Scotland is by far one of the most beautiful countries I’ve had the pleasure of going to, with the most lush greenery and exquisite scenery. On the Eden festival site, just off of the Glamping area (if you were lucky enough like us be in it), was the most stunning Manor House. Also made for a killer spot for us to take some family photos amongst the gardens and swans in the pond surrounding it.

If you weren’t fortunate to have a friend playing records at the festival that scored you a bell tent in the Glamping, then you could also bring your caravan or camper. As we all know, camping at a festival in a small tent can get pretty grim. We also had the pleasure of experiencing a tiny tent once we got the boot from the bell tent and banished to our 2-man Halfords tent surrounded by slugs and nettles.

The kid in always comes out at U.K festivals because they always seem to have rides on site, which is clearly the best decision when you’re intoxicated at a festival. Rides usually go for a couple of quid, and at Eden festival in particular there was a Ferris wheel. Perfect break from all the festival madness and best spot to snap some photos of the whole festival site, or of your friend that’s terrified of heights.

Several music festivals claim to be family friendly, but rarely have enough activities to keep the wee ones entertained, and then neither the kids nor the parents get to enjoy it. Eden festival had an entire area dedicated to kids, with multiples tents holding different activities, and various games in the common area. There were loads of kids freely and safely running around and thoroughly enjoying themselves, and relaxed parents catching a break. Highly recommend our friends bring their children here next year, you get a sweet vacation to Scotland and get to hit up an amazing music festival!

This was probably one of my major highlights of the festival, the wine bar. In Canada, you’re lucky if you’re even allowed to bring your own alcohol, let alone buy it on site! We were rather pleased to have a glass of merlot to go with our selection of cheeses and olives supplied by the Italian sandwich vendor. I also felt pretty classy, despite not yet having taken advantage of the showers located in the Glamping (yes, there were showers and flush toilets in the fancy camp).

Also located on the Eden festival site was a drive-in movie theatre that was equipped with comfy vintage cars (so no worries of drunk driving), with a wide array of movies every day. Perfect spot to park the kids for a bit or escape that notorious Scottish rain, as the weather did seem to be TAPS ON for the weekend.

The Boardwalk Arena stage had sound powered by Reaction Sound System and primarily powered through stationary bikes that are hooked up to generate power. There’s a power-bar on stage that shows just how much juice the ravers have pedaled up, and monitored closely to make sure the power stays consistent. Obviously we had to give it a go, and I apparently chose the hardest bike and watched a small child pedal ten times my speed as I grudgingly trekked on and eventually quit.

All junglists love a good session by the one and only Rebel MC also known as Congo Natty, and his set at Eden proves just that. The crowd rinsed out right properly at the Devorgilla mainstage, and the lighting was impeccable for photos. This was my last shot of the night as camera died just after, so I got to pack away my camera gear in our locker (that only cost us 10 quid for the weekend), and go party!

If you are going to a music festival for the first time, then I highly suggest getting some zany sunglasses that everyone is dying to have. My bestie’s Dad bought us both these to wear at Eden, but I sadly forgot mine in London and had to cope with sunglass envy and sunglass attention envy.

Having a photo pass gives you the privilege to go back stage almost anytime you want and hopefully seek shelter in a greenroom when the Scottish rains come. We were lucky enough to stumble upon a greenroom with some nice guys, sandwiches, and shelter for our camera gear. Even more lucky that we suddenly heard fireworks going off and rushed outside to capture a few photos. Eden festival really outdid themselves with all the festival extras like these fireworks that were on point!

This was probably one of my highlights of Eden festival, the grandma dance off! The grandmas (not your real grandma, but they sure did a bangin’ job on their costumes) had their own tent full of granny knickers, tea sets, and comfy chesterfields. On the Sunday, they threw down a wicked dance off at the Thunderdome and danced away balancing on their walkers and canes while their babushkas flowed in the wind. It was brilliant!

I really wasn’t kidding about the Scottish rain, and when it starts to come down it can really pour! We took refuge under a massive oak tree, but U.K residents paid no attention to the torrential downpour and kept on dancing. Make sure to bring your wellies if you are going to festival in the U.K, and be like my girl Susana and bring a bladder of wine to roll around with.

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Friend of All You Need is Bass Black Dahlia shared her favourite snaps from her 13 hour journey at Boomtown Fair 2016.

Boomtown is made up of 100 stages, spread across 9 different districts, each encompassing different genres of music and entirely different stage designs. Obviously in any festival town there has to be a post office where you can send a post card to your mates across the world for just a few quid. This was also the first place that I happened to stumble across drum ‘n’ bass at 3:00pm on Friday; I couldn’t resist that sweet sound and had to check it out.

While the festival is divided amongst 9 districts, its also further divided amongst 4 areas: HillTop, Downtown, Temple Valley, and Whistlers green area. Old Town is part of the HillTop and literally is like going back in time with pirate ships, burlesque dancers, buskers wharf, and amenities like: tattoo shop, Jack the Clipper hairdresser, post office, amongst many more.

The Jolly Dodger Pirate Ship is situated in Old Town and is an absolutely incredible stage design that has everything your typical pirate ship would have. My housemate performed on this stage as part of “The Great Malarkey” and they had the crowd forming within minutes of playing. If you’re lucky enough to talk your way into a backstage pass like I did with my camera, then you can go up top and catch the best view of Old Town and even walk the plank if you dare.

