Can you believe it has been over two weeks since Imagine Music Festival 2023? It feels like just yesterday as time has been flying by, and one set from Imagine has been stuck in my head since that wonderful weekend in Kingston Downs, Georgia — Leah Culver rocking out Saturday on the mainstage!
After starting the set behind the decks and treating the crowd to heavy bass mixes, Culver took to the mic and brought out a live band to back her up — including Sum 41’s Frank Zummo on the drums to close out the set. There is something special about getting to see a live band set at an EDM festival, so I spoke to this Atlanta native and Imagine veteran about the 2023 festival.
Sam Wolloch: Nice work at Imagine last weekend! So being from Atlanta, tell me more about your home festival, Imagine.
Leah Culver: Thank you so much! I love Imagine Festival! I’ve played every year since the very beginning and it’s always my favorite thing to come home from LA and see it grow bigger and bigger every year! So proud of [owners] Maddy and Glenn, who have been family to me since I started! It’s so cool to see it all become what it is!
SW: Seeing you perform with a live band made your set stand out! Talk about your band members who played with you.
LC: I love the members of my band. James Tiernan played violin and electric guitar, Lance Mapp played electric guitar, Zach Deloach played drums on half the set, and Frank Zummo on the other half. I also had mmmCherry out to sing as well.
I implore anybody reading this to take the time to check out their projects. James Tiernan goes by Jet and is an incredible instrumentalist and producer. Lance Mapp goes by Tavis and makes really great pop and country music! I always love the way Zach Deloach plays drums and he’s always been such a fun and incredible energy to have around. Zach is also an incredible photographer.
SW: So how did you line up Frank Zummo to play with you at Imagine?
LC: Chelsea Shear is a great and wonderful supporter of mine at Monstercat. She connected Frank and me because she knew our sounds are so similar with our influences coming from a lot of alternative and pop punk music, as well as electronic. We immediately knew that we were going to have such a great time making music together!
SW: He brought some great energy to close out the set! Now I’m curious how you balance your desire for a live performance with being behind the decks for a DJ set.
LC: When I’m planning a big set with a lot of moving parts like this one, I like to divide up my original songs that all have my vocals on them and other fun songs I like to DJ. I have so much love for producing music, playing drums and guitar, singing, songwriting, and performing! I’m always working on new music and that’s where I’m happiest! Getting to perform it is a whole other love and passion and I couldn’t be more grateful to get to do what I love every day!
SW: That passion definitely shows in your sets. Your visual production was stunning too. Can you share your inspiration for the visuals and the white outfit you wore on stage?
LC: My inspiration for my white outfit was angels and light. I love making new visuals each year and this past year I decided that I wanted to make my visuals about getting through darkness while holding on to our light.
On stage at Imagine 2023 // Credit: Zach Deloach
My visuals had a lot to do with angels and fighting through our demons. I was crawling through the grass, moving through a white veil, and wore both white and black angel wings to represent some of my life experiences and pushing through the darker times to spread and push my own light. We all have light and I wanted to push the idea that we can always get through anything and keep shining our light that we all have in each of us.
Michael Shapiro does an incredible job teaming up with me to make my visions come to life for my visuals. He is an incredible videographer and did such a great job making the vision happen this year!
SW: Some of us Imaginers were lucky to catch you play a second set at an afterparty on Sunday. Was that planned?
LC: The renegade was so fun! This was a spontaneous decision brought to me by Hunter and Abel who run the renegade! It reminded me of earlier shows in Atlanta when I was first coming up and throwing down! I love how intimate a surprise popup set can feel! I had a blast!
SW: It was a nice way to end the weekend! Looking to the rest of 2023, what new music do you have in store?
LC: I had a release with Funtcase that came out September 22 on Circus Records! I have a Lights remix with Synymata coming out on Insomniac in December and I’m also looking at some of my favorite unreleased songs with Insomniac, Create Music Group, and Monstercat.
SW: How different is it producing your own songs compared to collaborating on songs with other artists as a vocalist/singer?
LC: They’re both so different and fun! My flow states for singing and writing are different from my flow states while producing and mixing. I get a high from each part of the process in different ways.
Singing and songwriting, because it’s the human element of the song people connect with the most can be both an opportunity to heal and feel cathartic. You can also very actively be writing to help others have words they can belt in their car or with friends that they may need in their lives.
Production is fun because it feels more quiet and inward to me. I can be alone and get in a flow state without exerting any physical part of me like singing does. It works a different part of my brain that feels really safe and personal to me. It’s always fun for me also to learn new tricks on YouTube and I get a lot of serotonin from that.
SW: Which artists would you like to collaborate with and why? And who are some artists that you look to for inspiration?
LC: I’d love to collaborate with Finneas. I love his production style. Hayley Williams of Paramore is a huge inspiration for me and I would be so happy to have her on a track! I’d love to collaborate with Rezz because I’ve always loved mid-tempo and I love her sound! Her use of downsampling inspired a lot for me.
I’m inspired by Pink Slip, Finneas, Hayley Williams, Harry Styles’ past two albums, and all of my talented friends like AARBORNE, Chandler Leighton, MmmCherry, Brennan Loney, Randy Urbanski, my band James Tiernan, Lance Mapp, Zach Deloach, and my friends in the band Orgy, Jay and Ilia!
SW: What about some festivals you are looking to play at in 2024?
LC: I can’t wait to play Coachella, EDC, Lost Lands, and Lightning in a Bottle!
SW: That is a solid list of fests! Anything else you would like to share with us and your fans?
LC: If somebody else can do it, so can you, and I hope that you find all that makes you happy in this life! Go get it!
Thanks again to Leah Culver for taking the time to speak with us at Moon Lvnding and sharing her unique perspective of Imagine Music Festival. To keep up with all the latest about her newest releases and announcements, use Leah’s links below.
Basscon, Insomniac’s home for hard dance, released a cryptic video showing a ghost town with a “Coming Soon” banner in a bullseye on social media on October 1. The next day, October 2, Insomniac announced a new hard dance festival, Bullseye, coming to the National Orange Show in California on December 8+9, 2023.
