The 14th installment of Chicagoland’s premier electronic music event, North Coast Music Festival, is set to take motion this upcoming Friday, August 30th-Sunday, September 1st at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois! If you didn’t have plans for this year’s Labor Day weekend, well now you do, and this is the most proper way to do it. This year’s lineup is consistent with top acts such as ISOKNOCK, LSZEE, Tchami, Malaa, Sullivan King, Illneium and so much more. We’re here today to show you what madness awaits us as we feature the prominent bass act Black Cark!, on a 30-minute journey through the heavy experimental realm that bassheads can’t get enough of. We couldn’t think of anyone better to properly represent the dubstep community and give us a glimpse of what to expect. See further below to stream the official road to North Coast Music Festival guest mix!

“So excited to play North Coast for the first time! Here is a 30 min mix of what you can expect, and trust there will be more where that came from. I will be playing Sunday at the Vega stage at 4pm!” -BLACK CARL!

There are several household names in electronic dance music, however, there are few that have made the imprint that Liquid Stranger has. Bringing freeform bass to the forefront of the scene and distinguishing himself from others early on, Martin Stääf has had an incredible impact on not only bass music, but on the mission of music and live performances in general. From starting his notary label, Wakaan, and eventually expanding to his downtempo label Sskwan, he has continuously proven to be an inspiration in music. Perpetually improving his project and building upon the Wakaan label, he has created a legacy that will be ingrained in the scene’s history and will continuously elevate and inspire.

In similar fashion to Martin and his vision for music, the iconic Red Rocks Natural Amphitheater is possibly one of the most well-known and distinguished venues  within all genres of music, of which Liquid has chosen to host curated event Wakaan Rocks.  Wakaan Rocks showcases a smaller group of specially selected artists in an intimate setting that provides an ambiance like no other. For its second year, Liquid Stranger has something extremely special planned for attendees, debuting a new concept in which he performs 3 individual sets collectively dubbed the “TRINITY” concept; in which each set is geared toward a specified aspect of his artistry including a throwback, downtempo, and banger set. Each set will individually showcase fans favorite parts of the Liquid stranger project; featuring finely tuned visual production that will allow attendees to fully immerse themselves in the performance and their surroundings. Alongside Liquid Strangers “TRINITY”, Wakaan Rocks II features a stacked support lineup, including two back to back sets; G-Rex B2B Sully and Shanghai Doom B2B Sharlitz Web, as well as a stand-alone set from Eazybaked. Tickets for this monumental event are selling quickly, but can still be purchased through the link below:

1. As an artist, you’re extremely well known for having outstanding visuals that both elevate and compliment your set; Without revealing too much, what’s in store for attendees in terms of the audiovisual experience being presented at WAKAAN Rocks II? Any VJ/DJ pairings that fans should be excited about?

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A: My team and I are currently working on pairing visuals for each specific set – its very important to grasp as many of the human senses as possible during a performance. We put a lot into our visuals with several designers and creators; We are working on time coded visuals to sync different events and visuals with the music and bringing in different production components to make it a more unique experience. We plan to try a new video wall which works with the lights alongside and behind to create a new visual sense. My content is created by a multitude of different animators and content creators to create a new and amazing visuals for this show and that is something we constantly work on — Expanding our library of content.

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2. As someone that has continually pushed boundaries within the scene through both the Liquid Stranger project and WAKAAN label, do you feel that this event will be a turning point for WAKAAN in terms of innovation and furthering your overall vision?

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A: The main thing with the Red Rocks show and a turning point is the fact I will have 3 different unique sets.  I have been an artist for a very long time and worked with a lot of different genres and moods of music; Music is an emotional language and there is always too much music and too little time during a 1 hour set. A lot of requests for things that for one or another reason will not fit but this time I wanted to give my fans 1 opportunity to see the full spectrum of what the Liquid Stranger project is in one night. This is a one time occasion and I wanted to give my followers this opportunity.

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3. What advice can you give to your supporting artists making their Red Rocks debut; any tips or tricks that could positively affect their experience? Along with this, Is there anything you wish you had known prior to your first time playing Red Rocks?

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A: Advice for supporting upcoming artists is always the same – find your own unique voice. Stay true to your vision; Where as a skill set and talent is skilled over time is important – the most important quality for any artists or entrepreneur is WILL POWER. Know that you are special and that your unique expression is needed on this planet – that’s why you are here.

25 years later and Ultra Music Festival continues to blow fans away with their jaw-dropping lineup announcements. The 2024 full festival lineup dropped back in December, featuring a stacked bill of top tier artists such as Amelie Lens, Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz, Peggy Gou, SLANDER, Chase and Status, Chris Lake, Zeds Dead and many more.