For some reason, at UK festivals we have found this obsession with grandmas in stage designs and costume attire, but no complaints here! Grandma’s living room is in Old Town and has everything you would find in your grandma’s living room from: tea sets, to romantic novels to borrow, to trinkets, to comfy sofas that were likely once covered in plastic, and of course a whole lot of grandmas.

I spent a lot of time at this stage because a good friend of mine, Earl Gateshead (an absolute legend in the reggae world), was playing at this stage. This stage was located in the Mayfair district and focused on the best of Dub and Reggae with some favourite acts such as: Eva Lazarus, Chief Rockas, Danny T & Tradesman, Electrikal Soundsystem amongst many more. The stage is tucked away in the canopy of the forest and sand floor where you can cop some shade from the blazing sun if it’s as hot as it was when I was there!

One thing I really love about festivals in the UK is that there are always rides to go on, and not just one but several! Boomtown has a wide array of rides that you can pay a small fee to go on and are situated amongst all the divisions. The last festival I went to with rides had a Ferris wheel so this time I try out the swings, which I hadn’t been on since I was a teenager at the Calgary Stampede. No regrets!

Since the festival has 9 districts, the site is spread across a massive amount of land and can be quite the walk to get to each of the districts. Even the pathways are well decorated and a pleasure to walk along, and also extremely well lit! At night, you can walk stage to stage and not even need a flashlight because all the pathways are lined with lights, even on the way out to the car park.

I didn’t really look at the schedule since I only had all of 13 hours at the festival, so it was a pleasant surprise to be checking out the Lion’s Den and hear Benny Page go on. Within minutes, the crowds flooded in and more people were at this stage than at most festivals I had ever been to, and everyone was well into the music with every person dancing all the way to the back!

Trench Town is one of the 9 districts but only has one stage, The Lion’s Den. And really, this is all it needs because this stage is so impressive and can hold 15-20K people if need be. As you can see in the back, there’s camping situated near the Lion’s Den. Whatever district fits you best, is the district you will camp in, so while they may be close to stages, they are extremely convenient when you want to pop back to make a quick rave drink.. Just don’t forget your earplugs if you want to crash early.

YT is pretty legend among the reggae/dub/dancehall world and has also done a track called Boomsound with one of my favourite crews, Mungo’s Hi Fi. Needless to say, it was pretty grand hearing YT throw down this track in his set at Tangled Roots on Friday night.

At Tangled Roots stage, Trinity Music London bring the production together with sound provided by Lion Unit, comprised of Unit 137 from London and Lionpulse from Bristol (the system in the photo), and additional support from Qualitex Sound (Bristol). The sound at this stage was next level! Probably best to have them ear plugs on hand if you plan on partying here.

The districts and stages within really like to keep with their theme the best they can, which is extremely well done. Even walking through the small walkways of Chinatown, you actually feel like you just walked into Chinatown with lit up signs you see in storefronts, and red lanterns lining the main walkways.

There are 24 main stages at Boomtown that can each hold some 10K plus of the 70K festival attendees, and host a wide array of artists we all know and love. Bang Hai Palace was by far one of the most impressive main stages I came across, with a light show like I’ve never seen before. We were lucky enough to walk in and catch the end of Plump DJs (who I’ve loved since I got into electronic music many years ago), and catch the heavy bass sounds of Hybrid Theory.

The post Boomtown Fair: A Photo Journal by Black Dahlia Photography appeared first on All You Need is BASS.

Arriving to the stages, the lighting upgrade to the Temple stage was evident. Lasers and more lights created a mystical setting to dance the night away.

After the rain storms of 2015, the fabric to provide some shelter at the Temple stage was a welcome bit of respite from the potential elements.

The paths between stages are well lit and entice attendees to adventure at night time. This particular pathway leads to PK Sound’s Cabana stage.

This year PK’s Cabana stage also got a revamp. Traditionally made with bamboo, brightened and enhanced with different lighting techniques, this year the stage was made into a giant tiki head. At night it came alive with video mapping, moving and morphing, creating a visual journey to enhance the aural journey.

Fire art between the stages lights up the night and gives attendees a place to gather for chats and warmth against the cool nights of the Rocky Mountains.

A dancer shows the latest in prop toys. Her dreamcatcher is a departure from the average staff, poi and hoop options.

Costume culture is an important part of North American festivals.

It’s always Wine O’clock at Motion Notion.

The Nest, the third stage at Motion Notion showcased VJs alongside DJs. The entire inside surface of the dome was video mapped with psychedelic images.

Festivals aren’t just for music and dancing. Motion Notion provides the perfect backdrop for kicking back and laughing it up with friends.

DJ Wakcutt from Golden B.C. ends his 20 years of DJing set unexpectedly by breaking out his lap guitar.

DJ Jams based in Calgary, Alberta takes the party to the deeper side of D’n’B.

Like at many festivals, LED props and prop dancers light up the night at Motion Notion.

The lighting crew at the Cabana Stage silhouette the crowd with impressive lighting techniques.

TC plays a killer set to the crowd at the Cabana in support of his newest album Unleash the Wolves.

