“One like no other. “
This is the philosophy of the Elements Music and Arts Festival.
The festival, which will take place in Long Pond, Pennsylvania, returns for its seventh edition from August 9 to 11. Elements presents an impressive lineup that adds top-tier electronic and crossover talent, adding Illenium, Kaskade, Slander, Green Velvet and -back Patrick Topping, Subtronics, Azzecca, LSDREAM, Bob Moses, Girl Math, TroyBoi, Chris Lake consecutively Cloonee, Liquid Stranger, The Blessed Madonna, BLOND:ISH, The Illustrious Blacks, Hamdi and The Disco Biscuits.
Each year, Elements applies the DIY mentality of the early 2010s Brooklyn scene to the participatory nature of Burning Man.
“At our core, we’re festival enthusiasts and enthusiasts and we’ve been fortunate to travel to incredible occasions around the world where we’ve discovered so much of our inspiration,” says the Elements team, comprised of discoverers Brett Herman and Timothy Monkiewicz and general manager Dan Slutsky. We deeply value events that leverage exclusive interactive briefs, large-scale concept art, quirky shows, and a strong sense of community, like what can be discovered at Burning Man. We’re running It’s hard to channel those basic pillars into Elements, combining our favorite facets of our own exclusive reports as enthusiasts and putting our own signature spin on them: the stranger and more extravagant, the better.
The festival crew emerged from the Brooklyn warehouse rave scene of the 2010s, an era that thrived on creativity and occasion production in a legal gray era. Inspired by party groups like The Danger Party and Rubulad, the Element team used creative locations for their occasions. , such as a deserted grain elevator at the Gowanus Bay terminal, a Thai restaurant and an old church. These cutting-edge venues have become spaces where synthetic beaches were built, ninjas battled on ziplines, slides cascaded from rooftops, and participants danced. tirelessly until the sun rose. Herman’s trips to Burning Man motivated the team to create art and interactive performances on a larger scale, as well as inviting participants to dress for other themes, allowing them to express themselves.
“For five years, we hosted warehouse parties in Brooklyn, from intimate gatherings of 400 other people to giant celebrations with 6,000 attendees,” the team explains. “We enjoyed doing those events, but we also found that they ended too temporarily and felt compelled to create a four-day camping festival as an extension of that original network. Elements has become the best canvas to make our wildest dreams come true and gave us the opportunity to share them with our network in an absolutely new way.
Un Bosque is part of the Elements Music and Arts festival.
In fact, the team that created the camping festival proved to be an ideal extension of their occasions and a way to bring their community together. First, the team combined three summer camps that had never before been used for a musical show to bring the venue to life for the first edition of Elements camp. They then became the first organization to use Pocono Speedway since the ’70s through the surrounding woods creatively rather than the track itself.
Since its inception, the artistic scope of the festival has grown impressively. Elements now features 4 quirky set designs, projection and 3D mappings, interactive artwork, and notable surprises, such as pirate ships, water slides, and psychedelic forest art. Just a few of the pieces that can be discovered in this three-day event.
“[This year] we’re expanding the entire festival to create more areas to dance and relax under new shaded structures, as well as [adding] a new vendor market, new atmospheres, art and surprises in the forest, scenery and much more. more,” says the festival team. It will feel like another festival, doubling the interactivity and comfort for fans. “
Attendees deserve not to miss the Elements Plaza, Red Bull Skydive, Vibe Villages and the new Water Stage, The Funktapus. Elements Plaza is “the central hub where all the elements converge,” says the festival team. The domain features photo shoots, trade exhibits, a Ferris wheel, food, handicrafts, a lounge, large-scale art installations, and shaded seating. While the team doesn’t need to reveal too much about Red Bull Skydive, it says it will bring a skydiving exhibition in 2023 in which a local team dives into the festival. “Beyond Burning Man, we’ve never noticed this happen at a festival, and we’re just as excited as the buyers who were shocked when those other people floated through the festival with colored smoke tails,” the team said.
A dragon walks through the crowd at the Elements Music and Arts Festival.
An airy silk artist plays a set on one of the stages.
As for Vibe Villages, they say, they paint every year with groups of participants who have their own creator netpaintings. These participants provide a concept to the festival team, bringing their own themed camps to the space, creating an “interactive wonderland. ” “at camps where festival-goers have the chance to dance with a headliner in an intimate set. The Burning Man-themed camp style and participatory spirit sparked this idea. “We firmly believe that the most productive occasions are co-create,” says the team.
