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After an extended stay under the soul sucking SoCal sun at Lake Skinner (site of L.I.B.) I was more than ready for the shady respite of towering redwoods and the perfectly chilly waters of the Eel River. Once again feeling like I was on tour, I came back to Oakland for a grand total of ten hours before moves were being made to hit the 101 and make the scenic cruise to Cook’s Valley Campground. About one year ago exactly I cruised into the gate at Cook’s Valley Late Night Dome, the late night/camping part of Reggae on the River that most patrons say is the best aspect of the festival. We arrived a whopping two minutes late and were told we couldn’t enter until 8AM the next day. The “line party” ensued without wasting anytime, and of course, other randoms would congregate around us for rousing bouts of conversation. This is when I met Peter Huson, one of the event producers at BLAP Productions, wh0 would ultimately put on Northern Nights. At the time he was just a stranger who wanted to throw a festival at his favorite festival location: Cook’s Valley. To me at the time, I thought “who doesn’t want to throw a festival”, so I didn’t really think much of the conversation. I’ll be the first to say I was so stoked to see everything come full circle and to be able to experience the dream come true that was the inaugural Northern Nights Music Festival.
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Day One
Was regrettably missed by the MYN crew. We had some major transportation difficulties that weren’t resolved until the evening. Our little caravan pulled into the gates pretty late (a repeat of last years “line party” seemed pretty likely at one point) but we managed to rock out at the Silent Disco until dawn!
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Day Two
As the sun rose and the option of sleep became a distant memory, I turned my focus instead to the Eel River. Our little redwood grove was surely an oasis, but the mercury began to rise and the water called to me. It was here that I would spend the majority of my day. Every time I got out of the water the blazing sun said, “who are you kidding, get your ass back in there!”. I floated around with a little pink monster for the morning and the two of us did laps up the cliffs that ended in splashes which took your breath away. Eventually the whole crew turned out and we locked legs and arms for a massive floating mass of vinyl and skin. Arguably the best part about this venue, the swimming hole is perfectly expansive and slow running enough to not worry about ending up two miles down river.
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After a little lunch time pick-me-up a la sandwich, I let my ears lead me and my feet take me to the spacey sounds of Andreilien. Andrei Olenev has always been one of my favorite producers, even if he does likes to change names (sorry bud, you’ll always be Heyoka to me). His sets always sound like something between a Southern carnival, a bubbling chemistry set and the mix tape on repeat in some alien’s space cruiser, with a bit of an edge. Andreilien kept everyone wobbling tough, instilling that kind of joy in everyone that’s usually found in ten year old’s on their first trip to Disneyland. Here’s a little taste of what Andreilien was dishing out of the Basscraft system at us.
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Another one of my all time favorites, Gladkill graced the stage next with his equally stellar lovestep sound. Seeing these two onstage together as Gladkill setup got me itching for a collab between the two. Their individual styles are so different from each other, but in their versatility and skill, one can only imagine what would be born from the two. Boris Gladkill changed things up during this set and showed me a different side to his music that I had gotten a lick of at Lucidity Festival earlier this year. He really creates an atmosphere during his sets, an almost palpable fog of emotions seems to drift onto the dance floor. Instead of going in an entirely new direction, Gladkill delved into deep house and trap without sacrificing his style. It became clear to me that his style almost was a unique marriage of the two styles, trill, but mystical, ethereal but bassy. Checkout his recent mix for Gotta Dance Dirty to experience some of the magic.
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There’s something essentially classy and sexy about Kastle’s music. Sensual and multi-layered, he dropped the tempo down a bit and brought a soulful vibe to the stage. Just watching him play felt like seeing someone out of an art history book paint a legendary masterpiece. It was hard not to see how much heart he poured out into his live set of entirely original music. He took us on a little roller coaster, upping the vibe and getting everyone wild for a bit, then turning back to a more heartfelt composition. Kastle demonstrated great versatility as a producer taking us through booty shaking tech house, grinding dub and sensual hip hop that bordered on a new form of R&B, all while staying true to that sexy signature sound of his. Baby, Keep It Real was my favorite track of the night, check it out below.
