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Shambhala Festival – BC, Canada

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Shambhala Music Festival’s Headliners are Released!


Shambhala Music Festival announces The Glitch Mob And REZZ as headliners for the 21st annual festival.  If you are at all considering making the trek to BC (British Columbia, Canada) for this fest, this video will certainly sell you on the adventure.

Watch and Enjoy!

 

What you need to know:

The Festival Website

How to buy a ticket

 

 

More info about the festival

After celebrating the historic two decade mark last year, Shambhala Music Festival is excited to return to the immaculate Salmo River Ranch in British Columbia, Canada on August 10-13, 2018 for the 21st annual edition. Taking place on a breathtaking family-run farm, festival-goers will have the chance to experience the best of what nature has to offer throughout four blissful days while witnessing hundreds of artists across six unique stages that are individually curated and run by their own stage directors.

To kick things off on the music front, the Shambhala family is pleased to announce their first confirmed headliners for the 2018 edition: Canadian DJ and record producer REZZ and pioneering bass music trio The Glitch Mob. This is just a small taste of what’s to come with the full lineup to be announced soon, which will bring performers from around the world in genres like dubstep, drum and bass, glitch-hop, house, hip-hop, trap, future bass and much more to Salmo River Ranch.

REZZ, affectionately known by her fans as “Space Mom,” started DJing at 16 and soon after developed the confidence to begin producing her own originals. It wasn’t long until she caught the attention of Skrillex and soon after released a project on his OWSLA imprint. From there, her rise in the EDM industry was meteoric as she released several projects on deadmau5’s label mau5trap, including her debut album. The Shambhala veteran recently announced that her second album is also in the works.

The Glitch Mob—comprised of ediT, Ooah, and Boreta—have been pushing the limits of electronic music since their inception in 2006. Meeting at an underground Burning Man party in Los Angeles, the three instantly kindled a creative chemistry that has led to an illustrious career with multiple albums and one of the most beloved live shows in dance music. The trio has announced their third album will be dropping on May 4th, and also recently released the first single entitled “How Could This Be Wrong.”

Shambhala began in 1998 as a grassroots gathering of 500 people on founder Jimmy Bundschuh’s family farm in an evergreen forest beneath breathtaking mountains, and has since grown overtime primarily by word-of-mouth thanks to past patrons and artists. Shambhala’s home has continued to evolve over the past two decades with a focus on infrastructure that ensures a healthy and sustainable environment.

The Shambhala team is currently working hard to prepare for the upcoming festival, carefully curating every aspect of the festival to maximize the attendee experience. Paired with their double-headliner announcement, Shambhala has also released is a stunning festival trailer to get attendees hyped. The video can be viewed here and will give viewers a taste of the unique Shambhala experience.

That’s not the only thing to get excited about though, as the festival has also launched “The Ultimate Shambhala Music Festival Experience Contest.” This will include flights, accommodations, tickets, merch, food vouchers, a stay at the Savoy Hotel in Nelson and much more. The contest is now live on their Facebook, and two lucky winners will be chosen to win this exciting contest.

General admission tickets are currently on sale and can be purchased here. High-end camping packages are offered in addition to some other accommodation packages for those traveling from afar. Carpool options and additional travel information is available on the Shambhala website.

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Pigeons Playing Ping Pong

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The Volcanic Pub Theater-February 12th, 2017

Wildly entertaining, eccentric and funk-nasty. The words that come to mind after last nights show at The Volcanic Theater in Bend, Oregon. I knew to expect some funk with an East Coast jam band influence. What I didn’t expect was a roller coaster of spacey interludes, mambo break-beats, and jazz waltz noodling. And yes, of course there was always a sneaky funk breakdown to tie it all together. On point transitions and tight coordination amongst the group allowed for fresh switch ups and genre blending. It’s hard to explain exactly how I would classify their style, but just take my word for it, you don’t want to miss them live. Its beautiful, musical madness at its finest. With a packed house on a Sunday night, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong definitely have a following and were a perfect fit for the wacky Bend crowd, looking to get the most out of their Sunday night.