Bullseye seems like it will be Western-themed from the name and advertising so far. It remains to be seen if this new festival will replace Project Z or Wasteland. American hard dance artists who’ve previously released on Basscon Records and played Basscon events like Death Code, Hartshorn, KAMI, and Water Spirit have all been confirmed to play. In a surprising turn of events, American hardcore artist Lil Texas will be performing as his techno alias, Diamond Dallas Tex. SCND CRCL, the techno side project of Darksiderz and CGK, will also be performing.
Insomniac loves a good B2B and there have been a few announced so far. The first is Atmozfears B2B Sound Rush, which is quite fitting after their take on “Country Roads” was released in 2021. Other B2Bs include Gammer B2B Yultron and KAMI vs. Death Code (Live). Check out the rest of the first phase of the lineup below as we eagerly await additional artists to be announced at a later date.
Both GA and VIP Tickets for Bullseye go on sale this Thursday, October 5, at 12 pm PT. GA tickets start at $130 and attendees must be 18+. Follow Basscon using the social media links below and sign up to receive text updates from Basscon to be the first to know when more details are released.
From humble beginnings as a local DJ in Phoenix, AZ, to his first show at Red Rocks, Ben Dorman, better known as Bijou has been on quite the journey as he shares his passion for G-House with the world. Tonight, he gears up to take the stage at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO, opening up for Big Gigantic. Within the last year Bijou has been on multiple solo tours as well as the Stay Fly Tour with MARTEN HØRGER in addition to headlining stages across the country. Follow along as we dive into Bijou’s road to Red Rocks.
To kick off this journey lets take it back to Fall ’22 – Bijou and MARTEN HØRGER are mesmerizing crowds on the Stay Fly Tour, which included 25 shows across the U.S. and Canada and the final four shows being sold out. After the final show, Dorman didn’t skip a beat and went straight to the decks of Groove Cruise playing alongside friends and artists alike such as Ekonovah and Nostalgix. Once he was done with his main voyage, he started touring immediately and hasn’t stopped since! Just this last weekend he played a set for all of the headbangers up at Lost Lands and the crowd danced their hearts out to the bouncy bass lines.
Image Credit: Florian Frahm / @florianfrahm
Bijou has simultaneously toured nonstop while also dropping tracks with some of the biggest names in dance music across multiple labels. He started off the year strong with “Saint Tropez“, a collaboration with Zaerd on Do Not Duplicate Recordings. Shortly after this release, Bijou and MARTEN HØRGER’s banger song “I Know” was awarded Bass House Song of the Year by EDM.com during Miami Music Week. Not even 24 hours later, the highly anticipated collab with Michael Sparks called “Back It Up (ft. Young Lyxx)” was released on House Call Records and was an instant hit. The following months were then filled with funky beats only the king of G-House could provide. Ben is now finishing up the summer with his latest release “2 Step” on Night Bass Records.
Image Credit: Khang Nguyen / @khangarooo
With the show tonight fans are to expect all of these amazing songs, along with plenty of unreleased ones as well. He brings an insane energy to the stage so he is sure to deliver for his Red Rocks debut! To see what’s next for Bijou follow him on all socials linked below.
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of his chart-topping debut album The Wise & The Wicked, Jauz prepared a dual album project for 2023. The project’s first album, Rise of the Wise, dropped Friday, July 13, and the second album, Wrath of the Wicked, dropped Friday, September 22 on Jauz’s label, Bite This!.
The duality of the dual album concept highlights the evolution of Jauz as a producer. It is a testament to his ability to create successful tunes across a spectrum of EDM genres. While his July album focused more on house music, September’s album features seven heavier bass tracks characterized by dubstep and drum and bass.
“If my last album (Rise of the Wise) was the Yin, this one (Wrath of the Wicked) is the Yang,” Jauz shared. “The whole goal behind both of these albums was to dive into the polar extremes of the sounds I’ve always made and push each direction to the limit. With this album, it was all about creating the most ‘heavy’ version of Jauz I possibly could, which is perfectly represented by The Wicked.”
Two of the seven tracks have already been released over the past few weeks: “Mind Control” and “Dreaming.” The album opens with “Chaos,” a song that is true to its name and brings high-energy dubstep. Moon Lvnding’s pick for our weekly New Music Friday playlist was the drum and bass banger “Bad Boi Sound.” The album concludes with “Save U Now,” featuring emotional vocals and heartfelt basslines, putting a touching conclusion to the second part of the dual album project.
Accompanying the full release of Wrath of the Wicked, Jauz will begin his Wise/Wicked Tour in selected cities in Fall 2023. Notably, Jauz will be playing two different shows in most of the cities, featuring various venues for his separate Wise and Wicked shows. Discussing the upcoming tour, Jauz said, “I’m really excited for everyone to finally get to hear all these tracks I’ve been working on for so long and also finally get to play them out live, because a lot of them I’ve been keeping a secret for a while.”
The tour got started this past Saturday, September 23 in Boston with an early Wise boat party before playing Big Night Live for a late Wicked show. Other cities scheduled to get a double dip of Jauz playing Wise and Wicked shows this fall include New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Nashville. The dual album and dual tour concept is an exciting proposition, and we at Moon Lvnding are excited to see Jauz’s ongoing success as he embraces the duality of his music production. We plan on providing coverage of Jauz’s tour stop here in Brooklyn, so check back in a few weeks to learn more about the Wise Vs. Wicked 2023 Tour and use the handy links below to keep up with all the latest news from Jauz.
Imagine Music Festival lived up to the hype and exceeded expectations this past weekend, September 14 – 17, 2023. As a first-time Imaginer, it was thrilling to explore a festival that was new to me. After three days filled with music, dancing, and revelry, Imagine lived up to its reputation for being the best immersive electronic music festival in the Southeast.
The Kingston Downs property used for the event the past two years is expansive and provides a grand setting for the festival grounds as well as the surrounding campgrounds. Imagine featured four large stages inside the festival grounds and the production was incredible! While they weren’t the biggest stages I’ve seen, the designs were captivating with the most jaw-dropping laser and pyrotechnic displays I’ve ever seen.
