[The Audiofiles] Find the ‘Formless Edge’ With Random Rab’s Latest Release

June 15, 2017Leave a comment

Photo Credit: Daniel Zetterstrom

Between multitudes of music genres and thousands of tantalizing sounds that wind their way into your ear drums, there’s something to be said for music with an organic feel; the type of music with a powerful, ethereal quality where artists transform into vessels of sound themselves. These type of artists are few and far between, but completely coveted when they’re found. Whether Random Rab is at a festival in a headline slot, at a renegade stage, greeting the day with a sentimental sunrise set, or simply emanating from your speakers as you sway through your day – the man always delivers an expertly crafted lyrical masterpiece.

Now with an unprecedented eleventh studio album notched in his belt, Random Rab delivers his latest salacious sounds in Formless Edge, out on Friday, June 16th via major digital outlets. An emotional soundscape built on a pulsing backbone, Formless Edge is rich with uplifting syncopation layered with enchanting vocals. An auditory trailblazer, Random Rab – birthname Rab Clinton – synthesized sounds from over 30 unique instruments to build the 15 song album, beautifully blurring the line between the organic and electronic. As boundary pushing as the album name suggests, Formless Edge features collaborations with artists from Rigzin, Kyrstyn Pixton, Jason Kalidas, Peia, and Lapa, better known to fans as Ilya Goldberg of Emancipator fame. For a glimpse into the mind of Random Rab, dive down the rabbit hole with the extrasensory experience of ‘A Little More Free’.

Formless Edge Full Track List:

Gimme That Hope
Curiosity
A Little More Free (listen)
Outpost Aurora
Parallels (feat. Lapa)
Lucid Interval
Thunder Shadow
Redacter (feat. Lapa)
Formulates in Darkness (feat. Kyrstyn Pixton)
Water Chandelier
Bodhicitta (feat. Rigzin)
Time Reel (feat. Lapa)
Heavenly Light
Sepulcher (feat. Jason Kalidas)
Repose (feat. Peia)

In tandem with the release of Formless Edge, Random Rab is hitting the road for his live Summer Festival Tour with stops at Shambhala, and the Global Eclipse Gathering – just to name a few amazing locations. Scroll to the bottom for full Summer 2017 tour dates.

Can’t get enough? Us neither – to support the album immediately, head to Bandcamp and iTunes to pre-order Formless Edge. For the tried and true audiophile, a special edition 24 bit aiff flash drive and Formless Edge 6×6 8-page book of artwork is also available via Bandcamp.

For more on Random Rab, head to his site and socials – and be sure to support the release of Formless Edge, 6/16.

Website | Soundcloud | Facebook | Twitter | Youtube

Tour Dates:

Jun 08-11 EarthRythms Festival, MN

Jun 16 Sonic Bloom Festival, CO

Jun 17 Playthink Festival, KY

Jun 22-25 Big Surreal Festival, CA

Jul 01-02 5 Points Gathering, CA

Jul 15 Northern Nights Festival, CA

Aug 1-6 O.Z.O.R.A Festival, Hungary

Aug 11-14 Shambhala Festival, BC

Aug 18-21 Global Eclipse Gathering, OR

Sep 1-4 Burning Man Festival, NV

[The Audiofiles] Usher In Winter with Lane 8’s Latest Mixtape

December 11, 2015December 11, 2015Leave a comment

With Los Angeles trapped within it’s version of perpetual Summer, I tend to forget that other seasons exist until we’re thrust into them feet first. Thankfully, I’ve begun to anticipate them thanks to timely mixes from none other than Lane 8, a rising star on Above & Beyond’s Anjunadeep imprint. Now with a host of large festival tour dates like Northern Nights, Spring Awakening, What The Festival and Global Dance Festival – not to mention, with his second album ‘Rise‘ and second North American Tour of the same name under his belt, Lane 8 has perfected his stage presence and ability to feel the crowd, which have both forayed into his exquisitely curated mixtapes.

