Needless to say, vibes were already deeply established and rather potent.

I was delighted walking onto the grounds as I was welcomed by the seemingly collaborative art project that was the layout of the festival’s entrance. I stood there, frantically snapping photos of my new surroundings, while colorful youth passed me like eccentric fanatics, thirsty for vibrations.

I spent the first hours of my experience in search of subjects, situated in the limited light, I took into account all of the work that must have gone into the merchant tents, stage designs, and general festival layout. It made me appreciate why I and everyone else was there; to escape monotony, and affix ourselves neatly between light and vibration, while surrounded by like- minds. It sounds simple, but as we all know, often unobtainable.

Desert Dwellers took on the main stage, painting the eager canvas for those already transcended. It was the first set I found myself to be uninterrupted, and as that feeling evolved into bliss, I noticed those around me experiencing the same.

Macrodot and Krooked Drivers brought the roof down in the indoor, electronic stage, with heavy bass and super-sonic sound in their arsenal of funk, displaying their individual styles and grooves.

Before I saw Supervision and Paul Basic totally annihilate the main stage, I caught up with the very talented, Prescott based, touring behemoths Spafford, who were scheduled to go on Sunday Night. Over some food-truck chinese food, the dudes from Spafford and I discussed their sound, fruition, and general outlook on today’s music.

The AZ natives spontaneously joined together as mutually known musicians, to just play music together; music in the genre that they describe as, “electro-funk therapy.” I asked the guys, “without a real, lucrative music scene, why Prescott as a home-base for Spafford?”

“Prescott is just a good place for us to rest our heads, write, and relax with family, but then its all rage on the road!” Rage indeed, to say the least, as Spafford is one of the most prominent touring bands in the “jam,” scene, stretching their name from coast to coast. You can tell that these guys have a lot of fun with what they do.

We even shared our mutual love for Phish, and realized that we had been at the same show in Long Beach, CA as we proceeded to shout out the best songs from the set. The rest of the night, I was elated with he works of Purity Ring’s DJ set and the pure, raw, funk power of the Motet, who capped off the first night with an outrageous electric set.

The second night began with the same tangible atmosphere, and was lit up with late-night sets by headliners Thriftworks and Mimosa, while indoor sets by Kruza Kid and Smash and Grab took the audience to other dimensions. Fans were in awe by surrounding dancers and hoopers, who put themselves in the middle of it all, displaying their talents for everyone to ogle at. As the third and final night kicked off, it was obvious that festival-goers hadn’t tired in the nights passed, and brought a great energy to the closing night.

Headlined by Boombox, Sunday night was wrapped in vibratory elation and a sense of squeezing out every last bit of party the audience could muster. Spafford, Lynx, Love & Light and Random Rab got things going on the main stage in a big way, leading the ears of the crowd into thorough and deep jams escalating the mood of all who stood in whiteness.

Soulular, along with other indoor sets, really passed the bar set by their festival predecessors. Sunday night ended the festival with an amazing sense of togetherness, which I found to be the biggest attributor to the whole weekend’s meaning.

Gem and Jam is a radiant spectacle and made me realize that it was important not to get lost in the raging party aspect of it all. It made me remember what the jam-music scene is all about and made me recall it’s practice in a positive way. Embrace the love, the people, and above all, the music.

The post Gem and Jam 2014 Review appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

When I first heard that two of my favorite DJs were getting ready to hit the road together I thought it couldn’t get any better. When I found out the UK 2 LA Tour was making a stop in Phoenix, I just about lost it. Alex Metric, the British funk master and creator of some of my favorite mixes of all time, along with Destructo, aka Gary Richards aka Captain D aka the man behind HARD Presents…, going on a club tour with less than 20 stops and one of them is in my hometown?! That’s like seeing Michael Jordan and Steve Nash play one on one at the YMCA. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Wednesday night rolled around and I headed downtown expecting a somewhat empty venue with only a few AZ natives scattered out on the patio waiting for the show to get started. When I arrived to the Monarch Theatre, however, I was shocked to see a line out the building and a patio packed with kids of all ages. Inside was even more crowded with both the all ages and 21+ section completely full with fellow house fans. It was then that I realized I was in for more than I expected.

Alex Metric took to the decks to get things started, and I was ready for a similar set to what I had seen of him the last time he was in town with the Zedd Clarity Tour. Again, my predictions were far off. Alex was the perfect person to get the party started with his funk-filled set and high energy. Playing his hits like “Scandalism,” “Want Ya,” and “Head Straight,” Alex’s set was definitely not a disappointment, and while he might be a quiet lad off stage, his set could not be any more the opposite.

As Alex Metric came to a close, Destructo took to the stage, and without any hesitation his loyal Ship Fam flocked to the stage to support. Destructo kept the party moving right along, keeping the deep house vibes going with a little extra HARD sauce on the side. “Technology” was by far one of the hardest hitting songs of the night, making the crowd go absolutely bananas. With Holy Ship flags and HARD signs in the air, Destructo definitely got a good look at some of his biggest fans on the west coast.

What came next was what really took the cake for the whole evening: a back to back set with Alex Metric and Destructo. Playing each of their biggest hits like “Rave Weapon” and “Higher,” the boys closed out the evening with a bang for sure.

In conclusion, the entire show far surpassed my expectations. Getting to see both acts individually and collaboratively was more than one could ask for. It was great to see someone with veteran experience like Destructo mix with a producer who some would consider still on the rise. Each had their own influence on the crowd, and with a combined effort Alex Metric and Destructo put together a show I’ll remember for all of 2014.

The post UK 2 LA Tour Photos & Review (Phoenix, AZ) appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

For all who aren’t familiar with Adventure Club, they are a Canadian electronic dance music duo based out of Montreal, Quebec composed of Christian Srigley and Leighton James.

Being one of the dominating producers of melodic dubstep, with the release of this EP they’ve stated that they did not want to be defined by one genre alone.

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Starting off with their first track, “Gold ft. Yuna”, they present yet another track that goes back to their roots. The combination of their melodic dubstep and Yuna’s vocals makes this track an instant classic, alongside their remixes of “Youth“, “Crave You” and “Lullabies“.

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“Wonder Feat. The Kite String Tangle” goes to show how male vocals can be just as beautiful as female vocals. It’s quite easy to lose yourself in this track with it’s chill vibes.

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“Crash” is a heavy electro-house track infused with yet another fantastic female vocalist. They show you how unique and fresh they can be compared to other artists, even when they step out of their own genre. This song has me destroying the replay button.

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With “Thunderclap”, they step into the big-room festival scene. With a mad buildup to a huge fist-pumping drop, this song has banger written all over it.

EP is available for purchase on iTunes and Beatport.

For more on Adventure club, check them out on Facebook, Soundcloud, and Twitter.

The post Adventure Club Calling All Heroes Pt. 1 EP appeared first on Just Noise To Me.