The largest stage, Oceania, was home to many of the B2Bs we discussed in our preview article, and they were among the best sets of the weekend. From the multitude of Imaginers I spoke to, Subtronics B2B Ganja White Night was the most anticipated set of the weekend — and they both delivered. However, the Dillon Francis B2B Knock2 performance stood out for me. Knock2’s excitement to be playing alongside one of his idols and Dillon Francis’s goofy antics on the microphone made the vibes of the set extra special and brought the crowd back to life on Sunday.
Courtesy of Imagine Music Festival // DVPhotoVideo
I spent more time at Oceania than at any other stage and for good reason — there were just so many great artists scheduled to play there. From Squired and Leah Culver getting the party started to international superstars Dom Dolla and Zomboy bringing the heat as the sun went down, Oceana was the place to be on Saturday. Dab the Sky and Slander closed it out for a spectacular second day.
The bass stage, Amazonia, had the most spectacular stage design despite its more compact design. It had the most magical laser effects of the four stages, and the angled 4×4 LED panels above the artists provided a new viewing experience. The artists that shined the brightest at Amazonia include Big Gigantic, Mersiv, A Hundred Drums, and Tripp St.
Courtesy of Imagine Music Festival // DVPhotoVideo
The Disco Inferno, home to many of the house acts, had two levels of pyrotechnics and LED boards. Kasablanca and Cloonee were both in their element at this stage, bringing out big crowds for their distinctive sets. Finally, the Aeria stage was the most minimal of the four, but it fit the vibes perfectly for the dark techno and trance sets from Slander Presents: Before Dawn and the 25th-anniversary performance by Infected Mushroom.
Outside of the music, I enjoyed many memorable moments at the Imaginarium — the activity and workshop space on the main drag with stages and concessions outside of the main festival grounds. Megan and Sydney from Highland Yoga facilitated much-needed vinyasa flow practice on Saturday and Sunday to help me stay loose. I also learned a few lessons that will last a lifetime: the power of sigils taught by David and the art of maintaining conscious relationships taught by Sonali.
I’m thankful that Imagine made space to allow for these teachers and practitioners to share their knowledge with us at the Imaginarium because expanding my consciousness and growing as a person is a vital part of my valuable festival experience. One of my core memories of Imagine was sharing Saturday’s noon yoga practice with two other Imaginers as the rain began pouring down all around us. Even as the heavy rain brought trickles of water under the Imaginarium tent, we went happily along with our yoga flow on little foam mat islands provided to us by Celsius fitness drinks.
Courtesy of Imagine Music Festival Facebook
Two other notable details that the team at Imagine provided for its festivalgoers that made the event stand out from the pack — the pool party and the painters’ plateau. Before the main festival gates opened on Saturday and Sunday afternoon, there was a pool party inside the main festival grounds available for an additional fee and it was well worth it. Disco Dom headlined on Saturday and Kai Wachi headlined on Sunday.
While not officially named the painters’ plateau, there was an area at the top of the hill looking down at the Amazonia stage that was lined with artists painting different festival scenes. It was magical at night, with the artists’ lamps illuminating their artwork while they toiled at their craft. It’s these little details that bring a big festival to life and Imagine exceeded expectations.
Courtesy of Imagine Music Festival // DVPhotoVideo
Southern hospitality was in full effect all weekend. People were courteous and kind, and I immediately felt welcomed by all the Imaginers I interacted with. I came down to Georgia with only a backpack of clothing and returned to Brooklyn with a smarter mind, a stronger body, and a soul radiating with positivity. While I would never recommend my hometown NYC festival to anyone, after my experience at Imagine Music Festival, I would wholeheartedly recommend this festival to anyone looking for a good time down South. I’m already looking forward to IMF2024, so if you’re like me, then you’ll want to connect with Imagine’s social links below.
November is shaping up to be a big month for Teksupport, announcing that it will collaborate with Eric Prydz to bring his state-of-the-art audiovisual experience – HOLO – back to New York City on November 22, 24, and 25, 2023. This comes hot on the heels of the live public sale for Time Warp, the premier worldwide techno festival, which has partnered with Teksupport to come to New York City for a two-day event on November 17 – 18, 2023. Led by founder Rob Toma, Teksupport has been a driving force in NYC nightlife with its international music curation and iconic venue selection.
Credit: @teksupport
Prydz’s HOLO returns to New York City for the first time since its United States debut at The Expo Center in The Bronx before the pandemic in December 2019. Created from Prydz’s pioneering use of holograms for his EPIC concert series, HOLO has made festival appearances at Tomorrowland, Coachella, and Sonar, plus an Ibiza residency on Mondays at Club Hi this summer. Each of the three HOLO performances in November will be a unique musical experience; the Brooklyn venue is yet to be announced.
The presale for HOLO is currently open for registration and closes this Thursday, September 21 at 10 am ET. The presale access link will be emailed and texted to registrants on Friday, September 22 at 10 am ET and two hours later the presale will begin at 12 pm. Finally, the public on-sale starts Friday afternoon at 5 pm.
Credit: @teksupport
Shifting focus, Time Warp unveiled the stacked lineup for its two-day, two-floor techno event earlier this month. Teksupport has partnered with Time Warp since its debut in NYC and the sixth iteration of the festival will take place at the Brooklyn Navy Yard on November 17 – 18.
Featuring top international techno artists such as Nina Kraviz, Pan-Pot, Klangkuenstler, Reinier Zonneveld, and Mochakk, Time Warp US also showcases iconic back-to-back sets from Joseph Capriati and Vintage Culture, Italians Ilario Alicante and Sam Paganini, and GOLFOS – the duo project of tech house titans PAWSA and Dennis Cruz. Public on-sale for Time Warp US started Wednesday, September 13, so now is the time to lock in those tickets!
