In a market saturated with repetitive bookings, Iris Presents continues to stay the course when it comes to bringing genuine talent to the Atlanta dance music scene. This Saturday, join us for trance legend, Andrew Rayel.
26-year-old Moldovan-born producer Andrew Rayel (Real Name Andrei Rață) will take the main stage this Saturday to bring Atlanta a night of unforgettable trance, which will certainly get you in your feels. Dubbed as currently one of biggest names in trance music, Rayel has been developing his signature sound and producing since the ripe age of 13, and he has truly come into his own over the years. Rayel’s transition from Big Room House at the height of it’s popularity back into the Trance genre shows us one thing- versatility.
Once signed on Armada (co-founded by Armin van Buuren), Andrew Rayel quickly became a household name for trance and house aficionados alike. With his tracks played out by some of the biggest names in dance music such as Tiesto, W&W, and Hardwell, it’s easy to see what all the hype is about. Consistently in the DJ Mag Top 100, in 2013 he earned the award for “Highest Climber”, and hasn’t let off the gas since.
After releasing his first full-length studio album, “Find Your Harmony” in 2014, he has continued to put out track after track, typically ranking high on the charts, and always sure to get crowds moving. In mid-2017, Rayel opened his own label, inHarmony Music, and gathered a roster of house and trance heavy-hitters to work alongside him. On top of acting as label head, Andrew still has the time to crank out chart-toppers and produce music the way he wants to.
Back in the studio, Rayel is already hard at work cooking up another full-length album, on top of touring and staying extremely active on the festival circuit. One of his most recent releases, “Last Summer,” is a prime example of the sheer talent and production ability he displays as an artist blending big room and trance meticulously. Constantly booked at Armin’s ASOT events, his talent and intuitive track selection makes it clear why he is a crowd favorite.
It may be cold out, but this show is sure to bring the heat to warm you up! You can get your tickets ahead of time at Belive.eventbrite.com. We will have some local favorites bringing the bass at the underground stage such as Mike’s Revenge, RIVEN and PLOYD.
With cooler temperatures quickly approaching and festival season coming to a close, Iris Presents is still managing to bring the heat to the Atlanta music scene. This weekend, join us for the 7th annual “Iris Presents: Halloween Spooktacular Experience”, featuring German dubstep heavy- hitter, Virtual Riot (Disciple Records) as well as London-based Riddim up-and-comer, MVRDA (Disciple Records/Never Say Die).
Hailing from Germany, 24-year-old Christian Brunn, known as Virtual Riot, has undoubtedly become a household name amongst the thriving Dubstep community. At the ripe of 16, Brunn started producing music and gaining traction in dance music through his ability to seamlessly blend Electro and Dubstep genres. He was signed to Disciple Recordings in 2014 after leaving his mark and signature sound, resonating through the blogosphere, being known as a producer who was developing his own “non-traditional” and unique sound design.
Earlier in Brunn’s career, he had an eclectic and experimental approach to music production, including a side project titled “Your Personal Tranquilizer” which embodied elements from ambient dubstep and future garage house, this side project isn’t found anywhere on Soundcloud or other streaming platforms, but Brunn claims you can find them if you “scour the depths of Youtube”. From an early start in his career, Virtual Riot made it a point to go against the grain to produce the music he wanted to, and naturally created a group of devoted followers, especially after signing with a label as large as Disciple to help give him the exposure he deserved.
Since debuting as Virtual Riot, Brunn has a plethora of albums and LP releases and gained just under 300k fans on SoundCloud, along with massive plays on his singles and remixes alike. Being the talented producer that he is, his name is highly sought after for collaborations in the dubstep realm with collabs from artists like Snails, Modestep and Barely Alive, to name a few. His presence is truly a force to be reckoned with when compared to some of the latest and greatest in EDM. Virtual Riot’s most recent 8 track EP “German Engineering,” which was released on Disciple in February of 2018, gave birth to instant classics that dominated the festival circuit this year like “Pray for Riddim” and “Chop Chop.”
On top of having a colorful discography and a myriad of collaborations with several prominent artists, Christian Brunn is also known as one part of the EDM troll trio, Chode Gang, (Now Disbanded) which included Virtual Riot, Barely Alive and Dubloadz. While their live performances were just about as energetic and ridiculous as they come, Chode Gang developed a cult following among veteran and new dubstep fans alike.
