One of the most engaging aspects of Electric Forest is the assembly of music and talent featured throughout its grounds, and upon its stages. The lineup for this weekend boasted a bevy of heavies, solid musical aficionados aplenty, and joined by many rising stars. Plus, you never know who’s gonna pop up on the renegade platforms outside the venue. Quite matter-of-factly, several performers proved they’ve outgrown the spaces they played through their musical displays, yielding packed turnouts and showing they should be featured on larger main stages in future forest editions. I’m looking at you, Jason Leech and Levity.
For me, there were a number of musical performances that enchanted my experience throughout this celebration, despite rain essentially cancelling an entire day’s worth of musical satisfaction, Saturday. Even so, the rain, which I dearly love and adore, is its own adventure. Bruh, I’ve got stories about precipitation and perspiration (two seperate itemz)…for dayyyzzz. Interested to know more about the music I enjoyed and recounts of my walking fearlessly through deluge and storm? Keep reading, and listening. Bear Swiftly, the Electro Scribe, is about to share details of performances that nurtured my soul (Jason Leech & Dimension, esp.), and nature’s stormy temperament that was its own powerful display of disruptive delight.
There are too many outstanding artists for me to succinctly portray, we’ll literally be here all day, so I’m going to focus on several that impressed me through showmanship, and sound display, providing a unique experience for me and mine. First up, DIMENSION!!! Dimension Drums with Bass, has excellent taste, and encouraged Electric Forest to be a happenin’ place, of which it was. Let me give you some deets, about the beats, of mine and Dimension’s feats.
I’ve shared before how much I enjoy DnB, especially when I work out. Thus, I had to catch Dimension, a London based staple featured throughout my playlists. On Tripolee stage, as the sun dipped low amidst the distance, Dimension began his display. I had my own that I was set to demonstrate, and as he began his set, I started my plank.
This is a tradition of mine; I test my mettle at nearly every festival I attend by performing a plank and attempting to set a new personal best record during a performer’s set of my choice. This year, Dimension got the nod, and he knocked it out of the park with a high energy start to the set. As his rhythms fueled my force, I surged beyond what I had done the year before at Kai Wachi. After three minutes and three seconds, my body relented, my abs burned, and my belly greeted the earth. Achievement Unlocked: A new personal best recorded during, Dimension. Dido and Victory, Mechwarrior. Dance on.
Since I completed my planking obligation early, I was free to resume getting down to Dimension’s track selection. Several cohorts in my company had never seen him before, and were impressed by his catalog, including staples like ‘Generator’ and ‘Don’t Sleep’, alongside excellent remixes, like Dom Dolla and MK Ultra’s ‘Rhyme Dust’. Dimension, aka Robert Etheridge, went beast mode as he had me poppin’, lockin’, and droppin’ my big old bear body up and down. Have you ever seen a Bear’s modified running man? Pffft, silly question. If I have to ask, you can’t afford it, sweetheart.
Following Dimension was Boogie T, a Louisianan I adore for his relaxed cadence and wholesome demeanor. Dude gets buck wild, bruv! He kept us locked in while he wilded out with a bevy of certified, uniquely produced originals. Alexa, play ‘Encore’, again. As a matter of fact, set it to repeat, please. I want to hear it 150 times. Thank you, Alexa!
One of my wonderful gal pals from back home is a HUGE Boogie T fanatic, and I made sure to snap some clips to send her way. That’s one of the wonderful things about technology, how you can enable someone in a different space entirely, to share a few moments with you. Ever appreciative of little things like another person thinking about you, we reminisced about our old pal Wally from Boogie T’s Chicago stop at Sound Bar, a couple of months prior. Wally is a hero, and a wall, who kept us entertained for the first 2 hours and 20 minutes of THAT night’s engagement. Then, I was back to boogieing with ‘Raven Master’, on THIS night. Boogie T, among his many expertly synced tracks, dropped a new collab recently constructed with Ganja White Night to extraordinary effect. This expanded his influence over a crowd already in an entranced fervor. I need more Boogie T! This one’s for you, Wally. Bruh, since that’s how you identify, how about we get a 3-hour set?
Pretty Lights had a two-and-a-half hour performance, that I’ll dub ‘Pretty Lights? Pretty Cool.’ There may be some out there that didn’t find this particular presentation suited to their exact tastes. That’s alright, you do you, big shoots. I was vibin’, like a handsome and happy bear in the woods. There were some awesome remixes interlaced among originals from his catalog, like a Beastie Boys rendition that absolutely excited me, and I always love when Gorillaz jamz get nods of respect. Furthermore, while I’m kicking it in VIP at the ranch, a couple of friends that adore me, and the feeling is mutual from me towards them, noticed my vibration and came to reinforce my squad. With their arrival, our force grew as our expanding neighborhood kept on taking over prime real estate up front, as other patrons departed to make their way to other arenas of the forest and performances.
