Afro Monk

Lucidity… What an all-embracing festival! It was like a breath of fresh air. Somehow it was even better than I imagined it could possibly be – one of my favorite gatherings that I have been to yet. The positive spirit and vibes that resonated through Live Oak Camp were supreme. Every time I looked around to soak in my surroundings I observed beaming faces, vibrant colors, friends giggling, soulful frequencies, beautiful artwork, playing children, souls connecting and engaging, and so much more. The festival was exceptionally well thought-out and much attention was paid to detail, giving participants a sensation of intimacy and inclusion. That’s all we humans really ask for, no?

I will touch on the magical moments that stood out the most for me. One piece of the Lucidity puzzle was completely different than anything I had ever seen before- Save the Mermaids. Next to the LucidStage one could observe beautiful mermaids basking in the sun, spinning around in the water, and doing tricks in awe. Yes, mermaids… tails and all! The mermaids “act as ambassadors to the sea by educating [the] community about human-sourced ocean pollution and advocating for lifestyles and behaviors that benefit the ocean environment.” And let me tell you, that was one hell of a way to do so! Another memorable part of Lucidity was Ego Trip’s Peacocking Party…. So many good peoples getting down! Sangria and peacock feathers were provided for all, and the sense of community was wonderful. Other things I loved about the festival – the “mapdanas” (rather than wasteful paper maps that create MOOP, organizers created tasteful bandanas that served as maps for participants – radsauce!), the delicious food, the super fun late-night silent disco parties, and the art gallery located in the center. Everything about the gathering was just incredible!

While in the land of lucid dreaming, I almost found myself pinching myself on a few occasions because I constantly felt that I was in a surreal parallel universe. Or even Lucid dreaming! If you are able to, I would highly suggest doing whatever it takes to come participate in one of the best festivals I have been to, Lucidity. Bless!

Photos to come!

So earlier on I mentioned doing a ticket giveaway for Emissions Festival tickets. The festival is going to be absolutely incredible! You don’t want to miss this! Follow the instructions below; 2 winners will receive full weekend tickets for Emissions!

By simply liking Afro Monk on Facebook, you are granted 3 entries to the contest.
By tweeting about this contest you are granted 2 entries.
By sharing a post about this on Facebook, you are granted 1 entry.
Click on the link below for instructions…. Now get going!

Also, check out my earlier post about Camp Q Mark’s Emissions Festival.

Afro Monk – Emissions Festival Ticket Giveaway!

Purchase tickets to Emissions here!

Exciting news! Boards of Canada have finally disclosed details about their new album, Tomorrow’s Harvest, which is set to release on Tuesday, June 11. The Scottish electronic duo has been quite elusive in regards to the upcoming release, sending followers on an inquest for clues that finally culminated in a tease video.

This information was revealed via the band’s website today. Boards of Canada have progressively shared a series of numbers which is the password to their website. The password is “699742628315717228936557813386519225.”  Plug those numbers in on their website to see the cryptic tease video!

This is the band’s first LP since “The Campfire Headphase” in 2005. The 17-song tracklist is below.
Tomorrow’s Harvest
1. Gemini
2 Reach for the Dead
3. White Cyclosa
4. Jacquard Causeway
5. Telepath
6. Cold Earth
7. Transmisiones Ferox
8. Sick Times
9. Collapse
10. Palace Posy
11. Split Your Infinities
12. Uritual
13. Nothing Is Real
14. Sundown
15. New Seeds
16. Come To Dust
17. Semena Mertvykh

We’re so excited for this one! Stay tuned for a review of Boards of Canada’s full-length album.

Emissions! I can’t contain myself with excitement for this all-around extraordinary festival. The vibes that you feel while at any Camp ? and/or Irie Cartel event are unparalleled. These guys are on the forefront of West Coast Bass Culture and they’re passionate about making it happen, and making it happen right! The crew welcomes any and all creative exploration, collaboration, participation, synchronization. So it’s no wonder that their gatherings are all-sensory interactive experiences.

My first Emissions was in 2011 in beautiful Tuolumne, CA… we came, we partied and howled at the moon, we got snowed out, and we conquered that shit. It was actually magnificent feeling the forces of nature make themselves known to us; it went from pleasantly sizzling hot to torrential blizzard in a matter of two days. But the point is, we came together under the snowfall and continued to have a blast! Not many groups of people can collectively do that. Then last year, Emissions was held in the sweeping valleys and timber-laden forest of Angels Camp. It was magical! There was a sense of pure bliss and beauty in the air that you couldn’t resist noticing and soaking in. This year, I can’t tell you how I’m excited that the gathering will be held in my all-time favorite venue of Belden Town, which is nestled in the stunning Feather River Canyon in the Sierra Nevadas. We’ll soon be shaking our booties in the sun, some floating in the refreshing water, some swaying in hammocks…. Perfection!

