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Sonic Bloom 2019 – Get Ready!

June 7, 2019 By Michael Morahan

Sonic Bloom 2019 June 20th - June 23rd
is fast approaching!

Sonic Bloom 2018 © Freio Music__0149

Sonic Bloom's 2019 Linup Finalized... Who is going?

The 14th Annual SONIC BLOOM Announces Phase 3 of Musical Artists and Reveals the Sonic Bloom Orchestra lineup! 

SONIC BLOOM, Colorado’s premiere electronic music festival, is celebrating its 14th edition this year with a bold nod to the thoughtful and diverse musical curation that has catapulted this boutique festival into worldwide recognition.

Sonic Bloom is not to be missed for those who love electronic music!  This festival is the gold standard in the USA featuring some of the worlds top electronic artists and raises the bar year after year.  The festival is held during the summer solstice and happens to start on my birthday!-).

Here is what you need to know about Phase-3 Lineup Announcements: 

Um..

Adam Deitch

Seied

Adam Apollo

 

With Tweener sets by:

Melody Lines

ELCTRX

LowPro

CatParty

Patrick Skyler

AVRY

PhLo

Bruce Chillis

Andrew Rothschild

NotLo

 

Featured Yoga, Sound Healing & Movement Classes in the Yoga D'Om with Live Music by:

Of The Trees

HÄANA

TOR

Drishti Beats

Miraja

Moon Frog

Blossomn

Adam Apollo

Joey Burton

Treaphort

Boulder Vibrational Healing

Seraiah

Sanj

Artisan Jones

Chachi Mendoza

Emily Rainflower & Mike Redhawk

Honey Pocket

Lunar Playboy

Jiiniikwe Medicine Bird

 

Check out the Sonic Bloom Orchestra lineup which has been an amazing, long-standing tradition to close out our stellar festival:

Sonic Bloom Orchestra feat. Members of SCI, TBA, Russ Liquid Test, HÄANA and Zilla with Opiuo, Sasha Rose, Jordan Polovina plus surprise guests!

Bloom is an ideal festival for those looking for something different, SONIC BLOOM is a unique foray into an intelligent co-creative experience. With short lines, respectful community and plenty of room to dance, camp and be, this weekend in paradise steps away from the day-to-day. Thought provoking workshops hosted by internationally acclaimed speakers, a diverse range of yoga and movement workshops, overflowing visual art and unique vendors provide a little something for everyone.

Hosted once again on the stunning Hummingbird Ranch, riverside camping is easily available, children and families are welcomed end encouraged and a hand is always outstretched to join in, contribute and participate.

 

SONIC BLOOM remains an event for the true individual; a welcoming, creative community encouraging the exploration human potential, the next wave of art and music and the possibility of a more beautiful and just world. We come together June 20-23 to celebrate a global community that believes in the power of art, music and innovation to inspire a future worth believing in.

 

For more information on SONIC BLOOM, please visit the official website: sonicbloomfestival.com

SONIC BLOOM'S Network Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sonicbloom

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sonic_bloom_

Twitter: http://twitter.com/sonic_bloom

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/sonicbloomfestival

SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/sonicbloomfestival

 

Promo Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcG71k3p6tw

 

SONIC BLOOM Tickets:

Ticket Link: https://ticketf.ly/2OllcOa

FB Event Link: https://www.facebook.com/events/551012858690307/

Filed Under: Colorado, Deep House, Dirty Dutch, Dubstep, EARTH, EDM, Electronic, Electronica, Experimental, Festival, Free Style, Glitch, Glitch-hop, House, Hummingbird Ranch, Jamtronic, Live Music, Lo-Fi, Minimal, Sonic Bloom, Sonic Bloom 2019, Soul, Techno, Trance, Trip Hop, Venues, West, World Tagged With: 2019, Artist, artists, Bloom, electronic, featured artists, featuring, Festival, freio, Freio Music, FreioMusic, Line, lineup, Music, Sonic, Up

FMP 013 – Snug Boy

March 1, 2019 By Michael

The Freio Music Podcast

Episode 013 - Snug Boy

  • Overview

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Overview

The featured artist in this episode of the Freio Music Podcast is Pedro Bernabe aka Snug Boy. Pedro currently lives in Angola and is from the small town of Lubango. Pedro, as a young kid, escaped Angola during the civil war and became a war refugee in the neighboring country of Namibia. Pedro returned to Angola after the war and restarted his life in the country. Pedro started out his musical career as a lyricist and a rapper. He is now focused on making music from the heart and has moved into Reggae. Snug Boy's music now focuses on world peace and unity. His latest track "Love Matters" is accompanied by a powerful music video and features many languages. The beauty and genuine message resonates through his music. Stay tuned for some musical previews and to hear Pedro's story in his own words.

Description

The featured artist in this episode of the Freio Music Podcast is Pedro Bernabe aka Snug Boy. Pedro currently lives in Angola and is from the small town of Lubango. Pedro, as a young kid, escaped Angola during the civil war and became a war refugee in the neighboring country of Namibia. Pedro returned to Angola after the war and restarted his life in the country. Pedro started out his musical career as a lyricist and a rapper. He is now focused on making music from the heart and has moved into Reggae. Snug Boy's music now focuses on world peace and unity. His latest track "Love Matters" is accompanied by a powerful music video and features many languages. The beauty and genuine message resonates through his music. Stay tuned for some musical previews and to hear Pedro's story in his own words.

Links

Snug Boy's Links:

FaceBook

Instagram

Love Matters Music Video

iTunes Music

CD Baby

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Filed Under: Africa, Afrikaans, Angola, EARTH, English (US), FM, FMP, Freio, FreioMusic, FreioMusicPodcast, French, Genre, Instrumentation, Interviews, Language, Marketing, Music, Musicians, Podcast, Podcasts, Reggae, Soul, Vocals, World Tagged With: Africa, Angola, Boy, episode, FMP, freio, FreioMusic Podcast, interview, Music, Music Video, Musician, Podcast, Rap, Rapper, Reggae, singer, Snug, SnugBoy, song, song-writing, vocalist, writing

Gipsy Moon – FMP 003

May 2, 2018 By Michael Morahan Leave a Comment

The Freio Music Podcast

Episode 03 - Gipsy Moon

  • Overview

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Overview

Listen in to this intimate back stage interview with Gipsy Moon. You will hear from the band gems and jokes along the way. This extremely talented band is led by mandolin player Silas Herman on mandolin and Makenzie Page on guitar and vocals with Matt Cantor on the bass and Andrew Connley on the cello for extra flavor. In this episode, you will learn about life on the road as a touring musician and what it takes to step on stage night after night. 

Description

Listen in to this intimate backstage interview with Gipsy Moon. You will hear from the band gems and jokes along the way. This extremely talented band is led by mandolin player Silas Herman on mandolin and Makenzie Page on guitar and vocals with Matt Cantor on the bass and Andrew Connley on the cello for extra flavor. Some band members have been on stage since they were children, even before they could play an instrument while others didn't take the stage until becoming an adult. During this episode, you will hear a hilarious first concert story that is just epic! This band and its members are young and their talent will shine for years to come. Enjoy this episode of the Freio Music Podcast with Gipsy Moon!

Links

Gipsy Moon Links:

Facebook.com/GipsyMoonBand

Instagram.com/GipsyMoonBand 

 GipsyMoonBand.com

 

Listen

Full Transcription & Show Notes

Hello, my name is Silas Herman and I play the mandolin for Gipsy Moon.  My name is Matt [Cantor] and I play the bass. My name is Makenzie Page I sing, play the guitar and tenor banjo. I am Andrew Connley.

 

Where did you guys meet and how did you decide what instruments were going to be in the band?

 

Silas - Well we have been through a lot.  The arrangement of the band now is a little different than it first began.  We started a band about two years ago, and we started with a different band member then.  We have been through a couple of things But this current arrangement is what has felt the most natural and right.  As far as choosing the instruments we all have our own musical background, so we have brought them together to turn it into something

 

Matt - I think the most interesting thing… well, it's all fairly standard.  Except for the tenor banjo, it is a little different. I think the cello is probably the [instrument] that catches people’s attention the most, as being kind of different.  So I guess we could have Andrew answer why he decided to play the cello.

 

Andrew - Alright.  Before that though I met these guys at RockyGrass, the best festival in the world man, that festival changed my life.  I met Silas, and Makenzie up there and then Matt later. I used to play mandolin, and the mandolin is just a fuckin awesome instrument.  There are a lot of incredible Mandolin players out there, like Silas, he is fuckin incredible dude. It takes a lot of dedication to push yourself outside that pack.  Crooked Still I was influenced by them in a way. Someone introduced me to them. That pretty much changed the game. I was like oh, wow… You can actually do that with that instrument, that’s a cool possibility.  It is basically a big fiddle. For violins or fiddles, the opposite equivalent for that, the more for informal variation. For cello, there really isn’t a word for that. There is no reason why that is. I saw a lot of mandolin players.  There were not a lot of cello players that were pushing outside of that box. So it seemed like a really good play for life to focus on that.

