Cyclops brought the house down this Labor Day Weekend with the much-anticipated stop of his Crybaby 2024 Tour in Tempe, AZ. The dubstep producer brought a tight cast of friends to play at the renowned EDM venue, Sunbar, known for its intimate and vibrant atmosphere. The cozy vibe created an intimate connection between the DJ and audience making it feel like a private show! The bass bumped so hard we could feel it vibrate through our bodies and feel Cyclops’ complex beats.
Photo Credit: Flux Fotos // @flux.fotos
The Crybaby Tour setlist showcased new collabs with Kompany and Flux Pavillion and some killer edits to the songs we know and love. Hekler jumped in as direct support and masterfully set the stage for Cyclops. The night wouldn’t be complete without lasers — an unexpected yet thrilling visual enhancement. The lasers cut through the darkness in vibrant reds, creating dynamic patterns that danced across the venue.
Photo Credit: Flux Fotos // @flux.fotos
A special thank you to Flux Fotos for providing photography from the show for our Moon Fvm. There are still some stops left on The Crybaby Tour, so check the link to see if your city is listed. Cyclops will throw down at Lost Lands in a few weeks and then heads out on tour with Wooli for select dates this fall. Connect with his socials below to keep up with all the latest music and updates from Cyclops.
Inspired by the deserts of Joshua Tree, California, the dynamic duo Mojave Grey is redefining electronic music by combining rock and roll sounds with the tranquil spirits of the desert. As anticipation builds for the upcoming release of its debut album, Mojave Grey has given fans a taste of what’s to come with three singles from the album.
The first single, “Faith,” was released in July and captivated listeners with its dark melodies and infectious dance beats. Then in early August, the second single released was “Feel Alive,” a track that beautifully blends powerful vocals with dynamic electronic house elements. Mojave Grey releases its third track this Labor Day Weekend, and the “Timing” couldn’t be better. This new tune perfectly encapsulates Mojave Grey’s desert dance sound.
These three singles have set the tone for Mojave Grey’s upcoming debut album, set to release this fall. The album promises to chronicle the duo’s journey through the desert, capturing its evolution of sound and the unique blend of introspection that defines its music. Keep up with Mojave Grey and the new releases on social media using the links below.
KTRL and Malixe‘s latest single, “Form,” was released through HypnoVizion. This groundbreaking collaboration showcases a one-of-a-kind fusion of synths, commanding beats, and otherworldly elements. The intricate and expansive synth layers create an immersive and mesmerizing sonic landscape that seamlessly blends KTRL’s and Malixe’s unique musical styles.
Photo By: HypnoVizion Facebook
“Form” is more than just a song. It’s an immersive experience designed to transport you to a trance like state where your creativity knows no bounds. The accompanying visuals, with their hypnotic dark imagery, will further enrich this sensory journey, keeping you engaged and captivated from start to finish.
“Form” is available for streaming on all platforms. Stay updated with HypnoVizion using the links below!
With Elements Music & Arts Festival 2024 in the books, let’s look back at why this remains the premier electronic music festival in the Northeast US. Back for its third year at the Poconos Raceway in Long Pond, PA, the team behind Elements continues to improve the event with strategic updates, including a breathtaking new Water Stage design and extended wellness programming. Don’t forget that Elements also highly values sustainability, leveraging local organic produce, clean solar energy, and selling reusable Elements mugs for refreshments to reduce its carbon footprint.
The festival began with a Thursday early-arrival pre-party on August 8 and featured two epic stage takeovers: Of The Trees’ Memory Palace brought the bass music to the Water Stage and Desert Hearts brought the house to the Air Stage. We got through to the Vibe Village quickly on a surprisingly short security line and set up our camp with enough time to catch Fly, Lyny, and Of The Trees.
The Water Stage // Photo Credit: @samwolloch
Check out that insane production! The DJ booth was shaped in a circle centrally under the head of the octopus with legs and body covered by brightly colored tapestries. Those overhead tapestries came in handy, protecting the festivalgoers from the elements. Luckily, the incoming rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Debby was only a drizzle for most of the pre-party.
However, almost on cue, once the festival sets finished at midnight, the rain and wind started to pick up. Those camping early made the most of the situation while battling the extreme weather overnight and hoped for better news and conditions in the morning. But the weather worsened and the Elements team made the tough decision to halt festival entry Friday morning due to the untenable conditions.
