The Unified Field: Official SONIC BLOOM Pre-Party – Review & Interviews

The Unified Field pre-party teased open the pathways of the collective conscious, waking us up to just the surface layer of the dream that will express itself in the form of Sonic Bloom. The sheer number of people coming together was a radiant example of the connectivity that is to come June 19th when many of our community’s  most talented musicians, dancers and painters come together and take over the peaceful hills of South Park, CO.

Everyone came with full hearts, so there was a exceedingly high level of receptivity happening. Each artist was hand selected for maximum evolutionary capability, giving us just a taste of what Sonic Bloom’s wizardry might conjure. The veterans of the electronic revolution were in attendance as well as some tasteful additions of more “unheard” artists.

INTI, one of the first to grace Woodofakind’s newly created outdoor stage at Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, is composed of: T.Rx on rhymes/keytar, Precious Hill on vox/keys, Gilly Gonzalez on drums, and Rodo on bass. They bring the worldly jams! As a fellow female musician, I am so inspired by seeing two women bouncing melodies, original lyrics and raps off each other. The first to perform, they got people moving early in the night.

 

[LiS] Where do you envision INTI when you think of its highest potential?

[Rodo and Gilly] First band to play live in orbit.

[Teresita] I see INTI rocking faces off, busting up sidewalks, igniting wildfires of conscious creativity around the world.

[Precious] I see us reaching people in other countries spreading the music far beyond the States and incorporating the culture we experience into our music compositions.

What is the intention behind the music?

To indigenous cultures in the Americas, the name INTI represents the power of the sun and the unity of all tribes. As a band we use all of our artistic self expression to inspire, connect and empower people to create positive change in the world. To the rest of the world, I think we represent a fierce force of empowered strength, the Other America, a mix of musical counter cultures.

What other projects do the band members play in?

We are all big players (haha), in the sense that every one of us throws down with just about everybody. Together we bring it all under the umbrella of a collective called Lunar Fire, a world music live rock band.

How would you describe INTI’s music?

Punky synth pop with hip-hop and Latin rhythmic influence. In your face conscious hip-hop with a punky flare.

 

Are there any plans for an INTI release in the near future?

Yes, we recorded an epic third album at Immersive Studios, which we plan to master and release by the end of summer.

What did you think about the pre-party?

Had a blast and thought the vibes were high and the other performers, amazing. We really enjoyed playing our set and breaking in the new Cervantes outside stage. We blessed it!

How did INTI begin?

We started out playing shows in Guatemala for Mayans and international turistas coming at it with our Tex-Mex urban underground styles! That’s why so much of our lyrics mix in Spanish. We grew up influenced by local bands in San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas, then picked up Latin streets jams traveling down south. Since we got to Denver, it’s been non-stop recording albums, making music videos, performing at festivals and every kind of party really.

What do you feel about the current representation of the feminine in this music scene?

[Precious] Not many women are given the power of voice and presence in the underground music scene, but they do exist and the ones that do rally to uplift each other have a positive message and uplift the spirit of the divine feminine.

[Teresita] It’s hard to top a woman onstage in her power. I just give thanks and pray for more!

It seems there is a lot of cultural representation in the dance and costuming – can you elaborate on that?

INTI represents an ethnic urban fusion that blasts into the future while honoring the wisdom of the ancients… So we communicate that message of liberation, activism, and transformation into our dance and costuming. We try to honor the unity of all cultures by mixing traditional fabrics woven by indigenous women into the urban gear of our modern counter cultural city roots.

Anything else you’d like to share?

[Precious] We have so much love for the growth and artistic representation of the Denver music scene. I’m so thankful for not only INTI and Lunar Fire, but every person I have been able to collab with and share a night of music with. Thank you!

[Teresita] Yeah, I just want to say thank you to Denver and all of Colorado, the Southwest, West Coast, Mexico, and Central America for all the support over the years.

Get ya’ some FREE music, videos, photographs and more regarding our history together on ReverbNation.com/INTIRadioINTI.comReverbNation.com/LunarFireLunarFire.comDublDragon.com, and on all of our Facebook pages. Hit us up ya’ll. Much love, luz y fuerza familia!