Over the last year, I’ve found myself drawn to both his moody and brooding downtempo original tracks as well as his magnificent mixes that pull inspiration from each and every pocket of House Music. Deep, Indie, Tech – you name it, he’s mixed it into his wondrous works. Though I’d missed out on attending several of his shows around Southern California, I was delighted to be front and center while he brought the house down at Coachella’s DoLab Stage to watch him turn some of my bass buddies into tried and true Lane 8 believers. Each and every time I dive into a mix, I’m absolutely enthralled and blown away by his musical maturity and his latest Winter 2015 Mixtape is an absolute testament to that fact. Dive right in and see what you think!

For more on Lane 8, make sure you keep tabs on his socials –

Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

Photo by Daniel Leist

Cross Published on The DJ List

[The Audiofiles] Bass Physics Revamp Echosmith’s “Cool Kids”

February 20, 2015February 24, 2015Leave a comment

With a tinge of Electro Soul and a whole lot of bass expertly layered over glitch infused Dubstep – Colorado duo Bass Physics has been cementing a name for themselves in the festival circuit. In the past few years, they’ve graced the stages at Global Dance Festival, Decadence NYE, and South Park Music Festival – just to name an elite few. When these gentlemen take the stage, a sonically soothing vibe resonates over the crowd while smiles abound on dancing faces.

While on tour the past year, their releases were kept to a minimum – good thing that’s all about to change. For their first release of the year, Bass Physics laid their eyes on Echosmith’s indie pop hit “Cool Kids” and never once looked back. The groovy new single is currently available for Free Download, so dance your way to their Soundcloud and have yourself a little mini tribal while you’re waiting for the weekend to set in.

“From our own experience of growing up in a public school system, there is enormous amounts of pressure on kids to conform to social norms, good and bad. Preventing natural development of character, our society emphasizes being normal or “cool,” rather than being independent and unique. This track inspires us to ignore the norm and live the life that we want to live; we aim to inspire others to do the same.”

UPCOMING SHOWS:04/10-12 – Euphoria Music Festival – Austin, TX
04/25 – Red Rocks Amphitheater w/ Savoy – Morrison, CO
04/30 – Waverly Hotel – Cumberland, BC, CanadaFor more details on Bass Physics, head to their socials –

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

[The Audiofiles] Tricks, Treats and Beats – How HARD’s Day of the Dead Won Halloweekend

November 25, 2014November 25, 2014Leave a comment

The last thing a lay-person would expect descending on the Pomona Fairplex is a gaggle of grown-ups, dressed to the nines that more closely resemble the lost boys of Peter Pan than a group, fully ready to self-indulge in one of the best Halloweekends that Southern California has to offer. As a tried and true fan of HARD Events, not only was I at the very first HARD Haunted, but I’ve followed the festivals around from The Forum to The Shrine, from LA’s Exposition Park and now – to my new favorite venue of in the Los Angeles ‘region’ – The Pomona Fairplex. I was there when HARD Summer was shut down during Crystal Castles, and I’ve seen more acts than I can count give the crowd lessons in heavy bass. The last event of theirs I went to was last year’s HARD Summer – and I made what I thought was an executive decision at the time that this would be my last HARD Festival, ever.

Heading into this year’s Day of the Dead, I literally had no expectations – sure, there were DJ sets that I was drooling over, and I was excited for it to be in a brand spankin’ new location; but I was ready for anything – and blown away by everything. From from Dubstep to Electro House, Deep House to Trap, for two days and nights, twenty two hours on 5 Different Stages – the crowd at the Pomona Fairplex was treated to some ghoulishly good treats and bass infused beats that you can’t help but shuffle your feet to. What made it so epic? Well, glad you asked!