The Miami festival will return for its 24th year, and make its way back to the iconic Bayfront Park, March 22-24. The four day festival will feature acts of all sizes, including some never before seen performances and many beautifully crafted stages. In addition to the regular stages in the park, carefully curated stages by Nora En Pure’s “Purified” brand and Armin van Buuren’s “A State of Trance” promise to elevate the festival experience to new heights. 

Photo: aLIVE Coverage

Attendees can also look forward to witnessing Fisher and Chris Lake unite for their “Under Construction” project, which made its initial debut on Hollywood Boulevard back in October. For the first time in Los Angeles history, Hollywood boulevard was transformed into a large-scale music venue. Chris Lake and Fisher brought in tens of thousands of people to see this performance, so attendees can get even more excited for their sophomore performance under this project at Ultra Miami. 

Speaking of incredible performances, this festival wouldn’t be the same without the European legends Armin Van Buuren, Hardwell, Afrojack, Martin Garrix and Calvin Harris. Over the years, artists like these have built Ultra up as a world-renowned festival, giving fans talent from all over the world. But, the most interesting thing about Ultra Miami is that not only does the lineup offer talent in that genre, but also incredible talent that is on the rise in the United States right now. Mersiv, Tape B, A Hundred Drums, Jon Casey and Levity are all great examples of bass artists in the United States right now who have shown an immense amount of talent and earned their spot on this lineup.

“Excited to share this playlist of songs we’ve made and songs we love in anticipation for our Ultra 2024 Mainstage set!”

– SLANDER

Ultra Miami is creeping up on us sooner than we think, and before we know it, Miami Music Week will be here. So, for anyone who wants to start their Ultra prep a couple weeks early, SLANDER was gracious enough to bless everyone with an extensive playlist with an amazing tracklist via Spotify. This playlist titled, Turbulence” consists of 46 songs varying from melodic tunes such as the acoustic version of, “Love is Gone” by SLANDER and Dylan Matthew, to heavy bass bangers such as, “Suffer” by SLANDER, MARAUDA and Elle Vee. Turbulence is the perfect playlist to put on and listen to fully from start to finish whether you’re going for a drive, listening at home, or hanging with your friends. Be sure to catch SLANDERS set at Ultra Miami, it is one you won’t want to miss!

Tickets for UMF are on sale now! With VIP tickets already sold out, fans still have a chance to grab a tier 3, 3-day general admission ticket for around $400 before taxes and fees. Grab them while you can, because UMF is looking like its 24th year will sell out very soon!

Today, February 7, Sully released his newest mix, “Decoded Vol. 3”.  The Decoded series is an annual installment that provides Sully an opportunity to work towards achieving the goal of creating a world where individuals can see the fusion of organic and digital components. Vol. 3 specifically, is a  blend of VIPs and remixes from his album, alongside a collection of unreleased originals and remixes, as well as hidden treasures from his peers. This curated selection not only highlights Sully’s creative prowess, but also serves as a testament to their unique taste, presenting some of the standout releases of the year. This mix fuels listeners with a perfect high energy vibe that will keep you on your feet the entire time.

“As I’ve been releasing these mixes over the years, I’ve been developing the ‘Sully Lore’ alongside my regular music releases. The goal of the project has been to create a world where we see the fusion of organic and digital components. ‘Decoded Vol. 1’ served as the introduction, ‘Vol. 2’ marked the phase of ‘entering the digital underground,’ offering fans a glimpse of my album. ‘Vol. 3’ is framed as an ‘altered reality,’ showcasing VIPs and remixes of my album, new unreleased originals and remixes, unpublished music from my friends, and some of my favorite releases of the year.”  -SULLY

1) Your new mix, Decoded Vol 3, comes out February 7, and is the third musical project in the Decoded series. What are you most excited for fans to hear on this mix?

• The decoded series gives me a chance every year to highlight my forthcoming music, unreleased music from friends, and my favorite tracks from the calendar year. This decoded mix is particularly special because I’m showcasing all of my upcoming VIPs from my album. The idea was to get this mix out prior to the release so we could give fans a taste for what’s coming in the near future. A huge goal of mine has also been to increase production behind this mix series every year. This is the first year I recorded the set live on video for fans to see. I’m hoping that next year, I can either scale up the production or even turn it into a real show that gets recorded!

2) This mix will also premier a handful of unreleased VIPs and remixes off your most recent album, Digital Underground, including unreleased music from many of your friends. How do you go about finding artists whose sound works well enough with yours to create a remix album like this?

