It is only a week away until our favorite camping event in the Northeast, Elements Music & Arts Festival 2026. We’ve already detailed the day-by-day set times in our Lift Off preview, so you can start planning who to see. Rather than an artists-to-see article this year, we decided to go Beyond The Booth with two popular producers in NYC’s underground bass scene: DiCE MaN and Mikayli (formerly known as Krxnik). These two artists have the honor of going back-to-back, playing the first set of the weekend at the newly designed Fire Stage on Friday at 5:45 pm.
DiCE MaN and Mikayli have performed at Elements’ renegades and side stages in the past, but 2026 marks their breakthrough on the festival’s largest stage — the Fire Stage. They’ve both been around the NYC EDM scene long enough to see the growth of Elements over the years, so I hope their perspectives on the festival will enlighten our Moon Fvm. Although I interviewed them separately, I asked them each the same questions and will post the highlights below. Enjoy our Beyond The Booth preview of Elements with DiCE MaN and Mikayli!
Sam Wolloch: Congrats on getting to open up Elements’ Fire Stage this year. For those unfamiliar with your game, tell us a bit about your project. How did you get started in EDM, and what have you been up to lately?
DiCE MaN: Thanks! I started the DiCE MaN project a little over a decade ago with the intention of utilizing my background in writing, acting, and theatre to bring something new to the bass music scene. Over the years, many sides of the die have come to be — from heavy dancefloor sets to downtempo, live spoken-word poetry, throwback pop sets, and anything in between. I began touring shortly after starting up a weekly party series I ran out of NYC called Dubday. We threw weekly underground parties, hosted festival stages, and took our resident DJs up and down the coast playing shows that showed off the sounds of our city. While I’ve taken a break from throwing shows as of recently, I have been focusing on writing my second full-length album, various other music projects, and setting up a run of shows for the winter.
Mikayli: My name is Michéle, and my artist project is Mikayli, which is simply my name spelled phonetically. I got my start in the scene about 10 years ago, DJing local events while slowly teaching myself music production. Around that time, Dice Man was running Dubday in New York, and I was constantly reaching out, hoping for an opportunity to play. Those early shows helped me build momentum in the NYC bass scene, and everything really grew from there. Since then, I’ve been focused on producing original music, playing festivals and clubs across the country, and continuing to grow my project while staying connected to the community that helped shape it.
SW: You two get to go b2b, something you’ve done before, but never on a stage this big. How far back do you guys go, and how special is it to play the set together?
Mik: We’ve known each other for about 10 years now. Dice Man has always been a pillar of the New York bass music community and someone who genuinely supports underground artists. We’ve both grown so much, not only in our music but as people, and getting to share this opportunity together makes it even more meaningful. I honestly couldn’t imagine opening the Fire Stage with anyone else.
DM: Mikayli has been one of my best buds for many years now, and it’s an absolute honor to be sharing the biggest moments of our careers (so far!) alongside someone I consider to be a brother. We first met at one of the Dubday shows in Brooklyn I had booked him to open a show as his old moniker, KRXNIK, and we began hanging out more and more as the years went on. Since his rebrand to Mikayli during the COVID times, he and I have written many songs together, including an EP we released called Waiting For You, and a whole slew of singles and remixes, some released, many not. We were roommates in Brooklyn for a few years, and it was such an honor to watch him grow and develop as an artist during that time. This will be a most special and full-circle moment for the both of us.
SW: So you’ve been a fixture in Brooklyn’s local scene for a decade, similar to Elements, which actually started in Brooklyn in 2013. Describe the experience of watching Elements flourish year over year as it made its way to its current home in Long Pond at Pocono Raceway.
Mik: Time really flies. I remember the early days of Elements when it was still held at the campgrounds in Lakewood, PA. My first time playing the festival was in 2021, opening the pre-party for Yheti alongside Dice Man and Krook. Watching Elements grow into what it is today has been incredible. Every year the production, art, and overall experience continue to evolve while still maintaining the community-driven atmosphere that made people fall in love with it in the first place. It’s an honor to keep coming back and contribute my music to something so special.
DM: I’m truly, truly honored to have had so much support from this festival, its creators, and the folks behind the scenes who have done such a BangOn job running it for so many years. We first got our foot in the door through our friends at The Drop BK, who have always believed in and supported me and the Dubday crew. They were running stages and showcasing our artists back when the festival was still at the summer camp venue, and many of us have stayed involved over the many years of growth the festival has had since moving to the Poconos. It’s been truly inspiring to see what the team has done with this event over the last decade — they’ve rekindled my belief in magic time, and time again. It certainly hits differently to have one of your biggest supporters also be one of your absolute favorite festivals to attend and play. I can’t thank them enough for their continued support over the years, and I hope to be back again anytime!
SW: Thanks for your perspectives on the growth of Elements. One thing people may not know is how great a job Elements does with their group camping, called Vibe Villages. Elements allows EDM brands and communities to operate their own pre-game and after-hours sound stages and renegade campsites within the Vibe Villages. What has been your involvement with Elements’ Vibe Villages, and how does it compare to other group camping experiences at other festivals?
Mik: Back in 2021 at Elements Lakewood, Conor Rayder, who runs the Vibe Villages, brought me on as his assistant. That experience completely opened my eyes to the renegade culture that exists alongside the festival. The Vibe Villages almost feel like their own festival within Elements. Once the main stages shut down, artists from all over the lineup start making their way through the villages to jump on impromptu sets. There’s something incredibly raw and inspiring about it. You hear artists experimenting, playing music they’d never play on a main stage, and feeding off the energy of everyone around them. It’s one of the most creatively charged environments I’ve ever experienced.