 

Templo, a Denver native and one of the newcomers to the Bloom team for the 2014, blessed the main stage at Cervantes, setting the vibes with his organic yet futuristic ways. The atmospheric simplistic squish funk is a trip to pick a part. You find yourself still wondering how he created that last ribbit-esqe break down when the next wave of alien instrumentals sneaks into your right hemisphere. Like the track “Calling All Aliens,” Templo is  no joke – this being is resonant and going to higher places.

[LiS] What is the inspiration behind the wide variety of sounds you use in your compositions?

[Templo] Well at this point, I really just make tracks based off of how I feel at that point in time, and as that changes and as I progress there are more and more sounds I haven’t used up until that point, and I think that contributes a lot to how much variety you hear in each track.

What is the intention behind your music, what do you wish to elucidate in your listeners?

The message I try to spread is that songs don’t need to be so overproduced. I think the fact that people are spending weeks making some of their individual tracks is the real reason some people think electronic music is made by a robot… The point is I think people can really feel when what they’re hearing is a real expression of love for something or just an over thought piece of music.

Will you walk us through the workflow of one of your pieces, the head space your in, etc.?

There are a few different ways I go about making a new track. Usually it starts with a melody in my head or a specific idea of something I really want to include, and from there I start to build a variety of drum kits and synths. Then I like to just get the melody out as quick as I can and put the effects necessary to give the intro a nice full sound. After the melody progresses and builds, I start to fit the drums in around the synths, and the final step is just decorating the track with all the little noises that give it the texture in needs to be a FULL track.

Have you thought of incorporating any live elements into your set?

Including live elements in the set is only a matter of time. For the time being, I’m just trying to get my name out there as much as I can and try to keep it simple for the most part, but yes before too long you can expect to see a wide array of instruments being played on stage.

What do you see the future of this music scene looking like/how would you like it be ideally?

The future of this scene is hard to see right now mainly because so many people are killin’ it and coming out with new music and styles every day. I really think more people are going to start getting involved in the next few years and we can expect too see the smaller events getting much bigger.

fb1FiLiBuSta (Troy Probst) is a blooming artist from a small town in Illinois. He has emerged from the tiny town of Great Plains to explore the world with his new found mission: to restore glitch and dubstep with melodic elements. FiLiBuSta was one of the first sets of the nigh – that didn’t stop him from drawing a funky crowd! Their are many Mid-Westerners who migrate to the Rockies to explore beyond the tall grass and white picket fences. He is truly a success story. From that authenticity of following his path, he receives great support within the music industry.

FiLiBuSta doesn’t hesitate to collaborate. He has shared the stage with many artists including; The Glitch Mob, EOTO, Dirtyphonics, Random Rab, Andreilien, MartyParty, and many more. The crowd he drew utilized the space to the fullest potential while they could. Dancers were leaping into the funky glitch breaks. People were bouncing down to the floor, to hop back up into the rap lyrics shrouded by the dustup beats. His set started out on a mellow foot, gradually inclining into some funky glitch. To me, his mission felt relatively successful. The glitch and dubstep breaks were smoothed out by melodic elements from the keyboard, recordings of electric guitar, and occasional rap lyrics.

There was something extra special in the air for Random Rab‘s set. Although he always brings the tenderness, it was especially received that night. The room was teaming with people… Not all “using their heads.” Rab was a conduit for a transmutation of that energy. It feels so good to see a man expressing himself through song. He has evolved so much just in this last year, really coming into his voice and tuning it in with his music.

Everyone wanted more. The hypnotic downtempo grooves had all his listeners in a love spell. Rab’s set was soul vibing with a lot of emotional depth. He played a wide range of tracks, each track’s theme just barely hinting at where he planned to take us next. There’s a really fun anticipation that builds during his sets because so many of his songs have similar arrangements that it’s always a very satisfying surprise followed by a deep heart sigh when he plays your favorite song.