 

So were you guys exposed to music from a young age?  Or what inspired you to pursue being a musician.

 

Silas - I definitely grew up around a lot of music.  My dad actually played in a band, Leftover Salmon, for over 25 years now. So he was on the road a lot of the time when I was growing up.  So I was always surrounded by acoustic sort of bluegrass music of that influence. So I really just got into it and got a lot of it in my head.  When I was around 12 or 13 years old I started taking it seriously. I started with the guitar and transferred over to the mandolin, which I am mostly playing now.  

 

Did your dad teach you to play the guitar?

 

He taught me a fair bit to begin with, definitely.  But then I tried to go outside of that musical genre to get my own sort of sound.  

 

Makenzie - I did not grow up playing music.  I found music when I was older. Ya, I just started with a friend who played.  I would borrow his guitar and sing and play with him. I just surrounded myself with people who were really awesome at it [music] and learned.

 

Andrew - Um, I played a little drums and a little guitar growing up.  It wasn’t until, you know, early teen years so that actually happened with the Mandolin when I was 16.  My family wasn't really into it but now they are. Rocky Grass, that festival, got everyone in my family playing music in some way.  My dad was a big record collector though. He had like 15,000 records when he died. He would be really happy to know that that is being carried on a little bit.  He was a big fan.

 

Andrew -  Ya, I played in the school orchestra on the bass for a long time.   It was fun but I was never really serious about it until I graduated from high school.    Then one day my friend was like “hey do you want to play bass for us at the mall?” I took my grandfather’s bass which I had had for a while but I had never ever played it because I would never practice.  I would basically just go to school and play and have fun but I never took it seriously at all. I ended up getting blood blisters from playing at the mall for an hour. It was just an interesting experience because I never realized that people could pay you for playing music.  We played at the mall and we each got $20 bucks and was like “woh, this is crazy!”. I just had so much fun and made money! So I basically started, and just did that a bunch like every day, and started making money. That is how I started doing it.

 

Was your grandfather's bass a stand-up?

 

Andrew - Ya it is the one I play.  My grandfather played music in new york.  He played Jazz for like 80 years so it has some history there.  

 

You guys have a unique sound.  You have come together with different backgrounds.  Are there any genres or artists in particular that have inspired you to pursue the music you create today.  

 

Silas - I feel like just being in Colorado, in general, you are sort of in a Mecca of a lot of amazing musicians and a lot of inspiration.  A lot of young bands and bands that are more progressed. We have a lot of friends that have been through a lot of the same cycle of growing as a band.  So we have seen that there is hope in the future and have just had a lot of inspiration from a lot of different people in that way, definitely.

 

Andrew-  I am mostly inspired by older music.  Old 50’s is what I primarily listen to at my house.  That and funk, which is kind of interesting. That was kinda my parents' music.  So I grew up with things, not necessarily a lot of disco funk, 80’s and late 70’s funk.  Like Rick James and stuff. It is kinda a weird combination. I just ended getting really into Django Reinhardt.  From that I have been listening to only really old music and funk. I like traditional Gypsy music too.

 

Makenzie - Ya I like old music too.  My favorite right now is Edith Piaf. I can't stop listening to her.

 

Andrew -  For me, musically, a lot of fiddle players.  Though when I listen, it is kinda whatever my mood is into.  It could be anywhere… From Bach, to Naughty by Nature to NOFX.  Or bluegrass. Or old-time music. A lot of old-time music. So it is across the board it is more about what I am feeling at the time.  They just help keep you going and influence you.

How are you able to highlight the individuality of a particular instrument, while at the same time maintaining a cohesive sound.

 

Makenzie - I think something that has really helped us is that we are really open-minded, as a band.  Someone will bring a song and maybe it is totally... an entirely a different direction than we are trying to go.  We just do it anyways. We are not trying to put ourselves in this whole genre, where we play this one specific music so we must stick to it.  It is like hey let’s try that, now let's go this way. Lately, we have been trying to combine songs. Where one genre and a totally different genre that are just smashed next to each other.  It’s really fun. If we do this dark eyes song, which is really gypsy, into this other song which is Calypso. We take traditional songs and totally do spins on them. We go from a Latin vibe into a Celtic tune.  So I think that is something that we have been really digging lately.

 

Andrew - So were you referring to separation and how we set each other up for solos?

 

Ya.

 

Trying to be aware of your ranges and try to not step on each other's parts as much as possible.  Actually going from a five-piece band to a four-piece band has made that way easier in a way. I mean we had some good people we played with.  Especially with cello, it is always trying to figure out where my part fits, like in a puzzle. Try to not muddy up the bass or the guitar, or tenor, or vocals.  It is a delicate range. It is always really case by case. It is not really one formula but there are definitely patterns.

Silas - We recorded our last album at silo sound (in Denver) and had Tim Carbone, of RailRoad Earth, produce it.  We have made a couple of other recordings with some friends in the mountains. Our first record we did with Dave and Enion Tiller from the band Taarka, at their house in Lyons, which unfortunately got destroyed in the flood.   

How do you go about creating a song?

Makenzie - Every song is definitely different.  Like it is its own little being. Lately what we have been doing is someone will come up with a basis of it and bring it to someone else.  Like hey here is this. Usually, two people will come together. We have been doing a lot of collaborating like Matt, or Andrew or Silas will bring me something and be like I have this idea and it is these certain parts, write some words for it. It's really fun, it’s freeing.  It is really helpful to widen your personal perspective on music, because you are working off of something that someone else wrote. So it is a nice broadening of your own ideas.

Andrew - I think it is case by case when it comes to where ideas come from.  A lot of times I will have a bass melody and have some chords. Just trying to pass it on.  Here try this out. Can you improve it? A lot of tunes have happened that way. Sometimes it is more specific.  A lot of times I will want to hear tunes… Well, there are definitely arranged parts in them. It takes some working through to figure out what works for instrumentation.  And to figure out if it is a good idea or bad idea. It is a lot of trial and error of just testing out stuff between us.

Do you have any future songs or albums in the works that are going to be released?

Makenzie - Ya we are going to be releasing an album this spring, so ya.  In March. We recorded Silo Sound Studio with Tim Carbone. It was Kickstarter funded so we appreciate to all of those people who helped out.  It has been a really fun album. A Lot of in-studio kinda stuff. We just got the masters yesterday so we were listening to them. It is definitely a more produced album.  It has been really fun to be like “Let’s add this here” and “let's do these crazy harmonies there”. Usually, we are a one take and that's what you get. Last week we went up to this studio, called Mountain Star Studio, it is up in Rollinsville, kinda close to our house.  They record straight to tape. So it was fun to do the exact opposite because they record to tape. So literally only one take and that's what you get. So that was really fun. So we did two tracks there that we will probably release at some point. It was an 8 track tape.  It was literally straight to tape and then they turn it into digital after. Ya so in the Spring look out for that. It is called Sticks and Stones

 

So you guys have a management company and a manager.   How is it working with a manager and what are the benefits?  Are they enabling you to focus on your music while they worry about the scheduling and booking?

Makenzie - It is awesome.  We don’t have to worry about that kind of stuff.  Because that is half of the battle, when you are becoming a musician, is the business side of it.  When you are an artist you don't want to have to think about that stuff.

 

Silas - It is also hard to promote yourself self righteously.  Like saying “hey this is my band and we are so great, you should hire us.”  Having a separate party to do that for you is very helpful.

These [next] questions are more individual.  

 

Were there any particular artists that inspired you to pursue the mandolin?

 

Silas - I started out by playing the guitar.  I had a musical upbringing. Then I really drove away from bluegrass I was brought up around.  I got into electric guitar. It sort of started out there. Then transitioned back over to acoustic guitar and now mandolin which I am playing now. Some of my bigger influences have been Adam Steffey and Chris Keely.  Some of those guys who are just great bluegrass players. I would like to sort of expand past that genre with my own playing too. So take influences from all sorts of things like Jazz.

 

How do you push yourself to that next level?

 

Silas - Oh man, just practice.  It’s constantly a battle. It's constantly a cycle of getting beat down and then being re-inspired to do even better.  

Matt, your bass playing adds a lively bounce and rhythm to the music.  You guys don't have percussion and it seems like in a way you fill that rhythmic section.  How do you as a bass player elevate yourself to that next level, how do you improve? Was there anyone who guided you along the way?  Maybe your grandpa?

 

Matt - Well, unfortunately, my dad is really old and my grandfather was very old.  I honestly started playing music right as my grandfather died. Which sucks because I play a lot of swing which is the stuff that he played.  I would say the biggest influences on bass have been Chris Wood, Jimmy Blanton, Gareth Sayers.

 

Matt - What did you ask again?

