Category: Festivals

Electric Forest successfully combines men and women’s musical experience amongst nature’s eternal perfection. The loops we made with our thoughts and feet created spirals of overlapping excitement. The festival brought joy and curiosity to copious minds. This domino effect has only been growing throughout the years. I believe Electric Forest does a great job with their lay out and convenience. it is obvious that the attendees are first and foremost in the minds of those that have put together the event. Music choices are of the utmost talented artists and the theme of the forest was just as alluring as the attendees whom in essence created the overall characterization of this festival.
We made it into the first camping spot we could find. We didn’t even bother putting up a tent because we wanted to distract ourselves away from our everyday life and dive right into the mix. The true beauty of festival is they have a way of letting you forget any stress you have! We hurried straight for the stages knowing our salvation was just steps away. As we approached Tripolee stage, the horizon soon revealed moving cement like heads. There were beautiful native warriors from somewhere near South Pacific Islands painted with fluorescence. The details emphasized the curvature of their cheeks and nose with greater emphasize towards their prefrontal cortex. They held secrets of wisdom in which our westernized world are struggling to reconnect with. They reminded us why so many souls have found themselves in the forest and retune our minds. Streams of electronic melodies played pulling our bodies closer together and engulfed us within its hands. The warrior peered down as she looked over her creation. Her fingers were painted like elemental portals where her hands crafted in energy to share with us.
Nero completed the night with sampled guitar solo from the 70s as we entered a singularity which would push us into our next progression of music. As we walked back towards our camp a pop up party began within a huge dome. It was something of a huge metal jungle gym that flooded my memories of an elementary playground. The entrances where cut into geometric shapes and to enter you had to duck into the triangle while the crowd awaited whomping their heads to liquid bass.
We walked back to camp while the ground bounced under us; moistened from the slight rain storm from earlier. At times the ground seemed hallow like the world would echo beneath our feet and ring though its core. We began our journey into the camping grounds randomly finding buses draped in lights like the magic school bus who had taken far too many hits of acid and adopted amateur djs to spin on their roofs tops. The crowd that began to form shortly after us and started a mini dance party. This afters had a very chill vibe coming closely to that of pretty lights. The funk surrealism like vocal chords that can transcend into choirs and then into a low trumpeter blows.
The next day, we headed out with little sleep from chaos from the night before. I was concerned about being overheated in the morning but the weather was chilly towards the night and the early morning which made sleeping easier to handle. We didn’t have the shade of the forest around us but it wasn’t until mid afternoon when the tent become hot and stuffy.
I was happy to see a spread of porta-potties throughout the festival. They never left one space with too much traffic yet never were placed at any point too far from access. The forest even provided outdoor stalls making it even easier for the boys of the festival. This kept the festival forward thinking and kept up in mind convenience and hygiene.
Water refill stations were also supplied which I felt is the key importance to any festival. Its actually rare to see this at festivals but it almost seems like a no brainer to have them. Keeping in the consideration of the amount of walking, dancing, the sun, and other factors that shall remain unannounced; there is a storm of causes that can create dangerous dehydration levels.

We headed towards Sherwood Forest where twin wooden owls were posted proudly as gate keepers. The trees stood tall and thin within the forest and captured the art of what the festival represented. They were the omniscient beings and drawing nearer to them you can feel the force of their power and patience. They held secrets of childhood fairytales where gnomes would weave in and out of the trunks frolicking within adolescent wonder. They brought magic of intuition and whispered great secrets if you would only listen closely enough.
We ventured deeper into their cool embrace where we discovered the white elephant in the room but quickly became distracted as an eerily strange feeling swept through the air. It appeared to be some sort of alien hybrids sweeping over the grass.Their hair was completely white and eyes blacked out enticing the mystery of the creatures. They also seemed to be using an advanced extrasensory system that was unavailable to humans and view life in complete monotonous emotion. They walked slowly in white and silver body suits designed by GL&M with with a triplet tiers of jagged fabric which accentuated their hips.