Location, Location, Location

One thing about shifting locations, is that it’s brand spankin’ new for everyone – from Gary Richards, the head honcho of HARD himself, to the artists and right on down to the fans: this was a new adventure, and we were all down for the ride. Though the venue itself sits about 45 minutes outside of LA proper, it’s only about half as far from LA as the NOS Center in San Bernadino where Escape from Wonderland raged for two days – which is pretty excellent PLUR-spective. Once you made it to the Fairplex and navigated the various lines to park, get your tickets and then descend into the grounds themselves – it was game on! Everywhere you turned, there was ample space to move and groove, as well as space to wait for your crew, a plethora of delicious food trucks for anyone who got the munchies, an expansive row of patrons helping out in the various beer gardens and new friends everywhere you turned. In the past, I’ve had a time pushing through crowds, getting elbowed on the dance floor and having an all around claustrophobic clusterfuck of an experience – this is the first HARD event where they really accounted for how many bassheads would be in attendance, and how much room they’d all need to go HAAM on the dance floor. Kudos for finding such a prime piece of festival real estate; I can’t wait until we’re all back there together!

All Star Performances

It typically goes without mentioning that the entire roster of artists is on point for such a high caliber festival, but every set that I danced my ass off to was a phenomenal auditory adventure that had my whole crew looking around at each other to make sure we all knew how amazing it was. Whether you were an instant Superfriend during Zhu’s debut US performance, were front and center while Mau5ville opened up with Longest Road, took part in Sunday’s Dirtybird BBQ with Eats Everything, Justin Martin, ShibaSan and the Master himself – Claude VonStroke, or lost your mind when Bassnectar put on a masterclass of mixing – there were an infinite number of reasons I was proud to be back home, so to speak, surrounded by beautifully bouncing souls that were set free on the dance floor.

So Much Room for Activities

Going into the weekend, I was already excited for the Zip Lining, Ferris Wheel and stages – but what I hadn’t prepared for was how expansive the grounds really were. No joke, when I checked the Health app on my phone after one day at the festival it told me we walked 5 miles. Fitness aside, yet another wonderful trait of the fairgrounds is it’s size. There were 5 large stages set up and none of the noise from the stages bled together. To top it off, everyone knows that at a festival you’re going to run into people: there’s just so much energy, and enough confusion, that you’re literally going to bump into strangers and friends alike. Instead, like I was saying earlier, it was like everyone finally had enough of a personal bubble that it wasn’t an issue. We even managed to have a 10+ person yoga session smack dab in the middle of everything. To my complete surprise and utter happiness, this festival didn’t have same anxiety, pushing, low grumble of negative energy from people invading your personal bubble. Instead, we all bumped, danced, grinded, jumped and got down in a whole new realm of comfort.

Costumes

Last, and most certainly not least – how could I forget about the myriad of mind blowing outfits and costumes I saw over the weekend. Now, I’m more of an ‘I’m Always a Cat’ girl – no, really; I always have cat ears when I’m out at festivals – to boot, I’m a tried and true testament to the fact you’ll enjoy yourself more if you’re comfortable. For me, that honestly means rocking it out in uber comfy clothes (a tank top, leggings, flat boots) and cat ears. but it was great to see how creative people could get! Of course, things got a little bit ratchet at HARD – but would you honestly expect anything less? For as many people were dressed up in costumes or dressed down in their cats and casuals, as I think I’ll forever call it, but there were a good number of fist pumping bros and girls wearing pasties, bras and Little Black Diamond shorts. I have the utmost respect for people who strut their stuff and don’t have a mind for what others think, but to the same token – and potentially, a symptom of my age – I kept wanting to put clothes on some of the girls; they looked freezing! But, once the sun went down – but inside the Fairgrounds, surrounded by the warmth of the dancefloor and a rampage of ravers – it was incredibly warm and downright comfortable.

I can’t wait for the next HARD Festival, and I surely hope more Southern California EDM Production Teams start taking advantage of that Primo Festival Real Estate.