Let’s get to the music. DJ Shadow, at a festival?! Double yes. I can’t wait to see his All Basses Covered DJ Set; I feel that it will be completely different than when I last saw him in his awe-inspiring Shadowsphere. The Polish Ambassador always brightens my day with his retro sound that at times is reminiscent of old-school video game sounds. Lately he’s been exploring some lusher, earthy sounds that I love with Ecozoic. And there’s really no denying that he is the funkiest of diplomats with his bright onzies! We’ve got Ill.Gates, guaranteed to blow your mind with heavy bass frequencies. Minnesota will always be one of my favorites, I can never get enough of his textured tunes and his live performances are top-notch! I can’t wait to get weird in the paint with NastyNasty, his sets are always exciting and playful. G Jones has been killing it lately and I can’t wait to see what he brings to the table at Emissions. I am always brought to another dimension, one of elation, while experiencing Phutureprimitive live, so I am thrilled about his appearance on the bill. Other acts that I’m absolutely stoked on are M!NT (CO homie), Guttstar, Trevor Kelly (got the chance to kick it with him last weekend during Bicycle Day and had a great time and loved his sets),  Bedrockk (also CO homies), Psymbionic, MiHKAL, Hypha, Zapper & Datgirl, Smasheltooth, Foobz (also had the pleasure of chilling with him last weekend), Zebuel (friend and pioneer of the Tahoe bass scene here), Boggan (awesome friend from Reno), and Benito.

So what are you waiting for, grab your ticket and come join us in the woods for Emissions! It is an insanely reasonable gathering and you will return home a new person. Time to feel the music. Get your Emissions tickets here! See you there

Also, stay tuned for a ticket giveaway!

There is no denying the raw talent of D.V.S*. He manages to blend guitar and electronic frequencies in a unique and tasteful manner. His range of sounds is actually quite astounding. Throughout his new release, Hit the Clouds Running, he incorporates funk, jazz, 80’s, and other varied sounds in a way that makes listeners want to move. It’s fun, upbeat, feel-good music that’s good for your ear holes. While you’ll often find me gettin’ weird to crazy-ass beats, this type of music so speaks to my soul. It’s crisp and refreshing – just nice easy listening. However don’t mistake that for simplicity, for it’s far from that! D.V.S* is a sound wizard casting tasteful resonant spells on us all with his complex yet effortless tunes. I particularly enjoy Heartmaps; it has an awesome buildup that I love and then some radical outer-space feeling sounds, all on top of a catchy beat.

D.V.S* first got on my radar with his remix of Emancipator’s Jet Stream which was very impressive. Since then he has only climbed up from that; I also loved his 30 track double album, Coming up for Air. Quality sounds all around. I was stoked when I heard that he linked up with Gravitas Recordings, one of my favorite labels. Gravitas has been killing it lately overall, with stellar releases from D.V.S*, Ill-Esha, Goldrush, ChrisB., Aligning Minds, One4All, Mr. Bill, The Digital Connection, and so many more!

Grab D.V.S*’s Hit the Clouds Running for free here!

Want to free your mind and open your senses to all possibilities? Come experience transcendence while surrounded with beautiful spirits inside and out at Re:Creation – Bicycle Day. On April 19^th at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco, this one is not to be missed. Not only will your eardrums be blessed with the finest low frequencies but your eyes will have the pleasure of feasting on the most stunning art and visuals imaginable.

Alex and Allyson will be present and will speak about psychedelic realms and their visionary art. This is quite the opportunity; I was able to listen in on one of their workshops at Burning Man and was blown away. Tribe13 will also have a gallery there; their awe-inspiring haven at Symbiosis was unforgettable. The experience will be all-encompassing… there will be aerial performers, body painting, a tea lounge, incredible live painting, and so much more.

