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a machine for living Over the next few months, there will be some really great festivals.  It all starts with the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, which will feature some of the original cast, and whole pile of favorites.  After that, make a quick stop south of Kansas City in  for Dancefestopia, then bounce on out to sunny southern California for Desert Daze in October. Woodstock 50th Anniversary August 15 - August 17 White Lake, New York Dancefestopia - Emeral City September 5 - September 8 La Cygne, Kansas Desert Daze 2019 October 10 - October 13 Lake Perris, California ... check back for our favorites for winter

Willie Nelson & Family hit the road again in June this year on their North American Tour with a full line-up of favorites.  Another edition of Electric Forest returns at the end of June with Odesza, Kygo, Bassnecter, Zeds Dead, and Three Incidents The String Cheese Incident.  And midway through July InfraSound  celebrates 8 years with Tipper and Amon Tobin presents Two Fingers. Outlaw Music Festival June 14 - July 3 Various Locations Electric Forest 2019 June 27 - June 30 Rothbury, Michigan Infrasound Music Festival 2019 July 11- July 14 Harmony Park, Minnesota

Vinyl Scavenger Hunt at Elements Music & Arts Festival 2018 | Photo credit: aLIVE Coverage Elements Music & Arts Festival reveals activities and wellness programming for its third edition on Memorial Day weekend. Nestled within the northeastern Pennsylvania forest in a lakeside setting, festival-goers are surrounded by nature and a fantastic musical lineup, complemented by diverse wellness workshops and activities.  Body and soul-based lectures, immersive art installations, summer camp activities, arts and crafts right alongside roller rink disco prom, a pirate ship party, and fire walking are just a few. The lineup that features varied dance music genres across the board, such as Disclosure, FISHER, Big Gigantic, Seth Troxler, Shiba San, Justin Martin, Liquid Stranger, Francesca Lombardo and special sunrise sets from Damian Lazarus, Atish, and David Hohme. Water Stage at Elements Music & Arts Festival 2018 | Photo credit: aLIVE Coverage summer camp acti

The depth and scope of the musical ingenuity of Brazilian-born and UK-raised producer Amon Tobin is an inarguable inspiration to many. From the Kronos Quartet to Diplo, he has achieved respect among artists across all genres during a career spanning more than 20 years, releasing era-defining tracks, setting an unmatched pace of sonic exploration and musical adventurism. Amon Tobin continues exploring the musical cosmos in his upcoming studio album "Handful of Dust," which is set for release on April 26 on his newly minted Nomark label, but already has three singles bouncing around the internet airwaves. Tobin says of his latest, "Fooling Alright"accompanied by video, ‘'I’ve always sung on my records in one-way or another, usually as a texture, and sometimes as a different character. This character is kind of androgynous and creepy to me, which is great because the setting in my mind is 1950’s Americana," which he finds extremely creepy. Cree

Saya Woolfalk transports visitors into a world of a fictional race of women called the Empathics.  The extensive narrative is one of the more notable works by this contemporary artist, bringing a first time exhibition to Kansas City, beginning First Friday in March. Her brief film "ChimaCloud" displayed this fantastical world of the Empathics in Times Square recently, along with a virtual sculpture and live performance in Fulton Center and Brooklyn Museum. The experience enabled visors to travel between worlds along the rivers, bridges and subways of the city. Empathics will introduce their newest groundbreaking technology at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art.  This immersive, multimedia exhibition was created for the museum incorporating hybridization, technology, ceremonial rituals, and science fiction themes. Individual and interrelated works appearing in the Block Building tell the story of the ChimaCloud. The alternative digital universe creat

Immersive event creators Caravan Gitane and House of Yes again combine creative forces to present ‘Full Specturm' with producer Max Cooper in Brooklyn at 99 Scott. The live audio/visual performance from the British producer as he showcases new music off his latest album, ‘One Hundred Billion Sparks’ and newly-released ‘Reflex’ EP. Introducing a theme of quantic, bright geometric, electrifying connectivity, the evening invites the mind to let go and expand into a state of pure bliss. Together, the two leading event purveyors will present the finest performers and an enticing array of activation in what is sure to be one of their most elaborate collaborations to date. Caravan Gitane x House of Yes at AcidCase in 2018 | Photo credit: Erica Camille Touching down in New York for one show only as part of his global One Hundred Billion Sparks tour, Max Cooper has carved out a unique position for himself as an artist who merges electronic music with visual art to creative live