Keep tabs on HARD for their highly acclaimed international and national festival dates through their website and socials –

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud

Still can’t get over the weekend? No sweat, we’ve got some excellent pre-DOTD Soundcloud mixes sure to get you groovin’ into the long weekend:

[The Audiofiles] Required Listening for Lightning in a Bottle ’14

May 6, 2014May 6, 2014Leave a comment

I woke up bright eyed and bushy tailed this morning with a huge bounce in my step and a smile on my face; why, you ask? Because I can count down the days until Lightning in a Bottle on my fingers and toes! As of today, there are only 15 days left until my favorite music festival; 15 days until I leave the ‘real world’ of Monday through Friday, 9 to 5 jobs that leave us yearning for some semblance of self satisfaction; 15 days until I cruise up to the San Antonio Camp Grounds up on the Central Coast of California for a weekend of fun, sun, beautiful people and wonderful vibes. After last year’s amazing experience at Lightning in a Bottle, I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to cover the event for The DJ List and I couldn’t be more thrilled. So, with 15 days left until the big weekend – I give you the 15 acts you have to see.

Back when I first set eyes on the LIB’14 flyer, I recognized less than half of the artists on the bill – which is better than last year’s lineup, where I probably knew about a third of the acts pre-festival. In an effort to educate my eardrums, I decided to start from the bottom right corner where the lesser known acts resided and work my way up to the top where mainstream headliners like Moby, Phantogram and Little Dragon sit comfortably. Beyond the fact my taste in music has evolved over the last year, what I realized while winding myself through the lineup is that there’s just so much good music out there to discover for everyone. From Goa and Psy-Trance to Ambient Chillscapes, Glitchy Dubstep to Liquid Drum and Bass, and Funky Deep House to Nu-Disco Soul Music – this year’s lineup for Lightning in a Bottle absolutely has something for everyone’s taste in music.

Late Night Radio: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

When I started rummaging through the line-up, I had no idea that my plan to make it from bottom to top in a day at the office would be thwarted. Not by the fact I had a meeting, or a heavy workload – but because third from the bottom is Late Night Radio and once I started listening, I simply couldn’t stop. Even though my heart has found it’s way into an EDM groove over course of the past decade, Hip-Hop and Rap have a way of speaking directly to my soul – and that bassline, oh, that bassline – it most certainly was the gateway drug that converted me to Electronic Music. So, when I started grooving to the Vinyl Restoration series from LNR – I was absolutely sold. Known to friends as Alex Medellin, LNR effortlessly blends ambient Electronic instrumentals with a Neo-soul, Hip-Hop groove – and the result is absolutely insatiable. Hands down, he’s my #1 Must See at LIB.

Tourist: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

Admittedly, I’m a sucker for remixes – reworks, really – if you want to get down to brass tax. There’s a guy on Soundcloud who goes by Virgin Magnetic Material and he’s known for his masterful mix downs of hit songs. My first Tourist track reminds me of VMM in the best of all possible ways – it was ‘Your Girl’, a rework of the 90’s song from Aaliyah. The more I tore into his discography, the more I fell in lust with his downtempo, melodic and sometimes eerie, Deep House vibe. One of my personal favorites right now is ‘I Can’t Keep Up’ featuring the vocal stylings of Will Heard; it’s absolutely breathtaking.

The Polish Ambassador: : Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

Wildlight: Facebook | Soundcloud | The DJ List

Even though TPA is half of Wildlight, it’s difficult to put them into the same category of music – unless that category is called: awesome. The Polish Ambassador excells at working the festival crowd and has made a name for himself through his funky fresh remixes of jams like ‘No Diggity’ and ‘Girl Control’; Wildlight, on the otherhand, is a side project with the amazingly talented Ayla Nereo that fuses her ethereal voice with earthy instrumentals, creating what I can only describe as World Music that your parents could appreciate. They’re two drastically different sounds, but they’re equally moving – and I highly recommend catching both.

Lee Burridge: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud| The DJ List

Ask anyone who’s attended any All Day I Dream event, and they’ll all gush the same thing: Lee Burridge is an expert at throwing day parties. From the beautiful vibes his smile elicits, his “Get Weird” attitude, right on to the lovely house grooves coming off the decks – Lee’s Sunday set will undoubtedly attract all of the Deep House fanatics at LIB.

Slow Magic: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

My first Slow Magic discovery was the song ‘Youth Group’ – a synth heavy, melodic anthem that makes you want to stomp around. Since then, I’ve been dabbling in all things SM and it’s been getting me really amped for their set!

