Camp Bisco XI Preview [Part 1]

As one of the fastest growing festivals in the US, I’ve witnessed Camp Bisco and the people involved with running it step their game up year after year to meet the demand of a rapidly evolving festival scene and the escalating expectations of its attendees. In a place where hedonism is law, Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville, NY will once again host Upstate NY’s largest and least restrained party from July 12-14, 2012. To me, a gathering of old friends and new ones alike, Camp Bisco truly is what you make of it.

This year Camp XI will surely be bigger and better than ever, featuring curated tents by some of the biggest labels in the EDM business, OWSLANinja Tune, and the Fool’s Gold Clubhouse as well as the return of the Showcase Stage (presented by Mr. Bugsly) and the late night Silent Disco Stage (presented by Silent Frisco), featuring some of the best up-and-coming local and national talent in the scene, including many long time friends of Lost in Sound. Be sure to catch Dopapod, The Nadis Warriors, and Wobblesauce on the Showcase Stage and don’t miss D.V.S*, Space Jesus, Futexture, and Outlet at the Silent Disco. Additionally in store for this year are larger dance tents, wooded camping areas, and a long distance shuttle service running from NYC, Boston, Philadelphia, Albany, Buffalo, Burlington VT, and Baltimore. -IntuiSean

 

Artists to See:

 

Abakus

London born Russ Davies has been arranging mesmerizing sounds on dance floors around the world for over 10 years. After releasing his first professional album “That Much Closer to the Sun” in 2004 on Liquid Sound Design, Abakus has enjoyed a successfully escalating career producing his own style of Mars-dub and Neptune-trance. Psychedelic and spacey at times, punchy and full of funk at others, Davies’ music evokes a broad span of emotions. If you’re looking to get carried away by musical landscapes and infectious rhythms, be sure to catch Abakus’ set on Friday.

 

Tycho

A guaranteed treat on the lineup, Tycho is the musical project of San Francisco based artist and producer Scott Hansen. Tycho’s dreamy downtempo trip hop and IDM will surely provide a welcomed break from the high intensity EDM surrounding it. Scott Hansen composes sound with precision and beauty, often producing moments of introspection and reflection for the listener. Tycho hasn’t been known for touring on the east coast often and is a must see on Friday. Prepare to be inspired and rejuvenated by his music.

 

Zedd

It’s safe to say Zedd is blowing up. The 22-year-old German complextro producer Anton Zaslavski has been playing music his entire life. A classically trained pianist beginning at age 4, Zaslavski has been producing electronic music a mere 4 years, citing his main influence as Justice. Nonetheless, in that short period of time Zedd has managed to produce music worthy of release on Dim Mak Records, Skrillex’s OWSLA Records, and Interscope Records, vaulting him to the top of the EDM scene and earning him sets at some of the world’s most prominent festivals.

 

Blockhead

Growing up in Manhattan, Blockhead (Tony Simon) was introduced to hip hop at a young age. Immersed in the rise of its culture, he quickly became interested in devoting his life to rhymes and beats. After trying his hand at MC’ing, Simon decided he was better suited to produce beats, and after connecting with the now-popular Aesop Rock during a brief stint at Boston University, Blockhead’s career began to skyrocket. Eventually the ship landed at Ninja Tune for Blockhead’s solo-career, the perfect record label for his jazzy, downtempo hip hop beats. Wondering where the name came from? Apparently the shape of his Tony Simon’s head. Is this true? You’ll just have to catch his set on Friday to find out.

 

Bonobo

A friend and favorite of Lost in Sound since the beginning, Bonobo’s sets at Camp Bisco have gone down in history as some of the best live music we’ve seen. Simon Green, the 36 year old UK-born producer/musician/DJ has dabbled in almost every facet of live music, also becoming a staple on Ninja Tune in the process. Armed with his DJ equipment and ready to tear it up at this year’s Camp, there’s no being sure exactly what to expect from Bonobo. From latin rhythms, to gangster hip hip, to garage, to tech house, and plenty in between, judging by his recent mix for the Boiler Room (found below), Simon Green’s DJ set at Camp XI will be nothing short of amazing. Do yourself a favor and be there front and center Friday when it begins.

 

Camp Bisco is not a festival; it is a party. This is not the weekend for guided meditation, group yoga sessions, or informational workshops. This is a weekend to let it all hang out, get rowdy with your favorite crazy friends and strangers, hobnob with some Hell’s Angels bikers, work on your sunburn (did I say sunburn? I mean tan, of course…) and treat your ears to some of the finest acts in the current alternative-music scene.

Camp has always boasted a top-notch lineup with a diversity of artists covering just about every musical genre. Whether you’re a raver, a lot-rat, an EDM aficionado, or just looking for a weekend getaway with the homies, Bisco’s got something, rather, many things, on its lineup to satisfy your eardrums. Not to mention, the people-watching is ridiculous.

