Highlights of this year’s lineup include the likes of Subtronics, who is returning for the first time since 2019. Zeds Dead is making their WAKAAN Festival debut this year for a solo set as well as the first-ever Zeds Dead b2b Liquid Stranger set. Freddy Todd and Of The Trees will be performing as their collaborative BLAAP project. An official 1985 Music takeover will feature label head Alix Perez, along with Torcha, Hyroglifics, and Monty. Barclay Crenshaw is returning after electrifying performances the last two years that helped cement his resurgence as a bass music icon. The duo of jordnmoody and Ujuu will be on stage together as FLORA. As founder of WAKAAN, Liquid Stranger himself is also performing three exclusive sets, including a throwback set with a list of not-yet-announced friends.

There is more to WAKAAN than just the music. The festival features a diverse array of workshops, ranging from such topics as health and wellness to music production. The grounds of Mulberry Mountain are scattered with art installations, merch vendors, games, and more. In particular, this year features the return of Soul Spin Art Gallery, where fans can create their very own custom vinyl records that will be kept on the mountain for years to come.

In the past years that I’ve attended WAKAAN, the crowd energy has been unreal. There is a real, concerted effort on the part of these festival-goers to make friends and inspire each other. I’ve told my life story to a stranger on the way to a Port-a-Potty. I’ve always left with more trinkets than I arrived with. I’ve been handed hors d’oeuvres from people passing by mid-headliner. I’ve played Super Smash Brothers and watched Adventure Time on a screen in the middle of the forest. The sense of community that this festival has is something to behold, and I hope everyone gets to at least once.

If you’d like to purchase a ticket to the festival, you can do so on WAKAAN’s website. Be sure to follow them on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook for more information. In the meantime, you can peep the full festival lineup below!

The post WAKAAN Festival Reveals Highly Anticipated 2024 Lineup appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Called Liner Notes, it is “a dedicated zone for music stories that extend bridges of solidarity, immortalize cultural moments, guide ears beyond their comfort zones, and fuel new trains of thought.” As bloggers ourselves, we are excited to see the birth of such initiatives, especially being fully aware of the antagonistic historical moment written media outlets are experiencing. For this reason, we’d like to congratulate the Catalog team and wish them the best in this new venture.

Liner Notes offers a paid Editorial Pitch Program and accepts new story submissions by both aspiring and established writers. The articles will be hosted on Arweave a decentralized storage for online permanence.

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Yet far too many times this sanctuary has been violated. Instances of sexual assault have seemed to become synonymous with EDM and nightlife. Names like STUCA, graves, Space Jesus, Bassnectar, and Billy Kenny are a few acts that have left deep scars within the nightlife scene for sexual misconduct and worse, and the names keep piling up.

A 2018 survey commissioned by the Press Association found that nearly half of female festival goers (43%) under 40 say they have faced “unwanted sexual behavior at a music festival.” Yet, only 1% of women surveyed actually reported sexual assault or harassment to a member of festival staff, either on or after the event. This is also a stark contrast to the 19% of men who did report their experience directly to staff. To make matters worse, according to research done by Musician’s Union in 2019, nearly 1 of every 2 musicians has experienced sexual harassment while working (42%).

What should be a safe and beautiful experience for all is violated on all sides. The time for change is imminent, and Four 4 Consent, an LGBTQ+, femme-identifying-led organization, plans to take a stand. 

With a mission to help event organizers and venues create safer and more positive nightlife culture, Four 4 Consent has launched a new ambassador program called Nightlife Safety Summit for artists, managers, agents, venue staff, and all other industry professionals wanting to educate themselves on nightlife violence prevention in the music industry.

The organization plans to focus on two major areas in North America: the greater Los Angeles area and the Midwest/East Coast. Applicants to the program will be subject to background and reference checks upon consideration, and upon admittance will begin a year-long program, in which, for 8 hours per month (2 scheduled with a group, 6 independent sessions) they will receive industry-specific education and processing via Zoom. 