So go ahead, get that costume ready and come get ready to get spooky with us this Saturday, October 27th at Iris Lounge for a night of skull crushing dubstep . Local support will be provided by hometown heroes Stranger Candy(Heavy Dubstep) and Nugz Bunny(Dubstep). With 2 full stages and our out-door mezzanine open, you’ll have plenty of room mingle amongst the other Atlanta ghouls for a chance to win our $500 costume contest. You can grab your tickets now by visiting the Iris Presents Facebook page, or click here to be directed to the Eventbrite event ticket page.
Alex Dunkser and Josh Taylor make up the producing and DJ duo known as Halogen. Based out of Atlanta, Georgia, the pair has been part of this growing local dance music scene for a quite few years. Halogen has begun to emerge onto the scene with their fresh, unique style of house music that has gained them a considerable amount of attention, especially on the local and regional scale. The group has been making lots of noise throughout the local scene with their creation of a new event called Housewerk, which is been a great success for Halogen so far. This recurring house music party has served as a special platform for showcasing their latest tunes to fans, as well as sharing some of the hottest house beats circulating the dance music industry to an intimate and exclusive local Atlanta crowd.
Halogen recently played at the 5th anniversary of Imagine Music Festival held in Atlanta Motor Speedway. We got the chance to speak with the duo before their performance to discuss the positive impact of Imagine on the local EDM scene of Atlanta, the growth in popularity of house music on the local level, talk a little about Housewerk, and their contributions to the house music scene. This house music duo from Atlanta has emerged as one of the hottest local names from the city’s scene, and the journey is just beginning for the two.
It’s been great to see all the local support at Imagine Music Festival. What do you think about the big transformation they’ve made since the 2016 expansion?
Alex: Our first Imagine that we went to was two years ago when it moved to the speedway. It’s [IMF] has really come along way, and it’s pretty crazy. I don’t think that anyone saw just how big this was going to get. Imagine has really come together as a festival. We are going to keep coming back every year, and we hope to keep playing here as well.
Josh: I went to the first Imagine when it was at the Old 4th Ward. I didn’t think that it would be as scalable, because they really didn’t have much room to work with at that venue. It has a ton of growth potential now, though. I mean, this place [Atlanta Motor Speedway] is comparable to the size that EDC Las Vegas is. The sky is the limit for these guys.
Speaking of Imagine, I’m sure you know they’ve recently opened up their game-changing venue called believe music hall. I checked it out on the soft opening, and it seems like it’s a refreshing new venue for Atlanta. Have you guys been able to play there yet?
Alex: Yeah, we’ve played there a couple of time. I really enjoy going there as a fan and to perform. I like the vibes and everything about it so far.
Josh: It’s a great size for the venue, and they have a really solid set up with the different stage areas. I like how they have the different environments to separate the types of genres that they want to have playing in each area there. I think that is something unique that they didn’t really have at their old venue [Rush Lounge].
Since I have been involved with the local Atlanta scene, I’ve been following your journey for quite some time. I’ve noticed that you have produced a couple different styles through the years. What helped you develop into this current style of Halogen?
Josh: I would attribute that to just getting older and the maturation of what we like as individuals. There are obviously those shifts in styles with the different trends or fads for some producers. I feel like over time, not only does your production quality and style change, but what you want to create actually changes as well. House music is just kind of where we ended up finding our niche in.
Photo Credit: Stefan Jobe
You have recently created a new brand for Atlanta’s house music scene called Housewerk. Do you think that your contribution with this new project is something that has helped boost the popularity of house music within this local scene?
Alex: We absolutely love it! It is really great to be able to contribute to such a growing scene in this city that has never really contained this underground house music market before. I don’t think that anyone thought that it was actually possible, to be honest. Now it’s becoming huge, and we are just really happy to be part of it.
Josh: I think it’s something that Atlanta didn’t really have until recently. We’ve experienced a ton of shows in Miami, and we liked the vibes there so much. We had the idea that there would be enough ike-minded people in Atlanta who would want that same feel; but really we just wanted to create that dark underground vibe. That was the main thing we wanted to accomplish.
Alex: Yeah, I can’t believe how popular it’s become. It was a place that we could showcase our music on our own terms, and it really just set everything from the ground up.
You guys have been around in this local scene for quite some time. What is your observation of the evolvement of the growing dance music scene in the Atlanta market?
