Freaky Deaky Halloween – The Bass That Woke Up The Dead

Along ran the night crawlers caught in our headlights like anxious deer crossing the road. Two sexy cheetahs in leotards and an over weight penguin adorned with bright red bow crossed our path entering the festival. Freaky Deaky Music Festival meets Halloween party was offering something completely different; being the hybrid of two amazing aspects of parties. The line up was one of the best of the year including acts like Bassnectar, Armin Van Buren, Benny Benassi. Markus Shulz, Pretty lights, Big Gigantic, Oliver Heldens, Carnage and many more up and coming djs as well. We were pleased to have gotten a close parking spot to the festival and of course this being a non-camping; it wasn’t as much of a hassle to enter. The lines looked moderately long but even as the gathering of these estranged characters waited for entry; I couldn’t see a sad face insight. We went through the press entry which allowed us to quickly start enjoying the scenery that the festival had to offer. Even upon entry, the bass rumbled loud enough to literally wake the dead. The mass of people were dressed all the way from evil spirits to corny 90’s cartoons and more. Reminiscence childhood memories replayed as a pink Power Rangers, Teletubbies and a gang if Pikachus passed by.

The 3 day event created by React Presents was held at an outside venue at Toyota Park near Chicago. No indoor venue was suitable because of the sheer mass of acts performing. The park was laid out very conveniently and even under inebriation, there was a continuous flow from one stage to the next. Another great factor was the the massive amount of space that kept the traffic moving smoothly and an ample amount of space for dancing. Modern artwork of lighted sculptures reached for the scatter of clouded ceilings as the florescence of a ferris wheel framed us within the night. The Festival also offered stands full of wine, beer; and uniquely to many other festivals, shots of Jameson allowed for the general admission. The outside infinities above us created the sense of freedom to wander within the Halloween weekend nights and although there was a chill in the fall air; the constant motion warmed us from under the tents.

Friday night was full of talents such as Griz, Flying lotus and Tokimonsta. Always a must see, Flying Lotus had a great mix of old school and new school. He seamlessly mixes acid jazz with Alternative hip-hop. His intriguing sound has the ability to take you from the humbleness of the city street to outer space and back again. We began snapping photographs of the crowd as the sheer energy could be scene even within the stillness of a picture. Lasers and LED lights sprayed across the tents like flames in a web of matrices. We had no choice but to surrender ourselves to the magic of it all and completely let go.

As high energy shufflers fill the floor, the creation of PLUR aided in this hippy reinvention.  It became an all inclusive party that truly excepted any diversity of backgrounds or religions. No one here is turned away and we all respected each other far past any genre of music. This was clearly because one incredible aspect of this scene was the way a song can go from a filthy dub song into hip hop then touch upon aspects of jazz or even rock. It is the instantaneousness of appreciation that will drive this music into progressive singularity and allow our minds to expand past the borders of genres. This generation of music has blown any conventional perspective of what music should sound like by completely bending the rules backwards and inside out.
Also headlining, was Markus Schulz and Benny Benassi. Being legends amongst electronic scene; they can each be known for their unique styles setting them aside from any other dj performing. At times during the Markus Schulz set a heavenly feel can overtake you. He has worked his way through his career to become impossibly replicated.

 
Celebrating sexuality, social freakiness, or just a love of music; a constant 4/4 time stamp brought the crowd together. Sunday night, Datsik dropped some of the filthiest beats of unheard of worlds with sound fx that your imagination could only wish to have adventured.  In contrast, Pretty lights that has a youthful feel with strong hip hop influences, soulful funk, as well heavy synth lines.  Their music allowed each and everyone to forget for a second about the physical self or the mind controlling interferences and become one with the rhythm. Unicorns with pastel curls danced of pure elation untapped before. The senses emitted from the mass could never have been felt from the 9-5 work world. As Richie Hawtin mixed deep trance, intermittent fire extinguishers blew down upon the crowd and the let the a cool fog dissipate over us. His music was more chill scene and allowed a certain type of meditative dance amongst the crowd. His sound drew images of very contemporary art pieces and underground city music scenes. As the tent was illuminated with lights of geometric shapes; they fed our own imaginations behind the blackness of our eye lids and allowed our minds to create its own fractal art to his music.