Credit: @teksupport
Turning attention to Halloween festivities, Teksupport sold out tickets for the two-day Circoloco Halloween event on October 27 – 28. In response to the overwhelming demand, Teksupport recently announced a new day-and-night Halloween event for Sunday, October 29. With doors opening at 6 am ET and a loaded lineup including Bedouin, Carlita, DJ Seinfeld, and DJ Tennis, tickets are still available and selling quickly so don’t miss out. Use the links below to keep up with all the news from Teksupport.
Labor Day weekend is one of the most anticipated times for music enthusiasts across the United States. In 2023, however, many music festivals encountered an array of challenges that left attendees disheartened. Inclement weather, transportation hiccups, supply chain struggles, production mishaps, and overall mismanagement plagued several events. Yet, amid such turmoil this Labor Day weekend, Chicago stood out as the place to be, hosting two legendary festivals: North Coast Music Festival and Arc Music Festival. These festivals have earned praise and recognition for being some of the country’s best electronic dance music experiences. In this review, we explore North Coast Music Festival, a three-day extravaganza that showcased the best of EDM and left a lasting impression on fans of all genres.
Drawing nearly 70,000 attendees to the sprawling grounds of SeatGeek Stadium in Chicagoland, North Coast Music Festival transformed the venue into a vibrant and interactive hub for EDM enthusiasts. As a third-time attendee, this is the best version of North Coast that I have seen to date. From the stellar lineup to the additional stages, countless vendors, and diverse food options, this festival had something for everyone.
Unforgettable Main Stage Performances
The festival’s main stage, The Stadium, hosted a diverse range of acts throughout the weekend. Friday’s kickoff featured sets from Valentino Khan, Zomboy, Jauz, Alesso, and ended with a sensational closing performance by Marshmello. The day’s most memorable moment was when the crowd joined Jauz in celebrating his 30th birthday on stage by singing “Happy Birthday” to him.
Saturday at The Stadium was every bass lover’s dream, featuring artists like Maddy O’Neal, Esseks, Inzo, Of The Trees, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Ganja White Night, and Zeds Dead, who delivered one of my personal favorite sets of the weekend. The final day at The Stadium showcased Rossy, EVAN GIIA, Dabin, Alison Wonderland, and a closing set from Flume. Most of the crowd gathered at The Vega stage earlier on Sunday, but Rossy’s set at The Stadium was easily one of my weekend favorites, and I’d be remiss had I not been there to see it!
North Coast’s second largest stage was The Vega, which has expanded and improved every year I’ve been there. The production level at this stage was nothing short of jaw-dropping. It brought a new and unique vibe for each day, with a WAKAAN takeover on Friday, tons of fun house sets on Saturday, and some energetic dubstep on Sunday. Over the weekend, many big names performed on this stage, such as Liquid Stranger, Champagne Drip, DJ Snake, MK, Chris Lorenzo, NGHTMRE, and Big Gigantic. A few of my favorite sets at this stage included Liquid Stranger on Friday, Sherm on Saturday, and NGHTMRE on Sunday.
A new addition to North Coast Music Festival in 2023 was The Shipyard, which replaced what was known as The Canopy stage during previous years. This stage featured a revamped design with stacked shipping containers, creating a visually stunning backdrop for performers. The Shipyard hosted captivating sets by Gordo, Duke Dumont, Lane 8, Elderbrook, Chris Lake, and Cloonee throughout the weekend. Saturday showcased Lane 8’s This Never Happened label, featuring a stacked lineup of melodic house tunes. Sunday belonged to Chris Lake’s Black Book Records imprint, with standout performances from Kyle Watson, Miane, Cloonee, and more. Chris Lake’s set at The Shipyard was a personal favorite, although Saturday, with its dream lineup of Lane 8, Elderbrook, Sultan + Shephard, Le Youth, and Jerro, stood out as an exceptional day.
Other Highlights
North Coast Music Festival also reintroduced popular experiential areas, including The Fire Pit and The Chill Dome. The Fire Pit delivered fantastic house and bass music sets paired with mesmerizing fire displays. The Chill Dome provided refuge from the summer heat, featuring artists like INZO, Champagne Drip, and Surf Mesa, who set the mood with chill vibes.
Other unique festival elements, such as The Giant (a tree man sculpture) and The Rainbow Lounge (offering festival-goers hammocks for relaxation), added to the festival’s charm. The NCMF Yacht Club, a festival boat with various amenities and incredible views, also returned. New additions like Club Coast, a hidden speakeasy that required a spoken password found only in the festival’s app, and a Ferris Wheel offering panoramic views further enriched the festival experience. With so much to explore, my only complaint was that three days hardly felt sufficient to savor everything North Coast had to offer.
Unwavering Legacy
North Coast Music Festival’s 13th edition cemented its status as the premier Labor Day electronic music festival in the United States. In stark contrast to the challenges faced by other festivals, North Coast delivered a seamless and memorable experience for its attendees. With its outstanding lineup, immersive stages, and unique experiential elements, North Coast Music Festival undoubtedly stood out as the place to be this past Labor Day weekend. As someone fortunate enough to attend and experience North Coast firsthand, I cannot make a stronger event recommendation to anyone making Labor Day plans in the years to come.
Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) is a prestigious gathering of electronic music enthusiasts, producers, and artists from around the globe. The event has long been celebrated for its knack for showcasing avant-garde talent and pioneering sounds, setting the stage for groundbreaking moments in the electronic music world.
On October 18, 2023, ADE invites revelers to embark on an auditory journey like never before. The event features a mix of established and up-and-coming artists, each playing their own unique take on icy beats. The Frozen Frequencies lineup features some of the hottest names in the scene, including up-and-coming talent Ekonovah, the party-starting Electric Polar Bears, Belgian rising star Hoax, tech-house duo Rich DietZ, and Grammy-winning producer Damon Sharpe.
Ekonovah: A 26-year-old DJ and producer from Phoenix, Arizona, Ekonovah is just getting started and is rapidly carving out his niche in the electronic dance scene. Having already played at some of the biggest clubs and festivals in the United States, like EDC Las Vegas and Bonnaroo, Ekonovah enjoys support from heavyweights like Porter Robinson, Tchami, and Tiesto. Armed with original vocals, a unique songwriting approach, and irresistibly catchy and danceable tunes, Ekonovah has established himself as a versatile artist taking on a prominent role in the industry.