Alex: It definitely has evolved a lot. It’s evident with other promoters as well, like Liquified, bringing in more and more headliners that they probably never would have booked even just a few years ago.
Josh: There are also a lot of new venues popping up now. I think that house music from a popularity standpoint is growing in general, and it is really nice to see that happening. I think a lot of it has to do with how fast the city is growing with more people moving here, especially from big music markets like LA and Chicago, and the demand for more entertainment is increasing.
With this Housewerk project you’ve been working on, do you have any goals in place for this, or are you just looking to see where this takes your brand as Halogen?
Alex: (chuckles) Well, it’s actually kind of hard to answer that right now. At this point, we are down for anything. It really has a lot to do with the logistics, because we don’t want to do it unless it feels right. However, we would be interested in throwing larger parties for Housewerk if it is done correctly. There are so many potential venues to work with, so I’m sure something will happen in the future.
Josh: I mean, we really want it to stick to that same vibe that we originally were going for. The goal is to stick to the brand, and it just needs to align with that, otherwise, we wouldn’t want to go bigger. But in regards to scale, I think that right now, we just want it to be the best that it can be.
Photo Credit: Stefan Jobe
Your most recent track release, “Here Before,” seems like a great summer send-off vibe. Will this be your first debut of the new single on a big stage like Imagine Music Festival?
Alex: Yes, we will definitely be playing it today 100%, and we’re excited to do that. We have been throwing it into our sets for a little while now and it’s good to finally be able to release it officially. We took some time on it because there have been lots of revisions.
Josh: Yeah, it’s gone through some phases. Also we’ve had lots of revisions with it!
Are there any plans for Halogen to seek a record deal in the future, or would you rather keep the brand as independent for now?
Josh: As for right now, I think that staying independent and having that flexibility to be able to create what we want is what we are doing for the time being. We did consider doing something like releasing an EP at some point, but we’ve kind of pushed that one back for now.
Alex: I think that we are better off with just having singles released on certain labels, rather than a major record deal. There is one that we are releasing later this year on Insomniac’s house label called In / Rotation. We have also released some music on CloudKid, which is a popular YouTube channel that also has its own record label, along with music on Selected and Spinnin’ Records as well. As you can see, it’s really just track-by-track with the labels for us right now.
I can see why you would want it that way so you could work on developing your sound to allow you to pave your own way as producers.
Do you have anything coming up to finish your 2018?
Alex: Aside from Halogen, I will be running production for Minnesota on his upcoming fall tour, Adventures Through Space and Time. I will not be performing, though. It’s just to help with production for his tour, and I’ll be on the road for two months. It will be great for my portfolio, for sure.
Josh: And we do have a couple of new songs that we will be releasing later this year, which we are looking forward to that, of course.
Maurizio Colella, known under his moniker as EDX, has built quite an extensive resume since the early 90’s as a producer and DJ. This highly sought-after artist has traveled throughout the world, placing his brand at the top of the mountain of the dance music industry with years of hard work and a passion for sharing the music he loves. Over the past two decades EDX has made some incredible career achievements, from holding residencies at Space Ibiza and the Wynn in Las Vegas, to performing around 150 shows yearly all across the world. His creation of the weekly No Xcuses Radio podcast has been broadcasted in over 40 different countries. His substantial production work has gained global support, mainly coming from the massive Spinnin Records label over the past few years.
EDX recently performed at Imagine Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia. Prior to his anticipated performance, we had the opportunity to speak with EDX to discuss his career, his thoughts on today’s dance music culture and the different trend cycles, the EDM boom of the US, the importance of Ibiza to the industry, his experiences playing in the famous island of Ibiza, and more.
Having the ability to evolve his sound throughout the years has helped Maurizio’s brand awareness tremendously, which has resulted in such a global appreciation for EDX as a DJ/producer. He goes on to explain his diverse playing styles by stating that, “We have always tried to keep the signature sound while evolving creatively. There’s such a difference when I go to places like the pool parties in Vegas, or the high-energy nightclubs, where people are there to just party or get wild, you know, that sort of thing.” He talks more on how he got to spend much of his summer playing in Ibiza, “I got to mix up my DJ sets this summer playing Ibiza a lot. You get to play more groovy music with fewer vocals, and it’s just sexy, you know? The people there are so informed on the underground, and you get to open up your playing styles more.”