• I couldn’t be more grateful for the efforts everyone put in on their remixes. I’ve been fortunate enough to develop friendships with all these producers over the years and I sincerely think so highly of all of them. It’s pretty amazing how it all fell into place especially because I just reached out to artists individually and let them all choose what song from the album they wanted to take on. I think the choices ended up being perfect and they all gave us such refreshing remixes to work with for the release.

3) How do you believe your sound design has progressed over the years to get to where you are now? 

• I think my sound design has definitely gotten a bit more centered around good songwriting rather than making the most impressive sounds and that has actually made the music a bit more potent in my opinion. I think simple sounds and cadences go a long way in both a live setting and for streaming purposes. Don’t get me wrong, I love a gnarly sound – but I’m finding a lot of joy in making super simple music lately.

4) What is one thing Sully fans can be excited for in 2024?

• I’m going to begin writing my next album this year and to be honest, I’m not totally sure what it’s going to look like or sound like but I think that’s exciting at the same time. It just means there’s new room for discovery as an artist. In the meantime, I think this year is going to be focused on finishing a lot of remixes and collaborations. I’ve got a lot of new collaborations going with friends such as Liquid Stranger, G-REX, PEEKABOO, Gunpoint, Heyz, + many more.

We are officially one week away before we embark on our journey back to Tucson, Arizona all the way from Florida in what we like to call, one of the state’s most down-to-earth and interactive music festivals. We are of course talking about GEM & JAM as 2024 makes their 16th annual edition return, which in itself is a massive accomplishment. This festival is home to some of the most diverse yet jaw-dropping lineups one can even dream of. From live electronics sets such as The Disco Biscuits and Lettuce, to mind-blowing bass from Jaenga, Of The Trees, and Boogie-T. Today we want to provide a preview of what’s to come on February 2nd-4th from our good friend JAENGA. Join us as we take a 30-minute ride through all the genre-blending goodness that awaits us in just a few more days’ time.

– Genre-Blending Music & Lineup

– Live Electronic Performances

– 2 Outdoor Stages and 1 Indoor stage 

– Food and craft vendors, live artists and workshops

– Entire site decorated in a gem theme

– Surrounded by nature and resides in a stunning desert environment

– On-site camping, glamping and rv passes available

– Late night music & art around the clock

– Eco-friendly experience if opted in and much more!

Although we as listeners and fans love a general sound curation throughout an artist’s career, it is always interesting and extremely well-received when artists switch up the general vibe of their performance and showcase their overall range. Yearly mixes of this sort have become a staple within the community and are always something refreshing to look forward to, bringing both a sense of nostalgia as well as satisfying the need for something new. One of the most highly anticipated mixes of late that perpetuates this is Jantsen’s “Gutter Music” mix, of which he has released reiterations of over the past 6 years. Combining his signature free-form bass sound with pop culture influences, Jantsen describes these mixes as evoking a ratchet, party vibe that is easily danceable and will keep fans coming back for more year after year. The mix’s latest edition, “Gutter Music 6”, is now available for listening on SoundCloud, and we personally can’t wait to throw this one on at our next get-together. For a deeper dive into “Gutter Music 6” and a further look into his creative process, see our exclusive Q&A with Jantsen below!

1. Are there certain artists you continually pull inspiration from for these mixes, both within and aside from the EDM genre?

“Girl Talk was always my main influence for the whole mashup/ mix template sound, I wanted to make something like he does but with a more EDM influence.”

2. How have you adapted these mixes over the years to continually connect with new pop culture references and curate the overall theme?

“Just staying in touch with what’s going on, I constantly search for new music and look for newer upcoming artists, that goes for all genres and I think that keeps me pretty up to date.”

3. What’s next for the “Gutter Music” mixes, and the Jantsen project as a whole? Any upcoming shows that will showcase a vibe similar to the mix?

“As long as I’m doing music, I will make these mixes and I’d like to do them more frequently. I’ve felt like there is a little bit of a disconnect between my mixes and the music I put out which can be frustrating when you’re trying to tell new listeners what to check out because I think I’m equally known for my mixes as I am my releases, so right now I think my main goal is to try and bridge those 2 areas.”

4. Any tips for producers and other artists interested in curating releases that are so highly anticipated year after year?

“Tell a story with your mix and spend just as much time on your mix as you would producing a song. I try and incorporate as many samples and different styles as I can, even if it’s completely random or doesn’t seem like it would make sense, it’s important for me to tell my story or give the listener an idea about the things that make me who I am. Most mixes I hear are just banger after banger and I think that’s because most producers just look at DJing as a byproduct of producing which is kind of sad, DJing is a completely different craft than producing and it takes just as much time to get good at and stand out.”