COVID-19 changed everything. After an isolating year and a half of lockdown for many, the U.S. is finally rolling out vaccines in order to curb the spread of the virus. But many still aren’t sure what that means for their collectively bleary futures. Our neurobiology indicates human beings are inherently social. Not only do we thrive on interaction, it is essential to our survival. We are hardwired to connect, innately—to one another, to nature, and ourselves.
For there is only so much “copium” one can take replacing Zoom calls with real human contact, exploring new hobbies, or investing in imperative side hustles; trying our best to maintain sanity in a constantly changing world. Since then, quarantine has brought multiple epiphanies to the surface, including the fragile state of everyone’s mental health. Not only do we miss the refuge and camaraderie from the dance community, we need it to survive.
In what seemed like a coordinated effort from the cosmos, Seismic Dance Event delivered us a little slice of solace in these trying times. Admittedly the anxiety was high when thinking of returning to an in-person event, but Seismic quelled those fears by requiring all patrons to be fully vaccinated in order to attend and by providing rapid testing on-site. Only those who tested negative were allowed inside, and we were fully okay with that. As a limited capacity boutique event, the festival was able to give ample space between all attendees. To further keep fans safe, Seismic followed all the necessary mandates set forth by the State of Texas and CDC on outdoor gatherings.
Seismic 3.3 took place over a three day weekend spanning May 21st – 23rd in Austin, Texas. Austin has been somewhat proactive with public safety, with around 36% of people living in Travis County fully vaccinated (and 52% of people receiving at least one dose of the vaccine; The Statesman). Being vaccinated ourselves, we were willing to work with those numbers. As soon as we arrived at the festival there was an auspicious omen, a double rainbow, which gave indication of good things to come. People were friendly (as expected), full of pent up pandemic energy, and cautiously figuring out how to return to a ‘New Normal’ again.
There were less stages and performers this year for safety, which meant that each DJ got a two hour slot to play. If you’re a techno fan, you know that an hour is basically the length of one Nicole Moudaber song. All jokes aside, this would allow for each artist to gradually build a vibe with the audience before funneling them all down the rabbit hole. This made the Seismic experience really unique, in our opinion. Also in preparation for the weekend Seismic offered early wristband pickup on Thursday, which helped limit crowds and made it very hassle-free to attend.
Spencer Brown brought a progressive dark house set Friday evening with winding Anjunabeats builds, intense synths, and smooth, liquid rifts. The airy vibes coincided with the nightly breeze, taking attendees on a healing journey that was very much needed. Sacha Robotti (a.k.a. Slothacid) lived up to his name with a super funky set; fun, languid beats that sent fans straight into a techno tunnel. Likewise, Lee Floss brought a sound that was sort of a mashup between 80’s New Order and spiritual chanting, sprinkled with a dash of dark techno. Claude VonStroke closed out Friday with a bang; the legend’s signature weird vox samples and Dirtybird party beats lighting up the night. It was tribal, it was ethereal, and it kept the party pumping all night. He genuinely seemed just as happy as the audience to return to a festival again, shouting on the mic towards the end of his set, “Fuck it, should I just play for another hour?” The answer is always yes, Claude. Always yes. The extra time allowed him to drop classics such as ‘Barrump’ and ‘Make A Cake,’ two fan favorites that kept Austin pretty weird over the weekend.
On Saturday Seismic performed an impressive shift, moving artists to local venues in an effort to shield patrons from the inclement weather. There were several parties at multiple venues throughout the city of Austin including: The Martinez Brothers & Artbeat at Summit Austin, Bob Moses, Walker & Royce, & Black v Neck at Cedar Street Courtyard, Sidepiece at Vulcan Gas Company, and Blond:Ish, Tara Brooks, & Devon James at Mala Santa. Luckily the Nicole Moudaber After Party was still on as scheduled and entry to all parties were free for all Saturday/Weekend Pass ticket holders.
With everyone getting their techno fixes across town and flowing with the changes on Saturday, Seismic brought a couple of exciting surprises for Sunday. Over 600 tons of road base and 60 tons of mulch were added to the festival grounds in order to reinforce a high traffic parking lane and control the mud caused by inclement weather. The precautions paid off as Sunday went off without a hitch. TCHAMI played an upbeat, punchy, disco house dance set which was a direct contrast to Deborah De Luca’s darker European techno. Due to visa issues, Charlotte de Witte was unable to attend but Blacklizt (Zhu’s alias) took over the reins and did not disappoint. He played a lot of dark techno full of heavy bass, punchy synths, and steady builds. But Blacklizt knew just when to throw in those airy vocals and when to let the groove and hi-hats speak for themselves.
The GoGo Gadgettes performing throughout his set really set the mood with their fluid dance moves and crowd interaction. Then Blacklizt dropped SVRD’s ‘Black On Black’ for anyone who forgot they were at a techno show, while his subtle inclusion of ‘Zhu’s Synth Cover’ to Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ was a reveal of his true identity. His set ended up being our second favorite of the entire weekend, following Claude’s iconic closing performance. Seismic 3.3 reminded us that we’re still human, and that community and music can heal most wounds no matter how deep the cuts go. As we all slowly heal from the collective trauma of the pandemic, we look towards creating our own ‘New Normal,’ one that is better and more fair for everyone.
Connect with Seismic Dance Event:
https://www.facebook.com/seismicdanceevent/
https://twitter.com/SeismicTX
https://www.instagram.com/seismicdanceevent/
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