Weekend Wind-Down No. 16: Dreamscape Edition
-Words & list by Kevin Madert
Plenty of the artists on the Dreamscape Festival lineup can throw down bangers with the best of them (Friday’s warm-up is plenty proof of that). Yet it’s a mark of true comfort behind the decks when an artist can weave in moments of sonic respite throughout a set. This variation allows the crowd those brief moments to catch their collective breath and makes the inevitable return to heavier and faster tones that much more satisfying.
Naturally the fine folks at Badass Raves are savvy enough to populate their event lineups with artists who possess such skills. From the funky undertones of Dr. Fresch’s “Dreamin'” to one of my all-time favorite Michal Menert tunes in “Tomorrow May Never Come,” it’s clear Dreamscape Festival is no exception. A cursory glance at the remainder of the tracklist confirms there’s no genre boundaries on piloting a diverse set. Whether you’re into liquid drum ‘n’ bass (Total Science), downtempo trance (Aly & Fila), or whatever the heck you want to call Vibe Street’s ingenious melding of bluegrass and bass (he prefers grasshop), Dreamscape Festival has you covered.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 15: Mixed Bag #2
-Words & list by Kevin Madert
This week, think less about why these songs belong together and more about how they coalesce to provide a soundtrack for your weekend decompression. It’s a collection comprised of vocal numbers – LCD Soundsystem’s lengthy & laid-back “All My Friends” kicks us off – and songs like “Catherine Wheel” and “Soft Trees Break The Fall” that at times are barely there. AltFreq recommends you grab a pair of headphones, find a comfortable place, and fade into the diverse soundscapes of this week’s Wind-Down.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 14: Sung to Sleep
–Words & list by Kevin Madert
Remember childhood? The scale balancing your life experiences and your understanding of them was tipped decidedly in the direction of the former. No matter your upbringing, there were plenty of times when you were confused – even scared – of what you did not know or comprehend. That’s where the adults in your life came in, whoever they were; in my case, it was my mom. I’d lay down to sleep with thoughts swirling around my head, but she knew just how to handle that. Sometimes she’d sing – I still know every word to Peter, Paul & Mary’s “500 Miles” thanks to her – while other times she’d simply hum unintelligible, soothing melodies. Any worries I possessed would fade with my consciousness as I’d drift off to sleep.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 13: We (Still) Love The 90s
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
Did I not tell you we’d be taking more trips to the 90s in the near future? Admittedly many of us are better versed in the plaid-clad one-hit wonders than the more emotive and relaxed numbers, but I’d be surprised if you didn’t recognize at least a few of the songs included on this list. We start off with one of the best B-sides ever released in “Yellow Ledbetter” (your status as a great band is cemented when your outtake tracks outshine the entire catalogs of other groups) and hit a myriad of genre stops along the way. Enjoy, and we’ll surely meet you in the past again soon.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 12: Anjunadeep
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
For every yin there is a yang. After warming it up with the upbeat side of Above & Beyond-purveyed music, I decided our wind-down should explore the deeper side of things. Enter Anjunabeats sub-label Anjunadeep, where the releases are more subdued and the focus placed on more progressive and varied styles. I tried to represent that breadth in these ten songs; “Neon Feel” is plenty funky, “Lost In You” and “Every Night” are deep and vocal, and “Gaff’s Eulogy” stands out as the only tune on the list that’s not steady beat at all.
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Weekend Wind-Down No. 11: Liquidity
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
It’s always fun when we can wind it down in the same sphere of the musical universe as we wound it up. It’s is a dreamy meander compared to Friday’s frantic sprint – the term “liquid drum ‘n’ bass” is a loose one from where I’m standing. Yet if you give it a close listen you’ll hear all the same structural elements, albeit stripped down to various degrees. We’ve got some lifter-uppers – Fred V & Grafix’s “Downpour” stands out – and plenty of mellow-outters – the second half of the list should satiate anyone with that desire. Grab a pair of headphones and let the impossible gentleness of these ten tracks soothe your weekend-bruised soul.
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