It’s rare that you come across such an animated front-man as lead singer and guitarist Greg Ormont. Sporting pajama pants and a frizzy Afro, I’m pretty sure he never blinked. His wide array of facial expressions were both engrossing and humorous. My initial hesitation slowly grew into captivation and it became hard to look away. Incredibly skilled guitarist Jeremy Schon really took it to the next level. It was clear that this type of seasoned musicianship demanded a bigger stage. With a calm, natural presence on stage, Ben Carrey laid down filthy, funk bass lines to back the group. Drummer, Alex Petropulos playfully transitioned between different tempos, genres and moods with ease. All together, this group was a tight knit team. Their raw and playful energy on stage really reflected their confidence to push their music to new boundaries.

This group is big news and word is spreading fast. They had so much support that they were able to fund their new studio album “Pizazz” through contributions from their followers. It should be releasing sometime this Fall. Also, make sure and check out their new live album “The Great Outdoors Jam” coming out February 17th!! For those of you out in Colorado, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong will be playing at Red Rocks, August 13th with Moe and Twiddle!

Written by Greg Powell

Photography by Molly Buckiewicz

For more info on upcoming tour schedule, music and the band check out the links below!!

Music, buy album
Website
Tour

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Sonic Bloom 2016

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    Sonic Bloom 2016 has a stacked lineup producing incredible performances too numerous to describe here.  It is safe to say, “SonicBloom has become one of the best electronic music festivals in North America!”  It is worth noting the international talent attracted to the base of the Colorado Rockies to share their vision, talent and art.  To see the full lineup click here.  

     The mindfulness and vision to attract the top talent from across the globe, must be recognized and commended.  The three official stages vibrated with historic house music. This festival is the nexus of the Colorado electronic music scene.  The location is perched atop a beautiful space of land with the foothills of the Rockies to the west and windmill filled fields that go on to meet the eastern horizon.  The festival has succeeded at curating a fertile ground for the world-wide cutting edge of musical maneuvering. 

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      The sound systems are tuned to the valley and can bump through the entire festival grounds.  The security is appropriately staffed and energetically aligned.  The friendly faces can be found throughout the campgrounds, stages, in swinging hammocks, in high fiveing security guards, or the dancing chefs who happily serve nourishing food at reasonable prices.  The ice, in high demand in the hot sun is the only noticeably overpriced product at $1/lb.  The showers run at full capacity as people line up for their chance to clean off that layer of accumulated dust and dirt that is kicked up from all of the movement.  The sunny and beautiful weather also brings with it the dryness enabling the dirt to turn to dust.   The wind is welcome and the stream is an oasis for people looking to take a dip and cool off. 

Photo by M.Morahan © Freio Music 2016
Photo by M.Morahan © Freio Music 2016

     The unofficial or ‘renegade’ stages include tipis and camp sites stacked with speakers and subs.  The colorful crowd and the apex of art have arrived to create an immersive experience that people are willing to dedicate four days to.  Some of the crowd has traveled from across the continent to enjoy the this dreamed up reality. 

      This festival has become a small close nit group of people who are looking out for one another to form a utopic village for just under a week.  The production continues after the last set as everything needs to return to its original order; stages must come down, lasers, lights, projectors, sound & lighting boards, 1,000’s of yards of electric wiring, speakers, microphones, instruments, and framework to name a few.  The thankless work of setting up all of the stages and hauling in the gear was executed with time to spare and enough technology to entertain even the most avid of festival goers. 

      People in their ‘A-Game’ costumes come energetically into the festival entrance in groups.  Everyone has made 10+ new friends and friendly neighbors.   The exchange of ideas, paints, music and visual art permeate the mind of every attendee.  One cannot help but be inspired by something of unique beauty.   

