Is there anything you are currently working on that you are particularly excited about?

Dylan: A lot of times I will find a tempo that I’m feeling and start playing chords that sound good together with my guitar, hearing and feeling out a lot of songs on the spot. I record my whole process of jamming over my basic layers (kick, snare, few chords). I go back and listen to what I recorded and pick and choose what sounds best…creating an entirely new song from a sit-down jam session. For this particular song, I recorded most of the guitar work after I recorded the midi keys for the main Piano sounds. 

I’ve been song writing all year long with it being a main focus and I have a handful of projects to be released this year! Each song brings such a unique experience and I hope people really take the time to dive into them. 

Festival Squad:  Your set at Gem & Jam 2020 was amazing. What has been your most memorable performance experience thus far, and why? What would be your dream event to perform at?

Dylan: Thank you very much, I’m glad you were able to catch the performance! I’d say one of the most memorable experiences looking back would be my set with my brother, Scott, performing as Transfer Station. We were on the main stage out at the festival FireFly Gatherings 2015. It was my first music festival I’d ever been to, as well as my first festival performance. It was such an uplifting/eye-opening experience. I thought to myself, this where my music and soul belong. 

I’ve always fantasized about playing Lightning In A Bottle and Electric Forest! 

Festival Squad: That’s all for now, thanks for chatting with us! We are looking forward to catching your next set and jamming out to your next music release!

“He wants to heal others with his music as it heals for him, helping his listeners escape through warm frequency that shifts in high energy…like the rays of the sun.”

~Keep up with Sunn Rays~

Website

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The post Sunn Rays: Transforming Pain into Beauty appeared first on Festival Squad.

If you’ve been around the electronic music scene for a while, chances are you know and love Tritonal’s iconic song, “Still With Me.” The track was written with Cristina Soto– the original vocalist for the duo–and has solidified a spot in nearly everyone’s heart. It truly has stood the test of time and become nostalgic for the genre. We’ve heard it played at countless live shows and festivals over the years and heard its many remixes. Cristina Soto mixed the iconic song she co-wrote with Tritonal, “Still With Me.” Coming up on the 10 year anniversary of the song’s initial debut, Soto chose to create an acoustic indie-rock recording that is largely based on the Seven Lions’ remix. This stripped-down and simplified version captures much of the original song’s spirit. Hauntingly beautiful and raw, the acoustic version features Soto’s brother (Rob Soto) playing the guitar, which makes the project even more special.

Chad from Tritonal recalls creating “Still With Me” in 2011 with an exclusive quote to Festival Squad:

“Before writing this record, Cristina had informed us that she was considering moving out of the country, and it put a heaviness on our hearts.  When we all sat down in my apt to begin writing “Still With Me”, the question I wanted Cristina to ask herself was, if this is the last song we ever write together, what would we want to say? About 3 days later she showed back up gleeful, with almost all of it written.” -Chad

Be Still With Me

Soto is no stranger to making crowds swoon. During her career, she’s worked with Illenium, Said The Sky, CloZee, and Psymbionic, just to name a few. The original song is dreamy and melodic, with Soto’s ethereal voice highlighted by gorgeous sweeping chords and simple synthesizers. While a quieter track, it still elicits powerful emotions and encourages the listener to “Slow down / let me be still with you / still with me.” Personally I love bass and dubstep, but absolutely live for moments when artists intentionally slow their set down; it allows for a beautiful respite where the crowd can tap into the emotional/melodic parts of themselves. “Still With Me” has been that gorgeous and euphoric moment for me countless times. 

My favorite remix is the Seven Lion’s remix, which masterfully preserves the powerful melodic force, all the while adding more texture by layering in small wubs and dubs. Soto’s vocals still take center stage and are amplified by his infusion of Melodic Trance that he does so well. I attended The Alchemy Tour last fall and was overjoyed when he played it, especially as I hadn’t heard it in so long and had forgotten about it. “Still With Me” created a beautiful moment of stillness during his intense set. I remember hearing the opening notes and it stopped me dead in my tracks, giving me goosebumps. I teared up to be completely honest– I know you know the feeling! 

Thank you, Cristina, Chad, and Dave, for creating a dreamy and iconic song that will forever hit me in the feels when I hear it live. And an extra thank you to Cristina for reinvigorating this track and giving it new life. Be sure to listen to Soto’s acoustic version!

The post “Still With Me” Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary with an Acoustic Transformation appeared first on Festival Squad.