Huge credit to the Elements team for its continued communication throughout Day 1 despite the difficult decisions it had to make. Consistent updates were posted through the festival app and Elements made 15 garages by the racetrack available for campers to seek shelter and receive emergency supplies. The heavy rains persisted off and on for nearly 24 hours but by midnight Friday the storm let up enough for the Vibe Village stages to host some of the scheduled artists from Day 1.
Camp Nowhere Afters // Photo Credit: @samwolloch
Despite the challenging conditions, those who weathered the storm were treated to some epic moments at the afterparty stages. The 5am Trio and Boogie T played at the Camp Nowhere stage to get the afters started. Then at the Renegade stage, Tape B went b2b with Disco Lines before playing another solo set for an hour, teasing his new collab with Ganja White Night. Renegade kept things going with a Brooklyn b2b of Mikayli and Rafeeki followed by Inzo b2b Tvboo.
To end our afters, we returned to Camp Nowhere for my favorite set of the weekend. Tape B understood the assignment and played a downtempo set that fit the vibes perfectly. The stage pulsed with energy as we danced the night away. Only the day after did we finally realize the magnificence of what we all witnessed.
Easily my favorite set I’ve ever played, the chill stuff is my favorite music to play ❤️ I hope you have a wonderful weekend at the fest
Finally, on Saturday morning, everyone got the good news they were waiting to hear — Elements was ready to open the campgrounds at 1 pm and the festival grounds at 3 pm. Emerging from our tents after the storm had finally passed felt like a butterfly bursting out of its cocoon. The dark and dreary colors were replaced with bright and vibrant colors everywhere! The grounds crew did an outstanding job laying sawdust and wood chips in the soggy parts of the air and water stages to help alleviate the water buildup in the muddiest parts of the stage area.
What better way to get the Saturday party started than with Wreckno?! They had the water stage bursting with color while drag performers added to the ambiance by dancing on the side stage. Once Wreckno’s party set wrapped, we took a stroll around the grounds to check out the changes. The former Water Stage became a performance hub for a wide range of festival entertainment and the woods were filled with art installations, like these strikingly painted mannequins surrounded by inspirational quotes. This one by Mac Miller was especially poignant after enduring Tropical Storm Debby.
Photo Credit: @samwolloch
The Fire Stage was the place to be for sunset, with energetic drum and bass from AIMMIA blasting across the field. Elements invited a few festival art cars to park in the field, so Harvey: Disco Kitty provided a perch for us to enjoy the evening festivities. Matroda came on as the sun set on Day 1 and the Fire Stage illuminated with massive pyrotechnics.
Next stop was Air Stage, which suffered the most from the storm due to its muddy soil holding onto much of the water. But that didn’t stop a massive crowd from showing up for Slander’s Before Dawn techno set deep in the woods. The Air Stage excelled as the home for the dark, primal beats of Before Dawn.
Photo Credit: @samwolloch
We rounded out the night with some bass house from the powerhouse duo of AC Slater and Chris Lorenzo called Fly With Us. Then dubstep legends LSDREAM and Excision closed the Earth Stage by playing into the wee hours of the morning. LSDREAM made up for his set at Elements 2023 which was rudely interrupted by Mother Nature. Matching the vibes of the festival, Excision’s set had a little less aggression and several remixes of artists playing Day 3.
No afters on Saturday because a good night’s sleep was imperative to get up early for the 11 am LIGHTCODE sound bath experience with LSDREAM at the Air Stage. He created a relaxing, mindful, and meditative atmosphere in the heart of the woods which was packed with like-minded attendees. These moments are magical and I’ve never missed a LIGHTCODE set because it is a huge part of my festival experience to manifest the positive elements of the festival spirit back into my daily life.
Video Credit: @samwolloch
These experiences exemplify the power and intentionality of Elements Music & Arts Festival. From the art installations and musical production to the sustainability of vendors and the mindfulness of presenters, Elements continues to be a highlight of my summer festival season! But wait, there’s more. You didn’t think we were done, did you?
After enjoying a festi bowl with locally grown organic produce grown mere minutes away from the event site, we hustled back to our campsite to pack up so we could depart after the last set of the night. Day 3 was all about the bass, more specifically Subtronics plus drum and bass, at the Cyclops Records Water Stage takeover. In fact, Subtronics’ two sets bookended an evening filled with drum and bass from ÆON:MODE, Dimension, and Sub Focus.
Later that day, stories spread about how Water Stage had reached capacity due to the size of the crowd wanting to go to one of the smaller stages for a headline artist, even though it was more of a throwback riddim set. Once again, Elements stepped up and owned its mistake. To ensure all festivalgoers can have their voices heard, the Elements team released a feedback survey to gather information to make next year’s Elements even better. But don’t delay, the festival link will only work until midnight on Monday, August 19!