After witnessing the entirety of Pretty Lights, my newly adopted rave mother wasn’t letting any of her brood go anywhere until she got all of her Pretty Lights fix, we made our way to Tripolee for a dose of ‘Anime’, and ‘Church’, presented by Black Tiger Sex Machine. Not gonna lie, it felt darkly magnificent. You see, darkness is where so much preparation takes place. In solitude. In silence. Darkness is the casing and answer to what isn’t known. I caught a sinister whisper at Black Tiger Sex Machine, and here’s what it said:
“Desecrate my sanctuary, and you will know my wrath. *The slide on the screen behind BTSM reads*- ‘Embrace your Inner Evil’.
Powerful messaging from Black Tiger Sex Machine. Damn Dog, let’s do this shit. Hit the switch. We at Church. Animated darkness, sublime, makes a cerebral rhyme. Brooding time. Divine, interpretation of an unusual voice, soothing demonstrative and purposeful choice. Hearsay, we were here. Have no fear. We came to further our selves. The list of responsibilities: Clean up after yourself, avoid creating problems you can’t resolve, respect the journey of others.
In a tribe, factions exist. Not all camps get along, always. Different demeanor and practice. What we experience along the way forges our mettle. The sculptor forms and polishes the statue through scenarios of trial and tribulation. Is serenity attained, by letting darkness be? Is it a power that can be used purposefully?”
I caught a Super Future b2b Levity birthday set at the Grand Artique that was just groovy, baby! It came on the heels of Jungle Joe and Friends, which also, absolutely excited. Dope af, bro. Me and my buddy-boy Tim, he’s a big fella, and a close homie through Cerebral Concepts, enjoyed ourselves mingling with others and watching the action below, before Tim departed for the Disco Biscuits. The Grand Artique is one of my favorite little stages. It now offers a walkway with elevated views spanning half its circumfence. This feature reminds me of the Village stage I spent a lot of time at in Shambhala, 2019.
Like I said, Saturday’s action was disrupted by rain. The rain actually started early in the morning, and returned with a much heavier dousing later on that same afternoon. Thus, I’d like to share with you my yearly experience I have walking home from my friend’s RV in GA.
This year, as I departed near six in the AM, a slow drizzle accompanying my footfalls, I decided to take a longer route instead of heading straight to the bus stop to ride home to the Back 40. As I walked, from GA RV, I beelined down one of the pathways. As I moved, my eyes scanned all the cool setups of Electric Forester’s campsites. Eventually, I happened upon a wayward settlement quite a distance away, complete with Frisbee golf net and multiple discs, set out front. As the pace of precipation was barely a soft pattering at present, I decided to work on my putting. At times, it’s atrocious, so I grabbed a few discs and started chucking. As I missed my first several throws, the owner of the campsite came out from her RV. We smiled and nodded at each other. I asked if I was okay in being here at this hour of the morning, she granted her approval.
I took six discs and spread them out at different distances. Breathing in several times deeply, I focused on my objective, proceeding to bury one putt after the other, six discs in a row. The young woman celebrated my efforts with a gentle golf clap. Refashioning my backpack, I approached and thanked her for creating this space and sharing it with others. She handed me a very official looking pin, I’d never seen anything quite like it. I asked if she was a professional disc golfer, she smiled and nodded yes. Did I say that right? Did I hear that right? I inquired her name, to which she supplied, “Sarah Landry”. Maybe one day I’ll sit down for an interview on a disc golf course of her choice with this, ‘Sarah Landry’. After this lovely experience, I headed to the EVOL Afters stage to help them pick up trash, and connect with my guy, Ty. I love you, Frisky!!!
Later on, after I slept, I returned to the RV Saturday afternoon to spend more time with my cool friends. With what I know now, this was a poor choice. A real storm descended upon my departure, again. I tried to beat it back to my cabin, to which I was extremely unsuccessful. A deluge of tremendous proportions enacted upon me and drenched my every footstep, nearly as soon as I left the saftey of her RV. I made my way with haste through the marketplace, past GA main entry to the venue grounds, towards the bus stop to carry me homeward-bound. Thunder and lightning accompanied this drenching, thereby stopping the buses in place. I had a decision to make. Wait it out, or keep going on my steady pace? Well, you know what they say about pluviophiles? Right. I walked the remainder of the way from what is essentially Tripolee to my cabin in the woods. With darkened skies, thunder, and lightning as my backdrop, I traversed the remainder of the way to my cabin home through the thundershower, which is my blessing, and birthright. There are many who do not share my preference for rain, and I know some, throughout Electric Forest, suffered destruction to property, personal devastation, and pain.
