NYS Music 20​13

Tag: EDM

  • Conspirator and Jeff Bujak Electrify Putnam Den

    Jeff Bujak was the perfect opener for a high energy act such as Conspirator at The Putnam Den on October 17th. He busted out new material from his album User Correction which stays upbeat in true Buj fashion, but has deeper and slower samples intertwined within heavy synth and upbeat drum tempos. Jeff Bujak has a way of pounding on his keys like the phantom of the opera with such passion and involvement that it is difficult to stand still during one of his sets. The crowd seemed to be loving it from start to finish keeping the energy at a constant high before Conspirator took stage.

    Conspirator took to the stage with impressive intensity as the crowd rushed back into the Putnam Den. The set started off slower with the down-tempo, heavy synthed “Velvet Red.” Starting slow and permeating the crowd with its groove, when the “Velvet” bass dropped, the entire venue came alive. Conspirator’s new drummer Torch left absolutely nothing to be desired. He brings a new sound and liveliness to the band and highlights aspects of each song that otherwise would go unnoticed. Watching Torch lay it down on the drums during “Liquid Handcuffs” proved that he was more than capable of keeping up with the rest of the guys in the band. Aaron Magner is more or less the Neil Pert of keyboardists and it is only a matter of time before he’s going to need to be airlifted into a full circle of his various keyboards. The intricacies he brings to each song is unparalleled by any other keyboardist in the electronic music scene. Chris Michetti shined throughout the entire set. Both Michetti and Marc Brownstein were completely in sync throughout each song, and where one took a step back the other took a step forward and the spotlight was equally shared by both.

    The hardest part for Conspirator is trying to shake the concept that they are trying to follow in the Disco Biscuits footsteps. Conspirator is comprised of four very talented musicians that all bring something new and fresh to the table that is new and different from the projects they have been a part of in the past. It is easy to be overly critical as a Biscuits fan of what Conspirator does, but as a true critic one needs to step back and recognize the talent and passion each member of the band brings to such a brilliant collaborative effort of music. Overall, the show was phenomenal and you can definitely tell each member of the band is truly passionate about the music they create.

    After the show Marc Brownstein stepped out from back stage to meet and snap photos with his fans. After a long, hot and tiring set, the last thing most musicians want to do is be swarmed by their adoring fans. It was definitely admirable too see a musician be so humble with his fanbase. At one point during the show, Brownstein mentioned that Saratoga held a special place for him because it was the place he saw his first Grateful Dead concert at Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Sharing information like that with a crowd of people who are primarily from the Upstate region is what makes a show like this so personal and awesome. It was definitely an amazing experience to see this many talented musicians on stage together in such a small venue and it is evident that Upstate New York loves Conspirator.

    Setlist: Velvet Red ->Retrograde ->Liquid Handcuffs -> Bella’s Ball -> Up -> So Much More -> Legalize It-> Flash Mob -> Struts -> Fascinate -> Retrograde

    Encore: Oname-wa

  • Editorial: Molly vs. The Music

    “Where’s Molly?”

    “Party with Molly.”

    “Help Me Find Molly.”

    These are just a few of the ludicrous phrases plastered on EDM concert goers hats and shirts. Over the past two years the hype around Molly has been steadily growing and gaining national attention from major news outlets. Based on popular opinion, drugs and electronic music go hand in hand. After the debacle of Electric Zoo in New York City where the event was canceled on it’s last day due to overdoses and deaths, it seems everyone has something to say about this “new” drug called Molly.

    That’s the thing, though. This drug has been around much longer than these neon clad college students, just as electronic music has been around since before the rise of Skrillex, Swedish House Mafia and Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories. The ever growing popularity surrounding electronic music has drawn larger crowds than seen in history for most of these artists in the electronic music scene.

    After reading “Finding Molly: The Most Popular Name in EDM,” a few points are raised. The folks jumping on the bandwagon and further perpetuating the concept that drugs and substance abuse is the only reason these genres are currently popular, please take note.

    The article begins by saying that the most recognized name at an electronic music event is not the DJ, but instead Molly. Well that just isn’t true. As an individual who has been avidly attending electronic music festivals and shows for almost ten years, it is appalling to see the new wave of drug-addled concert goers. Drugs have always existed on the music scene since before the first acid test in the 1960s, something that no one should expect to change. The heavy focus on the drugs, however, has become almost unbearable.

