The GIANT Moogfest 2016 Rundown.

Moogfest 2016 in Durham, North Carolina

If you are looking for a festival that makes you think, learn and feel through the combined powers of technology and music then look no further. Moogfest is the festival for you. Moogfest has an interesting past. The whole thing started in New York City in 2004 as a one night gala to celebrate the anniversary of Moog, A popular America synthesizer brand started by Robert Moog. After 4 years in New York the festival had evolved in a way to include the musical performances that use the tools the festival praises. Because the size and scope of the festival was growing the festival moved to Asheville, NC, and now Durham. 

Festi.World arrived in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the town just east of Durham, on the Wednesday before the festival thinking about how they were going to use the quaint downtown area of the city for the festival. On Thursday morning we rolled into Durham, a very progressive a city, surrounded by universities and stuck between gender inequality issues and regeneration, and aside from all of the problems Durham is dealing with we were pleasantly surprised. Durham has everything a big city would have, tall building, shops, hotels, and businesses all while still transmitting that small-town feel. After a few hours in the city it was no problem navigating between the 20+ venues across the beautiful downtown area. Motorco Park / Music Hall were the furthest venues from any other, but the walk was only 9 minutes from anywhere else in the city. 

The Carolina Theater, one of the major hubs of the festival. The theater utilized the cinemas for multiple films during the weekend, while the theater presented several panels and performances from artists like Gary Numan, GZA, and Explosions In The Sky.

Dawn performin at Carolina Theater on Thursday May 19th. Photo Courtesy of Moogfest/Magnum PR   

Moogfest used the city in a very intelligent ways. First of all, Moogfest choosing Durham feels like a no-brainer after seeing all that exists there. Being situated in the Research Belt of America numerous tech startups also call Durham home. Small business and family run ventures are thriving. Over the last 8-9 years Durham has been through a massive regeneration which has turned old warehouses and tobacco factories into hubs for startups and new ventures. It's amazing how the city has opened up it's arms to allow for the future to roll in, and Moogfest has a really good knack at showing how the future is all around you. Multiple installations Moogfest mounted were just things people, without a pass or knowledge of Moogfest could walk up to an experience. Moogfest also put on outside shows that required no passes. Reggie Watts and DJ Lance Rock from Yo Gabba Gabba are two examples of the 9 free performances last weekend. Reggie's performance was on Saturday afternoon at one of the more fascinating venues apart of Moogfest. He performed at a park in the middle of an area called the American Tobacco Campus. The American Tobacco Campus is an old decommissioned Lucky Strike Cigarette manufacturing plant reconditioned to house businesses, start-ups, restaurants, apartments, and much more. 

The American Tobacco Campus & Modular Market Place

The American Tobacco Campus was one of two of the major hubs at Moogfest. The Other being the Carolina Theater. The ATC was home to several installments and other Moogfest events. The first thing we saw walking up to the ATC was that IDEO, a design and innovation firm had an installment that involved large beach balls suspended from the ceiling of a caged-in basketball court. The balls were being hit by festival attendees to make sounds depending on how hard and what direction the ball was hit. 

Exploring ATC throughout the weekend led to several discoveries such as an installation by Burt's Bees, oversized chess boards, and several performances. There were even hammocks if you wanted to take a load off but still be close to the events. The whole time surrounded by brick buildings with large windows, beautiful gardens, a crossable water way running the length of the factory, and groups of people with smiles on their faces with a very tall Lucky Strike smoke Stack anchoring it all nicely showing the preservation of history mixing with modern culture.

The lucky Strike factory, smoke stack and water tower. 

One of many of the synths that attendees were free to mess around with in the Modular Marketplace.

The ATC was also where Moogfest setup the Modular Marketplace. A weekend long pop-up synthesizer market where attendees could fiddle around with instruments made by Moog, Roland, Korg and many smaller, independent company made synths and instruments. Most of what festival goers could mess around with was on sale as well. So if you liked something that you were playing you could buy it right then and there at a reduced Moogfest price which was generally $100-$300 less than MSRP. Check out the album below for pictures of the Modular Marketplace.

Installations

All around the city, it doesn't matter where you are downtown, you will find yourself nearby to a Moogfest installation. The Canadian born, musical performer Grimes had an interactive installation called "Realiti" that had people entering a tent setup outside the Carolina Theater. People would "take a step inside" Grimes' music by offering a unique way to remix her music by pressing on mesh nets that trigger an overhead sensor, thus changing the sound of the music. 

Most of the installations were interactive to a certain degree. You could rock up to a dome tent outside of the Durham Performing Arts Center and play with synthesizers, creating music with a group of strangers, feel a little awkward, but then walk away understanding the point a little bit more. "Body Scrub, Gender" was a smaller interactive installation that had people walking up to a television. The Kinect camera at the top of the tv would sense when a person would get close, map them and replace their image with floating male and female symbols. 