 

(Other band members’ laughter)

 

Matt - Ok, Ok,  I am really hungry.  I can't think. I like the first part of the question that you asked.  Because I had a realization last week when we were playing. There was this band before us that was really good.  Their rhythm was really tight actually but they didn't have a bass player. And they are a string band. It made me realize how much rhythm the bass adds in this certain sense.  It was really all there. Their rhythm was really good but because they never have that bass to be like “this is where the beat is”. It just kinda never really moved people, I noticed.  I think it moved them, but didn't push them to move. Where it really hits them…

I like watching interviews with really old bass players because they always have really amazing things to say and it is really funny.  I was watching this interview with Milt Hinton, who is the most recorded Jazz musician ever. He is on like 9,000 recordings. Now, he is this like 90-year-old guy.  He is playing some bass line. I like to play it like this. I like to people to know, this is where the beat is. And that is what I am trying to do lately. Like this is where it is. Be more definite on the rhythm.  

 

Well, Makenzie, I don't know how long ago you started playing vocals, so I would be interested to know that first of all. Your vocals seem to drive some of the songs and lead the direction for everyone else.  You all make great space for each other but how did you become such a strong vocalist and so quickly and was there anyone who guided you along your path?

Makenzie - Oh man, you never really think about this kinda stuff with yourself because you are always looking forward.  Well, I loved singing Disney songs as a kid. Well, I still do. Ha! I still sing Disney songs. Singing has always been in my life but I didn't play an instrument until I was 18.  So I was a little older when I picked up an instrument and had any form training. So singing has always been in my life but I just wasn't really out there with it. It was a hidden, very personal thing to me.  So that was something. Coming out of that shell and connecting with the people in the audience. The voice is such a connection that we have to other people.  That is something I really love about singing. That is something I really aim for.  Trying to have that conversation with the crowd, as if you are in the room with one other person.  You kind of take them than somewhere else with that.  It is really this very personal thing that you kind of have to give your all to.  It is really hard to do that. I think that's why I didn't start playing music until I was older because to me it was such a personal thing.  So I guess that is what I aim for and what I look for in my own vocals when I am listening back. Could you understand what I was saying? Did it sound like I am speaking or connecting?  It is really just about connection to me. You get a lot of that from old folk singers like Joan Baez. The ones who really sat down and told you a story. I just love that old stuff. I am really into Edith Piaf.  Even though it is in French, she has a lot of English stuff too, but she has this old sound to her voice. I think it is so timeless. I am just really digging that right now.

 

[Andrew] you told me that you recently got a strap.  Does that change the way you are playing? Does it enable you to run around onstage as opposed to being locked into one corner? [Also]

It just seems that your cello adds a depth to the music.  The melodies that you choose to play seem to create a different direction or depth. Can you speak to the way you play and anyone who has influenced you along the way?

 

Andrew - So ya.  First, the strap is kinda new.  It’s way fun. It is called a ‘Block Strap’.  So shout out to Mike Block. He is an inspirational cello player to me.  He invented the strap system. It lines up really nice. It feels natural.  You get it in this spot and it is just like you are sitting down but it follows you around like a baby strapped to your chest.  It [takes] a little bit of adjusting. If it is not set up just perfect some stretches are a bit hard to get but if you get it set up right, no problem at all. So maybe it adds a little difficulty but it is twice the fun.  So it is a good tradeoff, I think.

 

Andrew - As far as cello adding depth, it definitely does.  It is kinda that midrange that you don't really hear in sting band setups very often.  Which makes it kinda difficult to find the part sometimes, because you don't want to step on someone else.  Ya, it is like an extra dimension. Now that I am so used to it. When I go back and listen to a bunch of string bands now I feel like it is lacking something.  But that is just me personally.

 

Andrew - But as far as influences…  Crooked Still, a great band. They are still playing a little bit.  Rushad Eggleston, is one of the players Tristan Clarridge are both fantastic players.  Natalie Haas. It is really a small club of non-traditional cello players but I really appreciate what they are doing.  

 

Can you talk about your first live performance, any fears that you experienced and how you overcame that?

 

Silas - Ya I fall into a pretty unique realm, with my dad being a musician.  He would bring me up on stage when I was extremely young before I could even play an instrument.  He would just leave it up there plugged in. So I could just go up there and stand there with the instrument.   Not making any sound out anything. I think it helped me feel natural on stage and get past that whole thing before I even got into music.  So once I did, there wasn't a whole lot to overcome. I will say that whole fear factor thing definitely, in some ways makes you play better though.  Knowing that really amazing musicians are there and you look up to a lot will definitely make you play better and push you.

 

Matt - I had a funny first… Besides playing in school concerts and stuff, I am not going to count that. My first personal music concert.  I remember I was playing electric guitar. I was super excited. I think it was a talent contest at my school. I was so excited to play. I was so pumped.  We were playing one song. It was the classic thing where the curtain comes up. I think there were three electric guitars and a bass. It was probably really shitty.  My amp, it just didn't work! It just didn't work! Honestly… Seriously, as the curtain went down and we finished the song, my amp… Baaa the amp turned on. I just remember I was so furious!  I could not even talk to anyone. I just remember my mom saying “don’t worry, you will always remember that your first concert was… the worst. It will be a good story”. I am finally getting to tell it, I am glad.

 

Makenzie - Oh, man I don't think I have a good first concert story. Mine was at one of those farmer markets, down in my town.  It was just me and this girl playing music together.

 

Were you nervous?

 

Oh, god. I get nervous now.  Even still.

 

How do you overcome it?

 

Makenzie -  Well… (Alcohol, muttered from the background).  Haha, you cant tell the children that! But really that is one way.  I do have a drink before I go on stage. I don't know, I guess I just try to forget about it.  Practicing! We practice before we play and every time we do that we are tighter and feel better.  That is something especially with acoustic instruments, when you plug them in, the whole world is different.  If you can play a few songs, acoustic, and remember that that's how it sounds, and it sounds great! When you get up there it can sound all crazy.  You hear something different than the crowd is hearing. And then you just reassure yourself that it's all good. Warming up for sure. That's half the battle is getting up there and doing it!  It's awesome when you do, and when you let loose!

 

Andrew -  Wow, Devotchka is awesome.  Just for the listeners, we are listening to them soundcheck right now and they are amazing.  Ya, my first time on stage… The first band I played with was a traditional bluegrass string band.  I played Mandolin. The first time I met them, it was a Jam at a festival and they pulled me on stage that night too.  It was cool because it was just a bunch of hippies. A bunch of young hippies. I was like ooh, wow. I can play bluegrass to young hippies and they are going to love it.  

 

This is along the same lines as the previous question, and you may have already answered this.  Do you have any interesting, strange, or odd pre-performance rituals?

Makenzie -  I like to stretch sometimes.  That helps me feel better. Definitely, as a girl, I just like getting ready.  It makes me feel better when I leave the house and I have done something slightly with my hair and it is not like I just rolled out of the bed.  Although on tour it gets hard because eventually, I do just roll out of the bus to go play a show. Just having a moment to myself is one thing I like.  I really like to collect myself, no matter what has happened that day. Then when you go in front of the audience, you really have the responsibility to them to give them your energy.  If your energy is all crazy and out there it is nice to do some breathing exercises before going on.

 

Matt -  Probably the one weird thing I like… I don't always do it but sometimes I do.  it is a little trick I learned from Jaco Pastorius. Supposedly every show he would have a bucket of fried chicken backstage.  You just eat some before you play and it gets all over your fingers. It feels really nice on the bass… I don’t think it would work for a mandolin because you are holding a pick. But because you are just using your fingers it gets on the bass strings.  It is almost like a lubrication. A bass lubrication system. A B.L.S., that is what a bucket of chicken is.

 

Silas - I mostly have a bunch of certain picking exercises I do to warm up, just to get the fingers moving and wrists lose.  That's about it. Smoke a lot of pot. Ya, scales. Also a lot of picking technique, just the right hand, to loosen up.

 

Do you have any advice for a band starting out today?  Would you encourage a band starting today to get a manager?  Or is it practice, again and again? What advice would you give?

Silas -  I feel that in the end, it is the music that prevails.  There are a lot of bands that do make it through social media but the best ones that have a sustaining audience I feel like have solid music and a unique thing.  So I would say just finding yourself and your own sound and exploring that as much as possible before you even get into the business side. Becoming as passionate about music for your own reasons.  

 

Matt-  I would say I have two pieces of advice.  First play as much as you can. Find some buddies and just get weird with it.  I mean that is how I started. Jamming for hours with our eyes closed. That is how I found myself.  But I think this band is a little more refined, which is good. I think you need to go through that first stage though.  Secondly, if you want to be a touring musician, make sure that you don't really hate being in cars. Honestly, that's one of the things I didn't realize that like 60% driving.  Everything is work but if you are not the type of person that doesn't want to be in the car a lot it is probably not going to work out. At least a touring musician. You could be a studio musician I suppose.  