Maxxi Soundsystem: Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

A few Summers ago, I had what I’d like to call a ‘Love Affair’ with Deep House. It was perfect for lazy Summer days by the pool where you didn’t want to move an inch, or lazy Sunday afternoons where you were soaking in memories of the weekend. But at the time, what Deep House didn’t do for me was move my body. Thank goodness my friends introduced me to Maxxi Soundsystem. Their music is an infectious, rumbling journey into the melodic side of deep house – trust me when I say you won’t be disappointed.

Random Rab: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

Back a few months ago at King King, I got my first introduction to Random Rab and immediately, I was hooked. Most music – I can describe fairly well, but Random Rab provides almost meditative, downtempo soundscapes that you can drift into a daydream with.

Kraak & Smaak: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

I have an incredibly vivid memory from How Sweet It Is ’09 – Fedde Le Grande was headlining the Main Stage, but because of capacity issues – officers on horseback ushered us away from the main tent and told us to find another stage. Keep in mind, this is when I was firmly planted in Electro House and Progressive Trance – and the thought of going to the Neon Gardens or Bass Pod at the time almost terrified me. Immediately, some fast friends of ours noticed our shift in mood and announced that they were going to introduce is to something magical and mindblowing. As we shuffled into an almost empty tent, our ears were full of live instruments and MCs – it was all so brand new, so exciting and so beautiful. Between SHY FX, Booka Shade and Kraak & Smaak – I was introduced to so much good music that night that’s since then, heavily influenced my life. Their epic hit ‘Squeeze Me’ gives me goosebumps to this day; I can’t wait to see K&S again now that I’m familiar with their catalog.

Desert Dwellers: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

If you’re opening for Shpongle, chances are – your music is insanely progressive. When Shpongle graced the stage at Avalon last month, they brought friends and fellow Goa/Psy Trance aficionados Desert Dwellers with them as their opening act and it was absolutely perfect. Slightly more downtempo than Shpongle, DD creates gorgeous ambient soundscapes that you can effortlessly lose yourself in but with just enough bass and harmony where you can dance to your heart’s content.

Pumpkin: Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud |The DJ List

Hands down, Pumpkin was one of my top five sets from last year. I have to hand it to the Gent, he really knows how to get the crowd movin’ to the music. A Los Angeles local, Pumpkin’s been in high demand within the festival circuit at Coachella, Sea of Dreams as well as Lightning in a Bottle over the years. Just take a five minute peak into his set at LIB and you’ll more than see why!

Dimond Saints: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

Dimond Saints is the brain child of Trip-Hop phenom An-Ten-Nae & friend ReLeece. For the last few months, they’ve been pushing hit after hit out to the Hypem charts and I’m really diggin’ what I’m hearing them put down. An-Ten-Nae threw down one hell of a set at Sea of Dreams as LowRiderz with Laura Low and has more then proved himself as a versatile artist and producer. He’s definitely going to be one to watch over the next few years.

Thriftworks: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

The first time I heard of Thriftworks was through the Sea of Dreams lineup, and now I just can’t get enough of him. Somewhere in between the down-tempo Glitches and Trip-Hop beats, I lose myself in the music; some Thriftworks in the afternoon sun sounds simply perfect.

Claude VonStroke: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

One thing’s for sure – there ain’t no party like a Dirty Bird party, cause a Dirty Bird party don’t stop! On NYE at Sea of Dreams, I saw Worthy and J.Phlip hold it down for the Dirty Bird crew – and now, I’m excited to see the Big Papa of the crew back on the decks! I saw him at Avalon back in ’12 and I’ve been itching to see him ever since. J.Phlip will also be in attendance for LIB, fingers crossed we’ll see some back to back Dirty Bird action goin’ down at the Woogie stage!

Beats Antique: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | The DJ List

The first time I saw Beats Antique was back in ’08 when they opened for Bassnectar at the El Ray; that was right around the time that my mind was expanding exponentially with new music. No longer was it just House and Trance for me; all of a sudden – there were new, glitchier, funkier, grimier, more industrial sounds to explore – and Beats Antique was my first real introduction to them. At the time, I called it ‘great music to ride a horse to’ and while slightly ignorant, I still hold to my statement; Beats Antique elicits a bohemian bazaar feeling that immediately transports me back hundreds of years with their ‘World Music’ inspired sounds.