    Until recently, Molly was never a household name, nor was it an epidemic, nor a trend. Although walking through festival grounds you could easily score whatever substance you so sought, it was not as prevalent in the past as it has become today. It seems every major name in the EDM world has made a statement surrounding the ever-increasing number of overdoses that riddle the crowds at these shows. Left and right, festival promoters are put through the ringer for the irresponsible decisions of the concert goers, and as a result, a rising tide of high tension has developed between society and the music scene. While the intentions behind the article are understood, “Finding Molly” should have kept it’s focus on what is truly important: the music.  Many of us have had times at a festival seeing someone around us go through a bad experience due to drugs, heat exhaustion or lack of hydration. This is not what highlights a music festival. It seemed throughout the entire article that music was completely irrelevant. The majority of these concert goers go see live music because they love music and always have. None of these people want to be stereotyped as a drug crazed “raver” because the genre of music they love has been overtaken by individuals who don’t properly educate themselves about the things they put into their bodies.

    At the end of the article the writer talks about a personal experience where he, more or less, saved an overdosing man’s life. While it was commendable of this individual to be there when perhaps paramedics and EMTs were not, highlighting a story like this only further perpetuates the concept that this is representative of the vast majority of individuals who attend these events. Although the percentage has certainly increased in the past few years, this is not always the case. Not everyone completely annihilates themselves publicly in the name of EDM. Years ago it would have been flooring to hear that a weekend festival could have any death count come Sunday morning. These days it has become the norm, and that’s not the music’s fault. Blaming the DJs, blaming the bands, blaming the scene or the music doesn’t make any sense. The bigger picture is the influx of people who are just looking to party and consume any substance handed to them. That old saying your mother’s always threw around, “One bad apple spoils the bunch,” that holds true in this case. The majority of these concert goers are paying good money to see the artists they love, not get completely inebriated and wake up in the hospital, and in the process, drag the reputation of EDM through the mud because of these isolated incidents. The music should not become a footnote to the drug culture the surrounds such a brilliant and ever expanding music scene.

    How can this change? More paramedics and more EMTs have been brought on site for almost every EDM festival nationwide and test kits have become readily available on almost every music scene to ensure that if you choose to take drugs, the ones you take are clean. Is this further promoting the excessive drug consumption that takes place at a concert? It’s hard to say, but at least it keeps these kids safe. This is not the first scene that has been overrun by drug use. Music scenes in the 60s in California,  the 70s during the disco/Studio 54 era and throughout the 80s and 90s have all had their accompanying drugs that in time shifted the focus away from the music to drug use among that scene.  It’s been the downfall of many bands, artists and scenes alike.

    Overall, it is important to know what you are putting into your body. Most of the time these situations stem from lack of education. There is of course the alternative – stay away from mind altering substances all together. Who knows, maybe you’ll find out you can actually have a good time without all the chemicals.

  • The Biscuits are Back: City Bisco 2013, September 27-28

    After a long anticipated wait, the daily lineup for City Bisco has been released, as well as a kick off date in Baltimore, MD.  The long weekend will start at the Baltimore Soundstage on September 26th and end in the Disco Biscuits home town of Philadelphia, PA. Disco Biscuits fans from all over the country will convene at the Mann Center in Fairmount Park for two nights of astounding musical guests on September 27th and 28th.

    city bisco 2013After the great success of last year’s City Bisco, and the tremendous success of Upstate New York’s own Camp Bisco, it seems the buzz surrounding this festival is greater than ever. Over the past 18 years the Disco Biscuits have created a vast following that spans from coast to coast. The boys have played Mayan Holidaze on the Riviera Maya, hosted Bisco Inferno at Red Rocks, and  brought world renowned artists to the quaint town of Mariaville that hosts Camp Bisco. City Bisco has become an urban installment of their beloved Camp Bisco which has grown with great intensity to accommodate 25,000 patrons annually. Since the early 90’s The Disco Biscuits have created their own genre of “Jamtronica,” as well as forged the path for the exponentially growing music scene that is home to many electronic acts from all parts of the world. City Bisco will bring together a diverse group of artists for an epic weekend of music in Philadelphia that should not be missed.