Electric Polar Bears (EPB): Masters of theatrical stage antics and funky house beats, these two polar bears from Antarctica have perfected the art of throwing the ultimate party, with their larger-than-life custom LED heads, mind-blowing confetti cannons, dazzling lasers, frost machines, and a penguin brigade. No EBP experience is complete without a touch of the Bears’ signature “snow,” they’re sure to get the party started with their high-energy set.
Hoax (BE): Rising Belgian electronic producer and DJ, Hoax (BE) is swiftly etching his name in Amsterdam’s musical landscape. His sound, rooted in melody and evocative production, communicates emotion in the most compelling way. With releases on esteemed labels such as Sony Belgium, Loud Memory, Thrive Music, NoFace Records, and Blanco Y Negro, along with a residency at Ibiza’s renowned club, La Troya, Hoax (BE) brings an energetic and emotional dimension that will surely make its mark in Amsterdam.
Rich DietZ: The American DJ/Production duo based out of Florida and New Jersey, are known for their high-octane tech-house sets that compel feet to move and bodies to groove. Their debut track, “All My FriendZ,” released in 2019, set the stage for their fusion of underground house and festival bass to shine. Featured in Apple Music playlists like “Groove” and “Breaking Dance” and Spotify editorial playlists such as “Nasty Bits” and “New from NYC,” Rich DietZ’s infectious sound is sure to bring the heat to the dance floor.
Damon Sharpe: A Grammy-winning producer, songwriter, DJ, and recording artist, Damon Sharpe’s career includes collaborations with music icons such as Jennifer Lopez, Ariana Grande, Pitbull, and Alesso. He’s known for his unique sound, blending electronic music with pop sensibilities. Damon is currently in the process of transitioning from working behind the scenes to becoming a solo artist. Sharpe’s talents as a live performer, showcased at renowned festivals including EDC Las Vegas, Miami Music Week, and SXSW, poise him as a major player in the electronic music scene for years to come.
Stay warm at Frozen Frequencies by dancing the night away and celebrating the diversity of electronic music!
Wax Motif is back on tour in North America, and his 2023 House of Wax Tour is bigger and better than ever before. Sharing the same name as his tour and his DJ radio show, his debut album, House of Wax, has already amassed over 33 million streams since its release in 2022. Wax is off to a hot start in 2023, dropping new tunes on Repopulate Mars and Nervous Records, with a few more planned for Fall 2023.
The House of Wax Tour started in Texas in mid-August before working its way through the East Coast and Canada. Moon Lvnding was able to catch up with Wax Motif at his biggest-ever headline show in New York City at a 100-year-old historic landmark building, The Knockdown Center. We spoke about a wide range of topics such as his most anticipated tour stops including an appearance at Club Space Miami tonight, September 8; his upcoming song releases, including “In My Hands” with Camden Cox which dropped September 1; the journey to make it in the US as an international artist; and of course, Tribeca Bagels.
Sam Wolloch: “In My Hands” drops September 1, and we heard the Zhu collab tonight. Any other IDs with other artists that might drop this year?
Wax Motif: The only other one I know really, I think I’m going to drop is me and Zhu have a second collab that nobody’s really heard. It’s me, Zhu, and Camden Cox, an amazing vocalist. Shoutout to Camden! Zhu is going to drop the first collab on his album, and then I’m going to drop the second collab as my own single. There’s also a few other things, me and Tchami are working on something that I’m really happy about.
SW: So things went so well with “In My Hands” that you brought Camden Cox back for a second track?
WM: The thing is, she’s a beast. She’s written a ton of stuff. She was one of the writers for “Where You Are” with John Summit. With her, because I’m a producer, we can churn it out real quick. With us, it’s make the idea first, and work out what to do with it later.
Shaelyn McCormack: While we’re talking about tracks, what’s another track of yours that deserves a 20-minute version?
WM: Oh that’s hard, because it’s all about the 20-minute version of “Divided Souls.” For my own songs, I don’t know. I think “Divided Souls” could go for 40 minutes, so let’s add another 20 on to there.
SM: Who are some other artists on your wish list you’d like to collaborate with?
WM: There are so many. For me, the reason to collab with someone is because they are totally out of your lane. So Skrillex, Fred Again.. are pretty obvious. But there’s also some weirder ones, like DJ Seinfeld is really cool. Solomun would be cool, Camelphat, I really love Camelphat. I would love to do something with MK, I think that’s really close to happening.
Actually, I don’t like collabing with people I don’t know, so I always try to have a friendship first. So at the end of the day, I just want to collaborate with my friends. Collaboration should feel like genuine friendships, not like a business thing.
SM: What about remixes?
WM: It’s also why I don’t do remixes anymore. After “Fly Kicks” I got offered every remix on the planet, but it doesn’t feel genuine to me. I did “Fly Kicks” out of the love for doing it. Most remixes you’ll hear from me now, I’m not even getting paid to do it because I want to do it. You got to love what you are putting out, and if I don’t love it, I won’t put it out. It took me a long time to learn that, because I was putting out whatever because I need to pay my rent, I need to get by. But the minute I didn’t need to rely on that for my life, let me put in the art, the passion, and what I believe in.
SW: What was it like starting as an international artist and coming to the US and moving to Los Angeles?
WM: It is extremely difficult because anything you’ve accomplished overseas doesn’t matter when you come to America. It’s like you weren’t in the NBA… If you look at most of the artists out of Australia, like Dom Dolla, Fisher, Timmy Trumpet, we’re all older. None of us are 21-year-olds. We had to have a whole career in Australia to get to a point where we’re big enough for American agents to pick us up and get us an American visa. It’s a huge disadvantage. That’s why you see a ton of young Americans on the scene, and then most internationals are generally older because they’ve had to prove their worth in their own country to then get the opportunity to come here and rebuild it again. It’s been a long journey, but I don’t regret it. Once you’ve done all the hard work and proven your worth, it’s really hard to take that away from you after that.