Photo from EDX Facebook
Since the DJ is so well traveled, EDX has been able to experience many different music cultures of several countries all over the globe. EDX loves being able to adapt to the cultures and the crowds in whichever city around the world he performs. He thrives on getting a reaction from fans, and taking the dance floor on a journey through his sets. “I’m not a big fan of a DJ just playing a certain playlist of songs. I like to try to go from scratch. Perhaps, I want to combine this record with another record because it maybe worked well before. It’s kind of like an experiment on each crowd,” says EDX, “I’m just lucky to have been releasing music for so long; and I have lots of fans who support me. Many of them are part of that generation of appreciating a DJ, and that’s a cool thing.”
Earning the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hold residencies in iconic dance music markets like Las Vegas and Ibiza are two major accomplishments for EDX as a performing artist. He reflects on these cities, and how advanced Ibiza remains for the dance music world. “They are two very different environments, for sure. I feel like Ibiza is just ahead of the game when it comes to club culture or club music. The U.S. is actually getting there, but it’s definitely a little different. This island [Ibiza] has been evolving as a scene since the 80s. Vegas has so many fantastic party venues for dance music fans to experience, like Wynn, where I held a residency. It’s one of the leading places for the club and dance culture right now. So many big name DJ’s have residencies out there, and that’s great to see.” EDX explains further how the current dance music culture of the U.S. is actually reflecting right back into Europe. This is actually a very good point he touched on that certainly makes a lot of sense concerning the current status of American dance culture. “You have Ushuaia, which is now like a proper beach club, a Vegas style beach club. It is sort of blending together now. I would say that Ibiza is just advanced because the people understand the cycles, and they are very well educated about the music. I think that the U.S. is slowly becoming this way, too.”
Privilege Ibiza: No Xcuses Party
EDX also believes that the U.S. dance music movement is heading more to the underground side, once again. The dance music scene is all over the country now, not just in the main foundation markets like Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Miami, and Detroit. When asked about his thoughts on the American club culture boom, he states, “All these cities across the country are getting into this more. There are even cities like in the Midwest that are getting more involved, which is not like it used to be here in the states.” The main markets for dance music and club culture were typically found along the east and west coasts. Like EDX stated, the U.S. has really grown into a major market for the industry as a whole instead of just the coastal regions. He talks more about this with adding his thoughts on the changing trends, “Until there is another trend to come, you know, because the kids still like to get together and party. There are all these great festivals that recently popped up, one after another, and I hope that they can stay around for a little while longer; but I’m sure there will be something new to come very soon. That will be very interesting to see.”
Looking into his roots, EDX discusses the rich history and prominence of dance music culture in his home country of Switzerland. He says, “Zurich has a techno heritage, and we have one of the biggest parades in the world with over one million people dancing in the streets [Street Parade, Zurich]. I’ve played every one except for maybe two times since ’92. People come from all over the world for over 20 years to experience that special weekend in Zurich.”
Credit: Stevan Bukvic Tilllate.com at Street Parade Zurich
The Italian-born Swiss DJ leads a group of artists called the Helvetic Nerds. Through the years this collective grew with so many talented artists like Nora En Pure, Daniel Portman, Croatia Squad, Sons of Maria, Calippo, Me & My Toothbrush, and more. They have been able to use this as a platform for guiding these talented artists to building successful careers as DJs and producers. EDX explains further, “It was kind of a platform where we wanted to share the knowledge I’ve collected through the early stages of my career doing label work. We tried to bring together a group of people we felt were talented and wanted to help guide them to be successful, and also keep them from making the same mistakes we did in the early years because of lack of experience back then.” EDX breaks down what makes up the culturally diverse Helvetic Nerds group with its home base of Zurich, Switzerland. “Most of these people in the combo are living in Switzerland, but they are also not just Swiss in heritage. Nora En Pure is South African-Swiss, I am Italian-Swiss, Croatia Squad is Spanish, Sons of Maria is also a mix of Italian and Mexican, Daniel Portman is 100% Swiss, though, so you have a good mix of different cultures of people all born and/or raised in Switzerland.”