Rab has been my favorite producer for the last year now. He’s really inspired the live element to come back into the electronic scene. He doesn’t take ownership and willingly gives credit to guidance beyond his understanding in the music making process. There is a deep complexity that hides in the simplicity of the beautiful compositions. Whether it be remembering yourself to “Sunwater” or losing yourself in your beloved’s eyes to “Best Friend,” Rab’s sets are a container where magic is made and those forever connections are formed. My dreams of collaborating with Rab found their manifestation that night when he invited me to sing on a track with him. He’s down like that, always up for sharing the space and being open to new things. He also brought Jamie Janover on the dulcimer and Bartow Mills up on the hang drum. Most rounded and grounded set of the night.

Whitebear is relatively new to the scene, but you’d think he’s been doing this for light-years with the kind of squish he’s jumping in. My first encounter with Whitebear was at Envision 2014. His funk reverberated through the jungle, a predator in the night making it’s presence known and alerting all ears within range. I was sure that I was missing Tipper when I heard him in the distance. His music brought the masses in Costa Rica, and it was no different last Friday at Cervantes [5.3.14]. You know you’re doing something right when the room is packed, and Random Rab is playing in the adjacent room.

It’s pretty great to see Arthur on stage bopping around, singing along with his songs and having what seems to be all the fun… All the while laying down some serious subliminal tribal soul. This futuristic train ride will take you through your roots into the center of Mama Gaia, into a space with all that has ever been and ever will be. There’s no shortage of diversity in his tunes either, weaving in and out of deep rolling bass lines and sultry smooth jazz. It’s not all sensual eclectic groove – get ready to look into the eye of your dark side and take it into the dusty outback for a moonlit desert dance. LiS was able to catch up with Arthur after the show…

[LiS] What percentage of your music is original, and who are some of your favorite artists to sample from if not 100% original?

I enjoy synthesizing sounds from the ground up, especially bass sounds and SFX. I do use drum samples and certain sounds from random sample packs I find on the internet, but never sample straight from someone else’s track. The Enig’matik Records sample pack is incredible, it’s got a bunch of different artists from around the world that have contributed to this mammoth pack – the Glitchmachines BIOMORPH pack is pretty awesome too.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it?

Futuristic sound design, bass heavy, tribal, glitchy, psychedelic music.

What is the intention is behind your music? What do you hope others feel or what do you feel within yourself? 

I enjoy writing music that is on the darker side of things and am a firm believer in confronting your fears and demons and essentially immersing yourself in your own “darkness” in order to move through it. I’m hoping that my music is able to provide an environment that allows you to explore the deep recesses of your mind, and generally give you superhuman ability to stomp the shit out of that dance floor.

How do you create these sexy tribal grooves? Can you describe the workflow of a Whitebear piece – software, your headspace, timing, composing, etc.?

I use Ableton Live and a bunch of software plug-ins and my Virus TI2. My workflow is always different, but generally I’ll start off with a beat and a general bass line. I’ll start adding in bits and bobs as I go along. It’s helped me in the past, especially when I’m stuck, to do a bunch of sound design first before starting a track. Generally it takes just one crazy sound to inspire a whole track.

When are you planning your next release/album. Any super secret stuff you’d just love to share with LiS?

No plans for any releases at the moment. I’ve just released an EP Transmute | Release via the Shanti Planti collective. There are a bunch of incredible artists on Shanti Planti like Grouch, Brujo’s Bowl/Beatroots, Quanta/Akasha, BioLumigen, Sixis, Mumukshu, etc. and I highly recommend checking us out – ShantiPlanti.com.

How did Whitebear start?

I was sick of being in bands and relying on other people to make music, so I bought a copy of Ableton Live after being introduced to it by my brother-in-law and haven’t looked back since.

What’s your summer looking like tour wise? Any festivals or events you are especially stoked for? What’s your take on the festival scene – how would you like to see it grow?