SW: What about a festival bucket list? Are there some festivals you want to jump in on?
WM: I’ve achieved almost all the ones I want to do, the last one is Coachella. I did Tomorrowland this year, I’ve done Ultra, I’ve done EDC Las Vegas. Obviously, there’s the ones in Europe, like Creamfields and stuff I haven’t touched, but the one I really care about is Coachella, so hopefully we do Coachella next year.
SW: Any cities you are excited about playing for the first time on tour?
WM: I don’t think any of the cities are my first time, but all of them are my biggest venues. So I’m going into all these cities doing a show that’s bigger than anything I’ve done in any of these cities. Obviously New York tonight was amazing, LA which is my city, and another one is Denver – Mission Ballroom. I would love to play Red Rocks one day, so this is a precursor to that.
And also Space Miami. I’ve never headlined Space Miami, I’ve played there as support, but never as the headline so I feel like this is my chance to do the 4, 5, 6-hour set that everybody talks about. For Miami, I’m going to do something totally different to everything I’ve done on the tour, which is going to be crazy!
SW: Let’s talk about your tour merch. Why’d you choose to make a soccer kit and who’s idea was the New York Knicks House of Wax logo for this stop in NYC?
WM: I spent my whole life growing up playing soccer, so soccer was just obvious to me. I own like 20 soccer jerseys, Brazil, Barcelona home and away, Arsenal, so of all the jerseys, the first one I wanted to do was soccer.
And the Knicks idea, that was mine! I have Knicks Patrick Ewing jersey, I’m such a big Melo fan, and nothing screams New York more to me than the blue-orange combo. Notorious B.I.G. is one of my favorite artists of all time, I have this hat that’s Knicks and B.I.G. together, and I’ve had it for 10 years. I sent a picture of the hat, of B.I.G. and [the New York Knicks] triangle, and then they readapted it. I wanted something that didn’t say New York but still said New York…and this color combo and the logo is it.
Credit: Shaelyn McCormack // @shaelien111
SM: We know you are LA-based, but what is one place that you love to visit when you are in New York City?
WM: Tribeca Bagels. Shoutout to Tribeca Bagels, I love you! I love everyone at Tribeca Bagels.
SW: So what’s your order there?
WM: Chicken cutlet sandwich every time! I asked them to book the hotel next to Tribeca Bagels, which is the Hilton, so I could eat at Tribeca Bagels breakfast, lunch, and dinner… And I’m not the only person who goes there. Rihanna goes there, ASAP Rocky, J. Balvin, everyone. That joint is the sh*t. After this, I’m going there!
SW: Any last messages for your fans?
WM: I love that I have the opportunity to be here and I don’t take it for granted. I’m here only because of my fans. They’re the people who put me in this position. They’re the people who buy my music, who stream my music, buy my merch, buy the tickets. I am actually friends with so many of them now. 5 or 6 of them tonight just started as fans and now we’re friends. That is the Wax Gang. I hate calling them fans, because I know them at a deeper level. They feel like my family.
Credit: Sam Wolloch // @samwolloch
For what it’s worth, Wax Motif truly made us feel like family while conducting this interview and having us back in the artist area. I’ve never felt more welcomed by an artist in all my life, and getting to speak with the other members of the Wax Gang in the green room, their experiences were similar.
The House of Wax 2023 North America Tour still has over 10 stops remaining including Club Space Miami tonight, September 8, and his hometown show at The Shrine in LA on October 7. For all the headbangers out there, don’t forget that Wax Motif will bring his G-house beats to Lost Lands on Day 3. Moon Lvnding will be on the scene in Legend Valley and is looking forward to seeing the House of Wax in prehistoric times. To keep up with everything going on with Wax Motif, use the handy links below.
There is no end in sight for the bad publicity stemming from the epic failures of Electric Zoo 2023, and rightly so for the countless people who suffered financial loss and emotional distress. Even the New York City Mayor has gotten involved by making a statement about the debacle that included Day 1 being canceled, Day 2 plagued by endless lines at will call, and Day 3 having festivalgoers storm the gates when attendance was capped around 7 p.m.
If you want to read about the details of what went wrong and find people to blame, this is not that article. It is simply my story and my experience. I’m a New York City local who’s been to this fest for four years, so my partner and I were some of the lucky ones — we managed to have a great time at our home festival over Labor Day Weekend despite all the difficulties and setbacks.
Friday
Rave day started as it typically does, with my partner braiding her hair three hours early while I went through social media dropping hype posts for the artists I was excited to see — Adventure Club, Ghengar, and The Chainsmokers. When we got the call from someone in our rave family, we couldn’t believe it — “EZoo Day 1 is canceled!” We rushed to social media and saw the post confirming the bad news.
Dear Electric Zoo Family,
It is with a broken heart that we deeply regret to inform you that, despite our tireless efforts and round-the-clock commitment, we have made the painful decision to cancel the first day of Electric Zoo.
Luckily for us, we had secured guestlist tickets for the Adventure Club afterparty on Wednesday, because I had to see my favorite superheroes visit one of New York City’s most iconic music venues, Webster Hall. But for many, afterparty tickets sold out almost immediately after news of the cancellation broke and they were not able to buy reasonably priced third-party tickets to the numerous afterparties that Avant Gardner had scheduled.
We briefly considered some of the renegade events popping up at open venues and empty alleys all over lower Manhattan and Brooklyn but ultimately decided to focus our efforts on bringing our displaced friends together and making the most of the situation. We made it happen instead of worrying about things out of our control. Likewise, it was encouraging to see the NYC EDM scene come together to throw some epic events last minute, such as the sold-out BASSLAND by EDMTrain and Bass Command.
We got to Webster Hall promptly at 11 p.m. for doors and the line for general admission was already down the street and wrapped halfway up the next block! We enjoyed NYC local Squired starting the show. Steller and Blanke were welcomed additions to the lineup due to the Day 1 cancellations and slayed their sets as well. Then came the main attraction — we witnessed an amazing Adventure Club set jam-packed with so many classics: “Retro City,” “Youth,” “Do I See Color,” and a personal favorite — their remix of Britney Spears’s “Till the World Ends.”
