AltFreq’s Daily Dreamscape Guide: Friday
–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. Our Thursday guide can be found heren, and Saturday’s is right here.
First Things: We’re hoping you remembered to pack your swimsuit & floaties for the daily pool parties. If last year is any indicator, believe us when we say things get rowdy and *had to do it* wet. Poseidon’s Playground gets going at 11am, and with the mix of headliners and highly capable locals you can bet it’ll be a wild ride from start to finish. If you’re unable to attend all weekend – real jobs are a pesky necessity, right? – Friday arrival is permitted beginning at 11am; save a little cash with two-day tickets.
As Massacat can attest, it might get wild
AltFreq’s Daily Dreamscape Guide: Thursday
–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. Friday’s guide can be found here, and Saturday’s is right here.
First Thing: Arrival at Camp Ramblewood is permitted beginning at 11am on Thursday, May 5. Attendees are encouraged not to arrive earlier than this, as they’ll most likely be turned away and told to return at 11. Music will begin poolside in the aptly named Poseidon’s Playground at 1pm, so those looking to max out their weekend should plan accordingly. AltFreq also reminds all attendees to thoroughly review the rules & regulations – some of which have changed since last year. The biggest change involves alcohol; none will be allowed to be brought onsite, but there will be adult beverages available for purchase each day until 2am. The full list of allowed/prohibited items, plus plenty of other important info, can be found on the Dreamscape website -> http://dreamscapefestival.com/info/.
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Better Know a Genre: Five Post-Rock Bands You’ll Probably Love
-Written by Kevin Madert
Earlier this week, Explosions in the Sky put out a highly anticipated record called The Wilderness. It’s less a step in any specific new direction than a pivot around the central themes and styles that have defined their career – one foot stays grounded in their post-rock roots while the other spins through sonic inspirations ranging from spacey electronica to down-home folk.
Listening to The Wilderness a few times through inspired a digital crate-diving adventure courtesy of Spotify. After much clicking around, and even more headphone isolationism, here are a few bands amply equipped to satiate your post-rock craving. Some should be familiar to long-time fans of the genre, while others may be brand new to readers (much as they were to this writer).
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Dreamscape 2016: Hear Music From Every Act Playing This Year’s Festival
–Words and list by Kevin Madert
You can feel it in the air. The sun’s a little warmer, the days a little longer, blizzpocalypses and snowmageddons all but forgotten. Spring has sprung (officially, if you doubt it) and for us in the musicsphere that means something wonderful: Festival season is upon us.
Our year is shaping up to begin with Dreamscape, the longtime Badass Raves brainchild that began as an indoor all-nighter known as Psychedelic Dreamscape before expanding last year to a two-day fest at secluded Camp Ramblewood in Darlington, MD. This year it’s a full-weekend affair, with three days of 11am-5pm music slated for May 5-8.
In the dual interest of channeling our anticipatory excitement and educating anyone who cares to listen, we’ve compiled a playlist to kick off our coverage of the festival. Organized into loose genre categories, it features every artist slated to perform* and is intended to acclimate readers to the lineup; plenty of in-depth writing on all things Dreamscape will follow.
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Show Spotlight: Emancipator Brings The Ensemble to Philadelphia + Pittsburgh
–Written by Kevin Madert
Trip-hop veteran and general expert on all things chill Emancipator (real name Doug Appling) released one hell of an album a few weeks ago. Since then, the Pacific Northwest’s downtempo gem has been beating feet across the United States, backed up by his full-band Ensemble and with hand-selected opening support from Wax Tailor and Yppah.
While the last Ensemble tour made a stop at Baltimore’s Soundstage, DMV natives hoping to catch them this time around have a little trekking to do. The two closest stops on the Seven Seas tour are Friday, October 16 in Philadelphia and Tuesday, October 20 in Pittsburgh. Trust us when we say these drives are worth it – AltFreq will be hitting the road bound for the Rex Theater in Pittsburgh next week.
The Emancipator Ensemble performing “First Snow” in 2014