May and June is pretty stacked. Pretty excited for all of my gigs really! Special mentions go out to Sonic Bloom and Enchanted Forest for having me for the 2nd year. The festival scene is pretty incredible here in the US… I wouldn’t mind seeing more psytrance! On a more serious note, I’m hoping that in the future more opening ceremonies include the native guardians of the land or native tribes as respect to the land and to the people that inhabited it waaaaaaay before a bunch of Caucasians decided it’d be a good idea to post-up there. I figure it’s the least we could do after a genocide.

Any collaborations you are conjuring up or have begun? If you could collab with anyone, who would it be? Why?

No collaborations at the moment and none planned for the future. I’m very picky I think when it comes to that stuff, although if I could collaborate with anyone I would probably pick that Grouch fellah, he’s fully sick.

What types of progression do you aim for within next few years, in your psyche and your movement as an artist?

Haven’t thought too much about what’s in front me, pretty stoked with what’s going on around me at the moment. I know where I DON’T wanna’ go though. Definitely don’t want to fall into the trap of comfort and write the same type of music over and over again (which is easier said than done).

What’s your happy place look like?

In a hammock on a beach in my hut in the forest in the mountains with a lady and my lappie.

Any other comments you’d like to share?

Love yourself.

BASS. Opiuo shared an especially FULL ON set. It was all like, drumstick in the air – don’t care! Really enjoyed that live aspect of it. And the visuals were spectacular. The music was definitely the heaviest of the night. The dark driving bass and regular use of house like builds and air horn sounds were intense to say the least. The set was kept at a cool 140 bpm or higher throughout. No rest for the wicked. Quite a shocker after the heart melt of Rab’s set – it was like taking a shot of pure caffeine in your sleep. His music comes with the electricity and definitely raised the most hype that night. A few thought him a touch off beat that night, and one friend went as far as to say they felt the tracks were catering to the stereotypical Americanized ideals that harder=better, masculine=more danceable. While reversely others appreciated his expression of the get up and go attitude and rigamarole of everyday life. Sometimes all we have time for is a few quick words of self-motivation before diving deep into our stories.

WHAT’S UP DENVER, DENVER, DENVER x 8 – Very mic friendly guy, maybe to a fault. But it wasn’t all flex nuts! He incorporated some essential jazz flute and old school hip-hop into the set that really made for a radiant contrast. It was funkadelic circus bro glitch hop in there if you can imagine that! Everyone was getting down, and we got some epic photos, that’s what matters, riiiighht?

As Opiuo was tapering off, Nominus was just getting started in the Other Side. By this time, much of the crowd was still enjoying Opiuo which resulted in more spaciousness in the Other side. Within the crowd you could feel the gratitude for the spaciousness received. Nominus is originally a classical guitarist from San Francisco. He seamlessly combines the guitar, piano, sitar, and hand drums into his mid-tempo bass creating a unique style of organic electronic. From the sound of classical guitar, Nominus was emanating sensual latin vibes throughout the crowd. Looking around the dance floor, I could see salsa moves reflecting from the mix of guitar and mid-tempo bass. The vibes were delightful! Contact dancers were creating their spiraling vortex within the claimed space. Nominus took the crowd on a journey romping through various cultures. I felt like I was in a video game traveling to various countries telling a story of the ups and downs a traveler may experience on their journey. He continuously brought the listener back to a neutral receptive space, reminding the viewer that it’s all about the journey, not the destination. At one point the sound cut out during his set. As he looked around for a solution, the crowd continued to hoot and holler to show their appreciation for the set played. The crowd roared so much, you couldn’t even tell the sound had been cut short. When the sound came back on, Nominus looked up to see the crowd had not stopped dancing.

Janover and the ReSUNator are a power couple, no doubt. Lezlie (Sunshine) sings and plays keyboard while Jamie plays drums and DJ’s the beats. Although it was a bit hard to hear Lezlie, the downloads still managed to get through. ReSUNator creates a range of textures with heavy effecting and harmonics. She channels her inner goddess, singing from the heart, washing waves of restoration and oneness into the tracks.

