[The Audiofiles] Countdown to 2016 around Los Angeles with Insomniac Events

December 21, 2015December 21, 2015Leave a comment

Throughout my years in Los Angeles, I’ve watched as Insomniac Events raised the bar to raising your glass at New Years Eve. Whether it’s House legends Sasha and Digweed throwing down an awe inspiring back to back set, an epic nine hour Armin Van Buuren expose, or blasting off with bass heavy sets from NERO and Major Lazer – Insomniac is always perfectly poised with an expertly curated lineup, incredible production value and decorations to the nines. This year in LA will be no different – except for the sheer volume of events to choose your own adventure from!

If you’re down to go big and you’re privy to high octane energy, whimsical wobbles, and euphoric bassdrops – Insomniac’s Countdown NYE in San Bernadino has you covered with Sleepy Tom, What So Not, Alison Wonderland, Kaskade, TJR and more!

More Details on Countdown NYE Here!

If you’re not in the mood to trek it out to San Bernadino, or are looking for a more intimate club experience – you can take your pick of Insomniac influenced and Night Owl approved nightclubs, each with a uniquely stacked lineup.

Sound Nightclub
Bring on the Bass – that Night Bass! AC Slater hosts an extra special edition of NYE Night Bass at Sound with Jack Beats, BOT and friends

More Details Here

Create Nightclub
Get ready to dance your way into 2016 as Create brings Oliver Heldens to Los Angeles!

Tickets

Avalon Nightclub
Gear up for a 3 Hour set from Morgan Page, not to mention Gabriel & Dresden and Randy Seidman!
More Details Here

Exchange Nightclub
Techno? TechYES! Rave into 2016 as John Digweed headlines LA Loves Techno New Years Eve.
Details

But if you really want to know where my soul wants to roam for New Years, it’s deep into the underground as Insomniac pulls out all the stops at the Hollywood Palladium for Twelve.31

Prepare your ears for a four to the floor feast, a house fueled, 9 hour groove-a-thon featuring Dusky, Kidnap Kid, Jon Charnis, Tiga Vs Kenny Glasgow and my absolute personal festival favorite from this past year – Shiba San

Purchase Tickets Here

For more on Twelve.31, head to the event’s social media pages –

Facebook | Twitter

Keep tabs on Insomniac Events for the best in dance music events –

Website | Facebook| Twitter

[The Audiofiles] Get Your Rocks Off at Gem and Jam’s 10 Year Anniversary

December 15, 2015December 15, 2015Leave a comment

A shining beacon of the Electronic Music Scene in Tucson, the Gem and Jam Festival returns for their 10 year anniversary to celebrate both the symbiosis of music and art within the conscious festival community as well as the love of precious minerals and gems featured at Arizona’s fabled Gem Show.

Thrown in collaboration with Infinite Music Productions, New Earth MUZiQ, Euphonic Conceptions & Challenger, the Gem and Jam Festival constantly evolves the perception of dance music with a livetronica take – almost every act you’ll find at the festival includes live elements within their performance. This year, headliners for the event include Beats Antique, The Polish Ambassador, Lettuce, Minnesota, Ott and so many more – plus a plethora of unreal live painters. Last year hosted the likes of Alex + Allyson Grey, The Welch Brothers, Benedigital, Ngene and Jef Logan; this years lot is slated to be just as magical. And let’s not forget, the magical, mystical and magnificent minerals and gems on dazzling display – best believe you’ll leave with at least a few of them!

For those that hit up the event last year, you’re in luck – four more hours of music have been added to each day!

Details
Dates: February 12-14
1102 W Grant Rd
Tucson, AZ 85705
Doors open at 12pm each night
Music goes from 12pm – 1am nightly

If you’re itching to get your rocks off early, head to San Francisco or Los Angeles for one of the official Gem and Jam Pre-parties with Shpongle, Ott and Alex + Allyson Grey!

San Francisco @ 1015 Folsom on 1/14
RSVP // Tickets

Los Angeles @ The Belasco on 1/15
RSVP // Tickets

For a look into last year’s magic, take a look at the official aftermovie –

Life at Gem & Jam 2015 (Official After Movie) from The Art of Bohl on Vimeo.

For more on the Gem and Jam Festival, head to their socials –

Website | Facebook | Twitter

[The Audiofiles] Ipman Releases Delightfully Dark Debut LP ‘Depatterning’ on The Glitch Mob’s Glass Air Imprint

October 20, 2015October 20, 2015Leave a comment

Prepare yourself for an auditory adventure into the throws of industrial synths, brooding tech house basslines and ominous undertones as Ipman presents his debut album ‘Depatterning‘. Releasing via The Glitch Mob’s Glass Air Records imprint and Tectonic Recordings, Depatterning‘ is the fantastic culmination of two dedicated years in the studio honing his unique and experimental sound that sits delightfully between UK Garage and Future Bass.