Ghengar was another bonus added to the lineup and Ghastly brought the energy for this alt-persona set. At one point, he split the crowd and came down from the decks to mosh with the fans on the dancefloor. When I got tripped and pushed over, Ghastly was the first person to help me to my feet and we both proceeded to continue raging.
Credit: Adventure Club Instagram // @druenotdrew
Modern Machines, another NYC local, wrapped up the unforgettable night at 4 a.m. We all headed home hoping for good news regarding Saturday and Sunday since there was no definitive statement made about the future of the festival. Our alarm was set for noon, and fingers crossed for good news.
Saturday
I was up Saturday morning at 10 am, as is routine during the English Premier League season, and still no word from Electric Zoo. Halftime came and went. Finally, around 11:30 am the news we were all waiting to hear was announced — “EZoo is on!” Even Chelsea’s unfortunate home loss to Nottingham Forest couldn’t dampen my spirit, rave day had arrived at long last.
Dear Electric Zoo Family,
First and foremost, we want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support and understanding in the face of yesterday's unexpected challenges. Your patience and dedication mean the world to us, and we cannot thank you enough for being… pic.twitter.com/n5SeRZsbYY
We had to get to Randall’s Island in time for So Tuff So Cute at 4:30 p.m. and credit to my partner for pulling it off. We left our Bushwick apartment just before three, and made good time on the subway to Harlem, walking over the RFK Bridge (New Yorkers still call it the Triboro), and getting through a short security line at the North entrance all in under 90 minutes. Victory!
It was evident that the stages were not completed, but that didn’t stop the artists from showing off their skills. Besides the minimal decor around the stage structures, everything felt familiar like the EZoo of years past, albeit with new stage names. The bass stage, dubbed The Continuum, only had a few of the central LED panels working for Day 2, but So Tuff So Cute (the joint DJ project of GG Magree and Mija) got our EZoo experience started with a memorable performance. They dropped some heavy bass and sang along to some sexy tracks, including closing with their newest single “No Bra No Panties,” which releases Friday, September 8.
We then filled up my hydro pack and took a quick trip to the restrooms at the right rear of the main stage (The Convergence) without issue. After consulting the handy app for the multitude of food options, we decided on a Viet pork sandwich from the aptly named “Bahn Mi Daddy.” It was a filling footlong sando with tasty BBQ pork and tangy pickled veg that hit the spot.
After lunch, we headed over to The Landing (former Riverside) to digest while listening to some Deep Dark & Dangerous bass from Truth. Again, the stage design was not complete, but the LED screen worked and the bass was booming so there was nothing worth complaining about. Rusko followed next and played my favorite set of the day with his trademark MC skills complementing his mix of modern day drum and bass bangers and old school dubstep classics.
Credit: Shaelyn McCormack // @shaelien111
We caught the first few songs from Jantsen before bolting across the island to make our main stage debut and hear the last few songs from Gryffin. The Convergence was also incomplete, with only the center hanging display constructed and limited LED displays working, but the sound was fine even towards the back of the stage without any sound bleed due to the dividers constructed between the stages. We didn’t trifle with the crowd and stayed near the right rear of the stage over by the water stations and restrooms. Again, we topped off the hydro pack and relieved ourselves without any crowding issues to speak of.
As the bassheads we are, my partner and I finished Saturday at The Continuum with sets from Big Gigantic and GRiZ. Both artists got saxy with it. Big Gigantic brought out NGHTMRE for their Gigantic NGHTMRE collab and GRiZ had his full cast of characters on hand for his solo live set, including two vocalists, a trumpet player, and a trombone player. Another sign that fate was actually on our side this weekend, we miraculously ran into our local Electric Forest family right in the center of the stage without so much as a text. After all, it is the people you surround yourself with that can elevate the vibes of the festival and our crew was optimistic and upbeat all weekend long.
Credit: Shaelyn McCormack // @shaelien
Getting off Randall’s Island and back to Brooklyn was the one place where I noticed the impact of the larger crowd and felt that the event organizers could have done a better job with crowd control. Due to the narrow ramp to get from ground level up to the RFK bridge, there was a huge bottleneck walking back to Manhattan from the North exit to 125th Street.
It took us over an hour just to walk from the exit to get onto the bridge since they had to completely halt pedestrian traffic at times to manage the growingly frustrated patrons trying to leave. Mind you, this is something that only took 10-15 minutes in years past. All told, we left EZoo at 11 p.m. and didn’t make it to the afters until 2 a.m., turning our 90-minute trip to the island into a 180-minute return back to Brooklyn.
Credit: Shaelyn McCormack // @shaelien111
While we did get to see afterparty sets from Liquid Stranger and Jantsen that we had missed during their Day 2 performances, I missed the encore set from Rusko that I was most looking forward to. Tired but grateful, we walked back home from The Great Hall at Avant Gardner to prepare for Day 3.
Sunday
On Day 3, we overslept by an hour and my partner furiously rushed to get her outfit prepared while I prepped the rave bag and watched the thrilling conclusion to the Arsenal-Manchester United match. Our commute to Randall’s Island took the same 90 minutes, but instead of walking over the RFK Bridge from Manhattan, we finessed our way onto the express X80 bus and rode the MTA in air-conditioned comfort to the festival gates.
Although we missed the beginning of her set, we still made it in time to see most of Alleycvt’s performance, which was a very promising display from the young, talented dubstep producer. Speaking of displays, The Continuum seemed to be fully functional for Sunday, with a more robust sound and all nine screens illuminated. Black Carl! and Saka took the stage next with a back-to-back collaboration dubbed “Rush Hour.” While I went to secure hydration, my partner hung out by the VIP side rails and got to speak with Alleycvt. I made it back just in time to snap off a few pictures of the two bass lovers.
