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!

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A single repeating note opens the track before erupting into fast-paced drum beats that mirror the speed with which Strategy spits out bars. The rolling drumline gives way to an angelic empty space halfway through the track, reminiscent of deep 140 bpm classics from the likes of Coki, Benga, and Caspa. The moment Strategy goes silent is the best kind of sonic whiplash, the kind of moment that makes one audibly gasp “Whoa…” There’s hardly enough time to piece together the first verse of the track before he comes roaring back in for the second between the hypnotizing bassline and sharp hi-hats. It’s a simultaneously filthy and poetic end to this composition.

Everybody knows I’m a UK don / But I’m back on my Transatlantic shit
– Strategy

Strategy does not miss a beat on ‘Blue Mile.’ Amidst the murky low-end rumblings of Of the Trees and Crenshaw, syllable after syllable fires through like a machine gun. It’s clear that the grime wave has finally cemented itself stateside, with Strategy himself remarking that he’s “Got a decent amount of American followers.” In this case, they’re well-deserved.

‘Blue Mile’ is a standout track for Memory Palace. Along with the likes of LYNY, Esseks, DMVU, and Of the Trees himself, Crenshaw is a perfect fit for the vibe of the label. Having recently announced a hiatus next year from his usual Claude VonStroke alias, we can only wonder what label we’ll see him collaborating with next. Longtime fans are still awaiting a second Crenshaw album, given that the first came out nearly seven years ago. Whoever it is, they’re in for a treat. If 2023 has given us any indication of the trajectory of these two producers, it’s safe to say they’re only going up.

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