EDX hosts his weekly radio show called No Xcuses, which has been broadcasted in over 40 countries across the world, largely via Sirius XM on the formerly known Electric Area station. When asked how it gained popularity, he humbly talks about the creation and what made him want to share No Xcuses with the rest of the world. “Everything started around the EDM boom in the U.S. After my remix of Kaskade’s “Angel on My Shoulder” I was getting so much love across the world then, and I was also getting to play in the U.S. a lot. I was getting lots of support and feedback from fans, so I wanted to create a platform where I could give something back to the fans once a week. It’s been a journey and it really keeps me focused,” explains EDX, “I’ve been doing this for about 7 years straight, and I haven’t missed a show. It keeps me constantly searching for fresh new beats to share along with performing my shows all over the world and it has been such a fun journey.”
Photo from Sirup Talent Agency
Wrapping up our delightful discussion, EDX touches on his future plans for the conclusion of a great year for him in 2018. He looks forward to 2019 with releasing lots of new music, and, of course, performing many more shows. He concludes with, “I feel like touring is just, sort of, a natural evolvement of the music, which is the center of it all. I think that it is very important to me together with the music and I love to tour. I will be releasing more music and I will try to anticipate the next trend, of course. Will it work? I’m not quite sure. That’s what makes this so interesting and exciting. I just want to be there and be the one to help make things happen while staying true to my own sound. I really look forward to this winter season and having a fun 2019 as well. I’m also looking forward to tonight’s set here at Imagine Festival on the Disco Inferno Stage.”
Earlier today, the news broke that the legendary electronic dance music festival, Ultra, will be getting the boot from its long-time home for nearly two decades in Bayfront Park of Downtown Miami, Florida for 2019. The Miami Herald was one of the first to report the news to the web, as the news took off rather quickly. Here’s the sory:
Caught in the fray of a political grudge match between two commissioners and mixed public opinion, Ultra Music Festival’s future in downtown Miami was dealt a significant setback when commissioners rejected the contract. Downtown residents who oppose the festival left City Hall smiling and high-fiving each other as festival organizers quietly conferred outside the commission chambers.
The vote could mean that Ultra won’t return to the park in 2019, which would be the first time in 18 years that Ultra is not on Miami’s waterfront. But organizers of the electronic dance music festival said afterward that they hope to salvage a concert at Bayfront Park in March.
A contract could come back later if an agreement could be worked out, an option that seems unlikely to an organized group of residents who were elated with the vote.
“Is there a world where we could work something out that we could live with? I don’t see it today,” said Kenneth Schwartz, who wore a white hat emblazoned with “Save Bayfront Park” in green letters.
Ray Martinez, the former Miami Beach police chief who serves as Ultra’s head of security and spokesman, told the Miami Herald that despite the setback, the festival still wants to try to stay on Miami’s waterfront. “We’re disappointed, obviously. We’re going to meet again with the city and hopefully be able to resolve the outstanding issues and the issues that the residents have, and be able to come back to the city with an acceptable agreement that they would be ready to vote on.” Martinez said the vote did not mark the end of Ultra in Bayfront Park. “We’ve been around for 20 years, and we’re a big part of this city. I think the city recognizes this as well,” he said. “It’s certainly a little bit of a setback, but we continue to move forward. We know we have work to do, but we’re looking to hosting a great festival in 2019.”
Ultra could also negotiate with another venue, such as Hard Rock Stadium, where the Rolling Loud music festival moved after it ran into the same opposition from downtown residents. Martinez said he did not want to comment about any alternative plans Ultra has. People who live near the waterfront park are the main opposition to holding music festivals downtown because of the noise and traffic they bring and because Bayfront Park may be closed to the public for several weeks before and after the festival.
Commissioner Joe Carollo, who heads Bayfront Trust, which operates the park, had negotiated an agreement with representatives of Ultra and neighbors — though he said Thursday that the neighbors should have been more involved. Surprisingly, when it came up for a vote, Carollo said he could not support it.
His comments sparked a furor, especially from Commissioner Ken Russell, whose district includes downtown. Tensions that have brewed between Carollo and Russell for months over the management of Bayfront Park boiled over before the Ultra vote as Russell questioned Carollo’s logic in negotiating a contract he couldn’t support and Carollo angrily snapped at Russell. Carollo, red-faced and blustery, defended his deal-making prowess and insulted Russell’s history as a yo-yo salesman. At one point, when Russell said he still couldn’t understand Carollo’s lack of support for the contract he negotiated, Carollo lost his temper.