Originally hailing from a small rural English town, Ipman – better known as Jack Gibbons – has passionately curated an album that draws equal inspiration from rave culture as it does his personal technological advancements in instrumentation. The album was hand crafted by tech savvy Gibbons, down to the very instruments used: experimenting with both modular and granular synths and rewiring the drum machine.

“I like to create music by experimenting with new ideas and mechanics and letting tracks evolve, and this was no different. I had a pretty free reign and just tried new things and looked at the results.”
– Ipman Through discordant bass and dissonant tones, Ipman’s record is a delightful deviation from predictable, four to the floor club bangers. One listen to ‘Depatterning‘ and you’ll be craving a 3am moment at a Warehouse party.

‘Depatterning’ Tracklisting
1. Regicide
2. Technicolour
3. Gravity
4. IPA
5. Last One In The In The
6. Y
7. O
8. U
9. Strong Ones

Depatterning is available for purchase or for listen via streaming in a menagerie of different mediums from Ipman’s website here; choose your auditory adventure whichever way you best see fit – iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, Google Play and more!

For more on Glass Air Records, head to their website here

Get to know Ipman through his socials –
Website | Facebook | Soundcloud | Twitter

Originally Featured on The DJ List

[The Audiofiles] Celebrate 3 Years of House, Techno and Love as the Dirtybird Crew Heads to Desert Hearts

October 13, 2015October 13, 2015Leave a comment

In the past year, the Desert Hearts team has taken the dance music world by storm. Between a record label that’s more interested in creating a melodic mood than making money, an iconic club event that catalyzed into this year’s “Summer of Love Tour” and appearances at major festivals across the West Coast from Lightning in a Bottle to Symbiosis, the Dirtybird Campout to Transmit Festival, there’s simply no stopping this rag-tag team of musical merrymakers. This November, they’ll be returning to their stomping grounds in Southern California for the Desert Hearts 3 Year Anniversary Festival from November 5th through the 9th. and everyone wants to get in on the fun.

In addition to Desert Hearts residents Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds, Marbs, Porkchop and Deep Jesus – joining in on the Fall fun are international stars and homegrown favorites including Dirtybird Record’s Claude VonStroke and J.Phlip, the legendary Doc Martin, Andreas Henneberg, Kate Simko, jozif, David Scuba, Dance Spirit, Tara Brooks and more.

Desert Hearts is truly one stage, one vibe and one sound – but beyond that, Desert Hearts is one dancing, breathing, living and loving organism that feels like home the second you enter. This November, come marinate in the music with over 100 hours of House, Techno and Love and revel in a weekend off the grid with other sonic souls and kindred spirits.

Purchase Tickets Here | More Info Here

For more on Desert Hearts, head to their socials:
Website | Facebook | |Soundcloud

Miss the Spring Festival? Catch up with my Desert Hearts Recap Here!

[The Audiofiles] Another Night Out, Another Dance Floor with Late Night Alumni and DJ Firefly

September 24, 2015September 24, 20151 Comment

Last Friday night, hundreds of eager, friendly faces crowded into Orange County’s Yost Theater for a musical treat. For the first time almost a year, down tempo house sensation Late Night Alumni was slotted for a headlining set with support from local talent DJ Firefly and A Baum. In the last decade, Late Night Alumni have championed their own unique style of downtempo, ambient electronic music that incorporates equal parts electronic production and organic instrumentation. Originally a quartet with Ryan Raddon of Kaskade fame, Late Night Alumni currently tours as a duo – angelic vocalist Becky Jean Williams with John Hancock, a prolific producer, with Finn Bjarnson occasionally making it a trio.

FireflyF
DJ Firefly kick-started the evening with a proper punch and pizazz. A California transplant originally from Michigan, Firefly lit up the night with an eclectic mix of deep, tech and progressive house you couldn’t help but bounce around to. From 10pm to close, the mood was set at a magnificent high as the vibrations from the speakers matched the energy on the dance floor.

abaum
Up next, DJ ABaum took the decks, ebbing and flowing through bass heavy EDM bangers – leaving the crowd wistfully wondering how the night would segue into Late Night Alumni.

