The united federation of the hip set of Northern California- comprised of the Ecstatic Dancers, Foodies, Burners, Sexplorers, Radical Artists, Cosmically Connected Healers and Ascended Delighters- have seemed to deem Lucidity Festival the official 2012 Spring Conference. Shining bodies clad in purple (and all colors on and off the ROYGBIV spectrum) will be alighting on the hills of Santa Barbara in mid-April to initiate themselves into Festival Season, dancing out the woes of the world and celebrating life to the likes of California favorites Random Rab, Love + Light, David Starfire, Heyoka, Govinda, Phutureprimitive, Russ Liquid, Birds of Paradise, Thriftworks, MiHKaL, and many more musical proliferators; along with an incredible array of circus acts, performance artists, visionary poets and painters, massive art installations, and an adaptation of the Mayan creation story called “A Return to Consciousness.”

Recent Bay Area transplant and Lost in Sound’s very own Caeli La highlights the acts she is most excited to see.

Random Rab

“Those lucky enough to experience a sunrise set performed by Random Rab will tell you- it is pure magic. His chill beats and compositions invoke emotions that are difficult to find words for. His music makes me feel alive. It makes me thankful to be not just in that moment, but also sparks feelings of gratitude for everything and everyone in my life. All that has come before, all that is, and all that will ever be. For hours he guides the audience through a sun-filled journey of the human spirit. It is pure and unpretentious. It envelops the whole crowd, bringing individuals together, as one. It has no detectable brand of a specific spirituality, nor does it have an association with a certain gender. It’s an empathy that speaks for all. It’s the stuff that tears of joy are made of. It’s tapping into the core of what it means to be alive. It’s dancing in the sun and knowing you are never truly alone.” -Jess Lupe’s Envision Festival 2012 Review

Heyoka

Definition of Heyoka: The word Heyoka refers to the Lakota concept of a contrarian, jester, satirist or sacred clown (wikipedia.org). Heyoka are thought of as being backwards-forwards, upside-down, or contrary in nature. This spirit is often manifest by doing things backwards or unconventionally — riding a horse backwards, wearing clothes inside-out, or speaking in a backwards language.

Andrei a.k.a Heyoka could not have come up with a more suitable artist name, as he takes every known sonic principle and flips them upside down. A lover of South Park, deemsters, and Burning Man, Heyoka certainly loves the unconventional lifestyle. The sounds that make up his music are, to say the least, not of this world.

Heyoka describes his music as “alienpuke-glitchwhomp-hopdubcore.” I know it may sound weird, but if aliens were to ever land on earth we would probably be able to best communicate with them by playing Heyoka’s music. His deep bubbling, juicy gargling beats will make your skin melt like a Salvador Dali painting. –Drift Dodgers

Love + Light

“Comprised of the musical talents of Matt Madonna and Ryan Anderson, Love + Light hails from the high desert region of the Reno/Tahoe Basin.

Creating music that will touch your heart and elevate your soul, the duo’s primary focus is the uplifting of people across the world through pure intention, melodic synth lines, complex chord structure, intricate rhythms, and funky, chunky bass lines. With a strong focus on midtempo bass music, and producing talents that span into the realms of melodic dubstep, half-time drum and bass, moombahton, and four-on-the-floor bangers, Love + Light deliver a multi-genre live set spiced with an onmitempo evolution that will be sure to keep your body moving. Combine the duo’s unique production style with their high-energy stage presence, add a set full of original music with a sprinkle with quality remixes, and the product is a sub-sonic experience that brings people together and leaves you with prolific feelings of connectedness.”

Russ Liquid

“Hand-crafting sexy sounds by blending elements of many genres together, Russ Liquid applies the colorful tones of instrumental music to the realm of the beats with dance floor-rocking results. This talented producer has found an entirely new palette to “paint” with, and now he seeks to bridge the gap between classical and modern music with new electronic technology and sonic possibilities.

Ample chord changes, foreign sounds and grimy drums on a thick layer of bass give Russ Liquid’s music a symphonic quality that hooks the brain with its unique twists and turns. A Portland native who has recently transplanted himself to Oakland, Russ Liquid has found success in the past half-decade performing throughout the United States and Canada with groups such as March Fourth Marching Band and Satori Social (Bluetech’s live band). Now this eager artist and performer has stepped out onto his own, bringing a refreshingly melodic approach to the bass music movement.”

Yogi Prataedo

“Yogi Prateado skillfully travels the noosphere with the Hang, percussion, electronics, and other devices to woo harmonious realization.

The Hang, a UFO-looking instrument, was created in 2000, by Felix and Sabina, the Hang makers, in Bern, Switzerland. This remarkable instrument sounds like the celestial orbs, a harp, or what have you. As the primary instrument of sonic creation for Prateado, collaboration with some of the top live and electronic artists on the west coast bring an array of listening and movement experiences.”

Lucidity Festival

Awake in Your Dreams

Santa Barbara, CA ~ April 13th – 15th

Buy Tickets Here

Lost in Sound readers use promo code “PRESS” for $5 off!