Shortly after we entering back into reality, we neared the Floozies. Random guitar wahs and brass ensemble created a call and response. A live drummer grooved beats which layered over live instrumentation and synthetics of computers. Suddenly a trumpet created smooth transience as a liquid bass dropped. A new age of synthesizers and bass complimented their live instrumentation not one overpowering the other. The dialogue continued to walk you through a memories of a poolside parties where guitar wahs and brass emphasized chords changes and transitions.
One of the dj sets that I was most impressed with came from Rezz. She explored a very dark take to electronic music. The appeal of being masked with hypnotizing goggles and not taking in account division of physicality. Some audience members confessed to have not known she was a female prior to seeing her live! Full on rage excitement screaming from out of the pit of their stomachs. Such a bliss and momentary feeling being present in such a atmospheric sense. Her underground revamp created a surreal grinding of bass awakening us into its thunder.
A crowd of photographers anxiously lined up in the pit to get the first glimpse of Bassnectar as the producer took the stage. Camera men were literally on their tip toes in order to peer over the dj booth before the show began. People gathered from all over the park to catch the hard hitting set. This one of the most sought out sets of the festival and people swarmed like honey bees waiting for a taste of Bassnectar; allowing him to pollinate our minds. Deep Hz of a sub started to slow. The frequency became so low the earth froze for just a moment causing the cilia in our ears to completely stand up still. Then suddenly a scorcher of bladed edged whomps while intermingling with lulls of new age hip hop beats. This energy began to creep in as we our feet become our knees. His unique sound and hard work in production has given him the amazing die hard fan base in which he deserves.
A totally different reaction came later in the night as Oliver Heldon began his set. There was undeniably fun vibes from the crowd. His music brought togetherness. I enjoyed the fact that his set took place at the Tripolee stage because it further pushed the “Ibiza party” vibe. The floating cement heads blessed the crowd with their spirits and their wisdom the green and white lights were perfectly designed for this beach side rave. I could feel a pressure easing off my chest as this energy accumulated over our heads then transformed into an undeniable feeling of blissfulness.

On Sunday, everyone in the camp has become miniature families. We partied together late nights and followed each other around through the thick of the mud and heart of the day lights sun. We became comfortable and grew out of our shells. Finding new friendships and thought provoking perspectives. We found ourselves cuddling for heat during the night with these once strangers. The amazement is how quick bonds form in camp and how quickly a close connection can form that is unlike everyday life.
We stepped outside of camp to enjoy the tranquil atmosphere amongst a place that brings such restlessness. Autograph’s representation of purity and genuine emotion drew fans who will hold them dear to their hearts for years to come. Their music was reminiscent of a lovers soft breath upon your neck, the fingertips that traces outlines of your body, or the the voice that turns you over in the mornings sending the chills walking up your spine. The soft xylophone bells danced in sync with the beat created a simple line with such a deep undertones that moved their fans gently side to side. A theme song guiding us to come home and sent our inspiration for those who needs the extra encouragement to keep striving further.
Later that night Ganja white night pushed the crowd to become alive. Into the highs and lows of their encompassing music. They asked for the crowd to sway with the white lights of their phone screen. The scene from stage was magical. Melodic whomps with organ vibes played. Their whomped bass was more melodic styled without the obnoxious violence of a never-ending drops. The bass was powerful this new sound of epic proportions liquid bass. The stage graphics displayed a checkered patterned behind the silhouette of simple black tee shirts and black caps.
A lofting stream Of fingers sped over the fretted neck and lingered it’s strand of melodic DNA throughout the night. It was blended in divine human experience a silent spoken word of calming the clatter where bubbles floated by through a pause in time. Pappadosio fused sounds of the new age without loosing the spontaneity of the human touch. They use electronic accompaniment to emphasize the importance of man’s creations.
A light rain drifted towards the ground cooling our skin whilst Led hoopers found their kinetic flow within circuits of circles. They transformed the essence of the universe the femininity of the curvature. The floating left and right with distinct hand manipulation and the clicking hour glass shapes. It was bittersweet ending as the night was slowing down; but on the other hand knowing that next week it would all start over again. Soon a new crowd of E. foresters would find their place in the wood and into all the little nooks of art. The forest was as mysterious as the silence of the trees. Vibrations ran this festival and memories would be forever kept safe by it’s keepers.