Foie Gras Music organized the music line-up for the 1st Valley Lux Festival. Besides being DJs and music producers themselves, the members of Foie Gras also have experience in event organizing. Some of their bigger projects have included Hampshire Halloween and Spring Jam, which featured performances by artists such as Zion I, Mykki Blanco, D'hana, and DonJohnston. But what Foie Gras is perhaps most known for are the notoriously spontaneous and immersive dance parties organized in the backwoods of Hampshire College, which draw hundreds of attendees from New England and New York. It was through these woods parties that Foie Gras developed a strong taste in eclectic electronic dance music, as well as a deep appreciation for all forms of art. Foie Gras assembled a line-up consisting of DJs and artists with the means of providing an intoxicating dancing and listening experience to accompany the luminous atmosphere of the beautiful woods of Montague.
2015 LINE UP:
Donjohnston is noted for tight, original DJ sets. Expect jazzy swinging bass music and a high energy playing style that has captivated audiences at Boomtown, Glastonbury, Electro Swing Club, Glade, White Mink, Speakeasy, Cabaret Voltaire & countless other shows. Donjohnston will be performing tunes from his EP “September” out on Freshly Squeezed as well as other new material recorded with musicians as part of his recent European tour.
BATTYJACK
D'hana is a Brooklyn based DJ (Battyjack), documentary filmmaker and video artist. As a DJ, Battyjack has maintained a strong presence in the underground queer nightlife in Boston and New York, while developing a unique production style with the artist collective, KUNQ. In the words of Rizzla, "KUNQ is a union of queer artists making outernational sounds - cunt/punk/queer/crunk". Battyjack's mixfiles have been featured in publications such as Fader and FACT magazines, and they have had the pleasure of working with some of the most forward thinking artists out right now including, Le1f, VenusX, Juliana Huxtable, Dubbel Dutch, NGUZUNGUZU, Kingdom, Mykki Blanco, Jubilee, JD Samson, Kim Ann Foxman, and more. Battyjack's highly energetic, bass-heavy, complextro-esque style is guaranteed to get you dancing, and before you know it, it will be over and you'll be wishing for more. So for your own sake, when Battyjack comes on stage, enjoy every second of it and don't miss a beat!
HEART OF HOUSE
BETA GHOSTS / LUCAS ALEXANDER
SAMUEL WHITING / TREMBLIX / VERNESS
Heart of House is a label based in Boston, with roots in Northampton, and will be showcasing several of the DJ's and producers that they have under their name. Heart of House is a self-described Independent Record Label established to empower artists; celebrating freedom of expression and free feeling through music, culture and the arts. In the words of Heart of House, "The modern, technologically savvy world, fueled by innovators and visionaries alike, continues to raise the bar with creative, genre infused styles. Yet, who is to claim the throne for this explosion... Ultimately, we owe it to each other, to embrace, connect, collaborate and strive to push that feeling on. Heart of House, as a label, is simply a metaphor that instills the irreplaceable connection between the Music and the People... the heartbeat of the dance-floor, an element that is unified and responsive to each and everyone of us."
FOIE GRAS
Foie Gras Music is a music label run by Finn Liss and Nick Kane, who are based based in Oakland, CA and Amherst, MA. Foie Gras simply started out as a soundcloud page for three DJ friends to use as a means to share music and keep in touch while separated. Over some time, Foie Gras garnered a solid following by throwing notoriously spontaneous and immersive dance parties in the backwoods of Hampshire College, which drew hundreds of attendees from New England and New York. It was through these woods parties that Foie Gras developed a strong taste in eclectic electronic dance music, as well as a deep appreciation for all forms of music and art. Foie Gras became a label in early 2015, and soon after, released its first EP, Goûter.
SATORI
Satori is an East Coast music producer originating from Portland Maine, who is known for weaving heavy-hitting basslines with Hip-Hop beats for a unique and funky performance. He takes a high tech approach to creating futuristic music that awakens dance floors and captivates listeners. Appearing at venues throughout New England, he has shared the stage with popular acts such as Ott, Freddy Todd, Space Jesus, Ill.Gates and Psymbionic. Satori is evolving beyond the traditional East Coast bass scene to deliver a distinctive organic sound that engages any audience.
FIG
FIG is an up and coming hip-hop artist originally from Southern California. His music fuses live instrumental neo-soul, jazz and hip-hop to create a revolutionary sound. His musicality and lyrical ability are only matched by his live performances. He is an energetic, raw and honest storyteller and MC, whose visions of progress are taking hip-hop in a powerful direction.
SMARTY MCFLY
Smarty McFly's sets consist of contemporary electronic dance music as he constantly seeks the most current and "it" sounds, while including a blend of classic songs from our teenage years that will be nostalgia inducing. If you want to go back to the future and hear the most up to date dance and party music, Smarty McFly will take you there.
MYOMORPHO
Myomorpho, previously NORSE, is building a name for himself through his own productions, including his track "Hidden Drive"—which was recently released with the Foie Gras Music label. Aside from continuing to develop into an excellent producer, it is his DJ sets that have caught our attention. His unique ability to be able to flawlessly blend anything from deeper, chiller house to upbeat, energetic trap to classic, nostalgia-inducing hip-hop remixes is what makes him stand out amongst other aspiring young DJs and producers.
QU∆KI
Qu∆ki is refreshingly unique, combining various aspects of different genres to create mostly hip-hop and house beats. What is special about Qu∆ki's beats is that they seem to be off-beat, but it is this precise off-beatness that creates a crisp, organic feel and is incredibly pleasing to the ear. Qu∆ki's influences derive from his relatively recent exposure to artists such as Mount Kimbie, Fulgeance, Gold Panda, Lapalux, Jonwayne, Mono/Poly, SBTRKT, Damu, and XXYYXX. In his own words, it was this exposure that caused his mind to just explode in a very good way. Qu∆ki is doing his own thing and producing a sound that defines him, which, these days, is not found too often in electronic music production.
BRENN & CÉSAR
At 26 and 25 years old, the two brothers have been musicians since childhood. The duo share an obvious complicity in the studio as well as behind the decks. Brenn & Cesar is the most promising DJ/ producer duo on the Parisian scene today. Their musical identity was born in 2012 with their memorable sets during residency at the underground 12CLUB parties.
NEO THE PRAYING MANTIS
There's not much we can tell you about this mysterious creature, but this is an act you do not want to miss, because Neo never records music—Neo is a LIVE ONLY act. You can only listen to Neo in person, and this is your once in a lifetime chance. Although Neo has migrated to city life, his spirit will always reside in the wilderness. Neo usually lives under ground or in other dark spaces. Neo does not pray to God, Neo prays to the People. Neo survives mostly on saltines and Jameson. Neo loves rhythms. Neo loves bass. Rhythms and Bass are the meaning of life in the world of Neo The Praying Mantis.