Party-goers soak up the rays and have a little fun on a slip ‘n’ slide by the cool, blue water.

Western Canadian house and techno label Substation Recordings bang out their best sounds in an afternoon label showcase featuring label members.

There’s something about the atmosphere of a festival that brings out the love between partners.

There’s nothing like spotting a DJ partying. Here, DJ Slynk shows that it’s not all business.

The beauty of festivals – not knowing where the road ends, but knowing the journey will be worth it.

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This year, photographer Jeff Cruz takes us on a personal journey of his time spent at Astral Harvest 2016. From DJs, to educators, to circus performers, to epic rainbows, Jeff brought all the beauty of Astral Harvest into focus. This one is dedicated to those of us that missed this year, or maybe even have never laid eyes on this majestic place.

Kali Yuga and Tanner Cherry of The Genesa Project, one of the opening sets at the Interstellevator.

Whapio Diane Bartlett hosts a workshop on Brain Waves & Altered States at Angelica’s Basket. Astral Harvest is able to balance nighttime and daytime activities to create a complete experience.

A flow dancer illuminates the night with elaborate patterns, entertaining the crowd.

The morning gives way to yoga workshops where festival goers are able to relax the mind, body and spirit for a new day.

At the Market Stage award winning singer-songwriter Joal Kamps performs his own style of ‘Rocky Mountain Folk-Pop’ alongside band member and wife, Lauren Kamps.

Hula dancers have become an integral part of electronic music festivals.

L.A. based DJ and producer Evan Shafran a.k.a. Everyman performing at the main stage. His set, a tribute to the late DJ/producer Pumpkin was filled with emotions.

Angelica’s Basket was host to many intimate performances. Jen and Francesco Maio are Nada Deva, DJ/producer duos who energized the crowd with their sexy melodic bass.

Spectators at the Market Stage enjoy a late evening show.

Taking breaks from the music means going back to camp to put your feet up. This year the hottest trend in lounging was the Baggy Mc Bags.

Astral Harvest attracts artists of all kinds, Zaynab writes customized poems on her vintage typewriter.

Astral Harvest is one of the few family oriented electronic music festivals in western Canada. Kids have as many activities available to them as their parents.

Tianna J. rocking an afternoon set on the main stage.

Proper harm reduction is an important part of Astral Harvest. A harm reduction team is available on-site.

Stephanie Dique and the rest of the Aerial Hearts Odyssey troupe perform in front of an eager to party Saturday night crowd.

The festival’s visuals were supplemented by nature. Astral Harvest was on a particularly rainy weekend creating some spectacular rainbows.

The Saturday night fire show is a yearly tradition at Astral Harvest. This year, the TransFlowmation dancers each contributed their unique talents to perform in front of a packed audience.

Nick White of the Prototypes on the main stage Saturday night. The Prototypes performed their signature, dancefloor-destroying drum and bass.

The party goes on at Astral Harvest while the sun starts to rise and light the sky behind the main stage.

A late night shisha session at the Kali Den Hookah Lounge and Café before going to bed.

Wheelhouse Productions presented an all-new stage at the festival this year. The Manor’s theme was the roaring twenties meets, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure meets, Dr. Seuss.

Astral Harvest attracts people of all walks of life. From toddlers to elders, one thing is the same; Astral Harvest leaves you with a smile that lasts till the next Harvest.

Follow all of Jeff Cruz’s work at jeffcruz.ca and www.facebook.com/jcruzfotodotcom

The post Astral Harvest 2016: A Photo Journal by Jeff Cruz appeared first on All You Need is BASS.

To do this well is a feat, actually. This is because to be great, you have to work immeasurably hard. You have to have an understanding of so many musical genres and bpms, cadences and tones. It’s not about being seen and heard, but about being committed to making the night unforgettable to the people on the dancefloor.

We’ve all experienced the night ruining effects of a person in it solely for the incomparable high of being the centre of attention and the focus of the spotlight. Unfortunately these people often taint the landscape of the great MCs putting in the work on their craft by influencing show attendees to think they hate the entire culture. These abrasive fame loving bellowers do however serve a purpose. They help define those that set themselves apart from mediocrity, and love and breathe their music. The “cream of the crop” so to speak.

One such artist that has fought through the ranks to achieve greatness is Rhymestar. Some may know him from his early work back in the days of pirate radio appearances, or from the multitude of guest appearances on tracks throughout the years. Likely most know him as the official voice of Matrix and Futurebound, repping the Viper sound on tours and live shows. However you may know him, it’s clear he’s established himself as one of the front runners of MC talent today.

Ahead of his appearance at 403 DNB’s Metropolis festival, I spoke to Rhymestar to get his take on where he’s been, where he’s at, and where he’s going.

Getting started, was there a single life event that inspired you to pursue MCing? I‘m wondering when you had the “aha” moment and it all clicked.

I’m not sure it was as black and white as that to be honest. During my early teens, amongst other things, it’s what my circle of friends and I did. We went to raves, bought records and wrote lyrics. We’d then record our own mixtapes, give them to our friends and play at their house parties. When we were invited on local pirate radio, we soon began to grow our following further. It was organic, before I knew it, I was right in the thick of it.