Accepted ambassadors will be expected to attend 10 of the 12 sessions to complete the course, but additional hours are also available for those who have extra time. Upon acceptance, ambassadors will pay $25 a month to attend, and a portion of these funds will be used for 36 different scholarships. The number of ambassadors will total around 140 this year, a staggering feat for the small organization, and hopefully the beginning of a new age for nightlife and the industry itself. 

With these industry leaders at the helm and a community ready to take back the scene, there is room for hope, and, even more so, real change. 

Learn more about Four4Consent here. Applicants can text “Ambassador” to (313) 367-1228 to apply. Applications for the program will end June 1, 2022 with the program beginning in mid-June. If you don’t have the time to commit, you can also donate to the Night Safety Summit here.

*If you are a survivor of violence, and/or harassment or trafficking and are wishing to contact our organization for support, resources, referrals, or processing, please email survivor@four4consent.org to be set up with a Nationally Credentialed advocate*

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With trends and tastes consistently changing in the dance music scene, Electric Zoo organizers provided a survey for fans in order to satisfy their community with suggestions on the overall lineup. As fans requested more house and techno music, attendees will be pumped to catch a stacked lineup featuring Chris Lake, Chelina Manuhutu, Gorgon City, Andrea Olivia b2b Ilario Alicante, AC Slater, Will Clarke, and Matroda. For all those in need of their bass fix, have no fears as Diesel, Wreckno, G Jones B2B Eprom, Seven Lions, and Netsky will be throwing it down all day long. Even better,  the stage takeovers will include labels and hosts such as Sunday School, Carl Cox Invites, Bite This!, Brownies & Lemonade, Confession, and Odyzey.  Be sure to check out the full lineup below and sign up for pre-sale access here.

The post Electric Zoo Announces 3.0 Theme And Reveals Stellar 2022 Lineup appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

Bandcamp will keep operating as a standalone marketplace and music community, and I [Ethan Diamond Bandcamp co-founder and CEO] will continue to lead our team. The products and services you depend on aren’t going anywhere, we’ll continue to build Bandcamp around our artists-first revenue model (where artists net an average of 82% of every sale), you’ll still have the same control over how you offer your music.

These first words seem to put to rest the fears of many hardcore users, who appear to feel already resigned to see their indie-paradise fading away under the push of Epic. Diamond continues revealing that other companies have approached Bandcamp over the years, but only the game company “tickled” all the right parameters. The CEO specifically praises Epic’s efforts to champion a fair and open Internet and build an artist-friendly ecosystem. As previously mentioned, there are no breakup announcements yet and it looks like little will change in the near future for Bandcamp (including the debated Bandcamp Fridays and the Live platform).  On a technical level, Diamond anticipated that “this new chapter will allow the music platform “to work with Epic to expand internationally and push development forward across Bandcamp, from basics like our album pages, mobile apps, merch tools, payment system, and search and discovery features, to newer initiatives like our vinyl pressing and live streaming services.”

You can read both Bandcamp and Epic official statements here and here.

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We are devastated to announce the passing of our beloved Virgil Abloh, a fiercely devoted father, husband, son, brother, and friend. He is survived by his loving wife Shannon Abloh, his children Lowe Abloh and Grey Abloh, his sister Edwina Abloh, his parents Nee and Eunice Abloh, and numerous dear friends and colleagues.

For over two years, Virgil valiantly battled a rare, aggressive form of cancer, cardiac angiosarcoma. He chose to endure his battle privately since his diagnosis in 2019, undergoing numerous challenging treatments, all while helming several significant institutions that span fashion, art, and culture.

Through it all, his work ethic, infinite curiosity, and optimism never wavered. Virgil was driven by his dedication to his craft and to his mission to open doors for others and create pathways for greater equality in art and design. He often said, “Everything I do is for the 17-year-old version of myself,” believing deeply in the power of art to inspire future generations.