Part of the suffering of the rain for others is, it harbors potential for disrupting performances people specifically have come to see. As this happened to several scheduled acts, Electric Forest made their best efforts to reschedule as possible. One such performer, Barclay Crenshaw, was originally scheduled to appear on Tripolee, and received promotion to the Ranch Arena in the aftermath of the storm. Nice!
If you don’t know anything about Barclay’s presentation, I’d call it a synthesis of multiple genres and influences, reflecting much of what interests and inspires him about music. Sometimes it’s dubstep, other’s it’s UK Garage, oh shit, here he comes with some hip-hop and rap, he’s about to drop some jungle, did I just detect a hint of juke? Yea. Barclay Crenshaw sets are kind of like that. Signals and sounds detected from an atmosphere beyond, not unlike our own. Oftentimes, he’s got a group of Detroit dancers on stage sporting their moves. If you’ve ever been to Movement, formerly DEMF, or are familiar with the Detroit dance scene, you know what an authentic inlcusion this is. Barclay survived the rain to perform his set, not surprisingly. At Summer Camp Presents: Solshine Reverie, a mere two months before, I loved his performance as a medium drizzle fell from overhead. Rain or shine, Barclay goes on.
Alright, let’s talk about Girl Math, one of my favorite daytime sets from the week. I found this representation of the musical musings from VNSSA and Nala, pretty fire. Girl Math grooved glowingly during daylight hours. I wanted to check e’m out, and instantly, I was transfixed by inviting house rhythms. Yea, let’s get it, ladies! For some reason, listening to Girl Talk for close to an hour really stuck in my mind. Maybe they were giving me insight into the type of calculations required to solve the complexities of Girl Math. Alternatively, maybe they were demonstrating things don’t need to be so complex, with Girl Math. Just groove, baby. I dunno, the truth is probably somewhere in between.
Before I highlight my favorite performer and performance from this edition of Electric Forest, I want to take a moment to send shoutouts to the renegade factions of Evol Afters, Further Frequencies, and DeBussy. EVOL Afters has been vitalizing Campgrounds with afterhours sounds, starting in 2016, at Electric Forest. DeBussy and Further Frequencies have been active since at least 2020, running afterparty and renegade stage entertainment at festivals and concerts across the country, if my research is correct. Now, let me share some details on the artists delivering drops and sonic bomb pops on fans at these two renegade outfits.
Let’s start off with EVOL Afters, a collaboration of hardwork between many dedicated souls, and led by the brotherhood of Gene and Misha Pavelko. Misha is the founder, owner, and operator of the terrific EVOL Collective. Gene goes by YummyTrucker, and his semi forms the foundation for what the stage is built up from. Together, they combine resources and organize efforts to present EVOL Afters. I’ve got this list from photographer, and friend, Harrison Lupfer, of the artists featured upon the EVOL Afters stage throughout the week(end). Thurday saw John Summit, Ranger Trucco, AYYBO, and Alex Kislov. Friday featured Alleycat b2b Zingara, Tripp St. b2b INZO (House set), Big Gigantic, and Anova. Saturday was rained out, but Sunday featured a massive lineup to close things out at EVOL Afters: Big Gigantic, Levity, INZO, Zingara, Super Future, Wiley, It’s Murph, and AYYBO. These performances were supported by the skillful forces of Ronin Productions, expert Hennesy Sound Design technicians, and maestros at monitoring and maintaining elite sound requirements. They go where they are needed, and always deliver results worthy of a samurai. If you don’t know, now you know. Ronin Productions.
DeBussy presentations, through Further Frequencies, is dubbed, ‘Busted Frequencies.’ I like the play on words, especially considering their bus reflects the spelling of my favorite influential French composer from the 19th and 20th centuries, Claude Debussy. There are many things that will never cease to be amazing, in this world, and the works of Monsieur Debussy stand apex.
How do you pronounce, DeBussy? Is it, da-bus-sy, or de-Boo-sie? Either way, you’re not wrong, and ‘Busted Frequecies’ renegade featured tons of talent. Here’s a list I compiled through my research (excuse any mispronunciations, many artists are nigh impossible to get hold of for comment or clarification, on these matters): Two Leos, Kilo, One. Dêtre, Qlank, R*aedy Lex, Techno Tupac, Zen Selekta, Tripp St., Dae Vinci, DJ M.e., Thought Process, Maddy O’Neal, and Super Future, to name fifteen from among many more.