 

Makenzie - It is so interesting to be asked that because I still feel like we are such a beginner band too.  But you always feel that way with your own growth. You always kinda feel like you are only just getting it now.  My advice is to not worry about it and just play. Play out as much as you can and the management thing is nice. We call him “Mom” because he takes care of everything.  So it allows you to just focus on the music and not have to worry. I mean the times we have to worry about getting people to a show and all this. It gives you so much weird anxiety.  To not have to worry about that stuff is awesome. Ya, about the car thing… You spend… That's the thing with finding people to play with too. I mean you spend a lot of time with each other in a very small space.  I have definitely learned more than I have ever learned, just being in a band, and not just about music. It's been awesome. I recommend it.

 

Andrew - ya, music is fun.  I would tell you that the first thing is work on your music.  Try not to suck as much as possible. Try to be unique too though.  A lot of bands will get in the cycle of trying to imitate their heroes.  Which is nice for learning. But if you are making an act you can't really do that.  Well, you can but it is hard to say how far that will go. Sometimes it does, you never know.  Having a good singer too. Tim Carbone said to us… a few steps to success is to have good songs, a good singer, and there was something else too.  But that was probably the most important thing. Oh ya, and be really fuckin lucky. Ya having a manager too. We got lucky that we had management and representation early on.  Well, we first started with our buddy Kiam. It was his first time managing a band and then we got Ryan in there and it was his first time doing it too. So I recommend...

 

Makenzie - Find a friend who really gets along and who is business oriented and minded.  

 

Andrew - Ya,  If you have a friend who is really O.C.D., can write lists, and type emails, and wants to party a lot, he is the man.  Just be like hey dude, do you have much going on? Do you want a side hobby for a little while? Make a few bucks and then eventually you will make a lot more.  So ya, if you have a friend, get him involved. Get him to manage for you. I love our manager!

 

Where can our listeners keep up with your tour schedule and your latest releases and learn more about Gipsy Moon.

 

Makenzie -  Facebook is honestly the best.  Facebook and Instagram. Facebook.com/GipsyMoonBand Instagram.com/GipsyMoonBand on each of those.  Also our website. We keep that updated.  GipsyMoonBand.com  So, ya those are the best places.  Facebook you will kinda get a more personal view of us whereas the website is a little bit more formal.  

 

Well, thank you Gipsy Moon, for sharing your knowledge and sharing your time.  I am really excited to publish this and thank you again for your time.

 

Thank you, we really appreciate it.  

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HÄANA – FMP 001

April 1, 2018 By Michael Leave a Comment

The Freio Music Podcast

Episode 01 - HÄANA

  • Overview

  • Description

  • Links

Overview

This episode's featured artist is HÄANA. She shares some amazing stories about her life's journey and her travels throughout the world. HÄANA is a classically trained violinist who utilizes electronic (digital) and organic (analog) elements to blend her creations into delicate works of art. HÄANA will take you on her journey from playing on the streets of Europe to playing festivals and shows around the world!

Description

This episode's featured artist is HÄANA. She shares many entertaining stories including one about nearly drowning in water during the creation of her music video. She also shares a pivotal moment when she found herself penniless on the streets of Europe with only her violin to earn a living. HÄANA is a classically trained violinist who utilizes electronic and organic elements to blend her creations into delicate works of art. This episode is on the longer side but will keep your ears gripped to the speakers as she reveals details about her life and career that have never been shared on record. She discusses collaborations with some of the top artists in the electronic field as well as the process she uses to finalize her creations. Haana Thiem is a violinist, producer, and creator / founder of two record labels Paper Gold Records and Deep Sonos. Stay tuned!

Links

HÄANA's Links:

 

ThisIsHÄANA.com

Deep Sonos

Listen to HÄANA on SoundCloud

Listen to HÄANA on iTunes

Watch Teardrop Music Video

Listen

Full Transcription & Show Notes

HÄANA Podcast Transcription

Start out by introducing yourself

My name is Haana Thiem, I go by HÄANA on stage.  I am very particular about my brand because it is recognizable, and what people read, see and hear.  I live in L.A. now.  I used to live in New York and the east coast for about 10 years, before New York was Boston.  I am kind of a nomadic individual.  I love the question “where have you been?” rather than “where do you live?” or “where were you born?”  because that doesn’t say a lot about a person, I think.  

In that light then, where are some of the highlights of where you have been?

(HÄANA Laughter)

Well some of the most special places, I lived in Germany for a year.  I lived in Spain for almost a year.  I lived in Granada .  I lived on an island in the Mediterranean called Formentera, which is just south of Ibiza.  Then I traveled through Greece.  I was studying Greek and I was going to move to Crete, but instead I moved to Boston somehow. They are kinda parallel, kinda not.  I studied German, studied Spanish.   I have had opportunities  to play in a whole bunch of different places but, for a moment I realized that, all the traveling was kind of confusing me.  But what I wanted to do instead, was hone my art, and my craft, and my offering and then travel.  Which is how it has turned out.  

Great, so where were you honing your craft?  Was it in the Mediterranean?  

It kinda started there.  The really interesting turn of events.  Should we get into it?  

Sure.  Ya, lets get into it.  That’s why we are here.  

Well, lately i have been posting old photos of me from when I was 21 living in Formentera and living in Spain.  It is a really Inspiring story.  I think it is important to share the back story.  I feel like people want to know about that.  I tend to shroud myself in a bit of mystery.  I want to let more people in, so thank you for the opportunity.  I was living in Granada, Spain and at that point I wasn’t performing on violin that much.  I started playing Violin when I was three but I was studying languages in college.  So, I bought a violin while in Spain and started playing casually on the street.  It wasn’t until, this was the turning point of my whole career,  somebody stole my wallet.  I had no money.   So, I decided that I would go put on a costume with a beautiful shirt and shall or something. I don’t know, It wasn’t really a costume, but something to make me feel different and embolden me.  Then I went to this restaurant, near where I lived in the old Arab district, and performed outside for all the people dining.  Then I went around and asked for a tip.  People gave me, at that point it was the one and two Euro coins, so you could make a decent amount.  It wasn’t really the money but the validation that people really enjoyed it. So was making up beautiful songs and performing very firey, and they loved it. So I was like wow, I can do this.  So I would start to make my rounds in the evenings and would make about 80 Euros in about 15 minutes.  Then my new debit card finally came so I could have access to my money but I had started a whole new career path.  

Wow that is amazing.  A lot of people would be very upset and let the it ruin their day or week for vacation or moment but you were able to seize opportunity in the difficulty.  Now tell me about that costume, I am just interested.  You said “embolden you”, was it like armor against negative thoughts, or a hater out there would ‘boo’ at the first show?

Kinda of.  Hahah.  Well, just to give you a little more backstory, I started classically.  Sometimes it is really hard to get out of that classical mode and to make up your own music. To improvise. To be free.  To not read music off of a sheet.  At that point, I was really feeling not very inspired by playing dead people’s music.  You know? And how to put the emotion into it?  When i started to improvise, I was sort of tapping into this feeling. I am naturally an introvert.  A lot of people don’t know that about me either because I am up on these big stages all the time.  I have diagnosed myself recently as being an extroverted-introvert.  

Ok?  If you don’t mind, go on about that (being an extroverted-introvert) how does that happen?  

Ok, but I would like to explain one more piece to the Spain story.  The costume itself helped pull me out of my shell.  Helped me feel like a different person.  Like oh, if this fails or doesn’t work out, than nobody knew it was me.  So, I was a different person.

Did it help break you free of the classical mindset, being dressed up in a costume?

Ya, I ended up meeting a dancer from Barcelona, her name was Sophia. She would do this flamingo-mime ballet movements. My music would inspire her movements and the reverse.  We ended up traveling to Barcelona.  She lived on an  organic compound just outside of Barcelona.  So we ended up traveling to Formentera and living on an island in the mediterranean and performing every day.  It was amazing.  To this day, I still perform with dancers, especially with ballerinas.  You never know where life will take you.  

Thats awesome.  If you could go back to the ‘Extroverted Introvert’. What does that mean to you?

So I used to be extremely shy.  To the point of not really even knowing how to talk to people.  Not that extreme but as a kid I was a thinker.  I loved to read and hang out by myself. I was always an artist drawing and photographing.  My dad gave me a camera when I was four or five, which its also my parallel career as a photographer.   My older sister was always very extroverted.  I feel that in birth order the kids want to be different than their siblings.  I was more the quiet thinker.  The pensive one.  Then what actually happened is that I started working in a restaurant. When you have a role, there are things you need to say to have people order food.  I would just make jokes.  I started my standup comedian career at that moment.  To get people to laugh to interact to get to meet them.  You don’t have to go very deep.  You just have conversations.  Through that i learned how to be a bit more extroverted.  To this day when I meet people, I really try to get to the root of who they are.  Rather than “how are you?” “where are you from?” “what do you do?”.  Those questions are so boring.  Ask interesting questions.  Sometimes making a silly joke or asking something interesting, where it feels natural but getting to the heart of the person.  That’s how i like to interact with people.  I still remain a very one-on-one person.  I don’t really like big groups.  But there is something about being on a stage where I just embody this energy.  Where I am pulling everyone into my world.  Kind of captivating.  I am definitely an extrovert but in an introverted role.  But I don’t know, I’m sure there are other people like me out there. [laughter / chuckles]  

I’m sure there are.  When you are on stage does it feel like the crowd is giving you energy?