Photo Credit: Elements Festival // Maggie London @maggielndnphoto
All in all, Elements Music & Arts Festival provided another outstanding festival experience, despite all the weather difficulties. Throughout the storm, the team stayed in constant communication with festivalgoers, and once the storm cleared, the team prepped the festival grounds as best it could to mitigate the adverse conditions. I have faith that the Elements team will use the feedback from its fans to make sure the 2025 event is even better than ever. To stay up-to-date on all the latest news and announcements about what’s to come for the Northeast’s premier electronic music festival, follow the socials below.
As summer winds down, there’s still time to crown a “Song of the Summer,” and Sam Collins and Proppa have just thrown down a serious contender. Their latest track, “Effortless,” dropped on Hood Politics a little over a week ago, and it’s a certified banger that deserves to be in the spotlight. This rave-forward tech house tune is the perfect soundtrack to round out the summer. The track features sassy lyrics, a fat bass line, and some incredible synth play, making it feel — well, effortlessly epic.
Dropping bangers is standard for the two, but seeing their combined talents on display is truly inspiring. The song carries a swagger and doesn’t shy from the massive sound of the lead rave synth, which creates an even larger-than-life feel on the second drop. Everything about the song screams modern-day mainstage with blatantly obvious, in-your-face club vibes.
Get your chance to see Proppa live and experience the Hood Politics stage takeover at North Coast Festival on Saturday, August 31, 2024, in Chicago. While Sam Collins doesn’t have any stateside shows scheduled at the moment, keep an eye on his socials for updates on future shows and music releases.
Imagine perfect weather, bass music pulsating beside a flowing river, and a community of enthusiastic bass fans — that’s Bass Camp VII! Taking place on July 27 and July 28 in Downtown Reno on the Truckee River, the scenic views made this bass festival an unforgettable experience. Once again, Bass Camp showed why it deserves to be on your festival radar!
Photo Credit: Bass Camp
Bass Camp was an all-ages event that lived up to its description. Pregnant women enjoyed the event, as did families in matching outfits and even newborns (wearing protective hearing headphones, of course). The atmosphere at Bass Camp was perfect for families, friends, and future ravers to create lasting memories.
Bass Camp was perfect for the 25+ ravers, too. The festival started at 2 pm and was over by 11 pm. An additional benefit of Bass Camp is that the Truckee River flows through the festival grounds, providing plenty of scenic seating areas for attendees to enjoy.
Photo Credit: Bass Camp Facebook
The festival grounds featured grassy areas shaded by trees and rocks leading up to the water, which provided the perfect place to relax and take in the surroundings. One unique feature was the Giving Tree Stage, where attendees could use headphones to listen to either bass or house sets.
Festivalgoers could move around freely while enjoying their favorite DJs sitting by the water, creating lasting memories and connecting with nature. Seeing people paddling on paddle boards while different DJs put on pyrotechnic displays was quite a sight. Combined with the sunsets and impressive fire and laser shows, the view was truly breathtaking.
Photo Credit: Bass Camp Facebook
Everyone in the Bass Camp crowd exhibited PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) and was passionate about the bass and dubstep played throughout the weekend. When the beat dropped, everyone instantly smiled, making it easy to move around. The head-banging and hyping each other up added to the excitement. There is something magical about being surrounded by flames, without a care in the world, while breaking a rail.
From the opening DJs to the headliners Gigantic Nghtmre and Zeds Dead, everyone gave their all and held nothing back on the stage during their sets. You could see the DJs’ love for their music while up there, giving the bass community what they want. Despite the name, Bass Camp offered a variety of bass house and future bass artists to complement the hard-hitting beats.
Photo Credit: Bass Camp Facebook
Drum and bass (DnB) continued to get the recognition it deserves, with DJs incorporating it into their sets. DnB is a good time, and seeing it live throughout the weekend was an excellent pick-me-up early in the day, jumping around with friends.
Gorilla T ripped off his shirt during the middle of his set and jumped on the decks to excite the crowd. If your favorite DJ isn’t shirtless and jumping on the decks, then you may be at the wrong set. He wasn’t the only one who kept the Gud Vibrations going Saturday night!
Photo Credit: Reno After Dark Facebook
Night 1 on the main stage featured captivating performances by Kill the Noise B2B Bro Safari, also known as Kill Safari. With their electrifying light show, Wax Motif and San Holo brought a vibrant energy to Bass Camp. Watching them perform is always a treat, as their sound and production always impress.