Sporting Funktion One speakers, you can count on DeBussy to set a vibe, and keep it sounding great. Although, placing two afterparty stages right next to each other can cause a little competition at times. Perhaps these are encampments of the Bass Lords syndicates, Sonic Warlords, if you will. The artists, DJs, producers, and performers are their warriors, the sound equipment their weapons of force, and they vye for power in the form of an audience’s attention. Nah, not really, but maybe I’ll expand on this notion in some futuristic, fantasy, science fiction I’ll write…if I haven’t already…
This brings us to the final performer I want to cover, my overall favorite from the weekend. This was a very close call (setting a Plank PR at Dimension wuz cool), but Jason Leech, at the Honeycomb stage, proved a communal experience I’ll never forget. I knew this place was set to be packed. In preparation, I found a spot early on with my friend, and photographer, Swaggy G, to capture stills and video. We’d soon bear witness to a captivating display of musicianship and natural phenomena.
Jason’s setup is composed of three keyboards, a laptop, and a mixer for aligning sequences, switches, and functions for creating on the fly. He’s an electric symphonist. Classically trained? Likely. Relaxed, and deftly masterful in his approach. Ever the vibe, you can always appreciate Jason Leech will groove along with you, to his sweetly impactful tunes. Authentic, genuine, beautifully unique. Uplifting and energetic, playful at times, intense at others. Jason, ever the passionate performer, will swing from sequences of classical serenity right into grimy, dub-laden, debauchery. That’s kind of the impetus and art of producing and presenting music, at least to me. How does one’s sound impact those around them?
His exuberant enchanting excellence persists no matter where he goes. It doesn’t matter if it’s a pizza pub or a forest club, Jason Leech always delivers one helluva show, complete with top notch dub. His talent is well respected, and the way he showcases preferred sounds is a stylish procedure, all his own. A humble conductor, he took the stage setting his stand and three keyboards up, himself, as well as all the equipment neccessary for him to deliver his spectacle to the audience. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have assisting personnel that would do this for him. I actually felt, like, it was part of his ritual and/or routine in preparing for this performance. He tested the keys a little bit, acknowledged the crowd, and began nearly exactly at 7pm. It was wonderful, and when I tell you he is officially, now, a forest prince, no part of me is being insincere. You need the details, of what I speak, so allow me to share what doth unfolded.
First off, here’s a couple of songs he played, that I super, like, really enjoy. Then I’ll get to describing the unscheduled butterfly meet n’ greet. Yea, dude. There was a butterfly. Jason Leech got blessed by a butterfly. Like I alluded to before, a lot of us are thinking he’s “some kind of prince”. You probably have your own thoughts, on Jason Leech’s persona. Anyway, Jason’s got a super slick, sick, bangin’, ‘Daytripper’ remix that I absolutely adore, and he dropped that! Oh, you know that track ‘Supersonic (My Existence)’, Skrillex made with Noisia, Josh Pan, and Dylan Brady? Jason included that, obviously for me. Always a fresh presentation, he gives time and space to enjoy a track. Sequences of ‘Nobody to Love’ and ‘Be there’, alongside fresh productions like ‘One Who Lost’, a recent collab of Jason’s with Hostage Situation. He incorporates classical pieces, too, like ‘Fur Elise’, which absolutely thrills the classically trained guitariest in me. Technically, it’s all classical. Bach and Mozart. Beethoven. Debussy and his mentor, Erik Satie. Others, too. Speed them up, change the pitch and tone, and what do you get? Music theory. Have you ever seen the sheet music for some of your favorite electronic tracks? You’d need a classically trained orchestra, to reproduce many and much of them, outside the confines of a digital audio workstation.
While Jason is doing his thing on stage, I spot a butterfly cruising around the crowd. It’s a fairly innocuous detail that I find strange to have even caught my eye. I follow this butterfly’s path as it lands on several members of the audience, making its way steadily forward to say hello to the one and only, Jason Leech. Hopping between heads, hanging out momentarily on hats, this butterfly stays shuffling until it perches itself on Jason’s shoulder. Other’s must have also been clued in to what I was, because observers began whispering to one another, “Jason’s got a butterfly on him!” He noticed it too, and Jason’s cool, real cool, ‘Hunny Bunny.’ He programs his next sequence, and as he finishes preparation, the butterfly moves from his shoulder to sit upon his hand, on the very tip of his pointer finger! Jason holds the butterfly aloft for all to see. Ecstasy echoes aloud, throughout the crowd, as all recognize this is a moment of significane, we are all blessed to witness! After a short moment, possibly ten-fifteen seconds at most, Prince Jason, of the forest, softly blows the butterfly away, so he can continue to play.