A good amount of the installations left some people with their heads being scratched. But, that's a good thing. Those people will be walking around the city, with a whole weekend of excitement and enlightenment. Maybe along their Moogfest Journey they will start to understand what exactly that weird thing they came across exactly was, or maybe not and it will be a mystery forever. What the installations did do was get you thinking and get you talking. That is the true success. 

Talks / Panels / Workshops / CLASSES

Durham, a smart city was only made smarter by the amount of scientists, urban planners, school teachers, engineers, philosophers, and cyborgs Moogfest brought as a part of their "Future Thought" side of events. The events apart of the Future Thought side could be anything from a discussion on the future of video game music to a panel on Afrofuturism focusing on Jamiacan dub music and sound systems.

Pictured: GZA (left) Mark Anthony Neil (right) at Time Traveling with Hip Hop - Discussing science's role in Hip Hop and modern education. Photo Courtesy of Moogfest/Magnum PR   

Pictured left to right: Laurent "Tippy" Alfred, Lister Hewan-Lowe,  David Katz, Ras Kush, Mad Professor, Angus Taylor.

One of the more popular panels was named Time Traveling with Hip Hop - Discussing Science's Role in Hip Hop. The talk was led by Author and Professor Mark Anthony Neil and his special guest GZA a.k.a. the Genius from The Wu-Tang Clan. GZA was a part of the panel to talk about his new project Dark Matter, a concept album that will have songs revolving around the ideas of the universe, stars, black holes and planets. GZA isn't keeping his love of science for himself either. He has recently been going to schools, ranging from elementary to college level, to talk to kids about how interesting science can be. His approach is that everyone can be interested in science, you just have to present it in an engaging and fun way. 

One of the more popular classes at Moogfest was the aptly named "Moga" or Moog-Yoga. An interesting yoga class, taking place every morning of Moogfest on the rooftop of The Durham Hotel, that taught to the soothing sounds of Moog Synthesizers. It's an interesting pairing, but also very popular as the class was full the whole weekend. Other Moogfest classes had attendees building synthesizers, teaching children the theremin and taking people on tours to the offices of startups in the city. Moogfest may seem like you are simply going to have a fun time when you buy the tickets, but, even if you don't notice it you will walk away from Moogfest being a touch smarter. It's pretty incredible.

Music

Music is the last major leg of Moogfest that we will be talking about. But, what's to say!? Moogfest did an amazing job curating an awesome musical lineup for the weekend while considering artists that worry about the future advancements in music. I don't think we could name one show that didn't include a synthesizer or electronic instrument of some kind on stage, and that wasn't by accident. Moogfest did an awesome job setting up and mounting the music performances. The larger performances happened at Motocro Park, an regenerated scrap yard that is now being used as a park for live music. The Park saw performances from Grimes, Blood Orange, Miike Snow, HEALTH and more. The park is right next door to Motorco Music Hall, which is a car shop turned music hall. The music hall saw performances from GZA, Demo Taped, and Yacht.

The Durham Armory was another often used venue throughout the weekend. The old armory is now a fully fledged performing arts venue. The large ballroom inside can fit just about 6,000 people which made it the perfrect venue for performances from Bicep, The Black Madonna, Earthly, and The Orb. The Armory's centralized location also helped immensely and was spitting distance from The Carolina.

The Carolina Theater was a major hub of the festival and was used for the larger profile shows. The beautiful Beaux-Arts style theater can seat just over 1,000 people. Moogfest had the place packed to capacity for performances from GZA, Gary Numan, and Explosions In The Sky. Some of the shows were so popular you could see the line serpentining all the way down the street of lined-up food trucks feeding hungry festival goers. 

Check out our pictures from the weekend's musical performances and Moogfest 2016 recap videos below!

Miike Snow

Demo Taped

Bicep

HEALTH

Reggie Watts

Dj Lance Rock / Yo Gabba Gabba

Explosions In The Sky

If you like what you just read then we highly recommend going to Moogfest next year. We guarantee and fun time for people who are looking for a little brain stimulation. Head on over to their official website for news on Moogfest 2017 and check back here for future updates on the next Mogfest!

Moogfest 2016!

Hey everyone, Festi.World just rolled up to Durham, North Carolina for Moogfest 2016! We are very excited to give you a run-down on what is going on in the 20+ venues across the city! From make-your-own-synthesizer workshops to jaw dropping, music performances, we'll be covering it all. Make sure to check here for all of our upcoming releases throughout the weekend and beyond!

If you want a little history lesson on Moogfest and the surround area of Durham keep reading!