Day in the Life; at Sonic Bloom:

Winds whip down the hills and across the plains. Dust moves in a hurried Eastwood direction. Every walk of electronic culture strolls through the grounds interacting with experiences, sonic vibrations and frequencies across the perceptible spectrum. Cars have been rolling in for over 12 hours at a steady pace filling up the campgrounds. The lucky and wise are nestled among the 6′ shrubbery whose neighbors are bushes and trees. My neighbors on the other hand-made the pilgrimage to SonicBloom from Louisiana. A tightly packed vehicle of four young energetic and enthusiastic beautiful artistic human beings.  As a group, it does not seem possible to gather so many like-minded humans in a place to enjoy and thrive in a collaborative environment.

Friendly staff greet the goers. The hippy chicks and the electric glowers.

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      From the lighting to the sound, from the stages to the camp ground, there are smiles to go around. With the hammocks from Yammocks, and the beats from the peeps the festi is full of fun-loving music geeks.

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      Three stages of stacked sets featuring some of the top electronic acts from around the world.  American electronic music lovers treat this event as an annual pilgrimage to discover and reunite with the music, people and source of creative energy that is the foundation of a festival.  Creativity flows from the ornately decorated stages and sublimely composed tracks that suddenly take hold of the listeners and create a simultaneous bodily expression of enjoyment including but not limited to twerking, spinning, jumping, dropping, exploding or floating.

         The breeze kicked up into a howl for Nightmares on Wax’s last song featuring one of the most recognizable guitar riffs around.  The high energy Bonobo set was filled with masterfully woven bass lines pulsing through the night.  The crowd can be heard cheering for miles. 

Photo by M.Morahan
Photo by M.Morahan

      The late night stages rage like there is no finality to human diurnality. The artists continue to stoke the flaming crowd into the next adventure and from one set to the next. The solitude of night embraced with the warmth of bass and faces.With the evolution of the performances, the pulse of the festival was amplified and magnified by the exemplified beat technique. The audible entertainment abruptly ended, with a slow retreating high pass filter that faded out for 15 min or more notifying the audience that the silent disco was starting. With headphones on, the party rolls on…

The nexus of Colorado electronic music counter-culture is here; at Sonic Bloom, on the beautiful property at Humming Bird Ranch.  

Gem and Jam Festival 2016

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Gem and Jam Festival 2016

Tucson celebrated their 10th anniversary of Gem & Jam Festival over the Valentine’s Day weekend with a star studded lineup accompanying a plethora of beautiful art, rocks, and performers. Every musical act performed flawlessly as if they each could have easily been the main act of the night. Nearly every show had performers across the three intricately designed stages whether they were flipping fire or moving to the groove. For the first time, Gem & Jam added onsite camping to allow attendees to make the venue their temporary home. Every single soul Freio Music met over the weekend was extremely kind and loving, making it easy to feel welcome outside of our home state.

 

Lyrics Born

 

The festival was held over the perfectly weathered weekend as it saw temperatures reaching to almost 90° during the day and dropping to cool summer-like desert nights just in time for the music. Entry into the venue and will call was seamless as there were never burdening lines despite attracting the largest amount of attendees in their history. The venue, located at “The Slaughterhouse,” was a perfect size, allowing minimal walking from one stage to the next. After the music was over for the night, Gem & Jam kept the music going almost until sunrise with three afterparties each night. Two were in downtown, and one inside the venue at the Onyx Stage.

 

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Stunning art was spread throughout the entire venue with a constant crowd watching their creation. Artists were constantly tending to their paintings and putting out some of the most spectacular pieces of art ever seen. There were artists beside each and every stage as well as their entire surroundings, providing their own show of creativity.

 

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It was overwhelming to see so many amazing musical acts under one bill. One could bounce from one stage to the next and see a nationally or internationally renowned act throughout the entire day! The Quartz Stage was beautifully hand decorated with laser cut wooden sculptures and plenty of artsy structures providing both shade and something to gaze at. Pretty Lights Music’s Michal Menert and Eliot Lipp each brought their own uplifting beats and Tycho’s downtempo set took over the main stage Friday night closing out with Minnesota’s heavy bangers. The Jade Stage housed Colorado’s very own Magic Beans who jammed heavily until the festival’s close.

