Imagination ran wild in the Dirty South during the last weekend of August as Imagine Music Festival took control of Downtown Atlanta for the second edition of a festival that is gaining attention across the nation and world. The first gathering of Imagineers garnered notice by Fest 300 and was named one of the top 15 electronic fests in the world due to its diverse musical lineup, cirque style performances and its incredible atmosphere, complemented by their immersive underwater theme. With another jaw-dropping lineup at this year\’s Imagine, the folks at Iris are truly living up to their reputation, so much so that they\’ve outgrown their seemingly small venue.
Approximately 25 to 27 thousand attendants were attracted to the Historic Fourth Ward Park last weekend but at times it felt like a congested little Lollapalooza, especially considering the two bigger stages were basically right next to each other. Although, space wasn\’t really the issue, \’twas the sound. The water stations were located in between the water wonderland themed Oceania stage and the trippy tree jungle that was the Amazonia stage. While attempting to satisfy a parched throat, every attendant was bombarded by the booming bass from both stages. The sound bleed was also apparent as my crew strapped in for the existence shattering set from Shpongle on the outer rim of the Amazonia crowd, the other-worldly sounds were interrupted by a throbbing bass from the Oceania stage which forced us to leave our safe sanctuary and into the weirdness. This wasn\’t a major problem because once you were in the thick of it at either stage, sound bleeding was never a thought that crossed your mind. Also, officials at Iris admit that their first home might not be permanent.
We hope to be able to stay at this beautiful site, however, it seems as if we may have already outgrown our first home. In addition, portions of the site are being redeveloped precluding us from expanding the site at its current location. We do have many breathtaking prospect sites in negotiation. Some of these prospect sites will allow us to provide camping and other new and exciting features as Imagine Festival develops.
Beside the minor sound problem, the venue was nothing short of breathtaking. There was eye candy in all directions. One line of vision would reveal a live painter illustrating a headphoned yellow octopus with tentacles that seemed to applaud the pounding bass, another would show a mermaid-fairy hybrid attached to a some sort of bendy stilt that sent her 20 feet in the air bobbing back and forth to the melodies. There were flying fairies at this festival. When attendants wanted to chill they could enter the \”Incendia\” dome which featured fire being churned and spewed from the top while mist gently poured over tired souls. The festival grounds also contained the Imaginarium stage, Chill House stage, art galleries along with a nice selection of shops selling heady threads and other goodies. While the atmosphere was entertaining in itself, the absolutely incredible musical talent that occupied these grounds could not be ignored.
As I strolled into this musical nirvana on Saturday, I was skeptical. I had become accustomed to the 3 to 4 day festivals with plenty of time to wallow in the seemingly eternal weekend of a festival and I saw Imagine as a festival that was a day short. Although, this two day festival introduced me to something that I had never experienced, a day of shows with no lulls at all. The day began with sets full of dirty bass as Mantis and Illenium initiated what would be a plethora of mind-melting sets at the Oceania stage. Then came Kayzo, who delivered a hyped set full of hard-style that morphed into heavy dubstep. To escape the intensity a bit, my crew grabbed some much needed water and headed to the Amazonia stage for Buku. The Pittsburgh producer initiated the first of many trippy trap sets to inhabit the secondary stage of Imagine that day. The more intimate setting at the Amazonia stage made for incredibly fun shows. After Buku, what ensued was a live battle between two of the most creative minds in the heavy bass game. KJ Sawka of Destroid and Ableton sensei, ill. Gates did battle during their set by switching off between drum and bass from KJ and hip-hop dubstep from ill. Gates. Both artists performed live with either a drum kit or midi pad, and the intensity of competition increased so noticeably that by the end a victor could not be determined. The bass was filthy and a great segue for G Jones.
With a recent collaboration with Bassnectar and a new 11-track EP, G Jones stirred the crowd with his dimension bending trap that seemed to take control of the crowd as he hunched over his equipment. Before we knew it, it was already time to sneak over to the grassy field of the Oceania stage to catch the end of Brillz and post up for Griz. The All Good Records founder got super funky with it mixing in oldies such as Stevie Wonder\’s \”Superstitious\” with tracks from Mad Liberation along with Grizmatik drops and a new Manic Focus remix. Although Griz was quite soothing, no one had forgotten the upcoming madness of Shpongle that was upon us and everyone was uneasy waiting for Simon Posford to invade our brains. After he did so, it was Tipper\’s turn and with help of Android Jones, his sounds slithered throughout the crowd causing a frenzy. The Glitch Mob delivered an emotional set on the Oceania Stage at the same time. The night had concluded and all the Imagineers desperately searched for their bass-blasted minds while reveling in the fact that there was still one more day.
The next afternoon saw the Historic Fourth Park flooded once again, beginning the day with an involving set from K Theory as he rapped inside the crowd during his set. The Pretty Lights Music Showcase followed with sets from Eliot Lipp and Paul Basic that more than justified their place in the PLM family. Up next was the proof that dubstep is alive and well, 12th Planet ripped up the Oceania stage with gnarly bass and amazing energy. Due to Lil Jon\’s medical emergency that deterred him from playing his set, the schedule was a bit jumbled on the last day and my crew decided to head to the Amazonia stage, where we would remain for the rest of the night. MartyParty preceded Papadosio who gave Atlanta their funkiest jams along with a sneak preview of their new material, which will be released in October.
As the twang of guitars faded, we snaked our way through the crowd and hunkered down in dusty pit in the center of Amazonia to wait for Crizzly. The Crunkstep King, Slice Gang CEO from Texas made sure those in attendance knew the name Crizzly by the end of his set. With flawless mixing of popular rap songs and grimy bass, Atlanta Pizza Gang members were well fed. He ended his set by dropping his Bassnectar remix and a new track, then it was time for Datsik. To close out a festival such as this is not an easy task, but who else could take it up the challenge besides the Firepower Records founder. The ninja star throwing bass fiend gave Imagineers a set to remember with a guest appearance from 12th Planet and plenty of yummy bass to go around. As the fireworks flew into the sky, colorful sparks followed them and the loud bang signaled an end to a whirlwind weekend.
The vibes were positive and if it weren\’t for the need to fend off the rare thief, they would have been perfect. The atmosphere created by this festival was one of ephemeral paradise which transported the adventuring Imagineer to a place where love is on everyone\’s lips and the beauty of imagination is revealed. Glen Goodhand, one of the owners, had this to say.
We measure success by coupling the energy and joy of all the people attending, with the lifelong memories and friendships that were made. We could not have been any more successful! We have the most amazing team aka family, and the entire festival is developed from the festival-goer’s perspective, paying close attention to every detail. I think the fans appreciate and recognize the love we have for each of them.We strive for perfection but enjoy the process of learning from our mistakes. We remain steadfast in our devotion to make each person\’s time at Imagine Festival, the most magical experience possible.The moment on stage when we asked if everyone had fun, and the response by the roar of the crowd was deafening, brought us all to tears. This is why we all work tirelessly to provide everyone a few of those special moments in life that will last forever in hearts and minds.
Check out some photos here.