      Somewhere between the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and the clear blue waters of Virginia Beach, lies the research triangle of North Carolina, and within it, the city of Durham. On top of a deep-rooted base of technology and innovation, the city is a fertile bed full of freshly sprouting startups blooming with advancements that are shaping the 21st century. It is only proper that this healthy specimen will be the new host to double-transplant Moogfest.
       Created in 2004 by David Olivier and Charles Carlini, the event had its small beginnings in the Big Apple. A one-off mixer for friends of the synth-maker, the night was a quasi-gala to celebrate music, friends, and the synthesizer. After the passage of company founder Robert “Bob” Moog in 2005, the event returned for its second iteration to honor his work and impact on the world. Over the next decade, new forms of EDM, the return of new wave, and the attitudes that gave way to today’s exploding music festival scene created the perfect biome for the three-pointed tree that Moogfest is today. This weekend here in Durham, 20+ venues are combining forces with the Moog team to present to you 100+ musical performances, 200+ speakers, as well as countless art installations of every shape and size to ensure your mind never loses stimulation. They’re calling it a synthesis of art, music, and technology, and we can’t wait for it all to begin. This street fair styled event will feature educational days of exploration and interaction followed by diverse acts that include GZA, Grimes, Gary Numan, and ODESZA.  -Kevin Clancy

Check out Moogfest's full 2016 lineup of musicians, workshops, classes and speakers below!

Moogfest is this weekend - Thursday May 19th - Sunday May 22nd. For more information on all the events happening here, and to purchase passes head on over to Moogfest's Official website!

Festi.World's Top 10 Things Not To Miss At Moogfest 2016

Moogfest, the music festival that is MUCH more than just a music festival, is coming up again in May and unless you have the power to split yourself in two it will be near impossible to see everything. So, to prepare you for the exciting things to come, Festi.World has put together a Top 10 list of essential things we think you should make sure not to miss while at Moogfest 2016.

10. Reggie Watts

Reginald Lucien Frank Roger Watts or as he is better known as, Reggie Watts will be taking the stage this year at Moogfest. The eccentric ex-band leader for IFC's comedy talk show Comedy Bang Bang, now band-leader for James Corden's Late Late Show will be doing what he does best. A mixture of absurdly hilarious comedy and wild sounding, heavily effected, comedic music that is the combination of duplicating harmonies with pseudo-gibberish and real-time beats. In his early career Reggie was known for making comedy shorts for internet video sites like Super Deluxe and College Humor. These days, with two live comedy albums, and several film, television, internet and music credits under his belt, he is known for his fantastic live performances.

If you need a good example of what Reggie Watts brings to the table (other than his fantastic afro) here is a video of Reggie from his 2012 TED Talk perfectly highlighting his improvisational skills and musical talents. 

9. DJ Lance Rock & Yo Gabba Gabba!

Lance Robertson, better known as DJ Lance Rock from the hit Nick Jr. TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! will be taking the stage at Moogfest this year, and he is bringing his colorful cohort with him for a special all ages program. Lance has been always been a musician, often exploring the electronic genres in the music he creates. He has been in several bands, Most notably The Raymakers from Los Angeles. While performing with The Raymakers, Lance met Scott Schultz (The co-creator of Yo Gabba Gabba!) and was asked to don the orange hat and jumpsuit and host the show. Yo Gabba Gabba features some crazy looking characters that all love to sing and dance, and their performances get the young and old alike up on the feet and dancing, while learning things like the 

importance of washing your hands and how to talk to somebody when they are sad. No matter how old you are, you will surely enjoy this program and maybe learn a thing or two. Check out what one of their live performances is like for a taste of things to come at Moogfest!

8. Bicep

Bicep, is a DJ and Production duo from Belfast, Northern Ireland. Composed of Andrew Ferguson and Matthew McBriar, run the famous cult-defining music repository Feel My Bicep. The two parts of Bicep have been friends since they were teenagers, bonding over the dusty records they found in crates in the back of record stores looking for dance music, from Italo-disco to Acid House. Recently, they have made London their home base, but have been touring the world showing off their fantastic version of electro-house music. Check out their recent EP "Just" below for a great example of the music they bring to the table. Festi.World is making sure not to miss their set.  

7. HEALTH

HEALTH is much more than an indie-rock band from Los Angeles. When HEALTH takes the stage the you hear a wonderfully confusing mixture of thrash and math rock. After the remix of their track Crime Wave by 2011 Moogfest performers Crystal Castles, HEALTH was blazing trails with their tribal drums, noise making machines, raw synths, squealing guitars, asymmetrical basslines, and a homemade guitar pedal/microphone called a Zoothorn. Their First two albums HEALTH and Get Color each have dance-remixed versions. To add to their credits, they composed and recorded the soundtrack to the award winning video game Max Payne 3. Just last year they released their newest album, Death Magic. Do be warned, their crunchy style is turned all the way up to 11. HEALTH 

makes sure to never sacrifice volume when they perform, so if you think your ears can handle it you will certainly not regret seeing HEALTH. 