Above & Beyond’s first original collaboration single since the 2010 ‘Anphonic’ with Kyau & Albert is out now.  Production powerhouse of Jono Grant, Tony McGuinness, and Paavo Siljamäki teamed up with Spencer Brown from San Francisco to produce their latest track 'Long Way From Home’ featuring the vocals of RBBTS (Anne Kalstrup & Hendrik Burkhard). Debuting at Above & Beyond’s Group Therapy 300 celebrations in Hong Kong, the track speaks to the loneliness of touring artists on the road through a melancholic wave of undulating melodies underpinned by the quartet’s rounded, dance floor-ready sound. The first outlines were laid down by Paavo and Spencer in a Melbourne hotel room, a very, very long way from home. Fine-tuned on the road in front of sell-out crowds across Europe, ‘Long Way From Home’ feat. RBBTS is an early Christmas treat for fans.  Both artists have packed schedules for the remainder of the year. According to Paavo, “Both Spencer and mysel

Rephlektor - The Prodigy released their latest track ‘We Live Forever’ just last week, bringing together Keef and Maxim, plus vocal hooks from Ultramagnetic MC, over a sinister riff that keeps coming at you before erupting into a violent energy only Howlett knows how to bring. The track is a striking highlight from the upcoming album release, 'No Tourists' due out on November 2, and a reminder of a band that has resolutely followed their own route through the underbelly of popular culture since day one. The Prodigy have never taken the lazy tourist route. They dominated the illegal rave scene, challenged anti-rave legislation and redefined the whole idea of what a band should be like. They brought UK electronic music to the US heartland, turning metal kids onto Rave and ravers into metal heads. Effectively reached global audiences without compromise, racking up 6 number 1 albums and multiple honors (two Brits, two Kerrang! awards, five MTV awards, two Grammy no

MJR ~ Opening with the tough driving sounds of title track, 'Black Matter' Brian gets things grooving from the first bar with percussive power. bleeding into progressive techno! Out now on Progline Records . The tracklist for VII Vol I includes "Animate the Enemy" from Brian Flinn. Preorder digital copy from iTunes, Beatport or Amazon.com, or order the 4 CD set. Worldwide release is October  5th. With a massive year of releases on Degenerate, Full On 140, Black Hole, & his very own label, From The Ashes Records, Brian Flinn shows off his Trance talent and versatility.  Exploring the spectrum between 125 BPM and 142 BPM, enjoy his set below as a guest Intricacy Radio. Celebrating 3 years of Intricacy, Brian will be playing a producer set in Kansas City, opening the floor for Factor B, and his Kansas City Debut.  The event is October 5th at Rhythm & Booze and will also feature Denver's Adam Stark, and a special B2B with Rendon & GaryK.

Shaun Frank is back with an up-tempo house record titled “Bon Appétit,” following the massive success of his latest release “Tokyo Nights” with Digital Farm Animals & Dragonette.  Out now on Ultra Music, this track features the catchy and upbeat vocals from developing artist YA-LE. “Bon Appétit” is a delicious house track loaded with electrifying kicks and powerful synths, bringing Shaun Frank back to his melodic house music roots. The track begins with the a catchy vocal hook that pulls you in and then releases into a high-energy drop filled with Shaun Frank’s signature infectious melodies. Shaun is hot off the heels of his massive “Rave Dad Road Trip” tour, which crossed North America in the first half of 2018. He recently took the stage with a huge performance at Îlesoniq Music Festival in Montreal, and will soon be seen performing at Breakaway Music Festival in Nashville. And a  quick glance at his Facebook page indicates he has no intention of slowing down eith

photo courtesy of rephlektor ink After a meteoric rise to the top of the electronic music scene in 2016, Joyryde is powering into 2017 with a new mix and slew of North American dates. The UK-bred producer just released his Diplo & Friends Radio 1 mix, giving fans a taste of his favorite heavy-hitting selects. The hour-long mix is brimming with unreleased originals and remixes, careening from UK grime and garage to hip-hop and bass.  Listen to the mix  and catch Joyrryde on tour this month. The wait is finally over for the highly anticipated music video to El Dusty's "La Chusa," featuring Camilo Lara and Toy Selectah. Influenced by the old Texan wive's tale that inspired the track, the music video is an animated adventure into a world where women transform into birds and nothing is truly as it seems. If you fell in love with Alex Midi's cover of New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle," get ready because we've got two new rem

“Higher Love” is collaboration between two of the scene’s most innovative artists, Seven Lions and Anjunabeats young gun Jason Ross. Adding the vocal talents of MUTEMATH’s Paul Meany. Responsible for some of the finest reworks in the Anjunabeats catalogue, Seven Lions’ experimental approach transformed the likes of Above & Beyond’s “You Got To Go” and Velvetine’s “The Great Divide” into modern cult classics.  His first original release on the label aligns him with a mainstay of the Anjunabeatsroster, Jason Ross, whose ear for uplifting melodies and polished club records has turned him into a global star in 2016. Collaborating on a remix of Seven Lion’s smash “Creation”, the two realized the relationship could go farther. Adding Paul Meany, from American alternative rock band MUTEMATH, a veteran talent with a keen indie sensibility who was immediately drawn to the tune. “This collab with Jason was probably one of the quickest and smoothest collabs I've ever worke