 

Magic Beans

On Saturday, the great music started with Dirtwire’s “swamptronic” music and didn’t stop until Beats Antique and their extremely well choreographed performers who closed out the second night. The night also saw many headline-worthy acts like the always entertaining dance moves of Polish Ambassador, the pulsing beats of Desert Dwellers, and UK’s OTT who definitely got the most people dancing during the whole festival. Once Arizona locals, Brothers Gow are always a pleasure to see as their jammy takes on old songs as well as their own can really get the crowd involved with their awesomely funny dance moves.

 

 

On its final day, Gem & Jam certainly did not slow down in terms of musical acts as many quickly-rising electronic acts took over the Jade Stage while legendary DJ’s and numerous live acts shook the main stage. Mark Farina brought his smooth “mushroom jazz” that laid backbeat to some very chill hip hop like A Tribe Called Quest. Marvel Years performed before going back-to-back with Manic Focus who brought the electro-funk to Tucson. Lyrics Born was the biggest hip hop act and gained many new fans with their lively show. Closing out the night, Lettuce’s funk music brought Gem & Jam to a bittersweet end. But before Lettuce, was our favorite of the weekend, Break Science with the Shady Horns. The horn section from Lettuce collaborated with Adam Deitch and Borahm Lee and provided a wonderful addition to Break Science’s electronic sound. Manic Focus even joined the party to put on quite the fun show.

 

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Tucson, Arizona treated us well with open arms and Gem & Jam held a beautiful gathering of thousands of kind-hearted people. Everything from the extremely kind security (thank you), to the savory foods, to the great music provided us with an unforgettable Valentine’s Day weekend. The experience was top-notch and certainly stands out from the other festivals of this time and we are beyond excited to see what they have in store for us next year.

 

 

Countdown: 7 Days – Arise Music Festival 2015

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Its official, there are only 7 days left to buy your tickets to Arise Music Festival without missing a beat!  If you are like us, you are trying to squeeze in as much entertainment into your summer as your wallet can buy and your boss will allow, listen up.  Ticket prices increase August 1st, so act now and buy your tickets here.  To find out more info about who is playing, the daily schedule and driving directions: click here.  If you have already attended the festival in past years please leave your impressions of the festival below in the comments. A quick festival check list for you is below. Add any items we may have missed in the comments below.

When:

August 7-9th. (Early camping for 3day pass holders starts the 6th at 4pm.


What to bring:

Water bottle
Camping equipment: sleeping bag & tent (or a snuggly friend)
Artistic clothes, instruments, structures, face paint, and
Hat & sunscreen
Warm and cold clothes (day and night).
*If you plan for bad weather you will have a blast regardless what nature throws at you; so bring that rain coat!
Food, Money, and Snacks
Friends
A positive attitude, a large lasting smile and a camera for those special moments.

Arise Music Festival is truly one of a kind. In the state of Colorado, there has never been a comparable event. Arise will take place again at the extraordinarily beautiful and welcoming Sunrise Ranch, just outside of Loveland, Colorado.   The location is spectacular and the festival has improved every year since its inception.  With new amenities, artists, and attractions this year is poised to be the best Arise Festival yet.  Colorado’s flourishing artistic community will be present and your arrival will be icing on the cake. We hope to see you there!

For more information, keep on reading ~ . . .

The 2015 installment of theARISE Music Festival is set to kick off on August 7-9 at the scenic Sunrise Ranch in Loveland, CO.

The three-day camping event will feature headlining performances with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, The Polish Ambassador, Emanicpator Ensemble, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Ozomatli, Trevor Hall, Rising Appalachia alongside over 100 live performances across 6 stages.

The ARISE Music Festival first came to life at the picturesque Sunrise Ranch just west of the town of Loveland, CO in the summer of 2013 — bringing forth a full-bodied, innovative festival experience with a tangible uplifting vibe.  While the two main stages and the electronic zone will always be the ARISE Festival’s primary attractions, the 3-day gathering is also filled with yoga classes, health-oriented workshops, celebrity and environmentally active presenters, along with a children’s village and parades each day.

