Fort Knox Five (photo: John Sore)
Few things these days awaken the music beast in me like festival season, and that feeling peaks for me each summer at Shambhala Music Festival. On the beautiful, life-giving Salmo River, the last few years have seen Shambhala become the focal point for my summer musical adventures. It’s not that I’m that big of a fan of electronic-based music; I’m really just a fan of music. Considering the wide range of artists at the festival, my list could be considered overly safe, full of proven groovers, but know that it’s based on my unyielding love of all things danceable. The artists here might have minimal bleeps and bloops in the sounds, but they have maximum fun levels. I promise if you follow me where I’m going, you’ll have a dance-tacular time.
Scott Jackson
This Scott Jackson guy is a fucking marvel. It’s hard to put into words just how impressed I was by Jackson’s beatbox virtuosity last year during the Shambhala hip-hop showcase, and how glad I am that he’s back again this year. His ability to recreate dubstep, hip-hop and, most impressively, drum ‘n’ bass with nothing more than his mouth and a microphone is downright astonishing. Multiple times I experienced those lovely chest-rattling sensations from Jackson that one would think only a band or computer could deliver. Beatboxing is one of the most basic building blocks of hip-hop culture, and seeing someone do it well is an unmatched experience. Please, if you’re at Shambhala, make time to see Scott Jackson.
Rising Appalachia
This sister duo out of New Orleans might be the most intriguing act on the Shambhala bill this year. They make beautiful, melodic folk music that incorporates a vast array of world and roots musics. Combined with their achingly emotive vocal harmonies, Rising Appalachia promises to bring something wholly different to their slot on the Grove Stage. Their records are reserved, often haunting affairs and I’m excited to hear how those lovely soundscapes will be presented on those big PK Sound rigs. Will their set act as a needed dancing reprieve, or will it be a surprise bounty of rootsy folk groove?
Fort Knox Five
Stalwarts of the festival, Fort Knox Five make their triumphant tenth appearance at Shambhala this year and it comes on the heels of the release of their masterful latest album, Pressurize the Cabin. I can’t wait to groove to the tunes from that record. Combining world beat, reggae and hip-hop over a sturdy base of funk, every song from the album is a blast of engaging fun; each one reaching official rump-shaker status. Though they hail from the other side of the continent in Washington, DC, Fort Knox Five’s sets at Shambhala are a homecoming for the non-native sons of BC, creating an unparalleled friends-and-family atmosphere in the midst of the funky chaos.
The Gaff
Do you like hip-hop? How about funk? How about reggae? Trace any of that far enough back and you’re going to get to soul, the place where The Gaff makes his home. A soul DJ if ever there was one (his label is called Do It with Soul), The Gaff is one of the finest selectors in all the land, laying down track after track of music that hits you right in the feels. It doesn’t matter which direction he’s coming from, you’re going to get a large dollop of soul when you hear The Gaff. His unending predilection for soul, combined with his mastery of the scratch, and willingness to branch out when the time calls for it, makes him one of the most consistently delightful and accessible acts at the festival.
Beat Fatigue
All the way from that beacon of freedom, Amsterdam, Beat Fatigue resides on Lowtemp Records, label of the funk god Gramatik. Taking a page from his label-head, Beat Fatigue drops the most persistently funky beats, the perfect canvas for his lively and skilled guitar flourishes. Seriously, that guitar is really something special, setting him apart from some of this more generic sounding peers. His recently released Optimus Jive EP is a masterful (if way-too-short) bit of electro-funk that only Optimus Prime, a robot with no soul, could ignore. If you have a head, it’s going to nod. If you have an ass, it’s going to shake.
Shambhala Music Festival runs August 7-10, 2015 in Salmo, British Columbia.
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