I guess if there was one moment, it would have been somewhere like Telepathy or One Nation at Stratford Rex in the late nineties or early naughts. I remember seeing my favourite MCs and DJs and thinking to myself … It all makes sense now; I reckon I’m ready for this.

Who was the first producer you wanted desperately to work with?

It’s hard to narrow it down to just one producer. As a youngster I used to love Bad Company, Ed Rush and Optical, Hazard and the Ram Trilogy/Records camp. I guess the dream was to work with them in some shape or form.

Would you consider working with Matrix and Futurebound your big break? Tell me a bit about working with them.

Matrix & Futurebound got in touch with me towards the end of 2013 when they were looking for an MC to front their shows. They had just come back from touring Australia and New Zealand and whilst out there, realised they needed a front man to take their sets to the next level. After one or two sets together, we realised the combination just worked and since then I have been blessed enough to be their preferred MC. We’ve performed together on some amazing tours and shows worldwide. It’s great to be on the road with not only DnB legends, but two guys I consider family.

I have also written various ideas for them with the intention to collaborate as both an MC and songwriter. They’re always open to my ideas and input but it’s about finding the right track that encompasses both of our styles and works.

All I can say is watch this space…

I live in a place where MCing is relatively uncharted territory. The culture doesn’t really exist here like it does in the UK and other parts of the world. I think most people here would choose the DJ/producer route vs MC life. In your mind, do you think it’s harder to have success as a producer, or an MC?

I guess that depends on your philosophy of success and work ethic. You can be as successful as you want to be, irrespective of being an MC, DJ or producer. You get what you work for, not what you wish for. Unique talent, that connects to an audience will always do well.

I guess as an MC, at times you can be reliant on a decent producer but if you can produce your own music as well, you’re already one step ahead.

On the same tip as before, historically in my city we don’t have much MC culture. In fact, it can be hostile at times. When you’re going to perform in a situation where the crowd might not be as receptive as you’re used to, how do you approach it?

I’ve been faced with similar situations, where I have been booked at shows in places and told “They don’t like MC’s here.”

This isn’t always the case. Sometimes crowds or cultures are just not accustomed to a certain style, sometimes it takes time for them to absorb what you do and understand it. Once they have digested it, they can they appreciate what it is about.

One school of thought is to gauge your audience. Be pro-active, do your research about the crowd you’re playing to, the area, the venue. Find out what they do understand and work out how you can use that, to help them relate.

There is another school of though … “I do what I do and if they don’t like me…oh well.” I guess it’s down to the individual to work out how they want to approach it.

Sometimes believing so strongly in what you do is a positive thing. We wouldn’t have DnB or other genres as we know them now, if it wasn’t for artists fearlessly pushing their own unique style and breaking boundaries.

I know you’ve traveled a fair bit. Have you been to Canada before? Are you looking forward to your visit?

I have been blessed enough to visit Toronto and Vancouver as a tourist, but this show will be special as it’s my Canadian debut as an MC. Even now, when I am told I have supporters as far as Canada, I scratch my head and think how? I always feel blessed to perform in countries I haven’t performed in before.

I’ve heard Banff National Park is beautiful. I’d like to visit it whilst I’m over and generally soak up as many local norms as possible.

Can you tell me a bit about your favourite road experience (or one of them)? We want to be able to have a chance to beat it here!

My first Australia tour last summer for Viper Recordings was pretty special. We did five shows in total in Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. I even helped organise a one off, private show where I did an exclusive DJ/MC set. The energy and receptiveness of the crowds at all the shows, along with the hospitality was unforgettable. As I said before, it’s always touching and bewildering to be welcomed by supporters of what I do, thousands of miles away.

I read you like to be in studio when you’re collaborating; you like to be part of the process. What barometer do you use for when something is working super well, versus not working at all? When do you scrap a project and start again?

I definitely I like to be hands on throughout the process. I usually know at the beginning of the creative process, whether or not the idea has potential. I start with an idea in my head that either stems from a loop a producer has sent me, or melodies and lyrics I came up with. One the initial idea has a skeleton, I usually like to work with the producer, giving my input where I can. If I don’t feel that instant chemistry in my mind, I usually bank the idea to develop again at another time. I never scrap ideas. You can always build on them, or re work them at some point…

I think we can both agree that grime is huge in the UK right now. We haven’t really seen the same popularity here in North America just yet. In layman’s terms, can you help us understand the difference between grime, traditional hip-hop and drum and bass MCing?

Grime is certainly having its moment right now on an international scale. The first generation of grime was very much a London thing but it’s great to see it having the global recognition it deserves. I think Drake’s support for Skepta and BBK has no doubt helped to spread grime to North America but you cannot take anything away from the great music that is being made right now by grime artists such as Skepta, Wiley, Kano and Stormzy.

Ok so to me, the fundamental difference is the tempo and arrangement of the beats of the genres. How you construct your flows and rhyme patterns obviously reflects this. Grime is traditionally 140bpm, hip-hop in its purest form is 85-95bpm and DnB of course is 174-175bpm. I guess the main difference between MCing over these genres, aside from the flow and structure, lay within the culture they originate. Grime and Jungle originated in urban London. It is essentially music from the streets that was given a platform through the rave scene. This definitely comes through in an MC’s lyrics. It’s very similar to the origins of hip-hop in North America.