    The lineup will include two nights of The Disco Biscuits, Method Man and Redman, Big Boi, Treasure Fingers, Kill Paris, Twiddle, Risky Disco, Horizon Wireless, Suspence, a Simon Posford Shpongle DJ set, Emancipator, Gigamesh, Killowatts, Less Foss, Pimps of Joytime, Space Jesus, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong and the Cosmic Dust Bunnies. This is sure to be a weekend to remember, so grab your  City Bisco tickets now.

  • Bella Terra Brings Beauty and the Beats to Upstate New York

    Driving through the winding back roads of Upstate New York, it was apparent that it would be a beautiful weekend for a festival. This would be Bella Terra’s fifth year, and fourth year at it’s current location on Gardner’s Farm in Stephentown, New York. The venue is home to people, plants and animals, and the name Bella Terra (beautiful earth) could not possibly embody a more perfect location for an upstate New York festival, and it definitely adds to the charm and allure of this late summer gathering.

    The music was spot on all weekend. The moment your campsite was set up you were drawn to the Red Bull MXT stage residing on the edge of the woods. One of the best sets of the weekend was the back to back performance of Mentally Ill and Leila Harrison. The moment they took the stage, drum and bass reverberated throughout the campgrounds, drawing people out of their sites to dance in the cool August evening. Throughout the weekend the Red Bull truck stage pumped out a variety of different music spanning from early morning dub to late night dubstep. It was an excellent addition and created a balance between the campgrounds and the main concert area.

    This year there were two main stages, much like most other quickly-growing festivals. It certainly makes it easier for the crew and it also eliminates the wait time in between sets. All of the headliners that played the festival absolutely blew the crowd away. The highlights of the weekend were definitely The Manhattan Project, Ghost Face Killah, and Robokop. The crowd did not seem to mind Ghostface Killah’s hour delay when he took stage and delivered an insanely high energy set. Ghostface Killah spoke in regards to the festival’s overall vibe saying, “It’s insane to be on stage and see the people singing your songs, knowing you, loving you, and you really can’t ask for anything else. I used to read about some of these places in text books and now I’m performing in front of them. It’s really a blessing.” That energy and that vibe permeated throughout the festival as each artist that took stage was met with so much love and admiration from the crowd. The overwhelming amount of appreciation and respect for music and art is very evident at Bella Terra. Robokop was especially an interesting act to bring to the Bella Terra stage; Clay Parnell of Brother’s Past and Allen Aucoin of The Disco Biscuits come together in an explosive collaboration creating something in the electronic music world that has not been seen before. Emancipator was another amazing and different act that stood out among the other talent. The smooth, ambient samples layered with live violin and down tempo beats made the crowd move in rhythmic waves within the hot tent packed with people.

    Datsik took the stage drawing a huge crowd, in part because there were no other artists playing during his time slot, but also due to his huge following in the Upstate region. Although it was a great performance, another act was definitely needed because variety is the key to success at a festival. On the other hand, it is apparent why they chose to exclude any other acts during Datsik with the huge turnout for main stage during his performance. His set introduced hard womping beats that pulsated through the crowd and made the main stage area come alive. Turkuaz delivered a mind-blowing funk-filled set at the late night tent that had everyone moving in throngs from their sites to witness this erratic display of sonic-explosions. The stage was packed with a wide array of instruments Turkuaz brings to their signature sounds. The most interesting site within the tent was a festival goer who had casually fallen asleep atop a table ten feet from the stage using a volley ball as his head support. Interesting things can always be seen in late night tents at a festival, but this was surely a first. How one could take a cat nap during such a loud, energetic and funktastic set is a feat unto itself.

    Cinder Block Hustle, true to fashion, had a large area near main stage filled with art installations. Scattered about were giant wooden cutouts of legendary figures that needless to say would tempt you to take some embarrassing pictures with that you would most likely find on your cellphone weeks later. Fantastic and vibrant displays of art were at every turn, adding even more beauty to the layout of the land. The installations also offered some shade and a place to rest during the hot afternoons. The festival also stayed true to nature with it’s eight foot Bella Terra Festival art installation created by some of the best graffiti artists in the game. Each year the amount of intricate detail only grows in this mind blowing centerpiece of the festival. Another spectacular aspect of the festival is the degree of effort put into making sure all of the children and families throughout the weekend are occupied. At one point a full troupe of larger than life puppets came strolling through the campsites riding on the tiny shoulders of the festival inhabiting children. It was certainly quite the sight to see.