“You must be hard of hearing, too,” Carollo barked at Russell. Several people in the chamber gasped.
Once the elected officials cut through the contentious debate, all five commissioners opposed the proposed contract. Residents said they didn’t think it was likely Ultra could offer terms that neighbors could support. Ultra representatives were more optimistic, though it was clear they would have to work closely with neighbors to please them before offering another contract.
It’s unclear if that can happen fast enough for Ultra Music Festival to be staged in Bayfront Park in March. For most of Thursday morning’s public comment period, a stream of downtown residents talked about the ear-splitting noise that booms out from Ultra Music Festival and how it keeps them up at night as it sends vibrations humming through their buildings — literally causing their plates to rattle.
But several business owners said Ultra is a major business weekend for them. From bars to print shops that produce signs for the festival, people argued that Ultra’s economic impact is substantial not only for hotels who lodge tens of thousands across the county — even as far as Doral and Sunny Isles Beach — but for smaller proprietors in downtown.
“To me, events like this are essential,” said Richard Huggins, owner of KopiKats print shop on Southeast First Street.
Sam Dubbin, an attorney representing a group of downtown residents who want to stop large-scale events in Bayfront Park, said the downtown dwellers hope Thursday’s vote will signal a new philosophy on how the park is used. “We hope it is a turning point in ensuring that Bayfront Park will be a park for all to enjoy and no longer a platform for mega events and private profits,” Dubbin said.
Summer is drawing to a close for 2018, but those wonderful catchy vibes in dance music are still being pumped out, especially from the likes of Atlanta’s own producing duo, Halogen. The dynamic pair is fresh off of a hot spring season, bringing the city of Atlanta a fresh new recurring house music event called Housewerk, which has gained lots of attention to the brand within the local Atlanta market. Between playing many shows and hosting Housewerk, Halogen has put in some work in the studio with a fresh track.
Their new single, “Here Before,” has the catchy sound that is worthy enough for an “end of summer” playlist collection. The soothing piano chords, along with sing-a-long vocals, blend together to make an exceptional summer send-off hit. This head-bobbing tune is exactly what the doctor ordered from the Halogen boys.
Halogen will be officially releasing this new single on September 18, 2018.
To the a casual fan of dance music of today, both young and old, the deep, rich, and somewhat hidden history of the genre might come as a surprise. A big misconception about dance music is that it is something new and only trending over the last decade due to the EDM boom. On the contrary, dance music has a fascinating timeline of its evolution dating back to the 70’s. From underground to mainstream, the dance music world has progressed into a massive phenomenon that has captivated the globe for so many years.
The brilliantly filmed Netflix documentary What We Started hooks with pairing two world-famous DJs from completely opposite ends of the dance music spectrum: legendary veteran Carl Cox, and the young EDM phenom Martin Garrix. While examining the point of view from both the underground and mainstream sides, the film takes a deep dive into the complete history of how dance music formed into what it is today, a multi-billion dollar industry.
“Underground dance music is about art, and EDM is showbiz,” DJ and producer Seth Troxler explains. Whether you like it or not, EDM is a product of the underground no matter how commercialized the industry might become. The pop culture influence to EDM today just shows how the music evolved in such a way that the secret little underground world of dance music transformed into a global sensation. When Carl Cox and Martin Garrix have a conversation about DJing, young Garrix is completely blown away that Carl Cox told him that he played for 10 hours straight without playing the same song twice. Martin Garrix on Carl Cox’s 10 hour set accomplishment, “I can’t think about playing for 8 hours in a row and not lose the attention of the crowd.” It is surprising, but it sort of shows viewers that there is a clear difference between a DJ who does it for the art of DJing versus a DJ who just wants to play hits for a large crowd.
The two opposing viewpoints of mainstream and underground collide, and it shows just how broad the dance music scene is currently. The interview material from What We Started was absolutely fantastic. There are so many interesting statements and anecdotal stories told from some of the biggest key players of the dance music movement like Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox, Pete Tong, Pasquale Rotella, Disco Donnie, and more. What makes this film so fascinating is that the two sides are so vastly different, yet one stemmed straight from the underground and EDM is the result.
