There is a palpable feeling of excitement in the air as Gem & Jam Music Festival approaches at what seems to be the speed of light. There is now only one week away until many will be venturing out to the Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, AZ to celebrate the 15th anniversary of one of the most iconic and memorable festivals in the Southwest. Featuring a lineup of extremely talented artists ranging from LSDream to Ravenscoon to Huxley Anne, there is something for everyone to enjoy throughout the course of the weekend. Whether you are going for one or all of them, there will definitely be no shortage of incredible music throughout the course of the weekend. We have the pleasure of bringing you our third and final mix in our Road to Gem & Jam Guest Mix Series. With a huge array of funky tracks to fill the day, this mix features tons of original tunes from Kaptain as well as some other heavy hitters from artists such as Daily Bread. This mix and the rest of the series perfectly encapsulate the joy, great music and emasculate atmosphere that Gem & Jam Music Festival has to offer each and every one of its attendees. If you haven’t checked out the other exclusive mixes in our series brought to you from Zen Selekta and Dredlok, make sure to go give them a listen for some absolute heaters! We can’t wait to see everyone next week at Gem & Jam Music Festival.

Diving Deep w/ Kaptain

1. What are you most excited about playing at Gem & Jam Festival?

Gem & Jam has been on my radar for a few years now. I think for most up and coming artists it’s exciting to be on big lineups at established festivals with bigger production and audiences. It’s definitely something I’ve been working towards for a while. This will be my first show in Arizona— it’s always fun to branch out and see what the music scene is like in a new place. Also, I have a ton of friends on the lineup so I’m just excited to connect and party with some good people and awesome artists.

2. What goes into preparing for bigger sets at these types of events?

Generally, my process for putting together a set is more or less the same whether I’m playing in front of a large audience at a festival or playing at a 100 capacity club. That being said, I think my mentality going into a festival is a bit different than playing in Denver (where I live). Typically at a festival, a big chunk of the people in the audience have never seen or even heard of Kaptain. Because of that I tend to give them what I think is the best representation of an energetic, fun Kaptain set. If I’m playing, let’s say at Cervantes’ in Denver, the audience is more established and I’m willing to experiment and get a little bit weirder.

3. What can attendees expect from your set at Gem & Jam Festival?

 Funky, soulful, bass-y, live electronic music. I think “live” means a lot of different things in the electronic music world. For me, it primarily is referring to the fact that I’m playing live synthesizer/keys the entire set. I use Ableton Live and “stem” my songs into different parts so that I can, for instance, manipulate the vocal of one track while I’m playing another track. It also allows me to make transitions that go beyond the constraints of the original recordings. And then on top of that, I play a lot of live edits/versions of tracks that I’m never going to release.

4. What’s next for your project? What plans do you have in the near future that you hope to accomplish as Kaptain?

As far as music, I’m currently in the mode of releasing singles and collabs and plan on continuing that for the short term. However, I’d love to make the time to work on an album eventually— I think even in today’s music landscape an album is still the ultimate musical artistic expression. 

As far as shows go, this year is going to be a big development year for me. I’m going on some runs of shows as direct support for bigger artists, and want to build my audience in the small to mid-sized festival circuit.

But in general, as long as I’m writing, performing, and making new friends through music, I’m happy. 

As Gem & Jam Music Festival grows closer and closer every day, it seems as if the EDM is buzzing with excitement from this incredible 3-day extravaganza. With 14 years already under their belt, this 15th-anniversary celebration is not to be missed especially with this year’s absolutely stacked lineup featuring heavy hitters such as Dirtwire, The Floozies, emancipator, and more. There is no doubt that this year also has an immense roster of talented artists, and today we are showcasing yet another one of these amazing creatives, Dredlok. With his wide range of musical knowledge, Dredlok not only takes his listeners on a journey through sound but incorporated live instruments such as the ukelele and didgeridoo into his sets. Dredlok has put together an absolute heater of a mix for us today to transport us into his musical world and give listeners a taste of the vibes that are to come from his set at Gem & Jam Music Festival in a few weeks. Sit back, relax and join us on this ride as we get an exclusive look at all there is to come Friday, February 3 – Sunday, February 5, 2023 at Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, AZ. 