    Throughout the festival you could catch live painting and live graffiti from some of the best artists in the game. Bella Terra does a phenomenal job fusing the two worlds of music and art and bringing them together to be appreciated and respected in a community that promotes a wide array of talents. It was not strange at all to wake up in the morning and pass a group of jugglers, or unicyclists or even puppeteer- and that is the beautiful essence of Bella Terra. Taking a casual and slow stroll through the festival was a giant tortoise who visited camp sites and brought vast amounts of entertainment to the weekend. Only at Bella Terra would it be common place to see a tortoise wander through the camp grounds. If that was not enough diversity for you, there was also a field of grazing cattle all but a stones throw from the camp’s showers. These are the kinds of things you can only see at a festival in Upstate New York. Overall, Bella Terra was another great success and it is evident that with the growth and popularity this festival has already achieved this festival has become a staple for the East Coast Festival and music scene.

  • “User Correction” by Jeff Bujak is an Electronic Innovation

    User Correction by Jeff Bujak finds itself at the corner of fun and innovative. Like a well rounded student, his composing is intelligent and party worthy. On the album Jeff explores the world of electronica through the looking glass of a classical composer. His music makes the perfect argument to anyone who claims that electronica isn’t “real music”. As a five year old living in Syracuse, Jeff was already learning about real music through piano lessons which comes as no surprise after hearing his intricate work. Now all grown up and a resident of North Hampton, Massachusetts, he has a tour roster that would rival that of many successful musicians and quite the impressive online following.

    In addition to his talent on the piano, it is apparent that Bujak is a jack of all instruments and uses his widely versatile taste and skill sets to push the musical envelope. Bujak is the kind of musician with a great knack for keeping the listeners attention. There are no two tracks on this album that have the same feel. Each song has a different inspiration. The first track on the album titled “User” creatively samples snipits of “Everybody Rules the World” by Tears for Fears, but keeps you steady grooving without temptation to switch to the original song. The third track “Fiks” does this as well and almost takes you by surprise when you realize the cool vocals are from the song “Fix You” by Coldplay.

    Later in the album Jeff shows off his ability to challenge the electronic genre with the piano. I have never before heard an artist make classical piano so easy to rave to but Jeff seamlessly pulls this off multiple times in the album in the tracks “Cleen”, “Laylice” and “Abbeat”. He concludes the work with a hilarious electronic ode to hipster haters with a vibey drum pattern – ironically of course exactly the type of thing a hipster would jam to and finally ends it with a stunning stripped down piano showcase.

    Watch Bujak’s Live Performance at Mojo’s, Jamestown NY

    Check out Jeff’s tour dates HERE !

    To stay updated like Jeff Bujak on Facebook

  • Night Lights Festival in Sherman, NY Features a Wide Variety of Upstate Bands

    The 2013 Night Lights Festival returns  September 13th and 14th to Sherman, NY.  The festival, in its third year, is held at the Great Blue Heron festival grounds. A component of a larger effort, Night Lights at the Heron, the two day music festival plays off of the light installation set up thoughout the woods creating a unique mash up, touted to be “mind blowing” by many.

    Night Lights The Festival continues to add bench strength in their third year, bringing in both regional and nationally touring acts, including Marco Benevento, The Heavy Pets and Jimkata. Lazlo Hollyfeld, and Smackdab were both part of the original Night Lights lineup are joined by veterans Schleigho, Aqueous, Aircraft, DJ Cutler and John E. Old School , and new this year, Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams, Funktional Flow, Universe Shark, Haewa, On Beta and Space Junk.

    The festival aims to please offering a choice of woods or car camping, as well as RV and family camping options. Single day passes are also available for both Friday and Saturday. Pick up tickets in advance here

    Check out a 360′ view of the festival!

