Decibel Festival Preview

Femmecult is proud to announce Decibel International Festival of Electronic Music Performance, Visual Art and New Media, hosted in the Emerald City – Seattle on September 24 – 28, 2014.

In addition to the 11th anniversary roster, of more than 130 world class and regional electronic producers, musicians, visual artists, and art installations, this year’s program features two state of the art seated venues hosting simultaneous activities ranging from audio/visual workshops, artist talks, discussion panels and a synth petting zoo. The 3-day conferences are complimentary courtesy of Decibel. This year we’re excited to be attending the festival and reviewing a variety of artists, dj’s and visual artists.

Wednesday, night one of Decibel, kicks off with the Resident Advisor Showcase at EMP (Experience Music Project Museum.) We’ll be grooving to Seattle diva, JusMoni’s soulful rhythms and sultry voice. She defines her sound as “Future/ Electronic/ Soul”. JusMoni’s multi talented singer/songwriter lusciousness, blended with the eclectic mix of R&B, with a side of synth and heavy bass beat making skills have found her collaborating with artists such as THEESatisfaction (Seattle), Mr. Carmack (SF, StarRo (Tokyo), Mikos Da Gawd & Teeko. Her most recent EP release “Queen Feel,” is in collaboration with Seattle Producer/DJ WD4D. Her charm will leave you feeling uplifted, soothed, soul-filled and ready for more.

Thursday night brings us to the Optical 2 Showcase: Huminary.
Our spotlight is on Alice Boman, and her live A/V performance. This will be a seated performance which is perfect for Alice’s serene, haunting vocals, and lo-fi sonic blanketing, which draws you in, fitting for the change of season. Alice joins us from Malmo, Sweden, her recent ethereal release captures the autumnal feel and solitude of being in a cabin in the Swedish woods, in which where the new EP was recorded, titled EP II. Fans of Lana Del Rey may wish to sit back and take in Alice Boman’s Nordic sound.

Friday we’ll find ourselves in mid-festival point, at the Crocodile for the Soulection Showcase. Friday is when the festival attendance tends to expand. On this party night, the lady of the hour is Eden Hagos who will be doing a DJ set. Eden is San Diego-based, Eritrean-born and is a self-proclaimed beat scenester. Her mixes are soulful, bass heavy, west coast boom, polyrhythmic with samples you’ll recognize placed in just the right moments. Eden finds her musical influences from the Soulection movement, and from West Coast influencers: The Gaslamp Killer, Gonjasufi, Mike Gao, AbJo and eLan. The vibration and heat will be rising under Crocodile’s roof.

Late in the night brings us to the DB After-Hours 2: Ostgut Ton Presented by Rane After Hours @ Q Nightclub. Our spotlight is on Steffi, a Dutch-born key component in contemporary electronic music. Her talents include producing, managing two record labels Klakson, and the ever growing Dolly, plus is a six year resident DJ at the Panorama Bar in Berlin. Her productions explore the timeless sounds of Techno, and underground House. Steffi has also released music as ’Third Side’ alongside Lucretio and Marieu, under the moniker Analogue Cops. In 2012 they released their ‘Unified Fields’ LP on Restoration Records, which explores the dynamics of live studio jams. Steffi has remixed some of the most respected labels in electronic music. We’re honored to experience what she provides on a regular basis at the Panorama Bar.

Saturday night is the Dance Nostalgic Showcase at the Showbox, a double header for Femmecult. We’ll be reviewing Midnight Magic and DJ/Producer Avalon Emerson’s live performances. Midnight Magic is Brooklyn based with LA roots. The main players of the glitzy disco ensemble are underground dance music vets W. Andrew Raposo and Morgan Wiley, fueled by the wildly seductive vocals of Tiffany Roth, with occasional guest players of four to nine musicians. This is no ordinary disco, their combo is a rhythmic mix of cosmic disco, with instruments consisting of bass, drum, keys, trumpet and echoed vocals. They’ve captivated audiences from Copenhagen to Columbia. A forthcoming EP “Vicious Love” is to be released a couple days after this performance so stay tuned if you like what you hear at the show. The new material covers the darker realms of disco, with remixes from No Regular Play, Soul Clap, and Dimitri from Paris. This night will call for wearing the fine nu-disco threads.

After the disco infusion, we’ll be primed for DJ/Producer Avalon Emerson’s live performance. Avalon Emerson once called San Francisco home, and now is based out of Berlin. Her DJ sets and production style are eclectic and broad from Euro Techno to Chicago house, Italo, to ‘80’s pop, to breaks, rave and everything in between. It’s not hard to tell she’s been absorbing the sounds from the San Francisco warehouse party scene and being in Berlin. With the release of “Pressure/Quoi” on Icee Hot this year past year, Avalon Emerson quickly was recognized as a vital new voice in dance music. Now residing in Berlin, she’s joined alliances with Spring Theory, a label jointly based in San Francisco and Paris, which released her prized sophomore record, “Church of SoMa,” as well as her forthcoming single “Let Me Love & Steal.” She’s a rare talent who’s passion also lies in interface design and user experience. We look forward to what this young woman will invent next. Check out this free download of one of her bodaciously bangin’ tracks.

Sunday, the bittersweet finale brings us to the All Gone Pete Tong at Decibel Showcase @ Q. Isis Graham is the lady in the mix wrapping up this night. Isis will be sharing her Calgary influence and communing with us via the decks. In the late 90’s Isis fell in love with the sounds of house music and the community. At age 17, she caught the attention of The Techno Collective. Fast forward to today she’s a resident DJ at Habitat Living Sound in Calgary, a partner in Substation Recordings and founder of Canada’s longest running female DJ collective, ”Girls on Decks.” In between then and now, she’s been gracing warehouse raves, gay bars and residencies with soulful, techno, funk, indie, and deep house. Her discography continues to grow as well. In 2008, she collaborated with Neighbor, in 2011 released on Tycho Recordings, in 2012 indie album, “In the Garden,” and in 2013 released the “Thelma & Louise” EP with Krystle Love B, which rose to #2o in deep house charts within a week, with a release schedule in the works. She’s witnessed about two decades of Canada’s dance music scene and has acquired skills, knowledge and the records to show for it, along the journey. We’re thrilled for her set to be one that caps the night. Check out her exclusive mix for Decibel Festival.

We look forward to sharing the festival with you with our post festival reviews and hope to see you there!

If you would like to win a pair of tickets for you and a friend to Saturday night’s showcase Dance Nostalgic featuring Midnight Magic please enter to win by September 18.