No matter if it is your first, second or seventh Imagine Music Festival this year is going to feel like a whole new festival. This year instead of being hosted at the Atlanta Speedway it will be held at Bouckaert Farm in the City of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. The festival runs from September 17-19 with a pre-party featuring Ganja White Knight, atLIENS and more on the 16th. This year will be my second Imagine Music Festival and I’m planning to meet back up with all the friends I made at Imagine in 2019.
Whether you know a group of twenty plus people, or you know no one, Imagine is a time for nurturing friendships, feeding your inner child, and releasing all that heavy baggage that has been accumulating over the past couple years. I’m ready to once again go through the digital detox that can only be completed by disconnecting from your day to day life and immersing yourself in sounds as diverse as the library of congress. Each day there are artists that I intend to see, experience, and learn from, but I do my best to let the universe, my trusted friends, and the festival gods guide my experience. This year, I look forward to seeing many artists each day.
Friday I’m hyped to see one of my favorite artists, an artist that I’ve traveled damn near coast to coast to see, Griz (Grant). Grant’s sound has evolved over time to break away from his bluesy-funk roots and become more and more digital. His latest album Rainbow Brain is uplifting, yet heavy hitting with so many Wonks you could mistake it for a certain chocolate factory. Friday I’m also excited to see Madeon who I got into just before all of the music industry shut down. Madeon has been a staple in the electronic industry for years, and his sound has a certain space-future mystic feel to it. I’m especially jamming out to “The Prince”', where the soft upbeat, progressiveness of the song easily uplifts any soul. Bestie feeling down? Toddler wilding out? No worries, pop on a little Madeon and make those tears melt away. I’m stoked for the chance to finally catch a set by Moore Kismet for the first time. Moore Kismet is one of the artists I think is on a fast track towards headlining festivals. They have a little bit of everything going on music wise venturing into vibrant trance, big room house, sonically charged soundscapes. “Convulsion Therapy” is an auditory masterpiece which takes you on a journey through a weird yet wonderful arrangement of ever changing sound verses. With Moore Kismet, it's sometimes hard to tell which genre you're in or heading into and that’s what keeps me wanting to listen to more. Friday also has Adventure Club B2B Riot Ten which can’t be missed and you’ll also catch me at Charlesthefirst, Dabin, and of course I’ll be wanting to capture some shots from that energy charged Excision set.
Saturday I’ll be getting down to the sounds of Kaskade at two sets, be sure to get your pool party tickets! I always enjoy listening to his music since it's uplifting but also mentally stimulating. Redux EP 005 has songs like "Where did you go?" and "New James Dean" which allow you to process the nuances of promises past due, relationships that expired, and every day disappointment. Saturday also brings many B2B sets that cannot be missed including Carnage B2B Borgore, Champagne Drip B2B Luzcid, and Kayzo B2B Subtronics. I’m also looking forward to catching sets by Kaivon, Lucii, Malaa, and of course the Wakaan Takeover Family Set.
On Sunday, I’m really looking forward to seeing Leah Culver who I discovered at the last Imagine. Her rise into being a DJ is a bit of a wild story, where she basically took it from "faking it" to "making it" in one night. She is a real producer, building her songs up from scratch including all instrumental and vocal parts. You probably know her best for her part on the Jack Ü song "Where are Ü now?" and if you haven't seen her perform before, now is the time. You’ll also catch me at Clozee who is a heavy weight in the bass scene, her sound is derived from nature and always has you guessing what continent she got her inspiration for the song from. You'll also catch me at Mersiv, Of The Trees, and the Subtronics: Wooked on Tronics (Sunset Set).
If you haven’t grabbed your tickets yet, you better be quick as different tickets are selling out. And be sure to check out the Covid-19 policy so that you come prepared and ready to party.