As MCs, aside from our accents, I feel the ‘UK sound’ is one that stands out as unique and is quickly catching on around the world. As I previously mentioned, it is about connecting with new audiences and helping them understand the culture behind what we do. They’ll soon see there are actually more similarities than differences. It’s just about having an open mind…

Ending off, what else do you have going on for the summer? What are you excited for?

Summer is always a busy time for me. I’m grateful to say that in June I will be performing in London, Vienna, Ibiza, Barcelona and of course Calgary. This is pretty much the trend of the rest of the summer with appearances at various festivals in the UK and Europe. I feel excited and blessed to be in sunny destinations and performing at festivals., but then again who wouldn’t?

Once the summer is over, I’ll back in the studio working on new music for 2017. There is plenty in the pipeline, that’s all I can say for now.. More announcements coming soon…

Check Rhymestar at Metropolis this June 24 and 25 weekend 2016. For tickets follow this link.

The post Chatting With Rhymestar Ahead of Metropolis 2016 appeared first on All You Need is BASS.

In this edition of How Artists Chose Their Names we’re shining the spotlight on the hometown heroes of Alberta and B.C. So often, we focus on headlining acts, and lose sight of the people right in front of us that are making our own local scenes thrive. Vibrant Festival, taking place May 27-29 in Invermere B.C. is a festival focusing on just that.

Although it’s the first official year of Vibrant, this event has in fact been flourishing in Invermere for years. Under a different name in years past, little by little, the event has expanded to include more and more of the inner circles of the interior, as well as Alberta. Starting off small and intimate, this year sees Vibrant’s first year kick off with a bang. A massive stage built by Shambhala’s Pagoda Stage carpenter will play host to a solid crew of DJs and producers that live and breathe music and festival culture. No doubt, with these guys at the helm, it’s sure to be a real banger. Tons of fun in the B.C. sun! A perfect way to kick off the summer!

Below are a few of their stories. We can’t wait to party it up with these movers and shakers, and go into festival season with a giant homie fest from across the west!

Donald Bump: My DJ name Donald Bump is a play-on words of Donald Trump. I’ve been using this moniker for about five years now – before Trump was running for president and everyone hated him. I also think Bump works great with dance music and even with Trump running for president and people not liking him, people in the scene still think its a great DJ name.

Freddy J:  The name came from a my best bro Chris Caleffi in high school. I’ve gone by the name Alex my whole life, which is my middle name. It came known in school that my first name is actually Frederick. and so is my dad and and his father as well. He started calling me Frederick Jr the 3rd as a joke. Over time it morphed in to the name we know now, Freddy J.

Esette: I chose my latest DJ name after deciding that I didn’t want to deal with the vandalism and negative impacts that having the name ISIS was causing. Esette means nothing. I wanted a one word, feminine style name. My friend Kris made me a giant list of ideas because I was struggling with the concept and I just went through them all and looked up internet URLS to see if any of them could be my little corner of the internet. Esette came up the cleanest and it worked for me. I wasn’t going to pick a new name until early 2016, but when Bass Coast festival approached me in late November 2015 to do a free track as part of their 12 days of Bass Coast music giveaway it seemed like a good opportunity and good timing to launch the new name along with something impactful that would reach a greater portion of my community.

So far, it’s going really well aside from local Canadians thinking I’m silly for changing it. But I feel good about it and the tracks it’s given me an opportunity to sort of shift the sound I’m making, and slightly draw a bigger line between who I am as an artist and as a person. As I get older I find the difference is important sometimes with online personas.

DJ McTwist: Well, the story of my DJ name is really uninspiring. I guess its kind of hard to place where it all stems from. At the time I was 16 and thinking I was an insanely creative person which, as it stands, is fairly true. However, really being into sports and what was then extreme sports such as snowboarding and the not so extreme but just as dangerous skateboarding, I was drawn to the names of the tricks that these amazing athletes were pulling off. So when a friend and I were sitting around one day and were thinking up some cool DJ names associated with some snowboarding and skateboarding tricks, I stumbled upon Tony Hawk’s infamous “McTwist”. Mainly as the name for a duo was Alley and McTwist kind of short for alley-oop mctwist. The duo of my friend and I never evolved into anything as our paths went separate ways, but I kept McTwist. I looked online to see if there was a DJ with that name already and since nobody had taken it yet, I felt like being original and decided that’s what my name would be. Now I don’t really know if it has brought me any kind of “notoriety” or infamy for that matter and don’t get me wrong there was a time where I thought about changing it to evolve myself into something else, but when I look back I am glad I did not. There’s only one me and there’s no need to try and re-invent something that isn’t broken. And really if someone could think of something that suited me that was different I may look at having an alter ego, but why?

Ohm Girl: So my name was actually gifted to me by a good friend of mine. I struggled with choosing my own name … I chose a couple but nothing stuck. Ohm is in the context of the music, not meditative and girl, well that’s obvious.

Ninjette: Ninjette is a name that has been with me since my very early rave days. I adopted it probably back in 2006. I grew up in the Winnipeg electronic music scene in the mid 2000s.