This can show most of the people who are not aware of the rich past of dance music that this is not something new. Perhaps the EDM boom is new to most, but that is just a direct result of something that was started many years ago by some hard working individuals to get dance music to where it is today. This documentary can be viewed right now on Netflix. It will open your eyes to the fantastic story of how dance music began as such a small exclusive underground world to the massive EDM phenomenon of present day. The story of how this exclusive unknown world was able to crossover into the mainstream world is truly amazing, and now we have a brilliantly produced hour and a half documentary to lay it out there for all to see.
(Atlanta, Ga) Imagine Music Festival has released the official preview map for the festival campgrounds. Now you can take a look at the layout of the camping areas and plan accordingly to make sure your arrival to the festival goes as smoothly as possible. The campgrounds for 2018 will feature two GA car camping areas, plus a new and improved VIP camping experience. With the 2018 campground map revealed, there’s still time to pick your camping style and grab a camping pass. You can purchase camping passes here.
For those who have been through a camping festival, there are times where some extra supplies are needed. It is also extremely easy to leave a few essential camping items at home. This year, campers at Imagine Music Festival will not have to worry about that. Unity Travel just launched their Imagine Camping Essentials Shop! This is ideal for those of you who are taking a long road trip or are flying out for IMF weekend, and can’t spare the extra space for travel. You can purchase your camping necessities online and pick them up in person when you check-in to the campgrounds.
If you have reserved a QUBE Tent, Unity Travel will set up the merchandise you purchased in your tent for you. Just make sure the names match on your QUBE order and your camping supplies order. Speaking of QUBE tents, they are almost sold out. Act soon and reserve your QUBE tents before the prices go up. With a QUBE reservation, your tent will already be set up when you arrive. You also get placement in the VIP Camping area. That’s right, all the special VIP camping amenities, even for those of you who have GA Camping passes!
(Atlanta, Ga.)- Five years ago, this small two-day music festival held in the little historic old fourth ward of Atlanta, Georgia, captured the hearts of many among the southeastern region of the country. The budding dance music scene in the city of Atlanta was given a small glimpse of just what would be in store for the next half decade. Five years ago a brand was born, and it grew into something bigger than… imagined. From a small 2-day event held in the Historic Fourth Ward, on the edge of downtown Atlanta, to a large 3-day camping music festival taking over Atlanta Motor Speedway, Imagine Music Festival is rapidly making its mark in the festival circuit. The time is approaching fast for the 5th anniversary of this music festival the city of Atlanta is proud to call, Imagine Music Festival.
This will be the third year of the annual 3-day camping expansion for the festival. The two-phased lineup release curated a lot of attention from fans with the likes of headliners such as Armin van Buuren, Alesso, Bassnectar, RL Grime, Galantis, and Kaskade. The rest of the lineup boasts plenty of diversity with some of the hottest names in dance music for the 2018 circuit; but there is something special happening on Saturday and Sunday at the Disco Inferno Stage at IMF this year. This stage will be host to two themed stages from both Oliver Heldens and the legendary Green Velvet.
On Saturday, Disco Inferno will be transformed into La La Land presented by Green Velvet and special guests. This will be a house lover’s paradise with performances from Latmun, Tiga, Walker and Royce, and the man of the hour, Green Velvet. On Sunday, fans will go deep, Heldeep, into the funky realm of house presented by Oliver Heldens. This stage is stacked with acts like Chocolate Puma, EDX, and Wax Motif, along with Oliver Heldens headlining. Both of these nights are loaded with some highly sought after names in house music.
Last year, Disco Inferno was taken over by Claud Vonstroke and the Dirtybird Players: Shiba San, Dateless, Cizak, and Will Clark, for a special closing of day 3 of Imagine Music Festival 2017. This was certainly a highlight reel day for the festival, and was an easy fan favorite.
Imagine Music Festival 2018 is just around the corner, but there’s still time to purchase tickets. Visit www.imaginefestival.com/tickets for pricing and details. Check out the daily lineup for IMF 18 below!
Win A Trip For Two With Flights, VIP Glamping Accommodations and Two VIP Tickets to Imagine Music Festival
Proceeds From Imagine Music Festival’s Surreal Campaign to Benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Atlanta, GA (August 8, 2018) – Imagine Music Festival has announced it will partner with Surreal, a fundraising platform that works with festivals and musicians to offer fans once-in-a-lifetime experiences with proceeds benefitting local charities for the September 21st through 23rd festival. Imagine and Surreal have created two exclusive artist-based experiences which fans can enter with one winner chosen for each. Each winner will receive a VIP ticket to Imagine Music Festival for themselves and a friend, roundtrip airfare courtesy of Orbitz, onsite VIP Glamping by Unity Travel, as well as the artist experience they entered. Net proceeds from the campaign will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making kids better today and healthier tomorrow.