Finally, The Funktapus, the new aquatic panorama. The level is 75 feet tall and features a 120-foot-wide octopus-themed immersive experience and a 50-foot geodesic dome with 360-degree projection mapping. Festival goers will be able to enjoy bass, techno, drum’n’bass and dubstep music at Funktapus. “It will be a fully immersive environment, absolutely reinventing last year’s aquatic scene, with an underwater design that turns the water theme on its head,” says the Elements team. “We can’t wait to share it with the participants. “
Beyond the music and experiences, the festival team is committed to self-expression and community. In 2023, the event introduced Art of Change, its sociocultural programming aimed at amplifying LGBTQI+ voices. The festival also offers fitness and wellness programming, adding yoga, dance and sound baths. Additionally, it is a solar-powered location and features local organic foods provided through Pocono Organics.
“In fact, we believe that those types of immersive, artistic and participatory events have the ability to definitely have an effect on the lives of participants, leaving them with a sense of joy and discovery that can make their lives bigger beyond the doors. to Elements,” the festival team said. That’s why we do what we do: create moments that motivate other people to do what they do in a more artistic, caring, and compassionate way, while laughing at the same time. Community is everything to us and we work tirelessly to continue building as our own while making your comfort, safety, and delight our most sensible priorities. Come and do magic with us, you may not regret it.
Here, Forbes sits down with Girl Math, comprised of Nala and VNSSA, and TroyBoi to talk about their favorite Elements memorabilia, what enthusiasts can expect from their sets, their packaging essentials, and more.
From left to right: Girl Math and TroyBoi.
Lisa Kocay: What excites you most about this year’s Elements Music and Arts festival?
Girl Math: “We’re so excited to bring the power of Girl Math to a wonderful festival. It’s been a lot of fun to travel through those festivals together and we know that the Elements audience will surely bring it along.
TroyBoi: “I’m excited about the level I’m betting on this year and meeting some of the artists in this crazy lineup. “
Kocay: What can enthusiasts expect from your set?
Girl Math: “Fans can expect lively dance music and lots of smiles. We enjoy betting together, which adds a new point of excitement to the party on our part.
TroyBoi: “I like to take other people on an adventure in my sets by playing with a variety of tracks created by me and other artists. If you’ve come to dance and you like trap, hip-hop, electronic, house, experimental, dubstep, British bass and much more, then my set is for you.
Kocay: What 3 songs are you excited about for the festival?
Girl Math: “The songs we’re excited about are all of our unreleased albums, either collaboratively or collaboratively. “
TroyBoi: “The 3 songs I’m looking for the most to bet on are 3 of my upcoming songs that will be released this year. There’s nothing better than releasing new music and feeling the audience’s reactions.
Kocay: What are the essential elements of your packaging?
Girl Math: “Chapstick, snacks and tea. »
TroyBoi: “My packing essentials are my laptop, headphones, USB drives, toiletries, and a change of clothes for after my set. »
Kocay: Who are your 3 artists that you should see in it and why?
Girl Math: “We proposed to review all the bad a** women in programming. You can’t go past Azzecca, Sara Landry, CloZee and more.
TroyBoi: “Honestly, it’s very difficult for me to choose 3 essential artists because there is a very varied line-up at the festival. I’ll go through each of the scenarios when I arrive and look ahead to find new artists I’ve never noticed before.
Kocay: If you could give one piece of pro advice to a new Elements participant, what would it be?
Girl Math: “Be prepared for cold weather at night. »
TroyBoi: “Pace yourself, wear comfortable shoes, stay close to your gear, eat food for extra energy during the day, and make sure you stay hydrated. »
Kocay: What’s your favorite memory of Elements?
Girl Math: “Nala: I enjoyed performing at the aerial level last year. It’s such a lovely atmosphere.
“VNSSA: Honestly, everything about Elements is fantastic, so I can’t pick a favorite. “
TroyBoi: “One thing I don’t forget about the Elements Music Festival is the feeling that you are transported to another world the moment you arrive: the colorful colors, the incredible settings, the art, the happiness of everyone who toasts and each other. nature. I’m looking forward to experiencing it all this year.
Here, Forbes catches up with new Elements artists Ahadadream and The Illustrious Blacks.
From left to right: Les Illustres Noirs and Ahadadream.
Kocay: What are you most excited about about this year’s Elements Music festival?
Ahadadream: “[I’m] excited to revel in it for the first time. It’s one of the highlights of my festival season. I’ve heard wonderful things and the position seems incredible.
The Illustrious Blacks: “We’re excited to release our new single, “Let the Music Set You Free,” produced through Tedd Patterson, as well as the first songs from our upcoming album.
Kocay: What can enthusiasts expect from your set?
Ahadadream: “A percussion and bass-driven powerhouse with a bunch of previously unreleased tracks from me, my friends, and upcoming releases from More Time Records. “
The Illustrious Blacks: “Fans can expect natural chaos, pure madness and sexy antics in the Technegro colours. “
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