Well before I began my DJ career, I was very intrigued by rave scene history and wanted desperately to get involved in the organizing of things, and went out of my way to rub elbows with the crews who threw the first parties I ever went to. Shortly thereafter, my love affair with promoting and networking became all life consuming. The first event I ever hosted took place in a massive industrial loft in the old exchange district of Winnipeg. The folks who lived there had racks upon racks of old thrift store clothing lying around. We had this silly idea to make it a ninja themed party by collecting all of the black clothing we could find, cutting up strips of fabric and encouraging our patrons to play ninja dress up. I will never forget that space… the old brick walls and rickety fire escape entrance up to the third floor … the musty smell of the place. I guess you could say that is where things really started to take off for me. I believe I was 19 years old at the time.

We had created a little family of friends with common goals and interests. The ninja party was such a huge success that we went on to create Shadow Productions and hosted an array of other similar events. Looking back on it now it seems like child’s play, but at the time we thought we were building an empire. I was the only female organizer and thus, adopted the name Ninjette. When I started DJing a couple years later, it was the only name that made sense. There are so many fond memories attached that I don’t think I will ever change it!

Sonny Chiba: So I’m a big cinema buff. I had a big kung fu and Asian movie phase in my late teens. My favorite martial arts actor was none other than “Sonny Chiba”. When I first saw the film The Street Fighter, which he starred in, I was instantly a fan of the man and the incredible physicality he brought to his choreography and character’s persona. It was also the first movie ever to get an X rating for violence and is a staple cult classic within the grindhouse cinema genre. Naturally I loved the role and the character he played, so much so that I made it my DJ moniker.

I wanted my name to be of a fantastical and alter ego nature. I see and approach DJing as not just playing records, but as a live performance. Interaction and connection with your audience and the space are just as important. So for me, it has to coincide with whatever musical vibe I’m heading into for that set. And i think the name “Sonny Chiba” helps to translate that to the crowd.

Dr. Dance: My DJ name was actually given to me at my first Burning Man in 2011. I was going through the Rockstar Librarian music guide and making a list of all the artists I wanted to see for that day. My camp mates were so thrilled and asked me kindly if I would post my list up in the kitchen. Since the music guide is so big and most people had no idea what was good, they were excited to see that I was making it easier for them. Considering everyone knew that I had great taste in music, they trusted my opinion. The following day I got woken up early and was asked to do my music guide for that day. As it Turned out, word of mouth had spread. Random people not from my camp were so stoked on my choices, they wanted to follow my guide again. So I made the list and the following day I had an even higher demand. My campmates then decided I needed a “playa” name. We were brainstorming and nothing really stood out to me until Dr. Dance came about. I could not stop laughing and figured it would be perfect! Considering it was totally like I was prescribing the people of burning man with my daily dose of dance music haha. We had a good laugh and from that point it just stuck to me. People I didn’t even know were coming up to me, asking me if I was Dr. Dance and complimenting my taste in music. I got back from burning man that year and felt very inspired so that’s when I decided I wanted to take Dj’ing more seriously. I had been messing around teaching myself how to DJ for a few years prior so it just felt right to move forward. I played a few little shows under the DJ name Char Star since that was my nick name growing up. In the summer of 2012 I got offered to play the Ministry of Sound party here in Calgary. Since it was a pretty big deal for me, I didn’t want to use Char Star as my DJ name because I knew that for the most part female DJ’s were never taken seriously. I wanted to start building an image but I had no idea what my DJ name should be. I asked many people and the majority said I was Dr. Dance. So I just went with it! 5 years later it’s still growing on me but i think I love it that much more because it was given to me. there has been so many times where I truly felt like I was Dr. Dance, I really feel like it has become a part of me now and we’ll see what the future has to hold!

Low Profile: I wanted a DJ handle that I could identify with on a personal level as well as musically.  I’m a private guy and don’t always like the spotlight and the phrase, “keep a low profile”, kept on popping into my head.  My sound has always represented the low end of the frequency spectrum, and I decided on Low Profile.

Painted Foxes: The name Painted Foxes came from when I was painting and illustrating – I own a custom airbrush business. I’ve been a music producer since the mid ’90s, but never took it serious till my early 30s when friends started recommending I put my name in for shows – that’s when I came up with the name. I was painting a series of candids: wolf, coyote and fox. For some reason the fox stood out to me the most. I found that it in some ways, it reflected my character … not to mention my music. I like to produce fun, funky and at times silly music. I have always been a musician, and music is half of my creative process in life. I’m just fortunate that it’s taken off in the way that it has, and has allowed me to work with artists like Defunk (Westwood records), Distinct, Freelikz  as well as other artists I work with on a regular basis. Being a studio musician is great!

Tickets for Vibrant are just $80, and can be purchased online. Come party in the woods with us! See you on the dancefloor!

The post How Artists Chose Their Names: Vibrant Festival Edition appeared first on All You Need is BASS.

To say Metropolis was a roaring success is an understatement. The venues were thriving, and headliners such as Kasra, Mampi Swift and Enei attracted attendees from all across Canada – Vancouver to Toronto. The bass was heavy and the vibes were thick. Party goers were loving the selectas – and were making the faces to prove it.

In electronic music, there’s a well documented phenomenon – one that most electronic music lovers are guilty of practicing, but one that most do not want to be seen doing. I’m talking of course about “Bass Face” – the condition that turns beautiful women, headlining DJs and run of the mill partygoers into one singular grotesque looking being. Facial expressions so foul, you’d think the practitioners had stumbled upon a pair of 90s JNCO pants rotting in yesteryear’s rave sludge.