“Yoga is like music. The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul creates the symphony of life.”
– B.K.S. Iyengar

Most of us know that music and movement are inextricably connected. Our bodies are full of rhythms, like the steady drum of a heartbeat. Likewise, our bodies are attuned to music, and sometimes can’t help but move to beats that we enjoy.

That’s what yoga collective Drishti Beats aims to do. Based on the Sanskrit word for “focused energy and gaze,” Drishti Beats combines chill, downtempo electronic beats with live vinyasa instruction for an immersive yoga experience. 

“The music and the movement are symbiotic,” founder Lori Lowell says. The goal is to introduce and inspire people to experience this symbiotic relationship, stimulating the body, mind, and spirit and creating a heightened sense of awareness, another level of connection, and energized bliss.

It runs in the family

Drishti Beats began in 2014 when Lori and her husband Jeremy Lowell attended a music festival with live yoga instruction. Lori and Jeremy are yoga instructors, fitness center owners, and musicians. They decided to create a band that plays on stage while they guide vinyasa yoga flows. 

They started collaborating with their daughter, Ariel Lowell, and son, who goes by the stage name Em Lowe, laying down electronic tracks and adding vocals, including socially conscious rap. Next, they added Carol Carson on the violin and Ricardo Branco on saxophone. 

“We started creating [yoga] flows that are synced to our music, and also leaving space for the musicians to speak their language through music,” said Lori. 

Since then, Drishti Beats has appeared as a major act at some of the most popular international festivals including EDC, Okeechobee, Sonic Bloom, and Mysteryland. “The coolest thing is being able to travel the world and perform with our kids, and to bring our grandchildren along,” Jeremy said. 

Drishti Beats was planning on hosting their first-ever festival in summer 2020, which has unfortunately been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. 

Evolving & expanding

The extent of their work isn’t limited to festivals. “Drishti Beats is this umbrella for the band, the group, and all these things underneath,” Lori said, including yoga teacher training and “Yoga On Demand,” instructional videos featuring their music. 

And their repertoire continues to expand. Early on in Drishti Beats’ history, CloZee did a remix of their song, “Journey.” Now her label, Gravitas, has picked up a Drishti Beats song. 

The single, “Find Your Way” ft. DAYZ, was released as part of Gravitas’s Virtus in Sonus V. It provides a satisfying soulful house conclusion to the eclectic compilation that includes artists like BARDZ, Illustrated, and Shakti. Stream Virtus in Sonus V on Spotify or name your price to buy the digital album. 

Don’t wait until next festival season to finally catch a Drishti Beats set! Yogis can stream a free 55-minute flow or subscribe to a Drishti Beats Yoga on Demand plan, which starts at $10 a month. Or simply blast their Spotify channel, whether you move to the beats or just chill.

The post Drishti Beats Creates Music That Syncs to Yoga Flows appeared first on Festival Squad.

I’ll never forget the first time I saw High Step Society: it’s 9:00 p.m. on a Sunday night in August, 2018. I’m at an intimate music festival called Summer Meltdown in the lush forests of Darrington, Washington. Papadosio has just finished playing, and High Step Society, a group I had never heard of, is on next. The lights come up and the seven band members immediately spring into action, playing their wide array of instruments with gusto. The ensemble are sporting vibrant Roaring-20’s-esque costumes. An adorable redhead vocalist serenades us with sultry tones, rendering me momentarily speechless. Being it’s the last day of a four-day festival, my entire body is aching and screaming at me to rest—but that all changed within the first opening minutes of their set. The bass boomed, brass instruments trilled and I couldn’t help but dance like it was the first day.

Jazz Meets Bass Meets Electro

High Step Society are the perfect amalgamation of wildly talented jazz musicians and electronic producers. Their complex sound is incomparable to any other artist and their live shows are SO. MUCH. FUN! I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them three more times since Meltdown, and I’m impressed every time. Having live instruments and a vocalist is rare in the electronic music world. Collectively, they play the upright bass, drums, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, horn, saxophone and keyboard. What other band makes you want to headbang and do the Charleston in the same song? I’ll wait….

“Jazz Bangers”

Their latest EP on Gravitas Recordings, Perception, is a 12/10. Their self-described cocktail of “electro bass jazz” is unique, edgy and truly innovative. High Step Society can be counted on to produce what I like to refer to as “Jazz Bangers” (I made it up but it works perfectly in this case). I’d like to think that their sound is the byproduct of a few jazz musicians being transported into 2020 and have been taken under the wing of some filthy bass producers. It’s a fun visual, right? Listen to their music and you’ll see what I mean! During their live performances I swear they boost the bass.

My favorite track is probably “Perception” thanks to the heavy bass that promptly greets you at the beginning. Granted, I’m a basshead so I’m biased, but the track is high energy and punchy. The song exudes soulful jazz with interwoven wubs and dubs that are punctuated with sexy brass notes. It’s the most delicious cacophony of sounds made perfect by the velvety notes sung by the vocalist. Check out the music video below.

“Sidestep” is the perfect track to illustrate the balance between bass meets jazz. Its upbeat tempo with perky brass notes and thumping bass will make you feel some kinda way. The honeyed tones of the vocalist will transport you to a smoky dance hall where dancers jump and sway to the beat. I can’t emphasize enough that in order to understand this perfect juxtaposition you must see them live. You won’t regret it, I promise. Give Perception a listen below and check out their website here.

Always a Crowd Favorite

High Step Society played again at Summer Meltdown this past year, but this time they closed the festival on Sunday night. They were the perfect note to end the festival on! The entire crowd went wild as though it were the opening set on the first day with renewed spunk and energy.  Even though I was absolutely spent, I grooved and shimmied because you just can’t NOT dance your heart out when High Step is performing.

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OCULA has had a busy 2019. Between releases on compilations from mau5trap and Anjunadeep, an official remix for Lane 8 and a widely acclaimed EP on Lane 8’s This Never Happened label, OCULA has quickly built a reputation of delivering and captivating diverse electronic releases. The way OCULA, who hails from the UK, crafts tonally organic and melodically laden house feels at once familiar and fresh. He’s gained a substantial following and support from industry mainstays such as BBC Radio 1’s Phil Taggart. And now, OCULA hasdelivered ‘Summit’, a 5-track EP by the way of This Never Happened. While one may harken to easy reference points on progressive house such as OCULA’s own label mastheads Lane 8 and deadmau5, one cannot refute the sheer merit of what he accomplishes on this release. Summit is meticulously crafted in OCULA’s signature style, a fresh and forward-thinking fusion of energetic progressions and poignant soundscapes.

This EP would not be out of place on the intimate floors of dance clubs or on your record player on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Such is the masterful fusion of sounds and vibes on this EP. Every sound on Summit feels purposeful. OCULA masterfully weaves ebbs and flows of rhythm, melody and synth work together into a sum much greater than that of their individual parts. ‘Insignia’ shows these skills off well, with a brooding and spacious beginning building intrigue and suspense into the bastion of energetic and melodic progression that follows. The ebb and flow of melody and tension create worlds within sections on ‘Insignia’. OCULA meanders through them like a rower, skillfully and seemingly effortlessly. It’s at once serenely simple and utterly exhilarating. The same immaculate world building can be seen on the title track ‘Summit’–a gentle, serene beginning grows and transpires into a gorgeous, lively resolution. It is at once blissful and animated.

The gorgeous melodic compositions across this EP are a key strength OCULA displays and ‘Summit’ is no exception. The melodies feel spirited, the textures unapologetically organic and real. There is not a word spoken on this project, yet every element of this EP feels thoroughly empathetic, unmistakably human. Tracks like ‘Rise’ and ‘Ember’ use this to a calming, sobering effect. On these tracks, OCULA layers soothing melodies with heavenly, expansive synth soundscapes. He creates a girding, warm antithesis to the unbridled energy on ‘Insignia’ and ‘Summit’. ‘Divinity’ seems to synthesize these two worlds, bringing together the gentle meandering progression of the slower songs with the energy and pulsating grooves of the first two.

The result he creates is an intriguing fusion of rhythm and soundscape. It’s at once poignant and danceable. The fusion of the two halves of this EP into a cohesive whole feels proud but not boastful, relishing in the achievement of fusing these styles together to such powerful effect in a fresh, unique tone. Melody highlights rhythm, rich texture shadows pulsating percussion. This record is not in the slightest disorienting and doesn’t need to rely on shock value for appeal–it’s sheer musical and compositional merit is enough to have you hooked on this release and anxious to hear what OCULA will bring to the table next.

Learn about more Illuminate artists on No Place Like, a deep house record label based out of New York City here.

OCULA will be touring alongside Lane 8 for his upcoming ‘Brightest Lights’ album tour. ‘Summit’ is now available to buy and stream, via This Never Happened.

The post OCULA, A New Up-and-Coming Deep House Artist, Releases His New EP ‘Summit’ on This Never Happened Records appeared first on Festival Squad.