Jamie works in flow with his love to accentuate the chant’s intention. The vocals are consistent through the music but allow just the right amount of space for the other instrumental elements to reveal themselves. Lezlie’s beautiful message is one of awakening, evolution, and a return to our ancient roots. Her vibration resonates into her listener’s hearts, infusing them with light and sound, the foundation of existence. In this way it is very primal in the most etheric way. She told LiS that she is about to release a solo album that she has produced herself, which shares some of her most intimate lyrics.

 

There was no shortage of the feminine representation that eve. So many powerful women working to restore the balance in the male dominated electronic world. More events need to consider the balance that female producers bring to these events. More woman need to share their talents and learn the ins and outs of production software. It’s a journey that I’m undertaking right now, and it’s going to be infinitely long, but to imagine someday being able to express yourself to the fullest in any way you desire is the inspiration. There is no doubt an unmatchable magick that happens through collaboration and co-creation. To see a woman creating her own beats, lyrics, and instrumentals is fairly rare but becoming more and more prevalent.

Ill-esha is one of those emerging female gems. She showed up with her heart switched in the on direction. She brings that organic future bass that’s adaptable to any atmosphere. Her set at the pre-party was the most danceable by far. Her crispy remixes bring in resonant familiarity accentuated by her sultry vocals. Not only does she sing, she jams a keytar and DJ’s simultaneously. LiS got to grill ill-esha in the green room after her set about the motivation behind her multidimensional ways…

How do you differentiate between set lists for different types of occasions? How would you characterize them (yoga, festivals, parties, etc.)? 

I always play to a combination of my audience and of the time slot. I definitely don’t believe that what’s good at 4PM is good at 3AM and vice versa. Although these days my sets are comprised 90% of originals, so there are certain caveats – there are tracks I want people to hear no matter what time of day it is.

Who would you call some of your biggest inspirations and why?

Any musicians who are pushing the boundaries of both live performance and musical capability. I love those that balance light and dark in music as well.

What did you think about the Unified Field Party as an observer and a participator?

I’ve always thought that Sonic Bloom and the many conscious branches affiliated with it were genuine, heartwarming, and expansive in their reach of gently nudging people towards a more enlightened state. The community and the collection of talent collaborating within is awesome both to watch and be a part of.

Can you go through the general workflow of creating a ill-esha track?

It really depends if I start with a vocal idea or if I’m just starting with the beat. A vocal idea begins with piano jamming and singing and gradually builds around that with percussion, synths, and careful mixing. When I’m just starting from a beat, it’s a much more random process. After I’ve picked out a collection of favorite sounds to make a drum kit, I’ll often just randomly tweak with synths until I make something that clicks and then build around that central resulting riff.

Do you have any collaborations in the works?

I’m just wrapping up an EP with KE On The Track, an Atlanta-based producer and also working on stuff with various rappers such as Psalm One and ProbCause from Chicago.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be?

I would jump at the chance to work with Flume, Cashmere Cat, or Mr. Carmack.

What were you doing before your solo project? How did you step into that?

I was involved in various bands and collectives playing music and singing and gradually started working with DJ’s who inspired me to get my own decks and start doing a multi-task live show. Over the years it’s gradually expanded to include nearly all original production and live instrumentation. My set never stops evolving, I’d get bored if it did!

What is your intention with the music for the listener?

I really hope to move people, touch their hearts a little, make them feel uplifted but also understood. Finding beauty in sorrow, depth in tranquility and being motivated to practice altruism.

What events are you most excited for this summer?

Very excited to be part of Sonic Bloom with my side project, Polar Vortex, and to perform in the orchestra. Also a lot of great festivals and parties in states I have not yet performed in, including Kentucky and West Virginia. Wakarusa is nice.

What are you feeling about the current representation of women in the music scene?

It’s not enough, and it’s not going to be enough until we change our societal conditioning.

You were talking about doing your own workshops – what does that entail?