    The music schedule:

    Friday, September 13th

    6p-6:45p        Cafe                        John E Old School

    7-7:45p          Cafe                        Shotgun Jubilee

    7:45-8:45      Main                       Space Junk

    8:45-9:45       Cafe                        Family Funktion and the Sitar Jams

    9:45-11:15     Main                       Aqueous

    11:15-12:15   Cafe                        Universe Shark

    12:15-1:45     Main                       The Heavy Pets

    1:45-3:15       Cafe                         The Manhattan Project

    Saturday, September 14th

    2:00-3:00     Cafe                         On Beta

    3:00-4:15      Main                        Haewa

    4:15-4:45       Cafe                         Comedy and Wine Toast

    4:45-6             Cafe                         Aircraft

    6-7:15             Main                       Funktional Flow

    7:15-8:30      Cafe                         Smackdab

    8:30-10          Main                       Jimkata

    10-11:15         Cafe                         Lazlo Hollyfeld

    11:15-12:45   Main                       Marco Benevento

    12:45-3           Cafe                         Schleigho

    3-?                     Fire Pit                  DJ Cutler

  • Meet The Big Up Artists – An Interview With Eskmo

    The Big Up Festival is right around the corner and it’s time to start mapping out your festival game-plan so you don’t miss all of the awesome acts The Big Up has in store.  I had the opportunity to ask one of The Big Up’s recent additions to the already stellar lineup Eskmo, or Brendan Angelides. If you had the opportunity to catch Eskmo at Camp Bisco, you know you are in for a serious treat at his late night set at the Space Ball City Tent.

    Jennifer Wilson:  Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in the music industry?

    Brendan Angelides: I’m from the east coast of the US originally. I started playing music with bands in high school and then slowly started working on solo projects with cheap electronic gear. Flash forward a number of years and with a series of singles on vinyl, I ended up signing with Ninja Tune to release the latest batch of music.

    JW: Can you tell us a story about a day in your life?

    BA: Nothing too fancy really. I do my morning ritual, take care of simple tasks and work on music. I always mix in hiking, meditating and (just as of recent) practicing Kenpo.

    JW: How would you describe your music to someone who had never heard it before?

    BA: I’m not sure really, but I could say melodic Earth and Water music.

    JW: Your musical technique seems to cross many different genres and styles. What goes into your process of creating a new song or album?

    BA: Honest reflection of what is going on in my life and growth process. It can come from a variety of places, but as long as it’s authentic  it is always the best route to take. Sometimes lyrics, sometimes melodies, sometimes it can be a cool recording I got at a train station.

    JW: You released a collaborative project with Amon Tobin, what was it like working with such an influential composer and producer?

    BA: Humbling and encouraging. I value his integrity and person a large amount. He is one of the best out there.

    JW: What do you want The Big Up goers to expect from your performance and how will it differ from what they may have seen at CampBisco?

    BA: Each set has a ton of improvised elements, live singing and happy accidents. I’m sure it will be its own experience. If anyone wants to bring me sound effects, go for it.

    JW: What advice would you give to other artists at The Big Up festival who have less experience playing live than you?

    BA: Be patient, stay focused and authentic; and breathe

    Eskmo on Soundcloud

    The Big Up Festival

  • Meet The Big Up Artists- An Interview with The Egg

    With The Big Up Festival just days away, I had the great opportunity of compiling a list of questions for Maff Scott of The Egg to answer before they take stage in Claverack, New York on Saturday August 10th. The Egg is an extremely influential and talented British electronic band formed in the early 1990’s and they have toured all over Europe as well as Australia and Brazil. It is truly a pleasure for Upstate New York to be able to experience such amazing music at a festival so close to home.

    Jenni Wilson: Can you tell us a little about each individual in the band and how you all met and got started in the music industry?

    Maff Scott:  Well there’s myself (Maff) and Ned.  Ned started getting better at the piano and I picked up the drums. We started jamming at home, using saucepan lids and a pedal that we made by attaching a rubber band to a marching band big drum (it only worked once and then fell apart.) We’ve played with a few others over the years. We used Ben Cullum’s (a great house producer and song writer) bass lines to play electronically.  We also wrote and toured a bit with Matt White who we met through Pete Doherty (whom we wrote the song “For Lovers” with). Drew is playing guitar with us mostly; he’s done quite a few tours now and co-written stuff (something to do) and he’s great.  Most musicians we generally meet through mutual friends. We also tend to meet a lot of people through the West London scene. We met Sophie Barker (Zero7) whom we’ve done lots of UK gigs, and even a recent gig with Mick Jones (The Clash) and Greg Hunter (Killing Joke, The Orb). We’ve done lots of recent production for a new release with him, and used his parts for a tune “Psyfunk” in the set. He’s on tour elsewhere but we will try to connect if we can. We also met a great trumpet player, Richard Wendel, while playing in Costa Rica. We jammed with him… and it was brilliant. He runs a great jazz club (The Bitter End) in NYC so we’ll be having him do some crazy trumpet at the Webster Hall show.