Tickets for Lightning in a Bottle are selling like hot cakes, so be sure to get yours now before they’re sold out – this is one weekend you don’t want to miss out on; trust me, I’m a festie.

[The Audiofiles] Putting A New Spin on Some Old Favorites

March 12, 2014March 12, 2014Leave a comment

I don’t know about y’all, but there’s nothing quite as sweet as a track that I loved in my youth getting a proper revamp for 2014. From strong female vocalists to timeless basslines, funky breakdowns and catchy choruses – these tracks had it all back in the day, and now thanks to exquisite ears, their new sounds more than hold their own against the original tracks (truth be told, I actually like them better). In my opinion, and in your dictionary, a remix is a piece of work designed to sound different than the original; let’s be real, if all you’re doing is enhancing the ‘four to the floor beat’, I probably won’t appreciate the artistic quality of your work. Another pet peeves in remixes is when the vocals are either eliminated or reduced to a repetitive whimper. So, when artists come along and do a song absolute justice – I definitely notice. The remixes below have completely blown me away, so whether you’re wishing Wednesday was over – or you’re happily plodding through the day, take a listen these kickin’ remixes and take a load off, it’s halfway to Friday !

[Track of the Week] The Polish Ambassador – Girl Control

March 6, 2014March 6, 2014Leave a comment

“I keep it playin’ while some choose to play it safe…”

As I cruised through the lineup for Lightning in a Bottle, a wave of confusion washed over my body – I recognized about two thirds of the entire line-up but the closer I got to the bottom of the bill, the more questions I had: who are you, how did you get here and can you move my head, heart and / or feet? Moby, Phantogram and Little Dragon grace the topline and rightfully so – they’re household names that you actually have the chance of hearing on mainstream radio. Then you work downwards: Amon Tobin, Gold Panda, Simian Mobile Disco, Beats Antique, Gramatik, Chet Faker, Thomas Jack, Random Rab, Desert Dwellers; those names might cause some to scratch their heads, but if you’ve been on the outskirts of indie electro or in the electronic underground – they’re just as familiar, if not more so than the latest work from the ‘headliners’.

Slowly but surely, I’ve been chronicling the artists starting from the bottom right corner and heading up that bright headline of familiar faces. Over the past few years, this process has become more of a tradition – starting with my first Coachella and leading me here – to my second Lightning in a Bottle experience. And now that I’ve gotten aquanited with some of the lesser known acts, let me just ooze with excitement for a second: between the world music out of Natasha Kmeto, the delightful deep house grooves of Marley Carroll and the groovy, jam-band Plantrae – the bottom of the lineup has just as much, if not more talent than the top. And of course, I already have a steady list of favorite artists that I’m delighted to be sharing with the world. The cherry on top of my ice cream sundae is that two artists that I’ve featured in my Rising Star Spotlight series made the line-up – Thomas Jack and Flume, who’ll be performing as half of the duo What So Not.

The original plan was to meander through the artists repository on Soundcloud and throw a few tracks into my LIB Prep Playlist; but then, I put on The Polish Ambassador – and somewhere between the one woman dance party that started in my living room, rocking out in the car and then sharing my favorite jams with my friends, I’d realized that I’d been on a 2 hour kick and wasn’t planning on coming out of it anytime soon. From the funky soul grooves to the ambient, ethereal soundscapes, The Polish Ambassador has effortlessly and successfully crafted music for any occasion. My current favorite called ‘Girl Control’; it’s an oldie, but a goodie – and I’ll bet your bottom dollar you won’t stop booty shakin’ til its over.

As the festival gets closer, I’ll be shining the spotlight on the artists, entertainment, live talks and music that will be filling the hills of the San Antonio Recreation Area in Bradley, CA. I can’t wait to share what makes this festival so amazing with everyone, and hopefully I’ll be seeing your beautiful faces in the mountains!