I have given several workshops on music, but I think you are referring to a more long-term goal of mine to provide education and encouragement specifically focusing on the technical or less-explored sides of the creative world, for at-risk youth – especially young girls. I think that although the more traditional creative roles such as singer, dancer, and painter are encouraged among girls, there is still a distinct lack of support and easily accessible education in many technically focused areas. I’d love to show young people things like camera operating, set design and audio production and maybe show the nerdy, introverted types like myself that you can channel your creative force in a way that’s most comfortable and enjoyable for you.

You were also talking about doing a monthly producer club by way of social media, kind of like the book club for electronic artists, can you tell us more about that?

Being a producer is an isolating thing, and you spend a lot of time by yourself, developing your “secrets.” I think knowledge should be shared and even somewhat anti-social types like us engineers should be able to have a fun and informative forum where we can learn. Learning, teaching, and sharing information are all passions for me. Some Colorado artist friends and I have begun using the name Black Market Armoire to symbolize our artistic solidarity – kLL sMtH and I released a collab track under that name to start it off, and we hope to become a social hub for artists to create and collaborate.

YuYu, best described as Ayahuasca Rock, are the first of their kind. The dub force of Omega joins with the magical melodics of Cualli to form a party in the jungle in whatever latitude they come together. Playing sounds from their latest release “One” at the pre-party was like a siren’s call. Talking with Cualli afterward, he acknowledged that although it was dead at first and they were basically playing to the bartenders, he made the resolution to give it his all regardless. Sure enough if Cualli plucks and Omega squishes, they will come. The sounds drew people in so consistently that by the end, the room was pulsing with dancing humans. YuYu’s music is all together psychedelic and groovy. With Cualli’s guitar rifts guiding the listeners on a inward excursion in which anyone could find their happy place and Chris’s otherworldly use of electronic and live bass, they’ll have you searching for antennas sprouting from their heads because they are definitely getting some serious transmissions. Their music combines squish and organic sounds in a way that allows for a sacred yet light-hearted experience.

 Visionary art was equally as represented as the music inside the venue. This is something Sonic Bloom prides itself on. To name a few, artist’s like Morgan Mandala, Randal Roberts, Stephen Kruse, Andrew Thompson (RevivingRhythm), and Claire Thompson (ZuzuClaire) were there embarking on visual representations of the unified field. All of the painters present are masters of expressing the patterns, archetypes, and beauty taking place on the physical and subtle energy planes. They each come with a unique approach to rendering the moment, some of these being more direct than others. Most have their signature choices of expression that make their artwork especially distinguishable to our community. The appreciation of their presence in the festival culture goes with out saying. But should it? It seems that many of the visual artists and performers are under represented at these events that they provide such an essential element to. Think of festival culture absent of artwork and dance. What would it be then really other than another concert? Continually evolving in the integration of the whole encompassing artistic mind equally in all its parts is of the utmost importance.

Keepin’ it classy with Zoogma. They bring a very familiar jam to the forefront of the focus where all can join in a collective groove session. There’s always somewhat of an existential adventure happening during their sets, with all the proper plot placements and ascending story lines. Saw these guys the last two New Year’s Eve in Memphis, and it’s always an excellently rowdy time. Jamtronica is the best way I’ve heard it described. They brought really good organic sound to Saturday night, tastefully placed by the producers of the event as the headliners. Somewhat in and out of Sonic the Hedgehog Sega Genesis vibe and Daft Punk-ish robot land, it’s pretty consistently epic.

Talking with Scott, owner and in charge of booking at Cervantes, the resounding consensus was a very successful event. The entire venue having sold out speaks to the myriad of talent that graced the stages that night. It also speaks to Denver having one of the most extravagant music scenes right now, and Cervantes being the place to go to find the best produced events. The Unified Field Pre-Party was packed with talent, so much so that this review isn’t a big enough container to hold them all.  To mention a few: Easy Company, Dynohunter, Paul Basic, Tiger Party, Youngblood Brass Band, and DeFunk!

Shout out to everyone who made this composition possible!
BlackspyMarketing
Writing Collaboration (Nominus/Fillibusta) – Anam Cara
Photography:
3o3 Photography – Brian Brace
Colorado Concerts – Zach Baker
Fabian Productions – Zacarias Fabiano 

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