What do you get when you mix Big Gigantic’s sensual saxophone, drums, and Nghtmre’s deeply moving beats and lyrics? You get Gigantic Nghtmre. Gigantic Nghtmre sets do not happen often, so seeing one live is always a special treat. On stage, they captivated the crowd with breathtaking moments. Those riding the rails felt the heat throughout the night, without a doubt.
Photo Credit: Reno After Dark Facebook
At the Dancetronauts Bass Station stage, Moon Boots showcased his funky flair by keeping the crowd dancing all night. Following Moon Boots, Marten Horger brought his feel-good bass house music, which powered the crowd’s minds, bodies, and souls. His iconic mustache beamed from ear to ear as he performed on stage.
The fun continued into Sunday at the Dancetronauts Bass Station. Day 2 was filled with intense performances by DJs like Effin, Cyclops, and Bear Grillz, leading to wild mosh pits. It was so intense that Advil was needed afterward.
The energy and power of the live performances were a different experience than just listening to these DJs on streaming apps. At the Dancetronauts Bass Station, it felt like unleashing your inner beast. If you ever fell, the crowd was always ready to help you back up!
Photo Credit: Bass Camp Facebook
Zeds Dead had the main stage moving from the opening of their set to the very end. This iconic EDM duo continues to push the boundaries of EDM, and at Bass Camp, they did not disappoint. The talented duo from Deadbeats had the crowd moving all night long. There may have been a few tears shed, but they quickly vanished when their hard-hitting bass dropped. It is always a memorable night whenever Zeds Dead is on the lineup.
When the headliners Gigantic Nghtmre and Zeds Dead closed the night out on the main stage, the afters were just getting started at Cypress. This stage became home to the riddim rats after Bass Camp. The chop shop was chopping and slicing — knees were to the chest, no questions asked!
Photo Credit: Bass Camp Facebook
Overall, Bass Camp was a phenomenal festival. Attendees enjoyed scenic views, great music, making new friends, access to clean porta-potties, and the chance to let loose and be carefree for the weekend. Attending Bass Camp needs to become an annual tradition and the Moon Lvnding Fvm is already looking forward to its return. For the rest of you festivalgoers, follow all things Bass Camp using the links below and maybe we’ll see you back in Reno in 2025!
This past weekend, the 21st annual Global Dance Festival premiered a new venue, The National Western Complex. As with any major location change, there were pros and cons. Now that it’s all wrapped up, let’s look at the best new features and those that will require improvement in the years to come.
Stages
Global Dance previously took place in the parking lot of Empower Field from 3 PM to 11 PM, featuring four stages and a silent disco. This was still the case the last time I attended Global Dance in 2018. This year there were only three stages and the silent disco was removed.
Both the Summit Stage and Northern Lights stages were inside, while the Oasis stage was a pop-up tent outside. Having the bigger stages inside was helpful on Saturday when lightning was near the venue and everyone had to go indoors for safety. Unfortunately, this also made for a lot of traffic between stages, hot temperatures from crowding in a small place, and less production for each stage than you would have outdoors. Sets at the Northern Lights stage felt more like a warehouse while the Summit stage felt like a Mission Ballroom show, neither really gave off “festival” vibes. I did appreciate the later start and end times this year as I was coming from work and it allowed me more time to arrive without missing any sets.
The Northern Lights Stage
Amenities
Moving to a new location is always challenging, especially if it is a smaller venue. The overall festival footprint was much smaller at the Stockyards Event Center. As a result, the only carnival ride was a Ferris wheel, there were two main art installations, and I didn’t notice as many roaming performers as in previous years. There were bars and bathrooms, both inside and outside the venue. Bathroom lines were long everywhere, but the bar lines moved quickly. There were various merch and vendor booths inside, including Be A Good Person and Keeping the Party Safe where attendees could learn to use Narcan. There were also food vendors inside and food trucks outside. The prices for both seemed pretty reasonable and none of the lines ever looked very long.
VIP
Outside, the VIP village was a nice area to relax if you needed a minute to sit and also had dedicated bathrooms and a bar. The VIP section for the Northern Lights stage was located to the right of the stage with tables, couches, and a bar, but patrons could barely see the stage. At the Summit Stage VIP, congestion was a problem as there was only one way in and out of VIP on Friday with just one security guard for the entire area. We saw many people hop over the bike rack into VIP, making it overfull. Luckily they added a second entrance, more security, and an ADA section to the VIP area on Saturday. It was also a bit hard to see the DJ from VIP at the Summit Stage since it was so close to the front of the stage and the DJ booth was higher up.