Much more than just a concert experience, ARISE offers an array of interactivedaytime activities, camping opportunities and a vending village that showcases a bohemian-style specialty coffee shop with a full espresso bar, unique craft vendors, delicious organic and natural food vendors and trucks, and unique goods from around the world.

At every twist and turn, ARISE offers a visual feast for the eyes and an experience for the senses. As roving puppeteers, stilt walkers, large-scale art installations and live painters dot the valley, it is clear that the annual ARISE Festival devotes as much energy into showcasing varied art forms as it does it’s main attraction…live music. Arise Alive Studios

Taking a peek under the proverbial hood of the festival one might find that ARISE Festival’s mechanics are grounded in conscious environmental ethics. Located on an organic farm with over 100 acres of festival grounds, ARISE puts a considerable amount of effort into greening up the “leave no trace” event by implementing high standards of sustainability practices and environmental stewardship. Local event service provider ZERO HERO empowers attendees with the knowledge and systems needed to easily recycle and compost and divert waste. The event also prides itself in providing FREE drinking water to festival attendees, choosing not to allow the sale of water in plastic bottles, and encouraging festival-goers to bring their refillable water bottles. ARISE has also aligned with Fort Collins-based non-profit Trees Water & People to plant a tree for every ticket sold.

For music fans interested in sustainable gardening techniques, The Polish Ambassador will host a Permaculture Action Day at Sunrise Ranch on Thursday, August 6th. The Action Day includes earth-based, hands-on projects and educational techniques in the study of permaculture design. For those who want to dive deeper, The Polish Ambassador also be hosting an Intensive Permaculture Course in the 3 days leading up to the festival at Sunrise Ranch. The course is a comprehensive program that will take students through the permaculture design process; touching on soils, water, forest gardening, appropriate technology, and several other aspects of whole systems design. With a focus on catalyzing social transformation, intensive attendees will learn techniques for regenerating ecology, as well as explore community building through action-oriented organizing. The Intensive Permaculture Course will only be available to 30 preregistered guests and will be an additional cost for participants. (Details for the Action Day can be found here).

Perhaps one of things that makes ARISE stand out from most of the other festivals in Colorado’s vibrant music scene is a commitment to book distinct artists covering diverse musical genres that brings a richly well-rounded approach to live entertainment.  Day and night, festival goers can enjoy over 100 live bands at any of the six stages or just take in the pristine views from one of the onsite bars or beer gardens.

2015 highlights include daily playshop sessions with featured artists along with a rousing discussion on engagement in social issues with Alex Ebert (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) and Josh Fox (award winning writer/director of HBO’s Gasland documentary films).

The festival will run from August 7-9 at Sunrise Ranch in Loveland CO, just over an hour from Denver, 45 minutes from Boulder and less that 25 minutes from Fort Collins, in the Colorado Foothills. A full range of upgrade options including VIP passes, Early Camping, Car Camping and Day Passes are available on the event website.

It is also worth noting that ARISE Music Festival is a family friendly event, with free tickets for children 12 and under and half priced Youth Tickets for 13-17 year olds.For the full music line-up and schedule, and to purchase tickets check out www.AriseFestival.com.

Envision 2015 Announces 1st Wave Artists

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Lineup - Phase 1

 

The International Envision Festival-Costa Rica announces first installment of their lineup for their 5th annual festival from Feb 26 – March 1, 2015.  

The first headliner announcement for the 5th annual Envision Festival-Costa Rica is here. This year’s lineup includes Groundation, Phaeleh, The Polish Ambassador, Wildlight, Emancipator, Ott, Bluetech, Random Rab, Govinda, Ill-Esha, Dimond-Saints, Stickybirds, AMB, Ayla Nereo, and saQi, with Costa Rican reggae headliner Un Rojo and Guatemala’s Los Miseria Cumbia Band. There are more acts listed below and many more to be announced!

Envision Festival-Costa Rica takes place in the enchanting jungle of Uvita, Costa Rica from February 26- March 1, 2015 and is a favorite destination for international travelers with dozens of international music and performance acts, yoga, workshops, waterfalls, surfing, jungle exploration and more.