Let’s get to the music. Shpongle will be bringing the weirdness with a DJ set. Having not seen him since his Shpongletron Experience, I’m pretty stoked to see what he’ll bring to the dancefloor. Random Rab will be crooning to us on top of his stunning beats; I could never tire of his unparalleled live performance. Bluetech will bring us to another dimension with his flowy textured sounds. And Kaminanda will blow everyone away with his intricate, deep resonations. I am also extremely excited for one of my favorites, MiHKAL; his mixes are my go-to chill out vibe music. The Ritual / Irie Cartel basement will have it’s own radical feel with Neba vs. Trevor Kelly, Ro vs. Foobz, and Kitt vs. Johnny5. Guaranteed to be a blast down there. The thing I love the most about 1015 Folsom is how the aura shifts completely as you meander from room to room. Sometimes I feel like a chameleon while exploring the place…. And I love it!

Believe me, you don’t want to miss the once in a lifetime chance to gain VIP early and private access to the gallery; mingle with the artists, musicians, and performers; get an autograph from Alex Grey; and connect with those most involved in this spiritual evolution. Those with VIP access will be welcomed into the sphere to enjoy two hours of meet and greet and immersion!

Together we will journey through the cosmos and become united through our common spiritual transformation. It’s us, the participants, who will be the flowing lifeblood of the experience.
Grab your tickets for Re:Creation – Bicycle Day, brought to you by Euphonic Conceptions, An-Ten-Nae, Challenger, New Earth, Beat Church, Ritual Dubstep & 1015, HERE. Come play!

Also, grab the phenomenal Bicycle Day compilation for free!

It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard anything from Phutureprimitive. He’s always been one of my favorites with his smooth, gorgeous signature sound. He always manages to lure me into a trance, whether chilling and listening, or experiencing his live performance. There is always attention to detail, with plenty of texture interweaved throughout each track. This is my kind of music. As much as I can appreciate the more recent evolution into eclectic, experimental, and trap (eh actually, not really with the latter) sounds, music like Phutureprimitive’s will forever be my go-to, almost like frequencies of comfort. I love the natural ebb and flow of his style. You don’t even have to try to dance to this music and can easily lose yourself in the deep yet soothing resonations. If you let it, it will take you on a sonic journey into another dimension.

I enjoy his newest release, Searching for Beauty in the Darkest Places Pt. 1, very much. It incorporates just that… both darkness and luminosity. It gets me thinking about equilibrium; for when you light a candle you also cast a shadow. In “Only You” he incorporates darkness with the wubby dubstep sounds, but then veers off into a bright effervescent hook. That range is quite satisfying to me! I absolutely love Phutureprimitive’s remix of Jillian Ann’s “Passes Away”. It also embodies both obscurity and beauty effortlessly. Then there’s his remix of The Human Experience’s “Dusted Compass”. He does a marvelous job of reworking an already beautiful song and making it his own. It’s common for remixes to sound chopped up and unincorporated, as if there are two songs in one. Not with this one. It sounds organic and elegant… meant to be. I’m excited for what Part 2 will bring!

Phutureprimitive is on tour with another favorite, Ill-Esha; be sure to check them out if they are making a stop near you! Both display breathtaking live performances so you don’t want to miss them! I am personally hyped to see them both at Lucidity Festival this weekend in Santa Barbara! Find their tour dates below or on Phutureprimitive’s website.
Get Phutureprimitive’s Searching for Beauty in the Darkest Places Pt. 1.

“Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.”
― Mary Oliver

No words can describe how excited I am to awaken my dreams once again at the open-source experience that is Lucidity Festival on April 12-14 at Live Oak Campground. We will all be together again soon… dancing, howling and frolicking below those sparkle-laden timbers in the stunning Santa Barbara hills. Last year was incredible. Colorful, mischievous, beautiful, raw, and resilient are all words that come to mind when I reminisce on the transformational festival. Together us participants weathered and savored the torrential storm and together we welcomed the following rainbows and glistening sunlight with open arms and hearts. Magic. I feel like the morphing weather patterns brought everyone together, helping establish a heightened sense of community. I believe that everyone left that festival a changed being in one way or another. I guarantee that this year’s Return of the Totem will be just as, if not more life-changing. Open your senses to all of the possibilities!

There is something for everyone at Lucidity, whether you want to activate your booty shakin’ skills at one of the sound stages, gaze in awe at amazing art creations scattered about the grounds, test your agility on one of the many awesome structures, delight in an organic smoothie, learn about the Human Energy Field, or simply wander aimlessly. The opportunities for both self reflecting and connecting with other souls are infinite!

