Solid vibes, gorgeous landscapes, and inspiring music sum up the legendary weekend that was the 10th anniversary of Sonic Bloom: The Unified Field. Taking place at Hummingbird Ranch of Colorado for the very first time, the location featured spacious campgrounds along with a mystical patch of woods within the festival grounds where spirits came alive at night. And while the two larger stages had no shade to hinder the relentless sun, a humble creek provided much needed cooling and comfort to festival-goers.
As the Sonic Bloom family arrived on Thursday afternoon, the feel and energy of the festival was tangible across the many lines of car awaiting entry. People were ready to get down to some beats, step outside their comfort bubbles, and transcend the normal restrictions of everyday life from June 18th – 21st. While most of the day was spent setting up camp, highlights of the night include a completely packed Caspa show at the Sub.Mission stage and the Sonic Bloom debut of Atyya.
Friday was jam-packed full of funky, raging glitch-hop. After Mustard Tiger and Staunch blessed the Hummingbird stage with their bouncy Aussie beats, U.S artist Digital Rust threw down one of the best sets of the festival with his dancefloor Tipper-esque beats and top-notch sound design. STS9 performed two stellar sets featuring tracks such as “Water Song¸” “4 Year Puma,” and “What is Love.”
Meanwhile at the Hummingbird stage, Sonic Bloom was gracious enough to feature 3 hours of deep, psychedelic trance music with artists Merkaba (a.k.a Kalya Scintilla), and Amani & Treavor Moontribe (Desert Dwellers). While these sets possessed a different flavor than most U.S festival artists, the fast and groovy, repetitive beats were well received by the crowd.
Saturday was another hot one that was heated up further with stellar acts throughout the day. While Griff played to a small, devoted crowd, he played an absolutely beastly set featuring tropical vibes and soothing beats. Mr. Rogers followed up with some funky, feel-good synths and fat, wonky beats. Evan Marc, a.k.a Bluetech, turned some heads with his funky fresh, trippy house music before playing to a huge crowd under his more prominent alias. Finally, the headliner of the night, Shpongle, melted the crowd with his utterly bizarre, complex music.
Finally, the weekend came to a bittersweet close on Sunday. Sad that the weekend was almost over and grateful to have experienced the past few days, the last day kept the party going with amazing music from start to finish. The Malah threw down yet another prolific set at the Sub.Mission stage with spaced-out grooves and electronica inspired beats. Andreilien started the party before sunset with his signature style from the Heyoka days, along with some fresh drum and bass material.
One of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, Kalya Scintilla¸ also shared heaps of new creations with the crowd as first timers danced in bewilderment and joy. Continuing the theme, Emancipator slayed the Bloom stage with loads of new material, solidifying his status as a musical genius.
The end of the night featured a special set from Random Rab, where people rejoiced in the company of their lovely Sonic Bloom family one last time. And while the quality of the music was hard to beat, the good times had and the friendships made were easily the most unforgettable highlights of the weekend. Big love to Sonic Bloom for bringing so many lovely people together in such style!