The artist-based experiences are to include: a meet and greet with Armin Van Buuren; a side stage performance viewing with Kaskade; golf cart escort ride with Alesso; a side stage performance viewing with RL Grime and signed merch pack; hanging with Getter backstage; trailer hangout with The Glitch Mob; trailer hangout with 12th Planet; eat and greet with Bear Grillz and a signed merch pack from GRiZ. Running from August 7th through to September 5th, fans can enter by submitting a mail-in entry or through several different donation tiers.* Each package is valued at over $2,100 and donations start at $5 for any individual experience. Additionally, a fan can also donate $25.00 for 5 entries into each experience or $75.00 for 20 entries into each experience. Fans can visit www.givesurreal.com for full details and to enter.
Featuring four main stages, Imagine’s immersive aquatic fairytale will permeate the grounds of Atlanta Motor Speedway – from the infield to deep into the early morning in the camping areas. The 2018 performer lineup includes: Headliners: Armin Van Buuren; Bassnectar; Kaskade; Alesso; Galantis; RL Grime, Zeds Dead and special guests: Adventure Club; Getter; The Glitch Mob. Oceania Stage: 12th Planet; Bear Grillz: Leah Culver; Liquid Stranger; Riot Ten; Zaxx; Eddie Gold; Kevin Flum; Midnite Panda; Ra; and Sunday Service. Amazonia Stage: GRiZ; ZHU; Cashmere Cat; Jai Wolf; Shpongle (Simon Posford DJ set); Ekali; Eoto; Lotus; Levitation Jones; Protohype; Yheti B2B Toadface and Ployd. Disco Inferno Stage: Green Velvet; Oliver Heldens; Boogie3 T; Squnto; Chocolate Puma; EDX; Joker; Koan Sound; Latmun; special guest: Noisia; Shlump; Tiga; Walker & Royce; and Wax Motif. Aeria Stage: Paul Oakenfold; Gabriel Dresden; DJ Dara; IVY Lab; DJ SS and over 70 local and regional acts.
Tickets to Imagine are available now starting at $219 for a 3-day pass and $285 for a 3-day pass with camping. VIP passes with express entry into festival, exclusive viewing areas, VIP bars and lounges, and private air-conditioned VIP trailer restrooms start at $360 for a 3-day pass and $479 with a 3-day pass with camping. Several lodging packages are available, including GA Camping, VIP Camping, RV Camping, Unity Travel Qube village and Hotels. Payment plans are available for a downpayment as low as $66.55, where fans can elect for four low monthly installments. Tickets are available online at www.imaginefestival.com. Imagine Music Festival is an 18 and over event.
Imagine Music Festival is produced by Iris Presents. Visit www.imaginefestival.com for the most up-to-date information. Stay connected on Twitter at www.twitter.com/imaginemusicfes and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/imaginemusicfestival.
ABOUT SURREAL:
Surreal is a fundraising platform that partners with festivals and music artists to offer their fans unforgettable experiences with proceeds going to the charity of their choice. To participate, anyone can donate as little as $5 for a chance to win the experience –providing an engaging way to create positive exposure, raise awareness, and make a difference in the world. Follow Surreal on Instagram.
ABOUT CHILDREN’S HEALTHCARE OF ATLANTA
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has been 100 percent dedicated to kids for more than 100 years. A not-for-profit organization, Children’s is dedicated to making kids better today and healthier tomorrow. Their specialized care helps children get better faster and live healthier lives. Managing more than a million patient visits annually at three hospitals, Marcus Autism Center, and 27 neighborhood locations, Children’s is the largest healthcare provider for children in Georgia and one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country. Children’s offers access to more than 60 pediatric specialties and programs and is ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report. With generous philanthropic and volunteer support since 1915, Children’s has impacted the lives of children in Georgia, the United States and throughout the world. Visit www.choa.org for more information.
*A payment, purchase, or donation is not necessary for entry, nor will it improve your chances of winning. For details on how to enter without making a donation, see the official sweepstakes rules.
