Victoria-based DJ Neon Steve
As we continue on the journey to the Salmo River Ranch for four days and nights of furious dancing at Shambhala Music Festival in early August, things are getting downright serious. It’s time to bring out the heavy hitters and prepare your ears, bodies and hearts for the real funky shit. In part one I eased us into the plan with some of the lighter sounding fare on my radar to prep you. While this list certainly doesn’t contain the heaviest or most aggressive stuff at the festival, in the funky world that I normally inhabit at Shambhala, this is as heavy as I’m going to get. It’s time to get hella groovy, fellow rhythm-seekers.
DJ Jazzy Jeff
I admit that putting headlining acts on these sorts of lists is kind of a copout because, well, they’re the headliners, the big draws. Of course you’re going to try to see them. But this right here is DJ Jazzy Jeff, one of the most legendary DJs of all times, and an immortal if ever there was one. The Philly legend’s masterful technical skill on the decks is matched by his impeccable taste that ranges way beyond your standard hip-hop fare, keeping him as a staple of the party-rocking business for three decades and counting. I have no doubt that his Shambhala debut, during Fractal Forest’s Legends Night, is going to be the act of the weekend.
SkiiTour
I want to like house music, I really do. I love the tempo of house music, but I often find myself infected with boredom after only a short time of listening to house. Except when I see SkiiTour. I’ve never enjoyed a set of house music more than the first time I saw this funky duo. Their beats ride that sweet spot that keeps a brother moving, without being aggressively driving. Rarely letting that house beat bump on its own, a SkiiTour set is full of delightful sampling, keeping all the festivities interesting. Most astonishingly, the blazing summer heat of the BC interior seems to be no match for their protective snow gear. Seriously, how do they DJ in those coats?!
Bryx
A native of the Kootenay area where Salmo is located, Bryx’s Shambhala crowd is packed with locals as he celebrates his birthday weekend each year with an aggressively fun mix of dubstep, hip-hop and drum ‘n’ bass, laced with all kinds of fan favourites. In fact, few DJs have the ability to so successfully rework familiar party starting tracks time after time. I heard Lordes’ “Royals” more times last summer than I care to count, and no one made me enjoy it more than Sir Bryx. He even managed to make House of Pain’s “Jump Around” a little bit fresh. If he’s there every year, why should you go see him this year? Because Bryx is awesome, that’s why.
Neon Steve
From the luxurious comfort of my hometown of Victoria, BC, Neon Steve has forged a spot for himself as one of the most exciting breaks DJs in Western Canada. Over the last few years the good homey has honed his sound and built something wholly unique within a familiar framework; the ultimate test of any DJ. My best friend and noted EDM-obsessive remains steadfast in his belief that Neon Steve’s 2013 set in the Fractal Forest is the one of the greatest breaks sets that’s ever been played. Steve’s Pleasensations series is a non-stop chill-hit parade and each instalment has made its way into my essential summer listening. Get your freshest and brightest ’80s threads ready for a forest party!
Stylust Beats
I mentioned hip-hop a lot because it’s what I know and love. If you love hip-hop like I do, you are required by Shambha-law to see Stylust Beats. His rap chops are impeccable, as evidenced by his consistently great choice of lyrical samples. He’s still the only DJ I’ve heard remix the beloved Kendrick Lamar in a way that didn’t make me insane, and for that alone he deserves some kind of medal. With roots planted up and down the West Coast, from Vancouver to LA, Stylust combines that laid-back West Coast vibe with a penchant for completely over-the-top grimy trap beats. Stylust’s sets are a hip-hop lover’s dream.
Shambhala Music Festival runs August 7-10, 2015 in Salmo, British Columbia.
No Comments