An early peek at the yoga and workshop headliners include world-renowned yoga teachers such as Cristi Cristensen, Rachel Brathen, and Kishan Shah, art installations by Chris Dyer, Carey Thompson, and Mugwort Artemisia alongside Permaculture and Education workshops from legendary teachers such as Penny Livingston, Daniel Pinchbeck from Reality Sandwich, Charles Eisenstien, Sarah Wu, plus permaculturist and Envision co-founder, Stephen Brooks.

The full lineup of musicians, performers, teachers, and artists will be announced mid-November.

Check out the newly launched Envision website with interactive site map, early line-up, survival guide, and travel information. Then take a peek into the Envision mystique and be inspired by this newly released “Vive La Experiencia!” video.

Envision’s unique gathering offers so much for the adventurous travelers.  Dance under the stars, paddle into the surf, explore waterfalls and lush canopies, camp in the jungle, be inspired by live art installations, and learn something new at a life changing workshop.

With the collaboration of a myriad of renowned artists and visionaries, both local and international, Envision provides a multi-dimensional community forum focused on art, music, movement, education and co-creation.  Be part of a global eco-conscious movement that is shaping our future and experience the beauty of the landscape, healing undertones, artistic expression, and the “Pura Vida!” way of life.  This is Envision Festival.

Stay tuned for more announcements on music, yoga, speakers, and workshops. Early Bird discount tickets are on sale now and will sell out quickly.

Please visit the Envision website and links below to find out more.  Pura Vida!

http://www.2015.envisionfestival.com/

 

Envision Media Links:

Envision Instagram

Envision Facebook

Envision Website

Envision Ticketing

Envision Travel Info

Envision Newsletter

 

Phase 1 Lineup Below – Phase 2 coming soon!

 

Music: The Polish Ambassador * Wildlight * Groundation * Phaeleh * Emancipator * Ott * Bluetech * Random Rab and friends * Ayla Nereo * Govinda * Ill-esha * Dimond Saints * Faceblind * Los Miseria Cumbia Band * Un Rojo * saQi * AMB * Stickybuds * Santos y Zurdo * Passiflora * Infibeat * Ivan Cespedes * Lapa * Portilla * Living Light * Mikey Lion * Melissa O * Social Club * Bartosz Brenes * Mario Miranda* Tara Brooks *  Matt Haze* PjOE * aTyYa *

 

Yoga Instruction: Cristi Cristensen * Rachel Brathen * Kishan Shah * Esteban Salazar * Juan Pablo Barahona * Edgar Ortiz * Inez Aires

 

Art & Installations: Chris Dyer * Carey Thompson * Mugwort Artemisia * Mark Henson * Hoodie & Tigre * Tribe13 * Living Spaces

 

Permaculture & Education: Penny Livingston * Charles Eisenstien * Sarah Wu * Stephen Brooks * Daniel Pinchbeck * Rosemary Gladstar * Project Nuevo Mundo * Kaypacha

 

About Envision Festival-Costa Rica:

In just four years, Envision has blossomed from a backyard event into an internationally acclaimed community gathering.  Envision is continuing its journey to break down cultural barriers, representing an elevated festival experience of spirit and community.  By bringing people together in the lush landscape of Costa Rica, Envision offers opportunities to celebrate the spirit, heal our bodies and minds, and revitalize our souls. Be a part of a global movement that is destined to shape our global future while experiencing the beauty of the landscape, healing undertones, artistic expression, and the “Pura Vida!” way of life.  This is Envision Festival.

 

The Confluence

 

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Arise 2014 Video

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Official FreioMusic Arise Festival 2014 Video

Arise Festival 2014 in Loveland, Colorado. Freio Music’s talented team captures the cultural gathering with energy with style. Arise Festival features artists from across the musical spectrum. Share it. Enjoy it. See you next year!