Despite being excessively unattractive, Bass Face is how you know you’re at a great show. No one wants to be caught with it, so if they’re doing it, it’s because the music is just so sick no one can help it. There was so much Bass Face at Metropolis 2015, I dubbed it “The Party of the Bass Face.” In anticipation of 2016’s event, we cracked out last year’s photos, and let’s just say there’s some real fart sniffing expressions in the midst. Have a look, have a laugh, and practice your straight face for this year.

Something grimy is happening here!

Pretty girls make the best Bass Face!

The Guru loving dem Saturday afternoon ragga vibes!

Superstar dancer Nicooleo! All smiles for the tunes!

MC Gravity, loving DJ Obscene’s BASS!

Let’s have another look at these guys a few seconds later …

These guys love it so much, they’re definitely hugging.

That’s a Bass Face if I’ve ever seen one…

This is possibly the bassiest face of the entire event.

DJ Obscene always likes to act goofy, but this face is legit. 100% candid!

Too good! The guy with the phone in the background!

Maybe this is actually the bassiest face of the entire event…

This might not be “Bass Face” per se, but it’s a very cute picture of Jams and a hilarious photo of Big Worm.

DJ Fever – I’d say this dubplate has some serious bass.

Yep, there he is again. MC Gravity is a repeat offender!

Bass in the rain! So adorable!

Last but not least here’s DJ Logo showing us all how to bass.

I think we’ve proven that Metropolis 2016 is going to be an amazing time. Come join us for the fun! Tickets are available at Grass Roots, from members of 403 DNB, and online at getqd. We are so unbelievably hyped for this party, you might just see our bass faces on the dancefloor! (But hopefully not.)

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We went down early, because right from eight p.m. when the stages opened there was stuff we needed to see. We were ready to party, and judging by the atmosphere at Outlook, so was everybody else. Starting at Mungo’s for Simple Sample, we eased in. Reggae is always a great way to ease in. It’s like when you’re making love to a classy lady. You start with a seafood dinner before you get down to business. You gotta savour the lead in to appreciate the climax. Reggae was our lead in … that being said, it didn’t take long for the party vibes to get past the seafood dinner stage and descend into mayhem.

Let me just go ahead and credit that mayhem to Chopstick Dubplate. We mobbed out to Fort Arena One, which absolutely POUNDED this year. Reggae Roast Sound System was providing the sound in this arena at Outlook 2015, and I’m pretty sure they shook more than just a few stones loose. Chopstick Dubplate took that space from a five to an eleven on the rowdy scale right quick. It was junglist massive up in there for real. We were reppin’ Canada hard, and looking around there was crew representation from all over the world. We were throwing down beside Americans, Spanish jungle crews, Swiss  – It was VIBES. Honestly, some of the rowdiest vibes of the entire festival. At one point I looked beside me and my wife had been accosted by an intoxicated ginger, whom had picked her up and started swinging her around, laying hugs and smooches on her while she protested. I somehow ended up wearing some dude’s hat and posing for gangsta photos with his clique. The entire thing was a blur. As much as we wanted to stay for DJ Hype, we had to keep the party moving. Basically my most anticipated event of the night was going to be the LEVELZ takeover at the Garden stage.

You may remember we missed our LEVELZ boat party. So, it was time for us to see them crush it. I was stoked – Manchester in the place. We ran into the Garden stage, which led to me getting pulled up by one of the Mouse Outift/Levelz boys. He wanted me to come up and shoot photos. MISTAKE! Oh my God, what a mistake. I was barely on stage snapping shots for five seconds when a burly security guard ran in for the attack, and despite their cries on the mic of ‘let her stay! Mate, let her stay!’ he gave zero fucks. I couldn’t do anything except run and laugh. It was terrifying. I will give the security guard credit, he allowed me to collect myself at the side of the stage, get my bearings, and ensure my camera had survived the melee. The most hilarious part of all was when I went back to the other side of the gate to meet my friends, not a single one of them had witnessed this happening. I think it was T-Man from Levelz that started begging me for my camera from stage, and against my better judgment I gave it to him. He started taking photos of the LEVELZ crew up close and personal, and pretty amusing photos of me begging for him to give me back my camera (read: my baby) from the crowd. Yep, the Saturday vibes were already pure hedonism and it was only midnight.

Although it wasn’t  the LEVELZ official timeslot yet, they were all there taking turns on the mic and absolutely crushing it. What followed for the next hour and a half or so was some of the greatest music, ever. Skittles, oh my goodness. Gotta give shouts to him. We are seriously lacking in the grime department in North America. When it was Chimpo’s turn on the decks I was in musical heaven. Those guys were reppin’ Manchester hard and partying even harder. I guess that is part of reppin’ Manchester. The atmosphere was infectious. Black Josh eventually jumped into the crowd and did a bit of crowd surfing. I was lucky enough to catch an amazing shot of this – unreal. Whoever the soundman was: You sir, are a scholar and a gentleman. He let us bog him down with propaganda – stickers, pins, the lot. In fact, everyone right on the other side of the gate got the full propaganda treatment. It was amazing.