    JW: 

Can you tell us a story about a day in the band’s life?

    MS: Erm, well there was the time we were driving to Cleveland, famous for Spinal Tap’s scene where they get lost on the way to the stage (“Hello Cleveland”) – We’d overloaded the van’s alternator with all of our UK converters, laptops and phone chargers. The final straw was putting ‘Spinal Tap’ on the DVD player. We drew too much power and snapped the dynamo off which busted the van. We were stuck in a ‘Bennys’ for the night and missed the show. Ironic that it was Cleveland and Spinal Tap. How we laughed.

    JW: What goes into your process of creating a new song or album?

    MS: Years of hell and stress! Sitting up late playing with electronic bits and bobs. Sometimes it’s a loop or a chord structure Ned has created which we  can jam on and take the parts into rehearsal and make an arrangement. Of course, it changed when we play it live for a while. We’ve been known to stay up for days on one tune. Sometimes in hotel rooms or soundchecks or instead of actually rehearsing for a gig: we are VERY undisciplined.

    JW: 

What are the biggest obstacles for a band and what is the hardest part about working in the music industry?

    MS: Errr..  getting paid! It’s hard to get people to buy stuff when so much is given away. But we’re happy to give away live recordings. The hardest part is keeping the excitement levels up. Web stuff is hard because everyone is competing for your fans attention using the same tool.

    JW:What are some of your pet peeves when performing?

    MS: Time! We always run out of time and don’t get to play the entire set, and the best tunes are at the end.  We’re also really warmed up by then and so is the crowd. Maybe we’re too ambitious with set lists thinking we can do it. The best gigs we’ve done are the ones that have no time limit. The tunes have the time to develop without stopping to squeeze the next one in.

    JW: How do you feel about online music sharing and how has it changed for you as a band since your start?

    MS: We don’t mind sharing a few live shows and all, but as for albums, well, it’s hard to get paid for sales if people are downloading them for free. Sure it gets your attention to a bigger reach, but if everyone does that then it doesn’t really make you stand out as ‘the band who gives stuff away’ – Even though everyone expects it nowadays. The emphasis is now on live shows I guess. We’ve definitely found people who’d never heard of us elsewhere so in measure it’s a great thing (as long as you hold something back).

    JW: How was your experience playing a festival as huge as Glastonbury?

    MS: We’ve done it a few times now. It’s like a city that never sleeps and you don’t know who you’ll reach. There are massively long walks everywhere and it is sort of split up into villages really… mad crazy villages where everyone is the village nutter. There have also been some crazy muddy years, but that makes a comic bonding effect with everyone. We can all look at each other and laugh. This year was fun.. like another world. You feel weird going back to reality sometimes.

    JW: What do you want Big Up goers to expect for your performance musically/visually?

    MS: We have video triggers and a synced up set of dance music and electronics with lots of different styles and live musicians. Basically Moog baselines, an influence of deep house, but mostly eclectic house vibe: guitars, vocoders,  a bit of ambient bleeps, crunched up this and that… I think they’ll like it.

    JW: 

What advice would you give to other artists at The Big Up festival who have less experience?

    MS: Less experience is good! New bands have hunger and faith and blind optimism. That’s all you need! Generally, be good at what you do and don’t piss anyone off. Everyone’s ‘good’ in a way, depending on what music you like, so someone not liking you as people will have far more effect on your next booking than how good you are. Criticizing other bands doesn’t make your band better either. It’s a backfiring effect. I’m sure they’ll all know this.  I don’t want to patronize but I personally don’t bother with covers. It’s easy to think your music is so different that no one will get it, but that’s the reason they’ll notice you. Being yourself is always original, because we’re all different. So be yourself! I’ve often forgotten that. Anyway we’re crap at other people’s music and we can only do our own.

    Make sure you don’t miss these guys at the Space Ball City Tent on August 10th.

    Get The Big Up Festival’s Tickets 

    The Egg Facebook Page

  • Meet The Big Up Artists – An Interview with Horizon Wireless

    With The Big Up Festival just a few weeks away, I had the pleasure of conducting an interview with The Big Up artist, DJ Harrison Waxenberg of Horizon Wireless, to talk about his upcoming set at the festival.