And now the weekend we’ve been waiting for all year, year-after-year, is just around the corner. I’ve already begun packing my rage gear, sparkly costumes and silly hats, and started studying the schedule. Here’s what I’ve learned so far… -Biggie Shmalls

Artists to See:

 

Orchard Lounge

If you’re looking for cutting-edge house music, make Orchard Lounge your first stop! The Chicago-based collective of Spencer Lokken, Bethany Briscoe Lokken and Ben Silver are also long-time favorites and friends of LiS. Playing two sets this weekend, both Thursday and Friday, OL are seasoned vets in the festival circuit and long-time Disco Biscuits fans. They have played at Camp for the past seven years, as well as at many other world-class festivals, such as Lollapalooza, Winter Music Conference, SXSW, Mayan Holidaze, and Electric Zoo. Their mission: “to expose as many people as possible to the artists whom they admire and respect…and create unique dance floor memories.” Featuring dynamic, funky, infallibly danceable DJ sets, chock-full of groovy melodies and menacing bass lines, OL will lift your spirits and get your booty shaking, “from the couch to the dance floor!”

 

Motion Potion

Awwwee yeah, it’s MoPo! Connoisseur of the dance floor and master of the Silent Disco, where he’ll be posted up this weekend. Robbie Kowal, aka Motion Potion, aka MoPo, is more than just your average DJ. He’s known for his extraordinary intuition for selecting exactly the right music for the moment, and his self-proclaimed “mission to ‘put the party back into the party’.”  His recipe for said party: start with equal parts funk and hip-hop, toss in generous helpings of tech house, rock ‘n’ roll, latin, reggae, and pop, shake vigorously and pour over a breakbeat backdrop. He’s built a reputation as a staple at dance tents of festivals nation-wide, from SXSW to Electric Forest to Bonnaroo, where he’s rocked the silent disco almost every year since it’s inauguration in 2005. When the bottom of the evening rolls around and you feel your feet dragging, swing by the disco and MoPo will be guaranteed to put the spring back in your step.

 

Rubblebucket

Hooray for live bands! Rubblebucket is blazing a trail of unconventional, genre-bending live instrumentation and visually dynamic, ebullient performances, leaving a path of notoriety in their wake. They have recently graced the stages at Bonnaroo, All Good, and Wakarusa, as well as headlining a sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC. Their most recent album, Omega La La, has received praise from critics such as CMJ and Spin magazine, and in conjunction with their quirky and exhilarating live performances, has put them on the map as rising stars in the electronic, indie rock scene. The octet showcases a fusion of indie rock, funk, world sounds and EDM, characterized by a kick-ass horn section complete with a trombone, saxophone, trumpet, and tuba. As for the live performances, prepare to get weird, really weird. These guys, and gal, have been known to incorporate huge cardboard robot puppets that parade through the audience, day-glo scarfs and deco, and a whole lot of crowd-surfing. Catch their set Thursday night, and let your freak flag fly!

 

Spankalicious

Spankalicous produces tunes as naughty as his name. Based out of Cincinnati, OH, Kevin Moore has played 100+ shows, traveling more than 90,000 miles, over the past year in his mission to “spread a message of higher awareness among the people.”  His music covers an array of genres, ranging between psychedelic dubstep, trip hop, moombahton, glitch, future bass, and beyond. Expect a high-energy set, featuring intricate rhythms, bass-heavy grooves and whomps, and an assortment of psychedelic, glitchy samples over thoughtful melodies, the combination of which will surely get your head banging and feet stomping. Friday night, Silent Disco, be there, and prepare to get spanked.

 

El Ten Eleven

Going on ten years, this well-established post-rock duo out of L.A. has been creating hypnotic, melodic, “bounce-worthy” indie rock that Spin.com proclaims, “Put[s] Ratatat to shame.” Promoting a new studio album due out late summer, with four previous albums in tow, El Ten Eleven will grace the stage at Bisco Saturday. Kristian Dunn rocks the double-neck or fretless bass, while Tom Fogarty holds down the beat on drums. Extensive looping, vamping, effects pedals and layering create an ethereal mix of organic and electric sounds that evoke vivid imagery. Commanding hooks, a danceable beat, and the occasional breakdown into a heavier jam sesh all work to maintain the high energy level of the duo’s performances. Think: Sigur Rós meets Kraftwerk meets Lotus. Definitely don’t miss this band, if for nothing else than to see what LA Alternative Press describes as “the fury of Kristian’s fingers and feet” as he shreds the double-neck… you ain’t seen nothin’ like it!

 

Camp Bisco to open gates 1 night earlier!

Knowing how much lines suck and in an effort to make getting into Camp as easy as possible, we will open the gates a bit earlier. Beginning at 9pm on Wednesday, July 11, Camp Bisco will officially open the gates to ILCC. Come in, pick your camping spot, get set up and ready for the festivities on Thursday. In addition to opening the gates a day early, we are introducing a few other things to help expedite the entry process, including adding a new gate and doubling our search and ticket lines. Plan on arriving as early as possible to get the best camping spot and ensure you are set up in time to catch all the music! See you in July!

Stay on point:

Camp Bisco Website

Camp Bisco Tickets

Camp Bisco Facebook

Camp Bisco Twitter

 

Stay tuned for Part 2…

 

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