Opiuo Traverses Sonic Terrain New & Familiar on “Omniversal” (Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
Few artists have a hold on my heart (and ears) quite like Opiuo. His wobbly, wonky, oh so funky brand of deep bass glitch-hop reeled me in, and his ability to innovate sonically within his own creative space has kept me hooked ever since. It follows, then, that Omniversal shines as a fresh take on the themes and styles that have long defined the Australia-based producer’s work. Picking up this album equates to obtaining a ticket on the Mid-Tempo GlitchFunk Express – dress code casual, dance parties inevitable.
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On “The Dream Is Over,” Pup Confirms the Opposite (Review)
–Written by Kevin Madert
For all the misery Pup espouses on The Dream Is Over, they seem to be having a pretty good time. While the Canadian foursome’s sophomore full-length teems with omnidirectional vitriol, it also teems with insightfully empathetic, listenable music. Thanks to the group’s admirable acumen, these elements coalesce to make up one of the best albums of the calendar year.
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Below The Fold: Dreamscape 2016’s Can’t-Miss Regional Acts
–Written by Kevin Madert
As we’ve highlighted on several occasions, much of the strength in a Badass Raves lineup lies towards the lower half of the poster. Some of them are established regional names who’ve built a strong rapport with event organizers and please familiar crowds at event after event. Others may be relative newcomers to the scene (or at least the Badass fold), but thanks to careful consideration in the planning stages they’re usually well-suited for whichever event they’ve been booked.
All this to say, Dreamscape is rife with regional talent that you’d do well to familiarize yourself with. Lucky for you, AltFreq loves supporting local music & the artists who play it. Read on to learn a bit more about our favorite locals slated to perform this weekend at Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD.
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New Tune Tuesday (Dreamscape Edition)
-Written by Kevin Madert
A few short days from now the first sets of Dreamscape 2016 will be echoing through the undulating, tree-dotted hills & of Camp Ramblewood. Lucky for us, plenty of the artists playing this year’s festival have been hard at work churning out new tunes – just in time to unleash them on the masses come May 5-8. Read on to hear the latest from some of our favorite acts on the lineup.
Destructo & Wax Motif Ft. Vanilla Ace – Beatdown
Kicking off the list is, appropriately, a recent song from an artist playing Dreamscape. On “Beatdown,” Holy Ship don and purveyor of oft-fantastic four on the floor Destructo teams up with capable friends Wax Motif and Vanilla Ace to deliver a winner. The dark tune is quintessential Destructo, packing a serious punch in the breakdown but refusing to view itself through overserious eyes. Attesting to this is the well-sourced hook – a few lines of poignant life advice adapted from “G’d U” by Snoop Dogg helmed hip-hop trio The Eastsidaz. Keep it real and get gangsta’d up with the HARDfather at Poseidon’s Playground to close out pool party numero uno (9pm Friday).
Connect with Destructo: (Facebook / Twitter / Soundcloud)
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AltFreq’s Daily Dreamscape Guide: Saturday
-Written by Kevin Madert
We’re less than a week out from Badass Raves’ annual festival season kickoff, so it seemed a good a time as any to give our readers the inside track on the festival. Where you should be, who you should listen to, what the heck else there is to do; if you’re looking for assistance in planning your Dreamscape experience, Alternate Frequency is here to help. If you somehow made it here first, find our Thursday guide here and our Friday guide here.
First Things: The best thing you’ll witness all weekend kicks off at 11am, as 1,000 Drunk DJs take over Poseidon’s Playground for two hours and one entire bottle of Johnnie Walker. If you’re a Saturday-only kind of partier, one day tickets are yours for the purchasing, and gates will open at 11am to receive you.
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