Diving Deep w/ Dredlok

1. What are you most excited about playing at Gem & Jam ?

Recently, I feel like I am living inside the hopes and dreams of my younger self, and this festival is a big part of that. Seeing “Dredlok” on the same lineup as some of the first acts I ever saw live is mind-blowing. Those experiences are some of the best memories I have, and I feel extremely lucky to have my music be a part of that for so many people

2. What goes into preparing for bigger sets at these types of events?

A lot of time and energy goes into every set whether it’s a major festival or a small underground show. For this type of event, I take into account the entire lineup to decide what kind of vibe I want to create for the expected crowd. I keep track of which songs I’ve played before in every location to keep things fresh when I return, but this is my first time in Arizona so everything I’ve ever made is on the table.

3. What can attendees expect from your set at Gem & Jam Festival?

All original music with some remixes, live sampling, electric ukulele, digital saxophone, singing and a lot of energy. I’ve found that people generally like to hear things that they recognize, but also want to be surprised by something new. Combining samples and acapellas from my favorite artists with my original music is how I go about that. The live element makes the whole thing even more intimate because I am physically creating those sounds in a different way every time.

4. Outside of your set, what are you most excited to experience while at the festival?

Going to events like this is what inspired me to become a musician. I’m looking forward to wandering around in a new environment, discovering new artists, listening to some of my long-time favorites, and dancing my butt off while knowing that I get to contribute to the energy of the festival. I haven’t seen Haywyre since I got into live shows many years back, so I am especially excited for that set.

This years family reunion at Gem & Jam Festival is looking to be an even bigger and better community experience than the prior years before. 2023 marks their 15th year anniversary and the line up is shaping out to be quite the diverse showcase of performing acts. There is a bit of everything for everyone here, ranging from rock and soul bands to dubstep and experimental bass artists. This years headliners are comprised of The String Cheese Incident, LSDream, The Floozies, and Emancipator, with support from The Motet, Dirtwire, Ott, SoDown, The Funk Hunters, Mark Farina, and Marvel Years .Another highly notable act we believe should be shined up is Nicole Barton, better known as Zen Selekta for her diverse range of bass frequencies on stage. Today we have the honor of presenting the audience with an exclusive Road To Gem & Jam Guest mix featuring the star herself with thirty-eight minutes of absolute madness. Join us for the ride as we get a taste of what’s to come upon her live performance at the festival, which takes place on Friday, February 3 – Sunday, February 5, 2023 at Pima County Fairgrounds in Tucson, AZ. 

Taking place May 5th-7th at the Bama Slam Campground & Waterpark, Sol Fest Music Festival has become a crowning jewel in the world of summer music festivals. Featuring a full waterpark, camping, and beautiful venue space, Sol Fest is back and better than ever with the announcement of its 2023 lineup, which has caught the eyes of bass heads far and wide. If you thought last year’s lineup was packed to the brim with heat, this year’s has come out swinging with names such as Zeds Dead, Liquid Stranger, and a slew of other talented producers. While there are so many incredible artists on this lineup, it can be challenging to narrow down who you want to see throughout your time at SolFest 2023. Don’t worry though, we got you covered with 10 acts you don’t want to miss this year!

Top 10 (no particular order)

2. Flozone 

4. Jaenga

6. Funkshway

8. brothel.

10. Marvel Years

Whether you are able to catch all of these sets or just a few, each of these artists’ sets will pack a punch from start to finish. Sol Fest has truly become a festival where magic and music meet to create some of the best vibes and bring together all the right people. Not only are there a ton of brilliant artist playing over the weekend, but the pre-party lineup also offers some exciting faces such a A Hundred Drums, Marvel Years and more! Take the leap and get immersed in the wonder as well throughout the course of the entire weekend through good music and incredible production at one of the best summer music festivals around. We can’t wait to see everyone at Sol Fest 2023!

FOR TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE!

There is no better way to ring in the New Year than raging with your homies and celebrating great vibes at HiJinx Festival 2022. Taking place at the Philadelphia Convention Center on December 29th and 30th, there is definitely something for everyone to enjoy over these two days. With artists such as Flume, Eprom, Rezz, and more, there will be no shortage of incredible acts to grace the stage over the course of the weekend.