We thank you all for your love and support, and we ask for privacy as we grieve and celebrate Virgil’s life.

Virgil Abloh
September 30, 1980 – November 28, 2021

The visionary was the founder and CEO of streetwear brand Off-White, making him a staple in every hypebeast’s closet. His creativity even led him to become Louis Vuitton‘s creative director, and was even the first African-American to do so.

Hip-hop culture is as much about fashion as it is about music, and Virgil Abloh was a quintessential part of both. His early collaborative relationship with Kanye West as well as his lengthy DJ career solidified his spot, garnering respect from all facets of the hip-hop community.

Virgil Abloh was a groundbreaker and an innovator with the Midas touch in every artform he dabbled in. His imprint on our culture will impact generations to come. The whole world is mourning the loss today, but our hearts are especially with Virgil’s loved lones.

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Now that New York City has gotten back into the groove of going out every night, it’s no surprise Skrillex is coming to Brooklyn’s beloved Avant Gardner. The indoor-outdoor venue is home to New York’s biggest dance music events, hosting stages with incredible visuals, an epic sound system, and plenty of room to dance. The sold-out show will be taking place tomorrow, October 27 and we’re gassed to see what kind of set he’s going to play.

Skrillex will be bringing on stage Wax Motif and NOODZ—and as an Asian in dance music myself, let me just say I’m hyped to see this type of representation. Keep an eye out later this week to see my review of the sets and check out more info below! For information on COVID-19 restrictions at the venue, be sure to visit their website before attending the event here.

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Showing their love for the underground they’re putting together a very special discord festival that is beyond stacked! Audius Autumn will be taking place on their Discord on October 29th from 10:00am – 10:00pm PST. We have the pleasure of being a sponsor of the event alongside some of the best brands in the industry including Quality Goods Records, Partica Artist Group, and Moving Castle. As for the artists, the line-up is absolutely unmatched. Headliners include UZ, Wuki, QUIX, Dirty Audio, Firebeatz and Megalodon. The rest of line-up features some of best of the underground including a ton of our favourite artists such as Chromonicci, Oski, Ian Munro, Oshi, Eazybaked, TSU NAMI, Sebjin, Tearsofmine, Pauline Herr + many more!

Check out the full line-up below and be sure to join the Audius Discord to keep up with what’s to come and experience the event. The set times will be announced on Thursday!

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It’s been a long and windy road, but I’d say my dance music journey officially started at a 2013 Flosstradamus show. I never thought that eight years later, I’d be sharing all of my favorite tracks with all of you! Throughout the years, I’ve dedicated my time to discovering songs on SoundCloud and various music blogs, only getting deeper and deeper into the rabbit hole of electronic music. I had even been reading FUXWITHIT since 2015! So when I started writing for the site in March 2020, it felt like everything came full circle.

I’ve been working with Colin and the FUXWITHIT team for about a year and a half, trying to bring you the dopest new releases in electronic trap, hip-hop, future beats, and more. And I’m extremely blessed to be working with so many inspiring, gifted individuals who have an authentic passion to uplift artists you might not have heard of yet. And if you know me, you know my purpose in the music industry is to give a platform to a diverse array of artists—not only genre-wise—but especially underrepresented minorities. I hope that along with bringing you the best talent of the underground, I can also showcase musicians who wouldn’t have had the opportunity otherwise.

As Editor, my goals are to create content that engages artists through hard-hitting interviews, exploratory editorials, and educational pieces that provide historical context for the music we all know and love. So whether you’re an artist yourself, or a fan, just like me—you have a home here at FUXWITHIT. I have no doubt that the FUXWITHIT team will continue being a bright light in the dance music community, and I’m so grateful to Colin for trusting me to keep pushing the culture forward through this role.

To give you a taste of what I like, I made a playlist, just for you! Want to connect? Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or email me at hello@ariellenyc.com! You can also read everything I’ve covered on FUXWITHIT here.

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