Photo Credit: Valhalla Sound Circus Facebook
Written by: Rebecca Hollman
Valhalla Sound Circus is a 3-day immersive experience deep in the woods of Quebec. Most people claim that it is the east coast version of Shambhala – with similar vibes, experience, and sounds. It calls itself a “sound circus” vs. a festival, and it surely lives up to its name.
Valhalla features circus performers of all varieties – including aerial silks, aerial hoops, fire breathers, fire spinners, and all sorts of other flow artists on all the stages and dispersed throughout the festival. Valhalla is also known for its dark and dirty sound and this year’s lineup includes the likes of Black Sun Empire, Delta Heavy, PhaseOne, Ivy Lab, EPROM, BadKlaat, Riot Ten, Spag Heddy, and many more.
Valhalla has curated a “Road to Valhalla” mix series on SoundCloud, which highlights some of the artists on this year’s lineup, especially smaller up-and-coming and local artists. So far, 10 mixes have been released on SoundCloud but expect more to be released in the upcoming weeks. Check out the artists that Valhalla picked for their series below.
1. JANTSEN
Jantsen is a dubstep producer from Denver, Colorado known for collaborating with LUZCID, Wooli, Dirt Monkey, Conrank, and others. Jantsen has produced multiple tracks with Bassnectar such as “Red Step”, “What,” and “Lost in the Crowd.” He regularly produces tracks with Bassnectar and Bassnectar plays his music in his live sets.
2. FLIX B2B MOTUS
Two artists from Canada – FLIX from Québec City and MOTUS from Sherbrooke – FLIX and MOTUS are both on the MONSTERS record label. FLIX started producing bass music in 2012 after promoting in the scene for awhile and releases tracks on Bewildered Audio, MONSTERS, Dubstar and F Audio. MOTUS releases tracks on MONSTERS and Dark Adversary Audio.
3. DISTINCT MOTIVE
A new artist from the Toronto area, Distinct Motive has received support from artists like Truth, Noisia, and Herobust. He produces and releases tracks on Deep, Dark & Dangerous, Navy Cut, and Banana Stand Sound.
4. SUBDOCTA
From Reno, Nevada, SubDocta is known for eclectic combinations of genres including classic dubstep sounds, nuwave experimental bass, riddim, and even hardstyle. He releases music on MalLabel and Shadowtrix Music and has had his tracks supported by artists like Bassnectar. He calls his style of music “West Coast Wobble” and is inspired by “weird and dark shit.”
5. BLUNTS & BLONDES
Blunts & Blondes is a one-man show from Tampa, Florida producing deep, dark wubs and “slow & low” bass. He creates a monthly mix series of his own dubbed “Blunts & Bass.” He is currently on tour in the US with Bommer and HE$H and is on the lineup for a handful of festivals this summer including Valhalla, Big Dub, and Lost Lands.
6. PHASEONE
Coming all the way from Australia, PhaseOne is one of top EDM artists to emerge from down under in recent years. He is known for his combination of hard-hitting dub and drum n bass with heavy metal influences and has been supported by artists like Skrillex and Excision. He started producing music on Datsik’s Firepower Records but recently signed with Disciple Records this year.
7. TRUTH
A duo from New Zealand, TRUTH has been creating experimental bass tracks and releasing music on many record labels including Deep Medi Muzik, Tempa Records, Wheel and Deal, Blackbox Recs, Aquatic Lab, Disfigured Dubz, Argon, and Boka Records. They were awarded Best Electronic Artist at the 2017 New Zealand Music Awards and also Best Album and Best EP at the 2017 Dubstep Awards. “Face the truth or get well outta the way.”
8. AL ROSS
From Los Angeles, California, Al Ross has been producing and releasing music on a plethora of record labels. These labels include Fresh Blood, Black Label, Buygore, Bassweight Records, Dubstar UK, SUBLMNL, Organized Grime, and many others. He has produced tracks with Boogie T, Svdden Death, MONXX, HE$H, Sleeper, and others. He is known for creating extremely weird alien bass and riddim.
9. ILL-ESHA
A Canadian producer currently living in Denver, Colorado, ill-esha is also known for being an instrumentalist and vocalist. She sings and plays instruments during her live sets, which combined with her bass beats, creates a unique live experience. She collabs with the likes of ill.gates, Bassnectar, and others to create a distinct tribal bass sound.
10. FROZEN
Hailing from Montreal, FROZEN is an up-and-coming female artist in the bass scene. She produces heavy dubstep and grimy UK beats and releases tracks on Black Label Records. She is on the lineups of many Canadian festivals this summer including AIM, IleSoniq, Under Pressure, and the monthly reoccurring Piknik Elektronik.
FESTIVAL INFORMATION
Learn more about the festival here and keep your eyes out for the schedule release the first week of July! Buy your tickets here before they all sell out! This an experience you want to miss.