One of the (many) reasons we love Electric Forest is because it’s a big festival that doesn’t act like one. From the vibes, to the attendees, to the environment, it’s clear that Double JJ Ranch offers a sanctuary from your run-of-the-mill fest. Sure, there are some who seem to come only to party, but for the overwhelming majority it’s so much more. Now we’ve all had the proper time to get home safely and truly reflect on our experience from last weekend.
Take a minute to think about how you planned your Forest before you left to Rothbury; all the sets you NEEDED to hit. If it went nowhere close to what you planned then you aren’t alone. In fact, that’s one of the first lessons we can take back and apply to everyday life. Sometimes you just need to go with it and allow the rest to take care of itself.
At Electric Forest, it’s almost as if the music takes a backseat to the overall experience. Sure, you might really want to see X artist, but at that moment in time there might be nothing else in the world you’d rather be doing than to throw up a hammock and take in the Forest’s energy for the next hour. Once again this year, EF supplied all of the tools and a blank slate to forge your own experience unique from anyone else’s.
It might seem to be a given, but in order to first enjoy yourself you need to feel at ease. In today’s society, it’s refreshing when you can step foot in a music festival and not be treated as a criminal. This year, just as in years past, the police force at EF was nothing but hands-off, helpful, and high-five bearing. Attendees really got the sense that security was around only to ensure a great time for everyone, not attempting to stereotype the welcoming crowd. While present and always available if needed, they never felt invasive or overbearing. More festivals need to follow suit, as it created an amazing aura.
…we haven’t even gotten to the Sherwood Forest yet. The only way to describe the Forest is that it transforms into a completely new world at night. No expense is spared when it comes to decor + art installations, and some of the best times of the weekend can be spent wondering aimlessly, gazing wide-eyed all around at your home for the four nights. It could be The Observatory, it could be the Forest Stage, it could be the Silent Disco or it can be any number of activities. Any direction you decided to look, there was something new and exciting to try out. Want to dance until the early morning in the woods to your favorite artist? Want to fall asleep in a hammock with Russ Liquid’s flute as the background noise? All up to you.
The music? Considering this was our favorite lineup EF has ushered in to date…we thought it was awesome. For reasons we’ll address later, Shpongle was our first set on Thursday and Simon blew us away with his one of a kind set. Never seeing him live before, he made us instant fans with his otherworldly psy-trance and mind-bending sounds. Followed immediately by Odesza, the Seattle natives brought some of the most raw emotion experienced all weekend. Dropping classics like “Bloom”, “Say My Name”, and “Memories That You Call” among others, we’ve never seen so many spontaneous crowd hugs in our lives.
With the Bassrush curated stage holding down Tripolee on Friday, it was an all you can eat bass affair. Koan Sound shattered expectations with some of the best glitch and DnB of the weekend, with our favorite moment being a downright nasty remix of Bassnectar’s “The Matrix”. Stealing the show however, was Vibe Street‘s Pretty Lights Tribute Silent Disco set. Never before have we witnessed Pretty Lights’ music so perfectly mixed, and in such a unique environment. If you didn’t have the privilege of being in attendance you can listen to the full set here, uploaded courtesy of Vibe Street himself.
Finally we reached Saturday Nectarday. Or so we thought. Arriving bright and early in advance of String Cheese’s three and a half hour set, we plopped down ready to pay homage to the original don’s of the festival. What Cheese proceeded to do was blow our minds with their light show, firework display, acrobats, remote controlled blimps hovering above the crowd and virtually any other visual stimulant you can fathom. We always heard that you needed to experience a Saturday night Cheese set, but we left speechless at the spectacle that unfolded before our eyes for all 210 minutes.
It’s hard to reach expectations when they’re set so high, and looked forward to for so long, but that’s exactly what Lorin did Saturday night. Showcasing Into The Sun for all to see, he opened with the album’s namesake and never looked back. Dropping tracks like “Flashback”, “My Selecta”, “Thursty”, “F.U.N.” and an extra special live rendition of “Dubuasca” with Kang, Bassnectar played one of the most melodic sets we’ve heard from him yet, all the while peppering in bangers to keep the energy high the entire time. Flashing thought provoking visuals during “It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop” got the crowd thinking, and closing it all with “Open Your Eyes” really drove the point home that this wasn’t your average set. It’s one we waited what seems like an eternity to see, and it’s one we’ll never forget.
Thankfully, Sunday was heavy on the funk. After collecting our brain matter from the night before, Exmag threw down at the brand new Jubilee stage in front of the largest crowd we’ve ever caught them in. In true Lowtemp fashion Russ Liquid stepped on and off all set, supplying the crowd with all the horns they can possibly handle. Later on it was Gramatik who staked his claim as Sunday’s best, showering Sherwood Court with a fresh new set far different from recent stops. These sets give us confidence this is the direction that electronic music is moving. There’s no substitute for live instruments, and we couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap up a wildly enjoyable EF.
We think the mark of a great festival is to identify a problem and fix it swiftly. As hinted at earlier, the line to get through security on Thursday afternoon took in excess of three and a half hours, forcing many attendees to miss some of their favorite artists. It could very well be due to the mass of people entering at the same time for the 4 o’clock start, but regardless of the culprit, it’s clearly unacceptable to have that long of a wait. EF reacted quickly and clearly addressed the issue, as the remaining three days were a breeze getting through. No festival is without a hiccup, and it was great to see this not be a problem for the remainder of the long weekend.
All in all, we couldn’t have asked for more. Electric Forest arrived and left in the blink of an eye, but we have the memories to tide us over until next time. It’s difficult to imagine the music being better next year, but we’re sure this is a challenge the fine people over at Madison House Presents are more than ready for. Now, all we’re left to do is wait on the announcement for next year so we can set the countdown on our laptops. We hope everyone enjoyed themselves this year, and we also hope to see everyone back in Rothbury next June.
Connect with Electric Forest:
https://www.facebook.com/ElectricForest
https://twitter.com/Electric_Forest
https://instagram.com/electric_forest
http://www.electricforestfestival.com/
https://www.reddit.com/r/ElectricForest
(photo credits to Electric Forest, aLive Coverage, Gramatik)
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