As much as I wanted to see “LEVELZ 7” being performed we had to keep moving, because Run the Jewels was on at the Harbour. You want to talk about a show?? WOW. Run the Jewels at that level of production was incredible. When it was time for me to take some photos the gracious crowd parted like the Red Sea and let me waltz right through. I got right to the front. Again, someone tried to pull me over the gate spotting my camera, but having learned my lesson at the Garden Stage I refused wholeheartedly. These people were trying to get me killed by buff security guards that give zero fucks about polite Canadian girls. In all reality it likely would have been ok, but there was no way I was risking it again. El-P and Killer Mike – what a performance! I was amazed.

There was just way too much going on Saturday night, which is entirely what I love about Outlook. After all this amazing music, it was time for some dnb. We booted it over to The Clearing for the Upbeats and Xtrah. I guess rowdy was going to be the ongoing theme of this night. I haven’t danced that hard in I don’t even know how long. The Clearing was absolutely mental. Mental! When I looked at the clock, it felt like I had been there five minutes, but it had actually been closer to two hours! It was already almost the end of the night, and time to see Congo Natty – OH YES!

Back to The Harbour we went. It was already nuts down there. The setting was all rasta coloured lights and dope jams. People were getting hyphy. I will admit, when the Rebel MC said some particularly prolific words and the lights were flashing, it brought a tear to my eye. We ended the night there, and I have zero regrets about it. Hard to believe Saturday was already over. It was such a blur! Ah well, onwards and upwards. There was still one night left, and a boat party with GOLDIE to look forward to. Brap brap brap!

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Bass Coast is known for finding talent on the up and up, and breaking them to attendees before they blow up. For example, last year they brought us pre Wasted Days Sam Binga. Sam Binga played a set so good at Bass Coast 2015, that people were almost weeping with tears of joy, no jokes. He went on to release one of 2015’s most seminal full-length albums on Critical Sound, one of the most forward thinking labels on the block.

This year is no different. The first wave is more than promising. It’s actually kind of crazy:

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Emily and Craig: According to Craig these two lovebirds met when they adopted a child.

Curtis and Merissa: This charming pair worked together at Petland. The funny part was Merissa pretty much despised Curtis and thought he was the boss’ pet. A “brown noser” in her words. They eventually hit it off and share a love of ferrets.

Sheila and John: Sheila and John met at Burning Man in 2011. He’s part of a camp that brings a huge refrigerated truck of fruits and vegetables to the playa to share with everyone, and his tomatoes won her heart.

Sara and Trent: Sara and Trent met at an afterparty somewhere. Despite popular opinion I guess good things can happen after 3 a.m.!

Sam and Jason: As many people know these two are both DJs. They met when they both played together at a show at Habitat. Big ups Jedi Cheek and Distinct!

Andee and Matt: We couldn’t quite get the story out of him. He said he noticed her DJing, but then wouldn’t stop talking about his twig and berries.

Stephanie and Dylan: Stephanie and Dylan go way back. Apparently they met “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.”

Alana and Nikko: Music is in incubator for love – that’s a fact! These two can’t exactly pinpoint where it happened, but sometime between Astral Harvest and North Country Fair, they hit it off.

Brittney and Bence: This pair weathered the storm of working Stampede at Knoxville together. Look at how cute these two are! They’re proof Stampede is good for more than just random viral threesome videos.

Logan and Alena: Alena was very vocal about her interest in Logan, and admitted to chasing him down for two weeks prior to their hook up. At the Indigo Pulse Festival pre-party, she finally caught her man!

Portia and Kodie: These kitties met at Broken City on a Saturday night. Old school hip-hop for the win!

Kellie and Jeff: Kellie and Jeff were a bit sheepish to admit they met at a DJ show neither were super into. The Chainsmokers brought these guys together.

Ali and Charles: Ali and Charles met at a show at Dickens Pub. Although neither of them have any idea what the show actually was, they know that without a doubt it was April 29, and was probably a Supreme Hustle show.

Kieren & Tyler: “Get out of here we’re not a fucking couple.”

Monica and Brandon: Monica and Brandon are the best of friends. They’ve been best friends since university.

Chantelle and Jessie: These two had a very long crazy story, full of family and details that were hard to make out over the bass. Basically we got: “My dad’s best friend is married to her aunt.”

Kyle and Dave: We’ll just leave this riiiiiiiight here.

Janelle and Nick: Nick used to sell Janelle rave tickets before they made it official. These two are the poster children for polyamory.

Allison and Chris: These guys met when she came down to the old 403 DNB residency at Quincy’s. Another fine example of music birthing love!

Kayla and Justin: Kayla and Justin met when they went on a bike ride. There is still a scar from that night.

Tyler and Ella: “We met at Total Science. I hated her because she’s from a foreign country. I hate foreign people.” They bonded over snowboarding and Diablo 3.

Curtis and Jamie : They met when she played for 403 on a tour. Later, at Shambhala, they had a talk ‘till sunrise. Awwww!

Congratulations to 403DNB for providing the best Valentine’s event for the second year in a row with the annual Lovers Ball. It was the first time ever that Hybrid Minds and Logistics went back to back, and it was amazing!

To get a look at all our photos from Lovers Ball, click here.

Now, we will leave you with a song:

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