Shambhala Festival (photo: Leah Gair)
After 18 years of operation, it’s kind of pointless for me to tell you that Shambhala 2015 was a great festival. Of course it was. By this point the festival, which takes place on a large farm in Salmo, BC, just outside of Nelson, is a well-oiled machine that runs smoothly and consistently attracts top-flight electronic acts from around the world. Having a good time at Shambhala is as close to a sure thing as you’re going to get these days. The only thing that separates each good time is that you see it through your eyes and get to hear it with your ears, and it’s with that in mind that I give you a rundown of some of the things I saw that will keep this year’s Shambhala burned into my brain, somewhere underneath all the fog.
Best backup plan: JPOD the Beat Chef
There might have been no act I was more excited to see this past weekend than DJ Jazzy Jeff. Alas, the crushing weight of all the people that had the same idea as me chased me out of Fractal Forest for his Saturday night set. Initial devastation gave way to joy as I reached the Grove stage and found Shambhala legend JPOD in the throws of what turned out to be one of the most solid sets of the weekend. JPOD, playing his first set outside of Fractal Forest in 10 years, delivered a set of weird, funky glitch-hop to seemingly unanimous praise. Complete with a visit from a terrifying “Eyeball Queen,” this set is sure to keep popping up in both my daydreams and nightmares.
Act I was most right about: Neon Steve
I did fairly well with my Shambhala picks this year, but no one hit a home run like my fellow Victorian, Neon Steve. His set was a display in DJ virtuosity, hitting breaks, house, funk and a touch of d’n’b with equal deftness in dealing with each. His sample choices were on point, ranging from stuff I couldn’t place to things that I’ve loved forever. Neon’s reworking of Kanye’s “New Workout Plan” was really something special. I’ve been walking around singing the line, “Don’t drop the blunt” since his set.
Most surprising set I liked: Camo & Krooked
My struggles with understanding drum and bass have been long documented. Time and time again I’ve failed to find an entry point into the intimidating world that is d’n’b. This year I think I finally found the entry point with Austrian duo Camo & Krooked. Unlike most of the d’n’b shows that I’ve seen over my few years of following EDM, Camo & Krooked was less a relentless assault, and as much a groove-fest as most sets I saw all weekend. Their ferocious d’n’b was beautifully tempered with heavy doses of hip-hop and lovely vocal samples that kept me shaking even in the midst of the inherent stabby-ness of the genre. I’ve already pumped a couple of their mixes since I’ve been home and am enjoying the first bit of this new rabbit hole.
Best non-musical aspect of Shambhala: Can Fans
Anyone who regularly attends large events like this knows that hitting the outhouses is almost always the worst part of the overall experience, except at Shambhala. I’m not going to sit here and say that it’s a wonderful time, but thanks to the good people of Nelson, BC-based Can Filters and their amazing Can Fans, the outhouses at Shambhala are completely devoid of smell for the entirety of the fest. The amount of strain that pulls off the mind and body during four days on a farm is nearly incalculable and allows for a much easier time. As an added bonus, when the fans are running you get an extra bit of refreshment for your undercarriage.
2 Comments
Agree with Camo & Krooked. Although I would have to say that equal credit goes to the Village crew for the pristine sound and perfectly synced light show.
Yes to the fanning of my undercarriage. Super star status everywhere you go hahaha nice article