Afro Monk

With the exception of the lucky people who attended Lucidity, most of us are anxiously awaiting the beginning of everyone’s favorite time of year, FESTIVAL SEASON!!! I know I for one am super ready to bust out my (playa) dusty tent, LED’s , unicorn swag, and of course my best dancing shoes. As of now, I’ve got my season’s plans pretty much all lined up and the first official stop of my 2013 Bass Summer is in Black River Falls, Wisconsin at the Infrasound Music Festival. 

Twin Cities Dubstep joined forces with the Untz.com to bring this young festival back bigger and better for it’s second year. Twin Cities Dubstep is a major player in the midwest electronic music scene, booking everyone from massive headliners to up and coming locals to classic favorites of every genre. Needless to say, the festival has stirred up a lot of excitement in that and surrounding areas and is proving to be actual competition against some of the bigger festivals, such as Wakarusa, that happen to be sharing the same date. The location is looking absolutely lovely and thanks to the late May date, the weather should fall at that really nice level right before the wretched midwest summer humidity (not my steez!). The festival grounds are nestled among a surrounding forest and includes a small lake whose shores will be home to a daytime beach stage.  One of the best aspects of this festival is definitely it’s price. I was shocked to see the earliest early bird tickets at only $50 and even now the current price is at a mere $95 and will raise to a still-relatively-cheap-for-the-lineup $120 at the door. Plus a portion of the profits are going towards a Minneapolis non-profit, Save Our Schools, and their goal to save an inner city music program. Awesome! Located about 2.5 hours from Minneapolis, 3 from Milwaukee, and 4 from Chicago, it’s a super mellow trek from many of the major music hubs of that region. So basically if you’re around, there aren’t too many good excuses not to come out and play Ok enough shit about logistics, let’s talk music!

For many of you, you’ll be so sold at the next word that you might as well stop reading this now and go ahead and purchase your ticket : TIPPER. Although this fact might change with the new announcement of the Symbiosis lineup, Infrasound is the ONLY festival this summer that will be hosting this musical mad man/genius/higher being as their headliner and not only that, booked him to play TWICE on Saturday. I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about the promised twilight downtempo set ( I’m pretty convinced a fairy is born every time he plays a song from Broken Soul Jamboree live) and I’m making a solid and public warning right now to gtfo out of my way during the second set cause this girl + outdoor sound systems + Tipper = elbow poppin, hip displacing, melted minded, third eye to toe dance floor ridiculousness. To complete the sensory experience, the legendary digital artist Android Jones will be supplying the visuals.

Another performance I’m really looking forward to is Liquid Stranger’s downtempo set. Known mainly for his masterfully produced and absolutely crushing Dubstep, Drumstep, and DnB, Liquid Stranger has toured all over the world playing bass music but Infrasound will be his first ever Downtempo/IDM set. Anyone familiar with his album “Cryogenic Encounters” or his pre Rottun work knows how magical this is going to be.  Some more artists I’m personally excited to see are Haywyre, Billy Blacklight, Thriftworks, Grimblee, Mumukshu, Megalodon, Shwex, Bogtrotter, Smilodon, Loom In Essence, and Spankalicious! You can also catch some bigger name festival favorites : Gramatik, HeRobust, MartyParty, Luminox, and the beautiful Emancipator. Best part of all? Main stage is going to be on a gorgeous Funktion One rig.

The festivities begin May 31st, which is a little over three weeks away, so there is still plenty of time to get your ticket, your crew, your whiskey to share with me, and your beautiful selves ready for what’s sure to be an amazing weekend. I will see you on the dancefloor!

Buy your tickets here

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!

Could it be? After almost a year of hearing it wasn’t going to happen, is it actually going to happen? Did the bass gods really hear my prayers? Today at around 3:30 PST, the Symbiosis Events fan page surprised us all by posting the above image as their new cover photo. As you can see in the image, it is implied that there is going to be a Symbiosis Gathering this year! No other details have been released as of now, but the 19-23 on the far left side suggests a September date, as those dates happens to fall on a Thurs-Mon in that month. Hell freaking yeah.

Somewhere between watching a full solar eclipse over gorgeous Pyramid Lake, crying out of happiness seeing Rustie play for the first time on Friday night, and witnessing the universe and my sanity with it implode into ever decreasing nothingness and then tumble back into a newly formed and more beautiful reality during Tipper’s eclipse set on Sunday, I figured out that Symbiosis Gathering 2012 might have been my favorite festival ever. The lineup was top notch and unmatchable that summer and the location was nothing short of phenomenal. I didn’t attend the legendary Symbiosis in 2009, but have heard nothing but the very, very, very best about it. That being said, I’m hoping 2013 will be their best year yet and I can not wait to hear more information. We’ll try to keep you guys updated here at Afro Monk and keep your eye out for news on their website.

Love and Low Frequencies,
Molly

UPDATE:

This morning, those following Symbiosis were given more details in the mysterious and cryptic hunt for clues about the gathering:

“The stage is set, and signed, and sealed
It’s time to forge ahead with zeal
Anticipation and excitement grow
For all the stuff you’d like to know

The time and place, or so it seems
Is the next piece of this crazy scheme
So gather round and prepare your head
Open three eyes and let your soul be fed

At this, the year of the water snake
Which is embodied by the lake
A place which you may never have heard:
The sun-drenched loch of old Woodward

The time and place you now shall learn:
A fortnight after the epic burn
The gathering begins on the fullest moon
19th of September, festivities begin at noon!

5 days of art, music, and adventure! An astounding assortment of sensory delights! Curious characters and eccentric explorers. Rare beauties and beautiful rarities. The wise, the wild, the weird, the wonderful. Dancing, swimming, and making merry together!