Truthfully, Jason Leech’s performance, along with the butterfly, ended up being my top highlight and set of moments from the weekend. Many of us have family members and friends that we’ve lost, some as close as a brother or a mother, so seeing a butterfly can sometimes feel like an emissary from the afterlife. Hi grandma, how are you? Everything’s okay, things are well and beautiful, just like you. I have a feeling that this was a more meaningful and symbolic moment for Jason Leech, than any can truly understand. I might have some insight on this matter, but I’m going to let you infer from my commentary. A butterfly and Jason Leech, was a beautiful set of notes to score my week.
As wonderful as the music was from Electric Forest, sadly, our entertainment would be cut short just before 11pm, Sunday night. There I was, kicking it with my wizard friend, KB, as Chase and Status had been killing it their entire set. A transition happens, and then an alarm begins to play in such sincere synchronicity with the song, a lot of us thought it to be a fresh remix. Truthfully, this is the jokester and prankster in me. I recognized instantly, what this meant. A storm was set to hit the campgrounds from asunder for another extended period. We’d have to seek shelter outside the venue. For those intent on witnessing Excision, Charlotte De Witte, Sara Landry, or any of the closing performers, all acts after 11pm were cancelled due to the mess this final rainsquall delivered. Whatever anyone was viewing at 10:55pm as the notification went out across the stages and people began to evacuate the venue were the last image of Electric Forest many would end up seeing. Though the remaining scheduled Electric Forest entertainment for the night would be cancelled, the night as far as music was far from done. The Bungalows exploded in party, and the renegades still had plenty of juice left in their tanks.
I’d make my way to my friends RV one last time, mainly to say goodbye to everyone on that side. It would not rain on my departure, this time. One of the reasons I had been over yonder, dickered up with pug, so much in the first place, besides how much I enjoy the cameradrie and intellect shared between friends, is another of my friend and compatriots, Malfunktion, aka Malec, had his own renegade stage. A homie setup, for some of my homies, who will remain anonymous due to their request filed through proper channels, recognized, and respected by this, here, Bear. However, my homies campsites sat not more than two dozen steps apart. Sometimes life sends a homie to support a homie. I’m not taking credit for this, these are the impulses of a greater authority than I, and this location is where the ‘Missed Connection: Blueberry Cheesecake’ post originated from. He didn’t find her, by the way, but it doesn’t really matter, anymore. We all move on, from loves and lusts never meant to be, eventually. Time heals all. Sometimes a butterfly comes along, at other times it’s the rain washing away the dirt and grime, refreshing what one can accurately see. Knowing what to hold onto and what to release, enables our soaring towards new opportunities, new arenas, and ever greater heights.
That about wraps it up for this third, and final episode covering 2024’s, Electric [Rain]Forest. There was plenty to love from this edition. Between the art, community, and music, Electric Forest was, and is, an amazing time, albeit as we’ve found, a premium ticket that many fight for. Before I go, I’d like to share one last piece of creative writing influenced by my time in Electric Forest. If I’m not mistaken, this was composed during Girl Math, but I didn’t make a time-stamp, so I could be wrong.
“Dear Diary,
A cool breeze drifts across a field of ravers. A duet of delicate composure scores the air with notes of Heaven. Why look skyward for salvation when it is embedded in our souls? Last night, and yesterday, cemented closure isn’t neccessary, and people can exist within each others spaces without contempt or ill will. Speak good of those you love, and do your best to improve. The groove. How you move. Soothes. Blooms, of growth enacted by action and grace. Make space to live. Encourage community. Foster respect. Electric Forest was founded on the idea of a communal space to gather and celebrate fellowship, beauty, style, music, art, presentation, performance, technique, demeanor, conduct. Responsibility. That’s what festivals are about. Flow like the wind. Rain like the river. Shine like the sun. Nurture like the earth.”
I feel like I’m set to swing into the ‘Captain Planet’ theme song after that last part. As Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major plays, our time here has drawn to a close. I think of one of the things that always saddens folks is when a festival ends, and it’s a quick return to reality. Truthfully, be an extension of festivals and forests, you love and adore. Carry your festival spirit with you, everywhere. Share the things you love, with the people you most care about. Spread our unique form of community, fellowship, and friendship. Let love spread its wings, as your soul gets set to soar the skies above.
This is Bear Swiftly, signing off. Sayonara, all you Samurai.
Be well, be successful. Bear Swiftly.
–Electro Scribe–