Yes

It does.  So you kinda take in that group collective energy. That is great.  Well now that you have made it difficult for me to ask good questions because you have ruled out all the shitty questions.

Haha.  No you can ask me those boring questions. I don’t care.

I have one that is super general and kind of a curveball but I am curious where everyone takes it.  What is music to you?

Music is a universal language.  You can talk to everyone about it.  Even people who are deaf.  They can still feel vibrations.

I have seen at some shows there is a deaf area where there are balloons for people to hold and feel the vibrations.  

Or I think the sub-pack as well.  My friend David Starfire and Zach are working with Sub-Pack and I am pretty sure they do these workshops with Deaf children and everyone wears this sub-pack that you can feel the vibrations, especially the bass frequencies.

I couldn’t agree more that it [Music] is a universal language.  Being yourself, well traveled, how do you associate the different cultures that you have been with and how do they meld or culminate in your sound.

I have spent a good amount of time in Iceland.  That was such a beautiful and inspiring time there.  My solo-project started just after my first time in Iceland.  I didn’t realize…. now reflecting upon it I see the inspiration that that gave me and where I started to take the music.  Before that, I had a band called ‘Copal’ and I also had an electronic project called ‘Nixis’. Then I studied at ‘Dub Spot’ and got into my own music production. As in producing all of the music. Not just writing the melodies & harmonies and having other people to the other content, the rhythms and bass lines.  The very first song that I produced for my solo project, HÄANA, was called “Brym Al Mar” .  I have a music video for that out.  It was the biggest project manifestation of my artistic vision to that point.  So that in itself was incredible.  Brym, the word, means the salt spray hitting the rocks or surf. But surf sounds funny. Salt spray sounds more romantic.   Al Mar, is in Spanish, of the sea.  The melody itself was inspired by a Norwegian folk song.  The video goes into life and death and multiple iterations.  Also this folktale about the ‘Norns’.  In Nordic mythology these three sisters who weave the threads of past, present, and future.  So you will see this in the video. It is kind of abstract but I love things to be mysterious.  You will see the Norns weaving the threads of life and you will see me going through this iteration.  Being in a white dress on top of a cliff and then fall into the water and emerge as this badass with a mohawk wearing all black with a black hardanger fiddle by the fire. So it is incorporating a lot of the elements.  

There are a lot of people out there who don’t have a music video and who do have music.  In that light, did you dream up this vision of yourself in the music video?  How did it come to be?  Were you working with a producer?

Well, I met this dear friend, a very creative individual,  “Armin Matine” (sp?) in New York.  I knew that this song really needed a music video.  I knew that that’s what I wanted before I released it.  So I told him about my idea.  I am a photographer, I don’t think in moving pictures.  I think in fames, snapshots and composition.  I told him what my idea was.  Then he really dove deep into it.  He is this incredible creative individual.  He works on big commercial projects in New York but this he took on as a personal project.  So he did a lot of research.  He discovered the Norns.  I didn’t even know they existed.  He wove all these different story threads.  I was like wow, how are we ever going to be able to do this?  I don’t have that much money to pull this off.  

Ya, and the song is only so long.   

Ya.  He does CGI [computer generated images] and After-Affects.  

So you didn’t actually take a cliff dive?

Well I will get into that, if we want to.  Depends on how long you want to make this interview.  So then he presented it to Alice.  Alice Miller, who is an incredible cinematographer in New York. She apparently has been obsessed with the Norns since she was a little girl.  so she was like “yes! I want to do this”.  So she took it on as a personal project as well.  The three of us were very interested in creating a piece of art.  Sometimes when people really take on an idea and take ownership of it, a lot more beauty can come out of it.  Because it is not just the dollar sign.  It’s not the commercial product.  Its the art mission.  The passion.  So then everyone that we hired for the team…. You know, we had a budget.  Everyone wasn’t getting their commercial rate but everyone was pulling 200% of their energy.  We had this incredible assistant photographer and an incredible lighting designer.  Part of the shoot was done underwater.  We used the black-light cannons.  They basically spent the whole day setting up this part of the shoot, that you can see in the video, that is under water.  It was incredible.  The piece that they didn’t do.  They didn’t heat the pool, and it was May.  I was supposed to fall into the pool backwards from a diving board into the water.  I was like “ok, calm face.  Calm face.  It’s going to be great. It is going to be wonderful”.  But, you know there is fear involved.  Wearing this long dress.  We added more fabric to the dress because we went shopping for fabrics that would glow with the blacklight cannon.  I was envisioning how it would be in the water.  I bought a cheap throwaway violin on Ebay for like $30.  So the violin was going to go into the water.  I was envisioning me twirling in the water look in the water, playing violin in this whole romantic beautiful scene.  The reality is…. I fall into the water backwards.  I’m sure my face had some sort of grimace on it.  I fall in and then I am trying to swim up but my dress wrapped around my legs. I could not swim.  I couldn’t move.  So we have slow motion footage of the lighting designer diving in to rescue me and pull me to the surface.  All this water came out of my nose and ears. It was like I was waterboarded.  Oh, also I had this makeup artist Jess Toth (sp?), who did this waterproof makeup look on me.  My makeup did not budge one bit, thanks to her.  So she was like “you can’t do that again”. She was like “if you don’t feel good we can stop this right now”.  I was like “no, no we can do it”.  So we did that sequence a couple more times. One of the best shots we did was, I holding on to the edge of the pool because I didn’t want to fall in again. With my dress and with the violin in the water, waving it back and forth, creating this abstract texture, which you can see in the physical CD.  I did a beautiful print of that particular shot, inside [the CD].  That was a pretty incredible experience.  It was a three day shoot and the end result was something that looked like we spent twenty grand on it.  We just pulled our resources. It was just something that I was feeling so passionate about it and I just knew I needed to invest what ever I could in it.  I really truly believe that if you think big, and if you act big, than even if you are not quite there yet, you will get there.  Also thinking of it like a legacy.  This is a forever project.  So I didn’t want to put anything out there that wasn’t top top top quality. Top caliber. I also didn’t want to do a Kickstarter campaign for it because I would prefer that it was something that I am funding, I am not asking people for money.  I think that sometimes those things [Kickstarter Campaign] can be successful, but sometimes it is sort of a more begging thing.

It is kind of like losing control because you don’t have control over the budget and can’t plan accordingly.  

I think it is important to put out the best quality work you can, because it will be for forever.  Well, we don’t know really what the future holds but I’m thinking it will live for forever.  

Forever, as long as foreseeable.  Working with that production team but also musically… building your albums and recording it…  Collaborating with other musicians and sound engineers… How do you build and cultivate a team that helps you succeed?  Can you speak to the building of teams?

Sure.  Well, “Brym Al Mar” was the first song I did for my solo project, I actually went through a few iterations with a few different producers.  My friend Benny Cante (sp?) did some of the dubstep growls and textures.  Empsh Subatomic worked with me.  [He said] “before we actually mix this, I think we need to go into the sounds, themselves.  Let's get the best kick drum sound we can. Let's get the best textures.  Because if you have the best quality audio, than everything else will follow”.  He also had there idea to merge, you know when you are doing electronic music with violin and vocals.  Kinda merging those elements so that it is not this cold, stark electronic content.  When I went into the studio I recorded peppercorns rice shakers, these organic shaker textures and then also this Icelandic jaw harp I had.  Just in the act of having a few organic percussive elements helped fuze those two worlds together.  The digital and analogue.  From there I had it mixed by Ming, who is another producer in New York, who Empsh introduced me to.  It is kind of like you connect with one person and another person and another person.  But really I wanted to find the person who really fit, and really understood what I was doing and really got me.  Working with Ming, super fast and efficient.  There are some moments in the song where there are transitions, I didn’t really know how that would work.  But it [the song] still wasn’t there.  Even after all those people. Then I finally brought it to Dave Sharma. He mixed that whole EP that I released.  I basically sat with him for a bunch of the sessions. The processes with that is finding where the song wants to live, which is interesting.  Each song actually has a place where it wants to live.  I have approached a lot of my music as an artistic expression, that's really important.  I am not producing something that anyone else has any quality control over.  It's not a commercial label that has this specific thing that they want me to fit into.  Its my expression.  I am ultimately giving the “yes” or “no” to the final product.  I really felt that Dave got my vision.  [He] was pulling out elements of each song.  When we were working on [the song] ‘Phavet’, which is inspired by a Finnish a capella women’s chorus, as represented by violins.  I had a particular way that I thought the track should go, but he was like “no, let's try it this way”.  I was like "ok, well I’m open to it”.  I am very happy with that direction we took.  Then finding a mastering engineer, that's another critical piece.  I have been working with AudibleOddities. He [Shawn Hatfield] has worked with some of the top electronic artists like Amon Tobin.  I am an audiophile.  Finding people who really care about audio and sound quality.  The first track I sent him to master came back perfect.  No need to revise things.    