Festival Squad: Thanks for speaking with us today! We are excited to speak with you about what you’ve accomplished as an artist thus far and what you have coming up. To start, can you tell us where you got the name CARBIN from?

CARBIN: I’m a pretty big gamer, and I actually got the name from the Need for Speed: Carbon video game.

Festival Squad: Awesome, we love that. To stay on the topic of beginnings, can you tell us what were you doing before you started producing? What inspired you to get into the music industry? 

CARBIN: I used to be really into aeronautical engineering but then one day I heard Bangarang by Skrillex and after that it became my dream to have him play my music at his shows! This was in high school and it took about 4 years until things started taking off and he played one of my songs. And now I’m making music for me instead of trying to get people to play it at shows. It took about 5 years from that point to play my first festival, Dancefestopia, and then I played at Lost Lands after. 

FS: Love that back story. Taking a step into the present now, we’re obviously in the middle of a pandemic limiting touring and festivals. How are you doing through all of this? How has this affected you creatively? 

CARBIN: As much as it has been annoying to be “trapped” at home, it has actually made me way more creative and I’m very excited about music again! I have went outside my comfort zone so much recently and it feels good. I have been trying different genres including drum and bass, wook bass, and pop and even a little bit of country. If you ever want to see what I’m working on, you can head to my Twitch channel and I will often produce music live there. I don’t feel like I have writers block, its been great. Other than that, I like to go outdoors to clear my mind and get back to music. 

FS: Are you working on any big projects we should know about?

CARBIN: One! My new house alias called “O2”, a Drum and Bass EP, and a Wook EP. I want to tour as O2, it’s a nice breath of fresh air and thats why it’s called O2… its oxygen. I’d like to tour with that alias and get into house music. Oxygen is also a complimenting element of carbon too.

FS: Love that they go hand in hand like that, very creative. So tell us, which song is your favorite that you’ve produced so far? What makes it so special to you?

CARBIN: Definitely “Whatchyu Gonna Do”. I put 6 months of production into that song and it just took a lot of effort to work, I don’t know why. 

FS: What would be a dream collaboration for you and why?

CARBIN: I would love to work with Skrillex, Missy Elliot, Nero and Knife Party. They are all the best of the best in my opinion and it would be an honor to blend my creativity with theirs.

FS: Great choices. Speaking of collaborations, we noticed that you’re doing a lot of livestreams on Twitch and with Crizzly and Big Chocolate. Are you planning to host those throughout the rest of quarantine? 

CARBIN: I have been live-streaming a lot, yeah! I think I am at day 38 or so, I started on March 6. I plan on doing more production and game streams consistently until the end of quarantine. I might as well! It’s fun and I love connecting with fans. I also take time to critique songs that are sent by fans. Again you can check out my Twitch and follow/subscribe to keep up with what I’m doing there. I do offer music critiques for my subscribers when I stream too.

FS: On the topic of live streams, what streams have been your favorite to watch so far and why? 

CARBIN: I’m not going to lie I haven’t watched a lot of streams but I did enjoy Digital Mirage and all the Insomniac streams. 

FS: How about festivals? What festivals are you looking forward to later this year/in 2021? 

CARBIN: I was looking forward to playing my first O2 set at Backwoods Music Festival but at this point doing festivals in the near future is just a dream sadly. 

FS: We are pretty sad about whats happening to festival season this year too, and we are hoping for a strong come back soon! What/who are you currently listening to that we should check out? 

CARBIN: I have been listening to basically nothing but drum and bass. Sub Focus, Kanine, Paul T & Edward Oberon plus many others!

FS: Anything else you want to share with us? 

CARBIN: Like I said before, I’m always streaming! Come learn, laugh and just have a good time with me! I’ve got multiple new EP’s in the works and I am stoked for you guys to hear them!

Get to know CARBIN THIS OR THAT questions

Beach or mountains? Mountains

Bass or House? House

Sweet or Savory? Sweet

A night out or a night in? A night out

Movies or gaming? Gaming

Exploring national parks OR exploring a new country? New country for Sure

Reading a new book or learning a new language? new language 

Catch CARBIN live on Facebook today, April 17 at 11am PT to hear what he’s working live and get a chance to see Android Jones’ MicrodoseVR visuals! You can also support CARBIN via donations during his stream. Support CARBIN via venmo at McKenzie-Morrow, and Paypal at CarbinOfficial@gmail.com.

The post House, Bass, O2 and CARBIN [Exclusive Interview] appeared first on Festival Squad.