Credits:
Produced by Freio Music

Directed by Joe Morahan & Daniel “Buddy” Thomas

DP by Daniel “Buddy” Thomas
Editing by Daniel “Buddy” Thomas

Time-Lapse Photography by
Melissa Harrison, Isaiah ‘Scott’ Brown, & Michael Morahan

Music by
Polish Ambassador

Arise Festival At SunRise Ranch

Arise 2014

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The 2nd Annual Arise Music Festival:

By the time the gates were finally open, the energy began to pick up.  With the people came art, laughter, color and flavor.  As the camping area began to fill up it was clear that this year was much larger than last.  The same beautiful location shared by thousands of new attendees.  With ‘dualing stages’, two stages set up right next to each other intended to minimize musical downtime, the music continued and the crowd stayed close.  The electronic stage, Souls Rising, had a stacked lineup of talented young and established acts.  The energy by Souls Rising stage kept a steady group of dancing bass faces content.  While the Souls Rising stage was considerably smaller than the other two main musical stages, it was the destination for many festival goers and it delivered.  The stage and surrounding area was decorated ornately from the lasers beaming around the ground to the CDs hanging reflectively from the trees.

 

Photo taken by Molly ‘Mojo’ Buckiewicz

 

This year’s attendance appeared to be at least double, possibly triple, the previous year’s attendance.  The festival was prepared and there was ample water, food, and portable toilets.   The vender village was one of a kind with an array of smells coming from the food stands, and an array of colors coming from the vender stands.  Artists are now migrating to Arise festival from all over the USA, contributing to its colorful diversity.  Arise is Colorado’s best and most diverse music festival.

Once again SunRise Ranch played the role of the gracious host and one can only hope that they received the support and recognition they deserve for sharing the incredible valley to all of us who attend.  With out the support of SunRise Ranch this event would not be possible in its current form.  The artists also deserve a huge shoutout for making the experience what it was, and sharing ideas, thoughts, and emotions through their sound and visions. Equally the fan, the festival goer, the music lover, the ‘escape the 9-5 artist’, anyone who attended a festival, deserves a huge thank you.  With out listeners how could music work?  It is you who make this possible and for that all of us here at FreioMusic, Thank You!

 

 

 

Top 5 Moments of Unexpected Sonic Perfection at Sonic Bloom ’14

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Sonic Bloom 2014-American Safari Ranch

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Daytime at the CO Dome

My favorite part about music festivals is discovering new artists to incorporate into my daily repertoire of jams. While I was beyond stoked for some of my highly anticipated favorites like Opiuo, the reigning king of future funk, Kalya Scintilla’s sweaty tribal inspired bass, or Tipper’s careful dissection and rearrangement of the contents of my brain with the scratching mastery of a surgeon, these were all very predictable (and immensely enjoyed) highlights of my weekend. My most authentic musical experiences of Sonic Bloom came from the unexpected sets and unfamiliar artists that I have not had the chance to fully explore and appreciate. Whether the artists were newer cats on the scene or seasoned veterans to which I simply hadn’t yet been exposed, I came back from Bloom with an inspired and expanded understanding of some of the dopest jams to ever rattle my eardrums.

1. Mr. Bill

Okay, Mr. Bill is certainly no newcomer on the scene. Prior to Bloom I was familiar with Mr. Bill’s status as a veteran of the rich Australian glitch movement. My expectations were absolutely blown out of the water after, what was easily, my favorite set of the weekend. Late Sunday night in the middle of the dusty and heavy vibin’ coDome audience, I found myself wondering how something so unconventionally melodic can get a crowd moving so hard. Mr. Bill’s heavy bass lines, break beat switches and a cornucopia of strange tunes and tones meld together into an unpredictably perfect stew of glitch perfection.

Mr. Bill will be holding down the Souls Rising EDM stage at Arise Music Festival August 8-10th this year in Loveland, CO for what will surely be another set not to miss.