For this release that I did with Desert Dwellers they put Leya, I think I release it in 2015.  It was Laya and then four remixes by a few different artists; Haj I Ji, An-Ten-Nae, Kaminanda, and Twin Shape.  They used a different mastering engineer.  I think we went through four or five different revisions with that one.  

So it pays to get the right person.  

Again investing just a little more, because it is a legacy that will live forever.  

Thanks for sharing.  Tell me about Paper Gold Records.

Well... Paper Gold Records is actually my label.  At the moment I am the only artist on it, but my vision with it, which could tie into what you are doing, is to inspire young girls and women to pursue a career in music, and the whole world of electronic music.  There could be definitely be a lot more women that could take on that challenge.  So with Paper Gold, it is currently a vanity label but my vision is to take that to the next level and have it be a platform for other artists to release their music on.  

How do you make a record label?  Not all artists are willing to put in the work.  Tell me how that is for you and how you balance dealing with the record label and all of the political/ legal hoops that you need to jump through.

It is getting easier and easier to release your own music and to be an independent artist.  Sometimes it is good to have an additional avenue to release your music.  First of all, its quality control.  Also if I own all the pieces of my music, than getting it placed for television, for a commercial, for films… If I own of my publishing and all of my mastering… The down side to it though is that when you are part of a bigger label you are part of a bigger network.  If you want to do it on your own, you build your own team. Everyone starts somewhere.  Everyone starts small and grows.  If it is the right thing the path might be easy and if it is not the right thing, than the path might be a little more difficult.  It depends also on how much you really want it.  The important key element that I found was distribution. I work with Symphonic Distribution and they’re amazing.  That is how I get my music up on Spotify and iTunes.  Soundcloud is different but all the digital distribution happens through my distributor.  Ya, it’s not too difficult to start your own business in that way.  

Well, you have to be bold and take that first step.  

Yes. Ya, and come up with a good name.  Really the biggest thing was Paper Gold Label or Paper Gold Records.  Ah, they are so similar…

Was that a week, or a month or how long was that debate?

I don’t know, maybe a month or maybe two.  I have been spending a lot of… the beginning of this year and last year working on my new EP called Salt.  I actually played one of the songs last night at my show on the Green Tree Stage [at Arise Music Festival].  I invited up a guest guitarist for that.  Salt is the single I released in June.  Then I was touring the east and west coast with it.  The lyrics are in Icelandic.  I worked with my friend Outsa (sp?) in Reykjavik (Iceland) and she helped me with the diction.  I have been studying some icelandic and I am a linguist but I don’t speak Icelandic.  Part of my interest in working with different languages… I even have some songs in a made up language.  The thing about that is to pull people into your universe, it doesn’t really matter what the words mean.  But anyway the lyrics are basically “Tears of the ocean, salt of the sea.  Find yourself at the bottom of the sea, white doves over head and drift away”.  Then there is this badass Icelandic medal section that drops in.  The guy who plays on the track Stephen, in Austin… You know I never ever wanted electric guitar in any of my music but that just worked, really worked.  But back to your question earlier about collaborations…  I do write a lot for Cello.  My new EP will have a few different guitarists on it.  A string trio. I recorded a violist Nils Bultmann who works with Blue Tech.  Then Jill Berta (sp?) and Adam Maloof (sp?) they are cellists who live in New York. I have a lot of piano on there.  I play piano too.  You know collaborating with people in the sense that… If you are just one person you have just one expression.  But if you pull other people in   and their talents in… Wow, it’s so beautiful.  Tear drop, the cover I did of Massive Attack, I worked with a Cellist named Raymond who tours with Celine Dion or he did in the past. His expression on the Cello is just this gorgeous… like your heart just goes Oh… and melts.  You feel things.  I want people to feel things.  So that's what I keep in mind with every piece of music that I write.  

----------Part two-------

Tell me about your first performance and if you had any anxieties and how you overcame that.  

Wow, rolling back the time.  I started playing violin when I was three but then we took a bit of a  break with that.  I kept envisioning me in a pink dress in front of an orchestra soloing.  Then my very first recital for my Suzuki  concert, my mother and I sowed a pink dress.  I thought about that later and was like “wow, I really actually manifested that”.  Haha.  I was extremely nervous, I was so young.  For my class in school, when I was just learning, I would bring my violin and my Suzuki book to school and I would have them pick out a song and then play for them.  I was kind of bold then.  When I auditioned at New England conservatory for the master’s program in Boston.  That was a deathly horrifying nerve racking experience.  Somebody later told me about taking beta-blockers.  It was so bad. When you are so nervous that your hands are shaking.  Then my knee started to shake. So I did a graceful move to [try] to stop shaking.  Like my knee was about to fall of or something. haha.  I was like I hope they don’t see this.  So I got through that interview or that audition process.  At that moment I didn’t make it in, which was disappointing.  I feel like performing on stage is a very different thing than auditioning.  Auditioning is nerve racking

Well they are judges not fans.

Ya, they are all just sitting there staring at you. Its intimidating.  

How did you overcome your fear?  Did you get yourself into a mental mindset? Do you use meditation to clarify your vision before you step out and the curtains open? How do you get yourself ready mentally?

I do try to do that.  If at all possible I try to have the green room cleared right before my set.  Spend a few moments centering and grounding.  Two years ago I played Lighting in the Bottle at the Thunder stage, and I tried something new there.  I arrived in the evening.  My set was maybe two days later.  I arrived to the space and it was at night and everything’s closed.  I just did a visualization there.  I closed my eyes and envisioned the whole space filled with light and setting intention to really inspire people.  Envisioning the whole space, this enormous ball of energy.  That was really powerful.  Arriving to a space, setting an intention.  Really doing some visualizations. It doesn’t happen every time, especially at festivals.   Sometimes those change overs are so rapid and there are just a million things and chaos.  and the rain… why does it have to rain…. And there is also all that adrenaline.  So sometimes it is a little bit rushed.  And maybe not that grand.  You know it is not always the ____ Stage, and then Grand Reveal, and then I enter.  You kinda have to roll with whatever is given to you and make the most of it.  One important practice I do too… of course it is ideal if ever performance you have you have the best lighting, the best sound, the best ambiance, the best audience.  But if you don’t have all those elements you just ‘fake it’.  What I am saying by that is that let’s say I can’t hear myself very well on stage or if something shifted with the audio.  You roll with it. You don’t make a big deal about it.  Unless it is something that will really affect your performance.  The most important thing is that people… Their watching, they are listening, they are there for an experience, they showed up.  They want whatever it is you are going to give them.  To break the flow, I don’t like to do that.  I like to proceed.  If it is not ideal, its ok.  It’s improvising in the moment as well.   

Ya, I remember watching a set… it was actually here at Arise… it was Linx, is who it was.  Her computer restarted on her mid-song and she didn’t lose a beat. She was beatboxing over the track and then suddenly everything cut out, and she kept beatboxing without losing the rhythm. Then later on revealed “so I hope you liked that last one, that was just me beatboxing as my computer restarted but here we go”.  I didn’t even catch that there was a crisis on stage.  It was just serene, she just rolled with it.  

(Tangent):  I think that’s something very important and some younger musicians don’t do. I have taught Guitar and learned the Guitar myself.  And one thing that people do when you are just learning is you hit the wrong cord [or note] and then you stop. You freeze. You’re like oh, that was wrong.  And then go back to the beginning.  That was the wrong chord but the next chord should be right. So just keep going. Pretend like it [the error] didn’t happen. So I think keeping that flow is important.  

So getting into that mental mindset tell me about your meditation music.  

So I have this side project called ‘Deep Sonos’ and it is a full-spectrum sound meditation experience.  Part of that was I wanted a channel for this more meditative, pretty, contemplative music that I write. I actually did a workshop here on Saturday morning.  It was in the dome, the Sunrise Dome and it was basically 2/3rds full. So many people showed up at 9am for this experience.  It was basically this full spectrum sound experience, where all my textures, sounds, electronics,  bass frequencies, violin, and vocals are pulling people into this really deep effortless space for meditation. I actually have four episodes of these 10 minute meditations out that people can get online at: SoundCloud.com/deepsonos/

I have been doing a lot of those workshops around.  I really believe that music can create a very deep mental… ah… almost like a bed.   Like you can just fall into it.  Like you fall onto this feathered mattress and… there is a cushion… and you just melt.  No drugs involved. Haha.  So Deep Sonos started, I have a background with Yoga.  I have been touring with Wanderlust for about four years.  I did all of the U.S. and Canadian festivals.  I would take people on these hikes with just my violin in its case.  We would go to a beautiful vista.  I would sit everyone down and center and ground everyone in nature.  Its beautiful.  It's on a mountain somewhere.  There’s.. Oh, gorgeousness everywhere.  Everyone gets really comfortable. They are dropping in, they’re present.  They are in nature.  Then I start playing violin.  About 30-45 minutes I would improvise.  Emulating the sounds of the birds, the bugs, the textures, ancient melodies that are coming to me. I am kind of channeling music that comes to me, but I don’t normally say that. But then I also walk around.  So as people are in this meditative state, they are hearing now the violin is her… now it's there,  now it’s here.  It's like this out of body experience.  

