Nominated for a Grammy for “Ghost Voices” within the first year of production, Porter Robinson’s newest moniker Virtual Self is more like his best self. The music has tinges of his background in DDR as well as all the musical and video game influences from both his childhood and the current underground. In all, it is a massive amalgamation of styles that freshens up the scene with unexpected aural twists, hard pushes, and deep emotional cuts alongside all the throwback sounds and tropes that arguably inspired all the electronic music we’ve heard since.

To celebrate his grammy nomination, Porter Robinson will be bringing Virtual Self to the Shrine Expo Hall on 2|7 and 2|9 with Nina Las Vegas as support. Tickets for 2|7 are still on sale – come virtual DDR with us!

All Photos: Leif Bergerson

It seems likes no matter what new endeavor Berlin based DJ/Producer Alex Ridha B.K.A. Boys Noize gets his hands dirty with it always turns out a success. From Dog Blood (His grimy electro Duo w/ Skrillex) to Octave Minds (Alex’s more orchestral and instrumental group with visionary Chilly Gonzales) Ridha can do no wrong. Under his new moniker ELAX, (an anagram of his first name) Boys Noize has departed from the usual gritty techno and acid records we’ve all come to know and love. Given my history of fanboying over anything Alex Ridha including nearly every release on his label, Boys Noize Records I was very excited going into the night. Since this was the Debut of the ELAX moniker, in my hometown none the less, I was interested to see the dichotomy between this set and a Boys Noize set. In addition, the ELAX alter-ego is also signed to Solomun’s Diynamic Music imprint so I knew to expect somewhat of a departure from anything he’s done before.

As soon as Moby’s “Porcelain” came on as the intro track I knew we were in store for something much different. Over the next couple hours we were treated to a glorious mix of house, progressive, and fast paced beats resembling almost nothing from any Boys Noize set I’ve experienced in the past. Well that’s not entirely true. At about midway through he played his own original mix of “Euphoria”, A crowd pleaser that took me by surprise. All in all you kind of have to go experience and ELAX show to really get a grip of what he’s trying to offer. I can see this new venture opening up more opportunities for Alex to be booked for shows that would normally feature someone like Solomun or Dixon. The entire night was masterful. Masterful mixing. Masterful track selection. And most importantly Masterful energy.

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If you’ve ever seen Tennis live before, you might be surprised to know that they are, in fact, a duo. In all their years touring, they have been backed by a band. The fun thing about being a traveling musician is that you can experiment and play with different formats to keep things interesting…Not just to provide variance for the fans, but to shake things up on your own creative pursuits. That’s why I commend Tennis for taking on this challenge and embracing the imminent growth that will come from the SOLO IN STERO tour.

Also, were you ready to take a trip down to Nostalgiaville? Because we’re going there, baby. Tennis is taking none other than Matt Costa with them on this unique tour! Two heavy hitters coming together under the intimately eery roof of The Chapel in SF. Tickets are sold out, but I’m feeling lucky for you on their event page.

Treasure Island Music Festival • Tickets

The amazing, wonderful, glorious, view-tastic, no-set-overlaptstick festival is back! You’ll have to excuse our excitement. After a two year hiatus, while on the hunt for a new location that could shed a light on the beautiful views of Treasure Island, the easily lovable festival returns. This is also despite hitting unruly waters in 2016 that unfortunately left a bitter taste in many mouths, even though it wasn’t the festivals fault at all. Those who were in attendance will forever remember the unique experience of everyone coming together literally in puddles and rivers, in sorrow over cancelled acts, or rejoicing over surprise DJ sets (Thanks Tycho!).

In 2018, they’re back with a vengeance of a lineup that has everyone over the moon to return to their beloved festival, regardless of the location. While TIMF boasts the most wonderful feature of staggered set times so attendees never have to miss an act, there’s still much else to do by way of exploring or silent disco-ing. That said, we highly recommend you find a good spot for the following acts. Also, remember to bring a jacket or a thick beer coat – it gets windy past sundown.

Nabi Air

San Francisco has always been a hot bed of creatives working to break through the intimate music scene. One way or another, every creative can (and should) find themselves learning about or embracing other parts of the industry. For Nabi Air, it started by hosting their own event series called Blank Cassette. Stationed in a gallery, it’s immediately evident how important all mediums of art are to these two.

Nabi Air’s infatuation with art extends into their music. In their debut, you’ll find theatrical synths, impactful breaks, and the powerful vocals of Yoonha Jeong coming together with the angst of a production duo wanting to be heard. Though this is just the beginning, there is much promise in their direction, and we look forward to their development in the next few years.

All Photos: Geoffrey Smith

If you’ve been keeping up with us over the past 8 years, our love for French Touch and disco is no secret. Something in the water in France is enabling producers to churn out the funkiest, danciest tunes the world has to offer. The French flavor got a little bit more interesting over the past couple years as a result of the union between Polocorp and DJ Peter Pan to form: POLO & PAN.

With a genre dubbed “Space Jungle,” you know that I am IN. They use these tribal and elemental sounds mixed with a futuristic and airy touch which comes together in an eclectic way I’ve never heard before. They also dabble in circus music samples that just adds to their weirdness which I can’t get enough of.

The show itself had all the aspects of a perfect 2 person live show. 4 CDJS (2 each), a mixer, 2 keyboards, and 2 mics. They would switch off between mixing, playing the keyboard, and singing. Simple. Effective. Elegant. They couldn’t have had a better crowd either (see video below). The show sold out almost instantly so all the passionate fans were ready to give them love and were properly warmed up thanks to nu-disco behemout Jean Tonique, who I also had been dying to see. You better keep an eye on these guys, because big things are guaranteed in their future. They’ll be back to SF for Treasure Island Music Festival in October!!

It’s been a long time coming for me to experience a Desert Hearts party for myself. For years, my tribe has been a part of the movement, and the movement has since made its way to the bay. I don’t think they, or anyone for that matter, could have dreamed up a better inaugural entrance to the city of fog. Everything about the Desert Hearts crew and the fans they attract remind me of raving before it broke into. Not trying to come off high-nosing, but it felt very different ten years ago…I felt those feelings on the block party they threw for us, and they have a fan in me because of it! See for yourself below: