Get Ready to #WatchTheMoonrise With Full Lineup Playlist
–Written by Kevin Madert
This August, Pimlico Race Course will again be the site of now-annual electronic soiree Moonrise Festival. For year number three Steez Promo diversified their aural portfolio, bringing on heavy hitters from the house & techno scene to compliment a boatload of bass-focused acts.
To keep you up to speed on the whole shindig, we’ve compiled one of our world-famous* playlists, covering the lineup from top to bottom. On top of that, we’ve hand-picked our can’t-miss artists & given them each a few words. Come August 6-7 you’ll wow your friends and snag the festival sweetheart of your dreams with your sexy superior knowledge. Read on!
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Diversity, Maturity, General Saxiness Color Moon Hooch’s “Red Sky” (Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Kicking off your career with a solid LP isn’t unheard of. Hell, vaulting over the sophomore slump & releasing a well-received follow-up isn’t always a surprise either. But here we are, three albums deep, and New York based brass-blowing darlings Moon Hooch show no signs of plateauing. Red Sky is musical growth personified, tracked & mastered; full of diversity inspired by maturity and risk-taking inspired by the confidence said maturity entails. Of course, it’s also endowed with the frenetic energy that made Moon Hooch & This Is Cave Music such stellar albums. Convinced yet? No? Yeesh, and I was hoping I could step out early on this one…
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Prep For Next Month’s Camp Bisco With Full Lineup Playlist, AltFreq Can’t Miss Sets
–Words & List by Kevin Madert
A month from today, the snowless slopes of Montage Mountain will be dotted with tents. Music will echo out over the city of Scranton situated in the valley below, and top-notch production will alight the night sky. For the second year running, the four seasons resort will play host to Camp Bisco. The perennial east coast jam/electronica festival boasts an eclectic assortment of talent, topping out near 90 performers.
AltFreq is here to make planning your weekend just a bit easier. Split-second set decisions throughout the weekend won’t strain the brain when you’re armed with our lineup-encompassing playlist. We also sifted through the bill to compile a shortlist of acts we’re especially amped for. Wanna get the most out of your ticket by knowing before you go? Read on, intrepid internetters, and we’ll see you on the mountain.
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Tor’s “Blue Book” Well Worth The Wait (Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
From the opening moments of Blue Book, Loci Records mainstay Tor invites the listener into a carefully crafted world of monolithic ambience. Picking up right where 2012’s Drum Therapy left off, the lush minimalism present on the Canadian producer’s sophomore full-length is all-absorbing. With attention to detail uncommon even in the nuance-laden sphere of downtempo his work occupies, he’s able to create a ten track trip-hop smorgasbord delectable in both its delicacy and digestibility. Headphones are all you need to start this 45 minute aural journey, buoyed along by a diverse coalition of instrumentation & driven forward by an oft-shifting, ever-present beat.
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Opiuo Traverses Sonic Terrain New & Familiar on “Omniversal” (Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Few artists have a hold on my heart (and ears) quite like Opiuo. His wobbly, wonky, oh so funky brand of deep bass glitch-hop reeled me in, and his ability to innovate sonically within his own creative space has kept me hooked ever since. It follows, then, that Omniversal shines as a fresh take on the themes and styles that have long defined the Australia-based producer’s work. Picking up this album equates to obtaining a ticket on the Mid-Tempo GlitchFunk Express – dress code casual, dance parties inevitable.
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On “The Dream Is Over,” Pup Confirms the Opposite (Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
For all the misery Pup espouses on The Dream Is Over, they seem to be having a pretty good time. While the Canadian foursome’s sophomore full-length teems with omnidirectional vitriol, it also teems with insightfully empathetic, listenable music. Thanks to the group’s admirable acumen, these elements coalesce to make up one of the best albums of the calendar year.
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