Just imagine… your eyes are closed. you are in the grass. you are lying down. You hear this beautiful violin.  Its to the right of you now it’s left now it’s far away.  I’m not moving around that much but it’s this kinda tippy experience because when you are falling into this deep sedated state you are not totally aware of the specifics of what is happening but you are just kinda drifting off in this mellow space.  So, I love doing those hikes so much.  Some of them were at sunset or early morning. So I did a lot of music accompaniment for Yoga which is how I actually got into my solo electronic project because when people are doing Yoga they are not really paying attention to if you’re turning the right knob or if you played that melody correctly. it is just more about this immersive experience. What can happen with a yoga class [is that] as I am interpreting and feeling the environment, and the class [students], and the teacher, I am providing something for something that is being facilitated by someone else.  A couple of years ago I was in Portland for a Yoga event with this teacher Jill Knouse and we added on a meditation experience at this space, that was specifically dedicated to meditation call, Hush.  I had a full sound system, a full PA, because the bass frequencies are what are really important for this experience.  So I created a whole Deep Sonos sound meditation, an hour long. It was basically like having a pallet, a painters palette.  A little green, a little red, a little splash here.  I didn’t have anyone to tiptoe around. I was just intuiting, and feeling what these people who were meditating wanted.  I was creating this immersive experience for people to drop deep into meditation. That really resonated with me.  It really felt like something that I wanted to do more of and curate more.  So from there, I produced these ten-minute meditation sequences.  This was after a trip to Costa Rica and I recorded textures.  Like jungle textures.  Like sea pods, and crinkling up leaves, and rubbing two sticks together.  haha.  I recorded all these things with a Tascam Audio Recorder. Then wove those into this 10-min meditation track.  I produced it in Logic and wrote it all in Logic.

In Logic are you working with midi and digital instruments as well as these organic sounds that you are pulling from around the world?

Yes.  I use Native Instruments a lot.  I use Machine for a lot of my drum sounds.  I use a lot of different plugins. So I am doing a lot of studio recorded violin and vocals and sometimes guest cellists and guitarists.  Then I use a lot of Sine waves for base.  Sometimes I’ll layer that with...

Just straight clean sine-wave for bass?

I’ll synthesize sounds or do a little oscillation or wobble in there to give it a little texture.  The challenge for Deep Sonos to do these segments at 432 Hz.  I wanted to try it and see if that indeed felt more meditative.  They do say… 

Tell me about 432

There are lots of theories about… I am not an expert but from what I have gathered… 440 Hz is what most music is produced at.  The frequency… I don’t know if we should even get into this.  

Well if you don’t want to, we don’t have to.  

Well, I am not the most scientific about it.  440, 432… Apparently, Tibetan singing bowls, if you put a tuner to it, the frequency that it emits is 432, not 440.  440 is a bit of a contrived frequency.  

It’s Round

Well, there are theories about controlling people and I don’t know.  I don’t even want to get into that.  But, I wanted to try it because people do say that 432 is the sound of the universe, of nature, of the sphere and some people claim that it is more meditative.  It is challenging.

What about in your experience?

I honestly don’t feel a difference.  That’s my take on it.  But what’s interesting the challenge to produce at 432hz. My ear is so trained to play my violin at 440 that to down tune it just 8 herz. It’s like oh am I playing out of tune or is this not right? And then all of the plugins like Native Instruments, Konnect Medal (sp?),  and I love Alicia's Keys, it’s a plugin for Contact for piano. And a lot of these instruments you can change the tuning.  You can change it to 432 and some others you really have to dive in. It was a good challenge.  

Now these, ten minute… You called it a sequence of meditations… Are they meant to be listed to in order?

No.  They live on their own.  The first one called Vernal the next one is called Ephemére and then  Autumné and then Viintara.  They’re kinda seasonally based. But yea they are intended… Take ten.  In the morning. In the night.  You know when the song is up it has been ten minutes.  I live in L.A. I go to the Beach. I listen without any music just the sound of the waves. I put my timer on.  Inevitably at one moment, I will look.  “Oh, it must have been 10 minutes already.  Did I miss it? Oh, no there’s two minutes left”. I find that when I am meditating to one of those episodes, I really like Ephemére, I’ll actually drift off into this out of body experience and maybe I’ll be asleep for 30 minutes.  Then I wake up and like ‘wo, where did I go?” And I feel refreshed like I took a 5 hour nap but it was only 30 minutes.   And the fact that it can do that to me, and I created it, I mean… I channeled it, is pretty amazing.

Absolutely.

What Meditation does is gives your brain a chance to calm down. We have so much stimulus.  So many things going on.  So much distraction.  I think a lot of us feel like we are running around like a chicken, with our heads cut off.  Giving your brain and your body a moment to just calm down.  To center and ground and to focus.  Also to not have to worry about anything.  I have found that with music it allows you to be effortless with this space of just calming your mind.  So you are not worrying.  The brain likes to run around.  “Did I plan my dinner” or “my plans for the week”.  If you can just calm it all down.  So at one of my Deep Sonos workshops.  I do these one hour sound meditation workshops and this one guy said “wow, I was actually scared to come to this workshop.  How am I going to meditate for an hour?”  And he said [after] the first five minutes of music his mind was a complete blank slate.  It was completely blank.  He said “I have never ever experienced that” to just have a completely calm mind. I think he has a little A.D.D. I think it is super healthy.  You can read all the benefits of it Meditation.  I know for myself, when I have a regular practice of it [meditation] I can approach my day with a lot more clarity.  

My assumption is, that you want to share that clarity with your listeners and that is why you have created Deep Sonos.  

Yes.

Is Deep Sonos also intended to expand to other artists or is this a solo-project?

At the moment it is a solo-project but I do have bigger visions for it.  

Well we are going to have to stay tuned.

All of my music can be found here:  ThisIsHÄANA.com

What do you call the A with a double dot [Ä]?

Umlaut.  Yes it is German.

And where is the best place to listen to Deep Songs

SoundCloud.com/DeepSonos

Well thank you for taking the time to talk with us and I really appreciate all of the wisdom you have shared.  I wish you safe travels throughout the U.S. and to Australia and beyond.

Thank you so much.  

Other Podcast Episodes

Filed Under: Abstract, Acoustic, Ambient, Arise, Arise 2017, Asia, Digital Instruments, EARTH, Easy Listening, Electronic, English (US), Europe, FMP, Instrumentation, Interviews, Islands, Keyboard, Language, Laptop, Loop Pedal, Minimal, Musicians, New Music, North America, Podcasts, Violin, World Tagged With: 1, Artist, Artist Interview, Deep, Deep Sonos, episode, female, Fesh, freio, Freio Music, FreioMusic, FreioMusic Podcast, HAANA, interview, Meditation, Multi-Instrumentalist, Music, Music Podcast, one, Podcast, podcast episode one, Sonos, the Freio Music Podcast, Thiem, Transcribed, Transcription

Jamaica Tmrw.Tday – Lineup and Schedule

April 13, 2017 By Michael

Jamaica’s TMRW.TDAY Cultural Festival Is Here!

If I need to convince you that a festival in Jamaica filled with Reggae, Yoga, and Beach-Parties is worth your time, this is probably not for you.  However, if you are the adventurous type who is ready to sink your feet into new beaches, dip your body and soul into the oceans of reggae and invert yourself into yoga postures, this is for you!  To learn more, keep reading….

Tmrw.Tday Culture Festival – Negril, Jamaica – Taking place on the glistening beaches of Negril, Jamaica this May 17-23, Tmrw.Tday Culture Fest forays onto the international festival landscape, with the aim of enlightening those who will voyage into paradise. Inspiring attendees to embark on a weeklong journey into consciousness, conviction and energy work across the grounds of one of the world’s most coveted travel locations. Tmrw.Tday curates an intimate, blissful destination festival experience bound by alluring music, delicious food, captivating activities and miles of pure, pristine coastline pulsating with positive island vibes.