Since unleashing their latest single “Came Up” with a live performance featuring Post Malone at Splice x Mysteryland remix contest in 2015.  Jorgen shifts the track into a more instrumentally driven tune, using the vocals only as a hook that leads into poppy trap breakdowns.  Also fusing more future bass elements into their remix, Rickyxsan’s rework slows down the track a notch with an influx of bubbly future bass synthesizers. The last two tracks gives “Came Up” a different feel. First with graves & Clips X Ahoy delivering a trapped out VIP edit ready for the festival mainstage and Casper and B turning the track to a feel-good groove, filled with uplifting and saccharine melodies.

photo: househeadspeaks.com South African born DJ/Producer Kimesh Desai aka Camouflage is an artist dedicated to the House Music cause since 1997. With over 15 years involvement, Camouflage has worked himself from the dance floors of Johannesburg, where he spent many weekends cultivating his love of House Music before acquiring some turntables and a mixer and  moving to London in 2003.  Once in London, after attending various parties, he finally began to land gigs at some of the top nightclubs in London, like Pacha and Ministry of Sound, finally landing a residency in Ibiza in 2007. Starting up Chicago House Music FM (CHFM) in September 2008, Camouflage opened the first show, and after several weeks of continuous support and success, kicked off a second show after only 2 months.  Live from Scotland, London, Eastborne and Manchester, a whole new world began to unfold for Camouflage and CHFM. Having very little music knowledge and armed with just that of being a DJ, he landed hi

Tomorrow night features another installment of  jux-ta-pose at the increasingly popular Uptown Arts Bar.  This particularly special night of House music with resident Todd Howard, will feature performances by local House legends Pat Nice , Tony Markham and Chris . These names are synonymous with KC House and are the founders of the House music scene we know and love in Kansas City.  They have kept the faith for longer than I can honestly recall.  Their mixtapes (yes... cassette tapes) still clutter the shelves of my music outpost in the garage, and are frequently recalled when I need a little bit of the real deal.  Honestly, I am surprised that one of them. a THC mix from 1990-something, hasn't disintegrated from all the play time.  I suppose that when it does, I will finally be forced to listen to the digital copy I made for myself and Pat quite a while back.  Perhaps one day, with their permission, we will post some of this stuff up to the MixCloud. In juxtaposition, anot

Saturday night in Kansas City, the Czar Bar features Rob Lemon with Zach Jennings from St Louis, along with locals Jeffrey B and Paul DeMatteo.  We've caught Rob's performances on numerous occasions and most recently caught up with him opening for Above & Beyond in St. Louis at Europe Nightclub for a fantastic night of music and dance. With over a decade of experience behind the decks Rob Lemon has rocked other venues such as Vision & Spybar-Chicago, The Church-Denver CO, Late Night Empire Ballroom-Las Vegas, Kabal/Skybox-Kansas City, LaSouk-NYC and BLU Parrot-Mexico.   Rob regularly plays alongside top DJs such as Tiesto, Paul Van Dyke, Deep Dish, Sander Kleinenberg, Christpher Lawrence, Danny Howells, & Fedde Le Grand. As well, he is regularly featured on XM Radio, Proton Radio and Frisky Radio. In 2006 Rob formed “X -1” with music production partner Byron Thomas. Their first release “Hypnosis” was released on Curvve Recordings in February 2007 and has

Our two favorite colors Black & White, come together in Kansas City tomorrow night in a new monthly series featuring some of the finest in local and regional talent.    Headed up by locals JoshC and PK, of KansasCityTechno.com , the event will be held under the stars (or clouds) on the back patio of the new Gusto Lounge in Westport. Helping to launch this new monthly, Richie Re Lax and RachelFair  from Springfield, Mo. will be their first guests up.  We were not able to scrounge much up on them, excepting a few spots on MixCloud and the notorious FaceBook profiles, so it will be interested in hearing what they have to offer.  What we have heard so far sounds simply smooth & groovy. Hit their names to have a listen. JoshC and PK are long time favorites of phocas.net.  Josh takes pride in his careful track selection, and has been moving the dance floor around these parts since 1999.  PK has been at it nearly as long, after having taught himself to DJ “Inidan Sty

This week an exciting opportunity for aspiring female talent was announced.  Through a partnership with CBS Radio, Astralwerks Records introduced “She Can DJ – America.”  This challenge to all the up-and-coming lady mixers will be quite an interesting contest.  We can immediately identify quite a few locals we have had the opportunity to hear and dance to that should throw their hat in, and very much looks forward to them doing so!  So ladies… listen up! An effort to discover the country’s top female DJ/Producer will launch in July 2013 with local competitions held in New York, LA, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Boston, Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego, Charlotte and Las Vegas.  12 semi-finalists and one wild-card will then compete for a Grand Prize that includes a recording contract with Astralwerks Records, as well as headlining a tour through all of the CBS Radio markets that took part. “Aspiring female DJ’s/Producers need look no further than She Can DJ for that once in a