TICKETS GO ONSALE 14 MAY 10AM PST”

Symbiosis will be held September 19-23 at Woodward Reservoir, CA!
See all of you lovelies there!

-Taradactyl

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!

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!

Colorado is one of the greatest states in the US. The music community there is booming! They recently just legalized a certain something. There’s tons of world class skiing. The legendary Red Rocks. Gorgeous women. The list can go on and on about Colorado.

With all this around in the state of Colorado you could only hope for incredible festivals that would showcase all of the above. Snowball is exactly that. It is a three day music festival that happens in the month of March. You can everything from skiing, outdoor stages, snow, pioneering music, and late night showcases that will keep you going all through the week-end.

This is one of those unique events where everything comes together quite nicely. There’s a little of everything for everyone. I’m really looking forwarding to attending as it means I’ll get to reunite with the Colorado family but also kick it with tons of other homies who are coming in for the festival. Winter Park is a fantastic meeting ground for everyone all around the States. It’s absolutely gorgeous out there. It’s one of those few festivals that you’re out in the mountains while it’s snowing. I do warn you all that plan on attending to be ready for snowfall and cold conditions. Personally I think it’s worth it as it’s always memorable catching some of your favorite artist on stage while snow falls down. It’s something I hope you all can experience! See you out there at Snowball 2013!

For more information about tickets, after parties, ski lift passes, etc… Snowball 2013

Friday Schedule

Saturday Schedule

Sunday Schedule

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

Dave Tipper is one of the most talented producers alive. He has helped pioneer many genres of music including the Break and Glitch Hop sound. He has set the standard of recording in 5.1 surround sound and has released a collection of music that most would consider divine in nature.

I’ve had to luxury of seeing many live performances by him over the years. There’s two distinct sides to Tippers music. There’s the uptempo glitch-hop bass sets that will get you moving and then there’s the organic downtempo sound journey. I can say that his downtempo set at Symbiosis 2012 was the most unique and beautiful pieces of auditory sound that I’ve ever experienced in my life. I felt as if I was a small child rediscovering sound.

This February in Austin, Texas, Dave Tipper will be doing a special one time performance with the theatrics group, Quixotic. They are an artist collective comprised of aerial acrobatics, dancer, film makers, fashionistas, musicians, and visual artist. I had the pleasure of seeing them at Wakarusa and was totally blown away by the amount of production that goes into their show.

The Tipper Quixotic Experience is what they are calling it and assure you that it’s something you won’t want to miss. Once I saw the announcement of the show I immediately looked up plane tickets to Austin, Texas and bought a flight.

It is rumored that Tipper will also be moving more towards the live downtempo sets in 2013. There is no confirmation of this but you better believe that I’m praying with all my heart to get at least half set of downtempo. The event is a post Valentines Day called Cirque de L’amour. The events name translates to Circus of Love. I can’t tell you enough how excited I am to return to Austin, where I left a big piece of heart. It only seems like the proper time to revisit one of the most amazing cities in the States.

If you’re a follower of Tipper, enjoy theatrical performance, and never been to Austin, Texas I highly recommend considering flying or driving to this event. Many of you might have a strong opinion of Texas but I can create an endless list of why Austin is one of the greatest cities in the country. One of the best ways to describe Austin is by comparing it to New Orleans except it’s WAY CLEANER and super progressive compared to the rest of Texas. It’s the live music capital of the US and for good reason. There are tons of quality venues, bars, bands, DJs, etc that reside in the city. It’s also quite cheap and filled with tons of educated young people who attend The University of Texas.

Dave,
If you’re reading this. Thank you for what you have done for the electronic music community. I think I’m speaking on behalf of all your fans. We want another downtempo release (feel free to make it another surround sound album).

For more details visit the Cirque de L’amour FB event page.
Also if you plan on attending be sure to say Hi if you see me =)

If you need some convincing on why this man is one of the most talented.. Click this to stream one of the greatest pieces of music created in my opinion, Broken Soul Jamboree.

Gem and Jam Festival is celebrating its 7th year! It’s the largest gem and mineral show in the world! The event is held in Tucson, Arizona and features an large outdoor venue. The event also features a musical festival alongside it. The legendary visionary artist Alex Grey will also be doing live painting all three days as well as hosting a drawing workshop!

I’m really looking forward to attending this festival to start off 2013. I’ve never spent time in Tucson and can only imagine that it’ll be gorgeous. If you’re thinking of attending there’s a travel package that includes 3 day tickets, hotel, and poster for $450. It’s my understanding that there is only a limited amount of packages available so grab them A.S.A.P. You can grab a 3 day pass for $80 if you’re not interested in lodging.

BUY GEM & JAM FESTIVAL TICKETS

2013 MUSIC LINEUP
MICHAL MENERT
NiT GRiT
VibeSquad
RANDOM RAB
DJ VADIM
HeRobust
RUSS LIQUID
THRIFTWORKS
KAMINANDA
SIGNAL PATH
PROJECT ASPECT
OCTOPUS NEBULA
THE FLYING SKULLS
THE POLISH AMBASSADOR
SMASH & GRAB
THE DIGITAL CONNECTION
ILL MANNERED
FUTURE SIMPLE PROJECT
KRUZA KID
SMOKAVICH
KYMA
NVO
BOGL
kLL SMTH
SPOREGANIC
ENDOPLASMIC
8 MINUTES TO BURN
PHOSEPH
CORBIN DOOLEY
ELECTRIC FEEL DJs
UPWORDS MOVEMENT
THE BENNU
& MYSELF (AFRO MONK)