Designated environments at Irie Soul Beach, headquarters for Tmrw.Tday, will host an array of beachside entertainment, wellness activations and delectable culinary feasts, spearheaded by some of the most distinguished innovators in the world. Featuring headlining musical acts Protoje & The Indiggnation Live In Concert, Wolf + Lamb,Toddla T and the festival’s official Reggae Ambassador Chris Blackwell, Tmrw.Tday has mastered an eclectic fusion of local and international talent, celebrating Caribbean heritage and global sounds alike.The Reggae Revival Concert and Crew Love Beach Party Showcase are among top festivity highlights, in addition to nightly sunset Drum Circles at Irie Soul Beach featuring Sam Maher & Acro Buddhas plus intimate Dub & Reggae Lounges to showcase Jamaica’s most talented and respected artists. Among those artists joining the beachside party include: Gabre Selassie, Yaadcore, Nick Monaco, David Marston, Teflon Zinc Fence, and Echomatik.

Daytime activations will offer a series of wellness programs led by world-renowned instructors. Various practices of yoga, fitness classes, health & medicinal healing workshops, guided meditations and conscious lifestyle speakers will guide attendees through a transformative experience found nowhere else within the festival realm. Championed by international wellness ambassador and superfoods evangelist David Wolfe, self-care teacher, motivational speaker and Irie Soul Program Co-Director Gillian B. and conscious lifestyle coach, meditation guide and founder of Irie Soul Stacy Chang-Christoforou, Tmrw.Tday’s wellness offerings will provide a diverse selection of educational activities to cleanse the body, detoxify the mind, and heal the spirit.

Andrew Christoforou, Managing Partner of Tmrw. Tday, elaborates: “The most unique part about Tmrw.Tday culture fest is that its ultimate goal is to have people go within to better themselves and find true happiness…The planet is at a very critical stage and we believe that you must take care of yourself first before you take action to better the world.”

An island that is known for an explosion of flair and flavours, Tmrw.Tday will take foodies on a culinary quest through Jamaica’s famous food scene – a flavorful blend of influences from Spain, Britain, East India, West Africa, Portugal, China, France, and The Netherlands. Adventurous spirits can feast on tantalising traditional fare while celebrating the importance of sustainable agriculture and organic eating. Led by cuisine curator Ras Iyah V Ital, the inaugural gastronomy program boasts the 7-Mile Organic Food Festival, Farm To Table & Experiential Dinner Series, Hot Sauce Competition, and will incorporate both vegetarian and vegan offerings prepared by internationally-acclaimed chefs such as 16-year old motivational speaker, youth health activist and vegan chef Haile Thomas.

Tmrw.Tday’s beachfront paradise will also host a variety of pop-ups and extra curricular activities, including the pioneering 7 Miles of Green, Marley Coffee Beach Café with Premium Blue Mountain Coffee, Organic Juice Bar, massage & spa offerings, essential oil treatments, Arts & Crafts exhibit and, of course, endless amounts of beachside activities.

Encompassing music, wellness, gastronomy, and adventure, Tmrw.Tday presents an impressive, fully immersive schedule designed for self-discovery, and encouraging above all things a chance to find inner peace and purpose. Creating a mindful and loving community built on values that challenge the current political, economic and environmental state across the globe, attendees will encounter an oasis of unique daily offerings designed to help achieve a more conscious lifestyle.A better TMRW starts TDAY.

Full Schedule Below or  Visit the Website

A special thanks to the 2017 Sponsors for their support – Jamaica Tourist Board, Jamaica Experiences & Red Stripe

Plan your journey to a better Tmrw.Tday – Tickets for the weeklong experience are on sale now!

Stay Connected: Tmrw.Tday
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

 

Tmrw.Tday’s Philosophy
In recent years, our hearts have become heavy, so too has our planet. The earth continues to nourish us as best she can, but instead, we abuse her through pollution, hate and entitlement. Now is the time to strip it all back and discover how you can help. The inaugural Tmrw.Tday Culture Fest aims to tackle some of the existential challenges humankind faces by stripping back materialism and focusing on core values such as mindfulness, through its unique wellness, gastronomy and music programming. A movement for change, attendees will embark on a weeklong personal journey of consciousness, conviction and growth. Free yourself from society’s intolerance through yoga practice, music, dance, mindful eating, sustainable cooking, art, nature and alternative therapies.

 

 

See you there!

Filed Under: Caribbean, EARTH, Festival, House, Islands, Jamaica, Live Music, Reggae, Tmrw.Tday, World Tagged With: Andrew Christoforou, Beach, Chris Blackwell, Coffee, David Marston, David Wolf, Echomatik, Farm to Table, Festival, Flavours, Food, Gabre Selassie, house, Jamacca, Lamb, Marley, Music, Nick Monaco, Ocean, Organic, Party, Protoje & The Indiggnation Live In Concert, Ras Iyah V Ital, Reggae, tday, Teflon Zinc Fence, Tmrw, Tmrw.Tday, Toddla T, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wolf, Yaadcore, Yoga

Sonic Bloom 2016

July 12, 2016 By FreioMusic

    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.  

Filed Under: Break Beat, Colorado, Concert Reports, Deep House, Digital Instruments, Drum Pad, Drum-&-Bass, Drums Set (acoustic), Dubstep, EARTH, EDM, Electronic, Electronica, English (US), Festival, Genre, Horns, House, Hummingbird Ranch, Instrumental, Instrumentation, Jamtronic, Jamtronica, Keyboard, Language, Laptop, Live Music, Lo-Fi, Loop Pedal, Minimal, New Music, North America, Percussion, Sax, Sonic Bloom, Sonic Bloom 2016, Soul, Stand-Up-Bass, Techno, Trance, Trip Hop, Trumpet, Venues, Violin, Visualizer / Visual Artists, Vocals, World Tagged With: 2016, Bird, Bloom, Colorado, Featured, fest, Festival, freio, fresh, Humming, Music, Music Festival, Ranch, Rye, Sonic, Sonic Bloom Music Festival, sonicbloom, SonicBloom16

Gem and Jam Festival 2016

February 24, 2016 By Julien Deroeux

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.

 

 

Filed Under: Arizona, Break Beat, Drum-&-Bass, Dubstep, EARTH, EDM, Electronic, Electronica, English (US), Festival, Gem and Jam Festival 2016, House, Jamtronic, Jamtronica, Language, Live Music, Minimal, New Music, North America, Trip Hop, USA, World Tagged With: Arizona, electronic, Festival, freio, fresh, gem, Gem and Jam Festival 2016, Jam, swamptronic

Countdown: 7 Days – Arise Music Festival 2015

July 31, 2015 By FreioMusic Leave a Comment

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.

Filed Under: Acoustic, AfroBeat, Alternative, Arise 2015, ASL (American Sign Language), Bluegrass, Break Beat, Colorado, Drum-&-Bass, Dub, EDM, Electronic, Electronica, English (US), Festival, Funk, Glitch-hop, Gypsy, Indie, Instrumental, Jamtronic, Language, Live Music, Loveland, North America, Reggae, Singer-Songwriter, Soul, Sunrise Ranch, Tribal, Trip Hop, USA, Venues, World Tagged With: 2015, Arise, Arise festival, Arise Music Festival, Colorado, countdown, Festival, freio, FreioMusic, fresh, Loveland, Music, Music Festival, SunRise Ranch

Front Country – Interview

May 16, 2015 By Michael 1 Comment

In this exclusive artist interview, FreioMusic sat down with three members of the up and coming Bay Area band, Front Country.  Front Country’s Adam Roszkiewicz, Jacob Groopman, and Melody Walker generously shared their time and stories prior to their first ever performance in Denver, Colorado at Swallow Hill Music Hall.

To Listen, Click on the Track Below:

Front Country – Exclusive FreioMusic Interview 5/9/2015

Click to read more about the band

Click to listen to Front Country’s new album, Sake of the Sound

Filed Under: Acoustic, Bluegrass, California, Colorado, Denver, English (US), Instrumental, Interviews, Jazz, Language, NewGrass, North America, San Francisco, Soul, USA, World Tagged With: 2015, country, freio, FreioMusic, Front, Front Country, interview, Music, Sake of the Sound

Envision 2015 Announces 1st Wave Artists

November 13, 2014 By Molly Buckiewicz Leave a Comment

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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Filed Under: Break Beat, Central America, Costa Rica, Drum-&-Bass, Dub, Dubstep, EARTH, Easy Listening, Electronic, English (US), Envision, Experimental, Festival, Glitch-hop, Gypsy, Live Music, New Music, Spanish, Trance, Tribal, Trip Hop, World Tagged With: #LIVING LIGHT, #SAQI, #THE POLISH AMBASSADOR, #WILDLIGHT, About, aTyYa, Awakening, Ayla Nero, Bluetech, Central America, Community, Costa Rica, diamond saints, Discount Tickets, Emancipator, Enlightening, Envision, Envision Festival, Festival, freio, FreioMusic, fresh, gathering, Govinda, Groundation, ill-esha, Jungle, Los Miseria Cumbia band, Music, Ott, Passiflora, Phaelea, Pura Vida, Random Rab, Santos Y Zurdo, Stephen Brooks, stickybuds, Un Rojo, Vive La Experiencia, Waterfalls, Workshops, Yoga

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