6. Hacking Sound (Systems)

Hacking Sound (Systems) is one very cool sounding program happening this year that we would hate for you to miss! Moogfest says that the catalyst of program is resurgence of technological Maker Culture, and it's true. From the resurfacing of vinyl, people building tube amps to people building synths, guitar pedals and brand new instruments, it undeniable that culture of creating awesome sonic tools is here to stay. This program will venture into the world of circuit bending to open source manufacturing as well as to "reflect on how the last decade has been transformed by a host of arts-engineering software toolkits like Processing, Arduino, and openFrameworks." says Moogfest.

5. Explosions In The Sky

Every Top 10 has one, but this is the bias choice for this list from the writer of this article. Explosions In The Sky is a band with a very clear vision. It is impossible to properly explain the way that EITS has captured human emotions, and then expresses it through their music. The experience must be made first hand in a live setting to really grasp what Explosions can do with their music. You will be moved by the voiceless stories their music tells. You will feel like you can even almost talk back to the music, while it is telling you that everything is going to be alright. Explosions in the sky has been making music since the late 90's, releasing their first album How Strange, Innocence in 2000. More recently they have created movie soundtracks for the films Prince Avalanche, Lone Survivor and Manglehorn. Not but a few days ago on March 1st they released their newest single Logic of a Dream. Check it out below.  

4. Grimes

The Canadian born electronic musician and producer will be bringing her synth-y dream-pop style and finesse to grace the stage of Moogfest 2016. Claire Boucher (a.k.a Grimes) has been making music since 2009 after she was expelled from University for putting more time into her musical career rather than school. For that choice, we thank her. Grimes has become something of a phenomenon recently, headlining multiple festivals in 2015 such as Lightning in a Bottle. Last year Grimes released her fourth studio album Art Angles and it has been her biggest success to date. The album is her attempt at using as much live instrumentation as much as possible, a side step from previous work which is very synth and electronic heavy. Listen to her newest single SCREAM. 

3. GZA

GZA, The Genius, famous rapper known for being one of the founding members of the Wu-Tang Clan is performing for a 2-day residency at Moogfest this year. With 7 albums to his name, GZA is a household name to any hip-hop head. GZA is not only known for is lyrical genius, but also as experimentalist and a scholar. GZA just recently dropped his newest, concept album Dark Matter, which is based on a journey through time and space. GZA is also currently working to improve science education in New York City through a partnership with Teachers College, Columbia University Professor, Christopher Emdin and website, Rap Genius. This initiative motivates young people to learn science through creating raps and engaging in a rap competition.

2. Technoshamanism & Transhumanism

These two Moogfest Programs tied the list for us and we are going to let Moogfest do the talking on these highly introspective and futurist conversations. 

Technoshamanism

 In regards to where he pulled his innovative ideas from, Bob Moog said, “Everything has some consciousness, and we tap into that. It’s about energy at its most basic level.” But how do we tune into that noosphere and bring next wave ideas to the fore? Who are the seers today, and how are they integrating technology into new “shamanic” practices in art and science? How do we understand rituals of trance in the context of electronic music? How can ancient traditions and cutting-edge brain research inform our pursuit of ecstasy?

Transhumanism

Humans have long sought to transform nature, using tools to modify the environment around us or enhancing our own bodies to adapt in this world. Technology today continues to open up new spaces for transformative and transcendent experiences of life itself. From AI to augmented reality displays, with cloning and human genetic engineering, through organ transplants and prosthetics, emerging technologies are expanding many of our intellectual, physical, and psychological capacities. Transhumanism is a movement to overcome fundamental human limitations. A conversation around this ambition is crucial to understanding emergent culture today and our science-fiction future.

1. Odesza

Odesza, Also known as Harrison Mills (CatacombKid) and Clayton Knight (BeachesBeaches) have quickly risen through the ranks, headlining festivals and selling out performances, using their music as the guide. These two guys have done nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe music ever since they met their senior year of college back in 2012. The duo took the online platform Soundcloud by storm with their style of indie-tronica/chill wave. Their debut EP My Friends Never Die threw them into the limelight opening for acts such as Pretty Lights on his Analog Future tour back in 2013. The team has 24 tracks that hit #1 on Hypebeast and if that isn't enough to sway you, I strongly urge you to watch the beautiful new video for their 2014 track It's Only (feat. Zyra). 

ODESZA - It's Only (feat. Zyra) - Official Music Video from ODESZA on Vimeo.

We hope that this list has peaked your interest and you can probably see what we meant when we said that Moogfest is a festival that is MUCH, much more than just a music festival. Moogfest was started to explore the future of music and technology back in 2004, and now 12 years later we are very excited to see what comes next. 

Moogfest is May 19th - 22nd in Durham, North Carolina. For more information and to purchase passes to Moogfest head on over to their official website HERE and check out their full lineup below!