The musical talent brought to the totem (get it, haha) is unparalleled. Zion I have been one of my favorite hip hop groups since I started getting into it in high school and I love their live performances. Phutureprimitive will take the crowd on mind-bending soundscapes. Ill.Gates will get everyone moving with his hard basslines and varied upbeat resonance. He’s My Brother She’s My Sister will tingle our senses with their eclectic blend of sounds. Gladkill will awe us all with his beautiful melodic lovestep. I may be the most excited for Bluetech with his gorgeous instrumental downtempo vibes. I have been listening to him a lot lately and liking what I hear more and more. Kaminanda will tingle our senses with his global fusion of beats. Ill-Esha will sooth our souls with her combination of vocal and digital talents. Nico Luminous will kill it with his unique “Glitch-a-delic Soul Whomp”. The list goes on and on!

Then there’s the art. I could never get bored with Bamboo DNA’s large scale organic installations… their Bamboo Stage at LIB always impresses! The Alchemy Arts Collective brought some of my favorite interactive playgrounds to Symbiosis last year so I am enthralled to see what they will bring for our eyes to feast on and bodies to climb at Lucidity! I am intrigued by the solar-powered Autonomous Video Hut which brings “elements of architecture, sculpture, cinema, and video-art to audiences”… sounds sublime. The Space Palette looks to be way too much fun to experiment and discover your inner artist on. The gallery art looks to be phenomenal.

This, my friends, will no doubt be a comprehensive and integrated experience for all beings present. Come play within the oak trees at Live Oak Camp on April 12-14…. Evoke the stoke!

Get more information about Lucidity here

Purchase your Lucidity ticket here

Wow, what a great day in music! Today marks Emancipator’s first self-release on his new record label, Loci Records. The album Dusk to Dawn is nothing short of stunning. Though overall the album has mellow vibes, at the same time it is rejuvenating and invigorating. While listening to it this morning it kind of energized me for the day ahead. There is more of a jazzy element to this release which I love and appreciate. One thing I love about Emancipator is the keen attention to detail… It’s very instrumental and textured which I have found to be more and more important for my satisfaction in music. Gorgeous piano, violin and other strings, horns, you name it. While listening to this album it is easy to lose yourself and almost melt away into the cosmos. It makes me think of a magic carpet ride through colorful soundscapes, as cheesy as that may sound. Soul shines through and through in this music… it’s deep!

I’m not sure why, and I can’t quite explain it, but Emancipator’s sounds always bring my connection with nature into light. While chilling out to his tunes I am always reminded of countless times wandering through the vast Sierras while backpacking, gliding through the trees on silent snow, watching meteor showers in awe, and tide pooling in Santa Barbara or Monterey. But also, of dancing in bliss (many times in these settings). Not a lot of artists make me feel this way. While in listening to most other music, memories surface of raging in a club with good friends, Emancipator’s tunes make me think of times of solitude and introspection. And I mean that in a good way, because this reflection makes me in turn contribute to the community and this earth in a more meaningful way. Take a listen and see how it makes you feel…

 

Ill-Esha’s “Making Friends at Altitude” mini-mix sings to me, both literally and figuratively. It ebbs and flows so very nicely with her dynamic beats and soulful crooning. I find myself listening it to the car constantly because it gets me in the mood for anything; it’s 13:53 of BLISS! The mix tastefully intertwines her two EPs together, Imaginary Friends and Altitude Sickness. The releases are quite a bit different so I love how she manages to unite them into one graceful melody. You can tell that she mixed this with straight-up intention. There’s no denying Ill-Esha’s raw talent and determination to be on top of the game…. That’s a winning combination. I really love where the mix goes around 7:30 with “When The Bass Drops” (original w/ I-Cue, Envloop). Overall I am really impressed by this mix that really displays her aptitude for music of all types. There’s denying that Ill-Esha’s essence is overflowing with passion!

Now a mountain girl living in Denver, Ill-Esha is a kind and unique soul. If you ever get the chance to see her live, don’t pass it up. I have seen her countless times and not only has it never once been the same, it has also always blown my mind. Nothing quite compares to her stunning live singing combined with rad beats. I have been lucky enough to be graced with her presence twice on the shores of my home, Lake Tahoe (those are definitely my most memorable times seeing her). Once was for our summer parties called Boom Boom Lagoon on a crystal clear emerald beach laced with granite on the East shore, and another this summer at my favorite and most frequented beach in North lake called Moon Dunes. My birthday was the next day and Elle drank some tequila with me then announced happy birthday to me before playing an unforgettable sunset set. Absolutely killed it and had everyone at the beach dancing! Ill-Esha is for sure one of the most influential females in the bass music scene, and with excellent reason.

Grab Ill-Esha’s Making Friends at Altitude Mini-Mix here on SoundCloud for free! Jam that ish!