As Becky Jean Williams‘ ethereal vocals dazzled the audience, I found myself equally entranced by John Hancock’s expert skill with the multitudes of instruments on stage, including an electric piano, violin and a Thermin. After seeing Oliver Huntemann live on a ReacTable a few years back in Los Angeles, I’ve been prepared for almost any instrument to be brought out on stage, but the Thermin was novel – and I was impressed.

Live performances are the blue moons of EDM shows, with a set magnificently strung together with purpose, pride and passion. Throughout the night, Late Night Alumni found a way through their entire anthology of hits, mixing newer tunes from their 5th and latest studio album, Eclipse – released on Kaskade’s Arkade imprint, and of course some oldies but goodies like Empty Streets and 4AM.

Photography by Daniel Leist / Daniel Leist Photography

For the full album, head to Facebook

For more on Late Night Alumni, DJ ABaum or Firefly, head to their socials –

Late Night Alumni: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

DJ A-BAUM: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

DJ Firefly: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

[The Audiofiles] Make Wednesdays Wobble at LA’s Low End Theory

September 9, 2015Leave a comment

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Basking in the success of their second annual Low End Theory Festival, Los Angeles’ Low End Theory stands as the wobbliest weekly Wednesday night adventure in town. Reveling in rambunctious lineups, stacked to the brim for your listening pleasure, their calendar perpetually showcases blossoming local talent alongside international stars and talented residents Daddy Kev, Nobody, Nocando and The Gaslamp Killer. Beyond their weekly gigs in the City of Angels, Low End Theory heads to Japan on a quarterly basis and bounces off to San Francisco, New York City and even off to Europe every once in a blue moon. With Echo Park’s The Airliner as their home base, the Low End Theory Squad has cemented more than just a name for themselves on the West Coast, they’ve started a movement, paying homage the fusion of Hip Hop within Dance Music with Glitch Hop, Future Bass and Experimental Dub.

With almost nine years under their belt, their underground following has catapulted them to international acclaim while refusing to go mainstream – letting the artists and their work marinate within the counter-culture and breed creativity within the dance music community. Artists like The Glitch Mob, Flying Lotus, Nosaj Thing, Baths, Thom Yorke, Erykah Badu, Earl Sweatshirt, Mr. Carmack, Daedelus and TOKiMONSTA have all graced the decks at Low End Theory, leaving a strong legacy of auditory taste-makers behind. For a closer look at the ethos of Low End Theory, go ‘Looking for the Perfect Beat’ in a documentary produced by founder Daddy Kev and Music Documentarian Matthew F. Smith.

Low End Theory is gearing up for their 9 year anniversary, coming in hot on October 14. Don’t sleep on this wonderful occasion, snag your tickets now and get wobbly with your Wednesday.

RSVP HereTonight, join in on the fun with Daddy Kev, The Gaslamp Killer, Nocando and Nobody as they’re joined by TEEBS, DAYE JACK, OICHO and B.R.E.E.D! The Airliner is 18+ to Dance, and 21 to drink with a $10 cover at the door. Featuring house regulars TeachingMachine on visual duties and Pure Filth with sound reinforcement, it promises to be one wonky evening!

For more on the Low End Theory – head to their socials:

Low End Theory: Website | Facebook | Twitter

[The Audiofiles] Sounds Seduce With ODESZA’s Remix of “Something About You”

July 30, 2015July 30, 2015Leave a comment

When life pulls me in a thousand directions, music helps to regain emotional and mental stability. From when I wake up til the last seconds that I’m falling asleep, it’s the medicine in the rhythm, the vitality in the pulsing beat and succulent harmony that get me through. When Sydney based Hayden James’ “Something About You” first came out I was entranced by the bubbling bass line whimsically woven through haunting lyircs. As the rhythm writhes and rolls, the vocals sink into my head in serendipitous motion. Always a fan of original works, I was interested in hearing the remix packages stemming from this gorgeous single – and so far, I have yet to be disappointed. First, Sandrio heated it up with a deep and groovy remix, then Ben Pearce debuted his expertly timed and almost staccato rework and finally Just Kiddin released their version, raising the BPM and the Summer Vibe.

Adding another amazing remix to the stack is none other than ODESZA, the Seattle based Electronic Music Duo that’s been constantly on the rise over the last few years and rightfully so. Their original singles are seductive and emotional, their remixes are innovative and their live sets are absolutely phenomenal. It’s the little things, like the sound of a record dropping onto a record player, the haunting vocal elements of an angelic voice to raise you up and a symphony of synths to ring in the uplifting feel. Hands down, this is one of my favorite remixes ODESZA has produced and I can’t wait to hear what they have in store for us for the rest of the year.