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2. The Librarian

I took a leap of faith on Friday night as we left Tipper’s downtempo set in search of something to get my booty shaking a bit more. We encountered what I quickly realized to be one of the baddest bitches of bass, Andrea Graham, throwing down a super sexy low-end set that had me floating on a cloud of sweet, sweet ghetto booty bass. The Librarian’s nuanced, sexy bass stood out from the overtly raw and in your face bass that tends to dominate the scene. Her riddim inspired jams and seriously hard drops that got the crowd moving for one of the greatest booty bass grooves of the weekend.

The Librarian is also a founding organizer of Bass Coast and will be playing this August 1-4th in Merritt, British Columbia.

 

3. Sixis

If you know me, you know that I am a serious sucker for smooth psychedelic dubby sounds that seem more likely to be alien transmissions than creations from the human kind. When I cruised over to Sixis’s midday Friday set, I didn’t know much about his music and was just looking for a solid warm-up for the stacked schedule with the future glitch goodness of kLL sMTH, Fort Knox Five and then onto the highly anticipated psychedelic trance-inspired Aussie master Whitebear. But when I got to the dusty coDome, I was totally blown away by Sixis’s melodic, spacious and layered sounds. In an increasingly saturated psy-bass scene, Sixis stood out with his consciously more minimal, understated approach to interplanetary auditory travel. Sixis created intricate, imaginative soundscapes that resonated in my ears for the rest of the weekend.

Up next, Sixis will be playing at Stilldream Festival in Belden, California July 31st- August 4th.

4. Defunk

If you don’t know of Defunk yet, you better educate yourself! Canada native Defunk dropped one of the funkiest sets of the weekend for a serious dance party in the coDome late Saturday afternoon. Addicting hooks, glitchy breaks, and inspired retro influences drive his music in a future forward way. Collaborations with soulful female vocalists and looping guitarist Sam Klass gives Defunk’s glitchy tunes a sense of soulful authenticity.

Catch Defunk at the Valhalla Sound Circus this Thursday, July 3rd in Quebec.

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5. The Malah

Live electronic artists The Malah brought their A-game to wrap up the first evening of Bloom in a most epic fashion. Intricate, precise guitar licks and organic high-energy rhythms create a driven sound that got the coDome moving and grooving along properly. I thought their jam-inspired approach was a refreshing addition to Bloom’s bass heavy lineup, and by the infectious buzz from the crowd on Thursday night I’m certain they all agreed.

The Malah doesn’t have any immediate shows coming up but the Denver-local band is surely not one to miss when they come through your town.

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Sonic Bloom 2014

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 The Unified Field

 

The 9th annual Sonic Bloom music festival took place over the weekend of July 19-22nd in the airy high desert of South Park, Colorado. The site, fully encompassed by the Rocky Mountains, created a beautiful backdrop of breathtaking sunrises and sunsets that lit up the numerous stages.

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As usual, Bloom offered a plethora of experiences for every attendee. Music was continuously playing at various stages with the highest quality of sound. Workshops covering hooping, massage, dance, yoga, and many others were available and well attended. Outstanding visuals met the eye everywhere you looked, ready to be soaked in and admired, whether it be a performance, installation, or projection.

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 The weekend had much to offer, but you would have to have been a super human to experience it all!

Here are some highlights from throughout the weekend.

1. TWO nights of Tipper!! (not enough)
2. The Three Stages
–The Bloom Stage with the Funktion-One sound system and the massive LED screen backdrop.
–The Hummingbird Stage with the spinning woodcut mandala and unique handcrafted details.
–The CO Dome with its intimate feel and psychedelic projections by Illuminated Dimensions.
3.Surprise sunrise set by Kalya Scintilla and Kaminanda with an epic pink sunrise.
4. OPIOU.
5. Whitebear making everything so dark and weird at only 7PM, when the sun was still shining.
6. Kaminanda playing guitar live for the first and only time in Colorado, then busting out a cover of Grateful Dead-Shakedown Street.
7. The captivating “flower-dance-presentations” by Anthony Ward all weekend.
8. The Gong Experience that vibrates into your soul.
9. Quixotic’s unbelievably talented performers.
10. Looking around and realizing you love everyone and everything you are surrounded by!