    Jenni Wilson: Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in the music industry? Tell us a story about a day in your life.

    Harrison Waxenberg: Okay well I’m 5′ 8″ on a good day, I’m prone to mania induced encounters with inter-dimensional energies and beings. I’ve piloted real spaceships, and even crash landed one once! Oh, and I have dimples… which from what I understand is a common and endearing physical attribute amongst Libras. When I met George Clinton he asked me if I was an alien.

    I started playing piano, clarinet, and saxophone when I was younger, and began playing drums in different bands when I was in middle school and continued all the way up through my senior year of college until I moved on from the drama that comes with playing with too many other strong personalities. Simultaneously, I had been experimenting with programs like FL Studio and Garageband as well, kind of unaware that an “electronic music” scene was developing, or even had existed. So on my 22nd birthday my dad got me an APC40 and Ableton (he knew I was about to hang it up with my band) and I just kind of ran with that.

    I guess I first decided I was really going to go for it when I was at Summerdance in 2009 I believe. I was in a drum circle with Michael Travis and some of the guys from Lotus, and I got to lead for a bit. After that, some old black guy with a lot of soul slapped me on the back and was like “you got it dude!” and poured some wine in my mouth and I was all like, “ok cool I can do this!”

    JW: How would you describe your music to someone who had never heard it before?

    HW: I guess I would say that I like to take a lot of sub-alien tech funk and psychedelic break-beat grooves, and blend them with some minimal house and trance elements, all the while sprinkling in some pop culture elements throughout.

    JW: What are your biggest musical and non-musical influences?

    HW: My biggest musical influence is probably my dad, I don’t think I’d be playing music if it weren’t for him. My biggest non musical influence is realignment of the Andromeda and Milky Way schism. Oh, and love too, although I think that could be considered a musical influence.

    JW: What goes into your process of creating a new song or album?

    HW: Well I used to play my productions out when I first got Ableton (actually my first show doing that, and even using the moniker Horizon Wireless was at the first edition of The Big Up), but over time my computer started not being able to handle anything so I began to do mash-ups and remixes for a while. Through this I discovered a fun way to mix over 5-6 channels simultaneously and blend infinite sounds and samples to create new things on the fly all the time, and that’s kind of what I became known for. I do like to tell a story with every set, and nothing really goes into what we do that doesn’t have some sort of meaning or relevance to the overall Horizon story. I just got a new computer though and my drummer is finishing up production school so we’ll see what the end of 2013 holds in terms of an EP. There have been many producers I admire who have reached out to me about coming on board with it and that is very humbling.

    JW: How do you feel about DJs you use novelties/masks on stage, such as Deadmau5 with his mask, Destroid and their costumes, etc…

    HW: We all wear masks. Everyone.

    JW: What would you say is the hardest part of being a musical artist today?

    HW: I’m not sure, everything is very accessible today like it never was before. I suppose the hardest part would be coming to terms with the divide between what you thought the music industry would be like when you first decided you wanted to be a part of it, and what it actually is today. As soon as you accept the changes that have been made, and see the community for what it truly is, you start to realize how much better it is as a network of artists, friends, and music lovers, and you become grateful for any little amount of success you have at all.

    JW: You play a majority of your shows in New York, are you originally from here?

    HW: I was born in Florida, lived in Indiana and Maryland for a bit, and then moved to New York. I live on Long Island so the city is a pretty good place to play… I hear if you make it there you can make it anywhere!

    JW: You played this years Camp Bisco which is a pretty big fest. How was your experience playing a festival that size?

    HW: I’ve been going to Camp since 8, managed a stage there for 10 and 11 and closed out the festival at 11 and 12. It’s always a pretty fun time, and that’s where I would be going anyway so it’s a blessing to be able to play there and be exposed to a lot of new fans each year.

    JW: What do you want attendees to The Big Up to expect from your performance and how will it differ from what they may have seen at Camp?

    HW: Well at The Big Up I’m playing with my live drummer, Monty from Digital Frontier, and these sets are always a lot different then solo sets like the ones I do at Camp (Bisco). It’s also the anniversary of Horizon Wireless and the theme is Star Trek/Star Wars so it’s very fitting. I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for a set than this one (which I find myself saying a lot, but it’s always true, ha ha), so I think anyone who comes out to it is going to be very glad they did.

    JW: What advice would you give to other artists at The Big Up festival?

    HW: No matter what time you’re playing at or in front of how many people, this is a very important festival. I did my first Horizon show there as a thirty minute set break between Ultraviolet Hippopotamus and Consider the Source in front of probably thirty people at like five o’clock on a Thursday in a barn, and now three years later I’m closing out the woods with a Zonrise. It’s a huge platform, especially for artists that are just starting to get some decent exposure, so give it your all.

    You can catch Horizon Wireless Saturday August 10th at The Big Up Festival in Claverack, New York. If you catch Horizon Wireless August 3rd at the Santos Party House in NY, NY you will be automatically entered to win tickets to The Big Up Festival.

    Horizon Wireless Facebook
    Listen To Horizon Wireless’ Camp 12 Set 
    The Big Up Facebook
    The Big Up Twitter 

  • Echo Music Fest Reverberates Through Downtown Albany

    Echo Music Fest, brought to you by Loyalty Entertainment, was designed to be an all day, all night outdoor EDM festival set in the beautiful, hilly region of Schenectady- home to Maple Ski Ridge, majestic Plotterkill Preserve and the Indian Lookout Country Club- made famous by Camp Creek, Gathering of the Vibes and Camp Bisco.  Instead, Echo Music Fest was downsized twice, cutting out all “minor” acts including Syracuse funk favorites, Sophistafunk, and relocated to two clubs, and finally one club, in downtown Albany.  The performances were narrowed down to the following DJ’s: Valerie Valentine, SAV and Mystereo, DVDJ Dread, and Jersey Shore celebrity and mashup hip-hop/house/electro DJ, Pauly D.  The festival started out with few attendees filtering in and out of Legends on Pearl, and ended in a packed, drunken, dancing mess of sweaty Albany clubgoers and assorted party people.  Mission Accomplished!

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    The lovely Val Valentine spun Synth-laden, bouncy electro-house tracks to start the evening off and bass-heavy mashup/house/trap/electro continued to echo down Pearl St. until close at 4am.  Each DJ brought their own style of EDM, providing listeners with a range of experiences.  Valentine’s set established an upbeat and technically interesting ambiance, with lots of cool sonic effects, knob-twisting and live mixing.  This Buenos Aires native was also quite enjoyable to watch, as she would periodically and adorably rise up to mix on tip-toe. Her set was unfortunately somewhat sparsely attended due to the early hour.  Next was SAV and Mystereo, the black and white Rorschack-masked Moombahton duo from parts unknown, who held fast to their anonymity, even down to an identity-killing, scratchy, Batman-like stage voice on Mystereo’s behalf.  Cheesy?…maybe.  Fun and weirdly cool?…Definitely.  Their set followed suit as it proved fun and danceable.  Moombahton, for those who are unfamiliar, is a blending of reggaeton and thick-baseline electro house or electro. This form of music has a tendency to get the party started due to its relatively new (c. 2010) electronic take on the ridiculously rhythmic and timeless roots of Jamaican dance hall and Dominican bachata.  The night continued to hold this energy as DVDJ Dread took the booth.  This is a DJ with technical skill.  Most memorable were the scratching breaks Dread regularly took in his hip-hop heavy set.  Fast scratching was his forte, and it was nice to see someone that still formidably wields this too oft neglected art.  Dread is also a filmographer (hence the “DVDJ”), and his videos streamed across Legends’ many large flat screens as the party grew in size and intensity.

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    It was during these primetime hours at Legends that a number of other DJ’s traded off with each other, most of them unidentified to this writer.  Pauly D soon integrated himself into this party of now hard-drinking DJs, and continued the theme of hip-hop/mashup/house.  He stuck hard to top 40 and club hits, with crowd favorites like A$AP Rocky’s “F***ing Problem” and “Ball” by TI.  Unfortunately, his spinning style appeared to be lacking in a variety of, well… creative mixing or turntablism.  I left remembering one instance, wherein Pauly D left the beat to a song thumping, cut out the treble, and mixed in a loop that simply repeated “Pauly…Pauly” for an extended break.  But…you do have to hand it to him,  he was able to keep those Albany clubgoers and a handful of festi-type partygoers dancing through the night, and repeating catchy pop-hip-hop rhymes the next day.

    Thanks to Loyalty Entertainment for a valiant effort in tough circumstances and hospitality all around.  Better luck with a larger outdoor festival next year!