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The Polish Ambassador, that wily master of everything funky was set to close out the night with a bang. Known by friends and family as David Sugalski, The Polish Ambassador has solidified himself as one of the most unique and inspiring producers today. I’ve been listening to this guy for years and it’s amazing to see that he only sounds like a more skilled version of his old self. It’s not often that we see producers evolve and change their music, all while staying true to their tried and true sound. After seeing him more than any other artist this year, I can’t help but be entranced at each and every set as if it were my first. At Northern Nights, TPA and his visual master, Liminus, took the artist through the Ecozoic album with multiple forays into an exceptionally funky world of remixes. Some the the best uniquely TPA remixes included Kelis – My Milkshake, Michael Jackson – Beat It, The Beastie Boys, and Warren G – Regulate. Towards the end of the set Aayla Nereo came on stage to lend her vocal seduction to tracks like Conversations Between and Rise. I never saw the crowd, the artist, the visuals and the energy so seamlessly “into it” as I did during this set. It would be an understatement to say I’m addicted to The Ambassador’s glitchy, synthed out tropical space grooves. After his set Dave ran back and forth on the stage dealing out high fives and hugs to everyone who came up to meet him. I was beyond stoked to talk to him for a bit afterwords and get a picture with the legend himself. Don’t forget he also gives his music out for free (or name your price), could he get any cooler? Listen to his latest album and grab yourself a copy!
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Day Three
Another toasty day down by the riverside with an even bigger mass of floaties and lovable goofballs. Regrettably I didn’t catch any day sets as every time I left the water I began to cook like a rotisserie chicken before I got ten paces from the shore. At one point some amazing soul came down by the waters edge and setup a pretty rockin’ renegade sound system. This true sound soldier even brought his decks, laptop and canopy out with him for the betterment of everyone’s day on the river. He blended reggae and dancehall together for us, bringing back memories of the beach stage on that very spot at Cook’s Late Night Dome. As was expected, his performance was short lived, although the better part of an hour long.
The night was to feature a Dirtybird showcase, my favorite house magicians, with the likes of Christian Martin, Worthy and J. Phlip. It’s no question why the Dirtybird crew has a cult following, and every time they grace the stage they help you remember why you’re obsessed with their next level signature sound.
I came into the crowd for the tail end of Christian Martin’s set. There’s something about the way this man carries himself on stage, almost like a confident ship captain, fully aware that he is always steering his party ship in the right direction. He never disappoints, and consistently wows the crowd with one hard hitting track after another, blended together in a composition as smooth as silk and as rowdy as a birthday bounce house.
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Worthy is that Dirtybird DJ with a little more attitude, coming onto the decks like he owned the place with a devious smirk; and in just seconds he would affirmed that he did! An innovative producer with a huge range, Worthy played an amazing set that traversed old school breakbeat and techy house with an original flavor. I’m a sucker for artists that play without laptops and the impact that musician has on you when they blow your mind is amplified by their impressive show of skill without the tool that so many other rely on. Worthy kept the bass thumping and the samples classic, amping up the crowd with his hands in the air and that devious smirk never leaving his face. Check out his Northern Nights promo mix and infuse your life with funk.
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J.Phlip was set to close out this amazing first year festival with a bass fueled, head bopping house set. She had me dancing from start to finish; I had to take a few breaks from shooting pics to shake it with the crowd. You can tell that J.Phlip understands the “Dirtybird sound” just as much as the original four members do, all the while bringing it to the crowd in a fresh way all her own. She kept it fun and funky with dirty bass lines, and bouncy tech house rhythms. Add in the fact that not only is J.Phlip one of the cutest female DJ’s out there, but she can also throw down an epic set without the need for a laptop and you you’ve found the full package. It might be an oldie, but the mix below gives a taste of this girl’s unique sound and happens to be a personal favorite.
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Alas, the main stage music came to a close with Andrew and Peter from BLAP thanking everyone for coming together and making the event one amazing dream come true. The party wouldn’t stop there though! The Silent Disco kept everyone rocking until the sun hit the dance floor early Monday morning. Personal favorites from the night were Dragonfly who dished out organic tribal infused bass music and Grensta, a friend from my hometown who got his set going with one of my favorite tracks, Tremor by Dark Sky, a super bouncy little bit of beats. Grensta took everyone through a high energy tech house set reminiscent of that infectious Dirtybird sound. Turn up the volume and listen to Grensta’s entire live set from the Silent Disco the way it was meant to be heard: LOUD!
Conclusion
In all honesty, I was immediately impressed by how this first year festival came out. The sound system was sensational and delivered crisp clean lows and highs without blowing out anyone’s ears. Stage design was unique and edgy with an organic nature that blended seamlessly with the exceptionally gorgeous grounds set in the heart of redwood country. The Silent Disco setup was also one of the best I have ever seen. After dozens of Silent Frisco shows under my belt I can safely say that Northern Nights’ stage was one of the best all around productions to host the headphone gurus that have become a festival staple. The lineup was fantastic and ground breaking sets were had by every artist I was able to boogie to. I give major props to everyone involved in production and development of this event, as well as all of the tireless volunteers who helped bring everything to fruition (probably one of the most thorough trash clean up crews I’ve ever seen at a festival!). I can’t wait to see what next hear holds in store for this festival which shows no signs of doing anything but next level!
Connect with Northern Nights Music Festival
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Original article: *Event Review* Northern Nights Music Festival | July 19 – 21 | 2013
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