Verdict
The crowd was pretty chill, we didn’t see any fights or have any rude interactions with anyone. We did see a few people who needed medical attention, but thankfully medics got to them quickly. Security was also passing out water bottles to people at both indoor stages. On Friday we saw Wuki, Said The Sky, The Chainsmokers, Duke Dumont, and G Jones. Said the Sky brought out Dabin to perform a few songs with him! Saturday night we saw 1991, Champagne Drip, Gryffin, and Fisher. Almost every set we saw dropped some drum and bass. Each set was very different, so there was something for lovers of all genres.
Overall, we had a great time at Global Dance. Sadly, this instance did not measure up to what it once was and there is much work to be done to improve it for next year. I’m not sure if it will stay at The National Western Complex, move back to Empower Field, or go somewhere new entirely, but I hope that Global Dance recaptures some of the magic it lost this year. Use the links below to stay in the know about Global Dance events.
Coming off a two-track EP Pyramid Rave with HI-LO and memorable performances on the stage at Ultra Miami and EDC Las Vegas, today Eli Brown releases his latest single “Remedy.”
Bridging the gap between the underground and mainstream, Eli Brown takes listeners on a wild ride with this new single. Don’t miss Eli Brown later this season as he’s set to take the stage at Hard Summer 2024 on August 4 in Los Angeles. For all the latest info from Eli Brown, follow along on the socials below.
Over the last year, Dutch rawstyle duo Dual Damage has quickly risen to the top of the hard dance ranks. They’ve landed on huge festival lineups like Defqon.1 and Intents, and Porter Robinson has even played their tracks! Their latest release “Burning Down” has been a part of their sets for a while now so devotees will be thrilled to hear that it is finally out, released on their own imprint Ravage Records.
The beginning of the track is a bit deceptive, starting out with reverse bass and euphoric synths before launching into what fans have come to expect from a Dual Damage release. The first drop brings the energy with kloenk kicks, kick rolls, and lasers stabs. In true Dual Damage fashion, they include a melodic dubstep breakdown complete with yoi bass sounds in the middle. The screeches bring the listener back to rawstyle along with more kick rolls, pvc kicks, and gated kicks. The final drop brings everything full circle by adding in a pulsing classic hardstyle 909 distorted kick. “Burning Down” is sure to ignite any stage it is played on!
We’re anxiously awaiting the opportunity to see Dual Damage in the US. Until then, continue to follow their journey by using the links below. Check out the rest of our selection of hard dance tracks that dropped this week by following Moon Lvnding’s New Music Friday Heat playlist on Spotify.
Six years after his debut Wallflower album, Whethan has lit up the EDM world again with Life of a Wallflower, Vol. 2 which came out on July 12 via Good Luck Have Fun. Now he sets his sights on Brooklyn and DC for the final two stops on his epic Life of a Wallflower Vol. 2 Tour this weekend. Just check out the scenes from Whethan’s last show in Los Angeles!
Whethan’s new album reminds us of his genre-blending talent and futuristic sound. We covered his prior single “DO YOU REMEMBER” and his viral hit “MONEY ON THE DASH” with Elley Duhé has been blasting on our summer speakers. Notably his only lowercase song, “sick of myself,” offers a catchy pop tune with the sultry vocals of Nessa Barrett.
The first track, “STEALTH BOMBER,” features the distinctive gritty vocals from popular UK MC Flowdan and starts the album with a fresh, exotic sound. My favorite track is hiding near the end, “CRAZY4U.” With its snappy vocals from MKLA and Whethan’s energetic backbeat, I can’t wait to catch this one on the Elsewhere dance floor.
A lot changed since I caught Whethan on his last Wallflowers tour at Brooklyn Steel on a Wednesday in September 2018, when a not-so-wallflowery MadeinTKO provided direct support for the budding teenage talent. On the other hand, Chet Porter provided support at some of Whethan’s 2018 tour stops, and now in 2024, Porter returns to the Life of a Wallflower Vol. 2 Tour with a “crazy fun party DJ set.”
Another Good Luck Have Fun artist, Super Computer, rounds out the support for Whethan’s last two stops, Friday, July 26 at Elsewhere in Brooklyn and Saturday, July 27 at Culture in Washington DC. For all the latest from Whethan about any new show dates and fresh remixes from artists like Armin Van Buuren, follow along on his social media.
