GET INTO THE MOOG

DJ Mag USA is incredibly stoked to be attending this year’s edition of Moogfest in Durham, North Carolina! Since 2004, the festival has been a meeting-point in America’s Southeast for forward-thinking electronic music, sound designers, innovators and of course all things synthesizers. This will be Moogfest’s first time in Durham, moving from its original home of Asheville, and they’ve expanded their programming considerably and are quickly becoming a contender for one of America’s top cutting edge multi-day music and arts experiences.

During the day, downtown Durham will be filled with workshops ranging from masterclasses by Ben Frost & Tim Hecker, Daniel Lanois & The Orb to a variety of DIY classes for budding synth makers to build machines ranging from amateur enthusiasts to serious hobbyists. There will be conversations between Duke professor and GZA, Laurie Anderson lectures, durational sound installations from Buchla visionary Suzanne Ciani, presentations on ‘Reggae Soundsystem and Dub Production’ and an entire Moogfest film programme featuring live film scores and conversations with artists and composers working in film. 

At night, all of these venues and more are transformed into club-like spaces and venues that will all hinge on various themes and flows. Durham’s historic Armory will see the likes of The Orb, DJ Harvey, Robert Hood, Bicep (debuting their live show), The Black Madonna, Ryan Hemsworth, Jlin and more meshing the future with the past across various aspects of dance music. Pushing the envelope even more within the electronic realm will be Paula Temple, Kyle Hall, Karen Gwyer, Veronica Vasicka, Rabit, Lotic, Via App and more! The larger Motorco Park plays host to R&B and electro-pop artists ODESZA, Blood Orange, Grimes,  Miike Snow, Bob Moses and DAWN.  There is also an intimate space that will hold everything from multiple performances from legends Gary Numan to some of hip-hop, grime and urban music’s brightest innovators: GZA, Skepta, Torey Lanez, Daye Jack, Denzel Curry, Lunice and local artists King Mez, Professor Toon and Well$. There will also be live concerts from Low, Floating Points, Explosions In The Sky, sunn O))), The Body and others to round out this incredibly rich and diverse lineup. 

A little bonus: for those who want an all-nighter experience, there will be one of sorts as composer Robert Rich presents one of his eight hour long overnight Sleep Concerts, in which the audience is invited to lie down and fall asleep to a live ambient soundtrack that piques the deepest reaches of the brain. DJ Mag did one of these before at Unsound a few years ago and highly recommend it if you’re feeling adventurous! Otherwise you can kick back, eat delicious BBQ and get a (relatively) early night before heading out to catch all of the next day’s daytime delights!

Tickets start from $249 and you can nab a ticket here.