DM: While I’ve never run a sound camp in the villages, I’ve certainly played my fair share of renegade sets with various collectives and friends over the years. I always say that one of the most special parts of this festival is the festival-approved sound camps that are permitted to operate as afters into the wee hours of the night. Where else can you listen to a (dozen) hi-fidelity sound rigs blasting at full volume until sunrise on the East Coast?! And, of course, you can expect to see me and my pals out there many times throughout the weekend this year too — stay tuned to my socials for more on that 😉
SW: I couldn’t agree more about the Vibe Villages, especially after seeing you both play at Elements sound camps in previous years. Besides the Vibe Villages, what else helps Elements stand out among other U.S. camping music festivals?
DM: Intention. You have always been able to not only see, but feel the vision throughout the years, and it’s only been getting more and more refined. The artistic teams that are constructed around a myriad of different activations, installations, stages, common areas, logistics — there is an artistic intention or flair accompanying every aspect of this event. They go out of their way to enliven, entertain, invigorate, and truly bring the grounds to life. The magicians doing what they do best!
Mik: There are so many things that make Elements unique, but for me it’s the artwork throughout the festival grounds. Once the sun goes down, the entire raceway transforms into this immersive world of light installations, sculptures, and interactive art. One of my favorite traditions is simply wandering through the wooded art paths at night. It’s one of those experiences that makes Elements feel like much more than just another music festival.
SW: Elements is also well known for bringing in massively diverse lineups across many genres of electronic music. Do you have any memories you can share about catching up with other artists behind the scenes?
Mik: Elements has always been one of my favorite festivals for connecting with like-minded artists. There’s such a welcoming atmosphere backstage, and everyone genuinely seems excited to support one another. Unfortunately, I’ll only be there on Friday this year before heading to Denver to play Cervantes alongside Parkbreezy and Sam Binga… Even so, there are so many incredible artists on this year’s lineup that I wish I had more time to catch up with.
DM: As with any festival at this size and scale, it’s always super exciting to see how many artists it brings together, from friends and peers I get to see every once in a while, to meeting and seeing “the big dawgs” and people who have inspired me. While there have been many fun stories over the years, all of my best memories are the impromptu renegades I’ve popped in to with friends, running into all sorts of crazy artists in the sound camps and doing spontaneous b2b’s or pop up sets and just tuning in and letting go — that’s where the real gravy is. The most notable one being the first year I played at Lakewood… I was supposed to be the last set from 4 – 5 am on a MASSIVE Henny rig, and then right before my set started, they told me I could play my hour and go an extra hour after that b2b with Eazybaked, Chee, and Digital Ethos. The hour that ensued, as they say, was history.
SW: Sounds like an epic time behind the decks! Shifting focus back to your b2b, any new tunes or IDs you are looking forward to sharing in your set?
DM: Always! You can definitely expect to hear a few tracks that Mikayli and I have written together over the years. We’ve touched on all sorts of styles, so I’m sure the set will be a sonic whirlwind (in the best way)! There has always been this one plate of ours that has gone off for years, and I’m sure it will be a tone-setter in this set too! I’ve also been cooking up a couple of new ones, pretty excited about a flip I did of a song called “Cheat Code” that I’m hoping to wedge in there. But, alas, we shall have to wait and see what the moment brings!
Mik: Definitely. Dice Man and I have been putting together a set packed with original music, exclusive collaborations, and some unique blends we’ve been saving for special moments. Lately, most of my sets have featured a lot of unreleased material, so I’m really excited to debut some of those tracks on the Fire Stage. I also recently finished a 5-track 140 EP, so I am stoked to rinse that out as well.
SW: Moon Lvnding’s motto is “Uniting The World Through Music.” What does that mean to you as you reflect on the arc of your artist project and your b2b to open Fire Stage this year?
DM: I’ve always regarded music as the one thing that can speak to and unite us all – any stroke of life, country, continent, star sign, or element — we are one.
Mik: To me, music has always been one of the most powerful ways to connect people. It has the ability to heal, bring people together, and create moments that transcend language or background. Going into our Elements set, I hope Dice Man and I can bring both of our communities together and help kick off the weekend with the kind of positive energy that people carry with them long after the music ends.
SW: It certainly has for me when I’ve seen y’all play before. Finally, any last messages for your fans who’ve made it to the end of this monster interview?
Mik: Thank you to everyone who’s supported me over the years, whether you’ve been at a local NYC show, a festival set, or you’ve simply listened to my music online. It truly means the world to me. I can’t wait to share this moment with everyone at Elements. Come find us at the Fire Stage 5:45 pm on Friday, say what’s up, and let’s start the weekend off right. See you all out there.
DM: Don’t forget to stay tuned to my socials for more info on my renegade sets, including solo dancefloor set, downtempo poetry set, and a cheeky b2b with a special friend — if you’re running around out there trying to find me, just look up 🙂
There you have it. Some insightful words of wisdom about Elements Music & Arts Festival from two NYC locals who’ve been around this festival from the early days. Moon Lvnding will be back next Tuesday with our Launch Guide for Elements, covering all the logistical information about getting into the fest and all the important last-minute announcements to help you maximize your experience. There are still limited tickets, VIP passes, and entourage packages on sale now, with a final price increase happening today, Friday, July 31, at midnight. Be sure to connect with Elements Music & Arts Festival using their links below.