As we continue to gear up for HiJinx over the next 3 days, we caught up with incredible artist and producer, MitiS, who is playing his debut HiJinx set this year. There seems to be much in store from this artist as he continues to prepare to play out an iconic set of melodic but hype dubstep that we have all come to love. Make sure you do not sleep on this set taking place Day 1 (12/29) from 7:05-8:00 because MitiS is going to bring the house down! Let’ take a deeper dive with MitiS about what is to come from him at his debut HiJinx Music Festival set.

Diving Deep w/ MitiS

1. What are you most excited about playing at HiJinx 2022?

I’m most excited to just play to a hometown crowd, have family and friends come out, and also the time of year for this festival.

2. What do you do to prepare for a bigger set such as the one you are going to be playing at HiJinx?

 I’ll be making a bunch of more edits, finish some unreleased songs for the set, and just overall make the set a unique one. This one’s going to be special! 

3. What can attendees expect from your set at HiJinx?

Uplifting but a hype set for this set. I know philly goes hard!

4. What else are you excited about experiencing during your time at HiJinx this year?

Being around friends and family at the festival in the hometown city. Always hits different.

For those who are familiar with the absolute madness that is HiJinx Music Festival, know that it is the place to be to ring in each and every new year. For those unfamiliar, there are countless reasons why Philadelphia, PA should always be you celebration spot December 29th and 30th. With an absolutely massive lineup, an awesome venue and some of the best vibes, this is definitely up top as one of our favorite events of the year. Not convinced yet? Well don’t worry, we’ve narrowed things down to our top 5 reasons why you should not miss this festival this year!

1. The entire festival is indoors

Located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center every year, HiJinx Music Festival is a completely indoor experience. That means no waiting in the cold, raving in the heat or praying for good weather because the entire event takes place inside. With one central stage, vendors, food, bars and more located in one huge warehouse-like area, there is also no need to travel more than a few hundred feet to find all the amenties you need in one place. This also means clean bathrooms and plenty of space to sit and chill during the event.

2. All of the artist play on ONE STAGE

It seems like with every festival there is some sort of conflict in times between some of our favorite artists. While this is inevitable with most other festivals, HiJinx has all of their artist on one stage eliminating the need to pick and choose who you want to see during your time there. With artists playing one right after the other in one place, it creates a non-stop party from start to finish, and allows attendees to enjoy each and every set with ease.

3. There is something for everyone to enjoy

No matter if you love mainstream dubstep, downtempo or something in between, there is an artist for each and every EDM lover on this years lineup. With artists such as Flume, Eprom and Troyboi, everyone can find their groove during their time at HiJinx. Not only are there incredible solo acts but this year there are also some amazing B2Bs as such as Griz b2b Zeds Dead and Gigantic Nghtmare (Big Gigantic b2b Nghtmare). With so many options all on one stage, you can catch everyone you love and experience other new and exciting artists all in one place!

4. The food, bars and vendors are only steps away from the main stage area

Most of us face the challenge of find time to eat, get another drink from the bar or get some shopping down all while not missing any of the set at a festival. HiJinx, however, has eliminated this issue. With the vendors, food and bars (and even the bathrooms) within steps from the main stage, there is no missing any of the action while getting out of the crowd to explore. Being able to rage while filling up your water is not something you get to do at most places, making it a unique feature to HiJinx Music Festival.

5. The best vibes throughout the whole weekend

HiJinx Music Festival has hands down been the home for some of the best festival vibes year after year. With staff and personnel as excited to be at the festival as attendees, there is an overall sense of community that flows throughout the entire two day event. From the moment anyone steps foot in the venue, there are people waiting to spread the hype and get everyone ready to have an absolute blast each day! There is truly a magical feeling and tons of great energy from start to finish.

Time and time again, HiJinx stands out against the crowd with its amazing amenities, convenience and overall stellar vibes. There are so many reasons why everyone should make this a yearly NYE destination, and take the trek to Philadelphia Convention Center for two days of absolute madness. They never fail to create the best memories, and help each and every headbanger start off the new year right! We can’t wait to welcome 2023 with you all at HiJinx!