Credit: Sam Wolloch // @samwolloch
After the photo op, we had about two hours of free time to check out the other two stages before I left to see Tiesto at the main stage and she went to rage with Kai Wachi and her bass babes. We secured another round of tasty snacks from the concession area at the back of The Continuum — I got fried Oreos and a boba tea while my partner munched on a lamb gyro — and peacefully ate our lunch in the shade of the hill before making our debut at The Morphosis stage.
We got to spend about 20 minutes listening to the smooth sounds of Frankie Wah, who was part of Nora En Pure’s Purified Records stage takeover. From what I could tell, this stage was also in good shape with good-looking LED displays over a series of five alternating freestanding platforms. The energy at this stage was chill and there was plenty of space for everyone to dance freely. Everyone at The Morphosis was seemingly having a great time.
Credit: Sam Wolloch // @samwolloch
At long last, halfway through Day 3, we made the trek to the newest stage addition to EZoo, the Mega Mirage. Unfortunately, this stage was kind of a sh*t show — like it literally stank like sh*t. Rumor has it that manure or compost was used to cover the deep tire tracks left by the setup crew, and the 90-degree heat of Sunday afternoon supercharged the stank. Fortunately, we spent all our time dancing on big plastic slabs or metal rail plates, so we weren’t kicking this foul dirt up in the air.
We met up with a few friends to enjoy the last few tracks from the groovy Chelina Manuhutu and the beginning of Green Velvet’s set. Although it was still sunny out at 6 pm, the visual displays looked sharp and the production at this stage sounded good. No complaints from me except for the putrid smell and the lack of a Red Bull + water station anywhere at this stage. 6:30 hit and I was off for my solo adventure to the main stage for a sunset set from Tiesto and a rare performance from Major Lazor.
I’ll admit that the crowd at The Convergence for Tiesto was thick and deep. To get to the front right of the elevated VIP section, I maneuvered my way along the right side of the stage by the concessions and reached my destination without much trouble, despite the big crowds. I found some fellow colorful cowboy hat-wearing folx and they happily adopted me into their crew for the next couple hours of revelry. It appeared that more of the LED screens were operational on Sunday, but having only spent 10 minutes here on Saturday, I was not the best to judge. Truth be told, it was the music and the people with me that made the moments magical.
Credit: Sam Wolloch // @samwolloch
Tiesto played a well-rounded set, mixing in modern hits with old classics as the sun set on the final day of the festival. His memorable remix of “Silence” blared as the setting sun illuminated the New York City skyline with shades of orange, pink, and blue. All the while, madness was unfolding at the gates as festivalgoers rushed past the security check after the announcement was made that the attendance cap was reached. But I was none the wiser until reading about that calamity the next day.
After Tiesto finished, I pulled back to the grassy ramp area directly in front of the ADA platform near the back of the main stage. It was the perfect meetup spot to reunite with my squad for the first half of Major Lazor. We were able to find room to sit down on the grass and took some time to get stretched out before the final few sets of the weekend. With all the hysteria about a cramped main stage, I had no problem laying out and flowing through a few chaturanga dandasana to keep me feeling fresh.
We ended the festival just like we started it, getting to witness some of our favorite bass artists at the best stage on the island — The Continuum. Boogie T went back-to-back with Dirt Monkey, showcasing their wonky, deep bass proclivities with trippy pastel-colored backdrops. They set the stage perfectly for the big finale, another back-to-back featuring Zeds Dead and GRiZ adorned in cowboy hats.
The set was a special experience I got to enjoy with many of my closest festival friends. Having listened to Zeds Dead faithfully for over ten years, it was a revelation to hear GRiZ riffing on his saxophone to classics like “Collapse” and hits like “Shady Intentions.” In these moments, the calamity of the weekend melted away and left me in soulful ecstasy. Despite all of the setbacks, we had an amazing end to our time on Randall’s Island.
Credit: Shaelyn McCormack // @shaelien111
Once again, we got stuck in the mass exodus from the island over the RFK Bridge to Manhattan. Security seemed to be in better control on Sunday until someone hopped the fence and tried to cut ahead of the crowd by running along the staff side. Security barked at him to halt, and when he did not, one of the guards knocked him out cold with a punch to the head. It was the only act of violence I witnessed all weekend, and it was easily preventable if people had just followed the rules and the barriers in place.
It still took us about an hour to cross over the bridge on Sunday, but with our friend driving us back to Brooklyn for the afters it only took us two hours to get to our desired destination, my favorite club in the city — Elsewhere. Although not an official EZoo afterparty, Blossom and Valentino Khan each played a high-energy, bass-heavy, house set. The crowd there was great, a fun mix of Brooklyn locals enjoying their 3-day weekend and festivalgoers looking for an alternative to the sold-out shows at Avant Gardner. We left the club at 3:30 a.m. with our hearts full and our gas tanks empty.
Credit: Elsewhere Instagram // @nietodickens
It wasn’t until Monday morning that I finally got caught up to speed with all of the struggles other people encountered at Electric Zoo 2023. It was sad to see my hometown festival which I care for and support yearly fail so miserably. It seems that so much of what went wrong could have been prevented with less ambitious planning and tighter logistics in place. Aggressive, violent security continues to be a problem for EZoo, and the added stresses of this year’s difficulties only made a bad situation worse.
It is still unclear what the future holds for Electric Zoo, its organizers, and the disgruntled patrons in its wake. Refunds for the canceled Day 1 Friday should be refunded back to the credit card used at the point of sale, but there is still no word about the situations for Saturday and Sunday. I can only imagine the chaos for people who bought hard-copy tickets, so my thoughts and prayers go out to all the local promoters having to deal with this nonsense.
Will there be another Electric Zoo in 2024? Only time will tell. Lawsuits seem to be piling up for Avant Gardner, the company that runs the mega club complex in Brooklyn that bought the NYC festival from Made Event in 2022. People are calling for its demise, but I’m willing to give it the benefit of the doubt to make the situation right and correct its mistakes for 2024. If there’s another Black Friday presale, I will continue to support my hometown festival with the hope that it gets the opportunity to make things right next year.
