The weather finally agreeing with the designated season, the sun was shining and music a blaring.  Catching the ever-so-indie Camera Obscura, many sang along in symphony style to the seductive sweetness. Later, another stage populated with hard-core skankers in rhythm, sort of, to the Irish punk sounds of Flogging Molly. Finally, adorable songstress Zooey Deschanel in the duo She & Him brought in the hippest crowd, practising one of her many talents in unison with the talented guitarist M.Ward. Friday was smooth yet dynamic, which happens to be the underlying theme of this eclectic festival. Blues, in this case, can be defined as good music rather than a specific sound or genre.

Saturday concert goers were well rested and ready for more. Many gathered for the big final act by Dixie Chicks, the wait didn’t take away from the breathtaking performance of the soulful songstress of Cold Specks or the international dance rhythm of Amadou & Mariam.

The stunning and perpetual voice of Neko Case was more than a preview to full-on country twang. Singing her heart out with poignant yet poetic lyrics, Neko played some new songs from her upcoming album The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight, the More I Love You set to release in September. Balancing her performance with songs from previous albums, the crowd was in awe.

As many squatted over their prime seats with foldable chairs, blankets, and even quilts *spot saved*, Belle & Sebastien played a great set with songs recognised from radio-play and blockbuster hits if not from a constant replay of their catchy yet mellow album.

Dixie Chicks, having taken a somewhat of a hiatus from performances, brought in a fan base of all ages filling almost every square inch of the festival arena. Many geared up in cute sundresses and cowboy boots, singing along and re-living the message behind that epic documentary Shut Up and Sing. The country-pop music echoed through a large portion of Ottawa’s centrum.

Bringing in more acts comes Sunday all the way to July 14th, next Sunday it is a worthy experience. As most festivals tend to have strict rules crouching in on your comfort and wallet, the Blues Fest is highly equipped with refillable water stations, a pretty decent amount of bathrooms (less wasted wait time), decently priced food selection and, of course, the option to park your butt in a lawn chair. With the sun scorching hot, water stations were a lifesaver, and the festival wasn’t too packed till the end of both nights. The vibe of the crowds was pretty chill and more family-oriented during the day, but stayed friendly throughout the night.

So if you already missed Wu Tang Clan or Rush, make sure to at least catch Animal Collective, Weezer, the Tragically Hip, or the Great Big Sea. With many big names among these are other great acts guaranteed to fulfill some of that summer angst to get shit done!

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The festival is dedicated to promoting and connecting electronic music with digital art. It is one of the leading events in North America and has sprung up in other countries such as Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia. In simple terms, however, this is an EDM festival that absorbs you inside out through sounds and incredible visual installations.

Within the allotted five days each sub-category of the main event offered an average of five shows. Daytime shows, Experience 1-5 and Play 1-4, offered more of a cocktail vibe, allowing you to grab a drink, tune in, and hash out that intellectual conversation you otherwise could not express in any ordinary concert environment. Once the conversation dried up, you were free to join whatever deep and dark performance you liked.

The city’s favourite performance venue Société des Arts Technologiques was transformed into the home to DROMOS, a special project showing a variety of artwork throughout the day and night that allowed the viewers to interact with the created data built by Montreal’s own Moment Factory. With viewers reclined, drinks in hand, DROMOS became a highlight of the festival with streams of colour and waves of sound–a real-time immersive performance.

As each day’s performance filtered into the night, we were met with A/Visions 1-5 and Nocturnes 1-5.  While A/Visions presented itself with more of a lounge vibe, Nocturnes started at around 10 pm and went on to pretty much sunrise. Ninja Tune and Red Bull Music Academy took the reins on the music selection, bringing forth live performances by the likes of Jesse Bru, Lukid, Emika, Onra, Nosaj Thing, and Britain’s Letherette.

The technical foundation of the festival allowed for incredible, in-tune, curated A/V displays. Jon Hopkins shared with the world his new visually stunning technical backdrop. Martyn inflated his heart for everyone to see as a projection foundation while Âme’s Frank Wiedemann re-imagined the space with some serious stadium-range psychedelic lasers. Having that much to look at certainly takes away from people’s desire to dance, but that didn’t stop the crowd from fist-pumping and dropping a move or two.

The last Nocturne wrapped up MUTEK with a bang as Pantha du Prince & The Bell Laboratory, who created an intense interactive atmosphere with technically complex and mesmerising notes. This proved to be nearly everyone’s favourite show, audience members chiming in with great applause.

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Levitin and Freelon teach a beat-making lab at the University of North Carolina but it is their decision to take their curriculum across continents that has created an inspirational web series backed by PBS Digital. The team is travelling with nothing other than a backpack to destinations such as Congo, Panama, and Goma where they provide local youth with the tools to create their own beats.

So how do they provide this beat-making experience? First, they unpack the backpack, then start the cipher, the rest consists of good vibes and interactive participation between producer, viewer and, above all, the youth. Something valuable to note, the same pack is used whether they are recording with the students or with one of the biggest artists.

Throughout the first season the duo visits a few different countries, meeting interesting people along the way while collecting stories to add to the deep roots of what they are creating. During a visit to Panama, they meet with Professor Angel a fellow beat maker and DJ currently running a beat making lab in prison. His personal journey is shocking, the outcome RAM – also known as Rehabilitacion a Traves de la Musica, translation Rehabilitation Through Music. A space Professor Angel has been able to create for himself and other inmates as a form of therapy, stating “music is an amazing medicine for the soul and the spirit.” The Panama prison beat making lab parallels the other in impact and importance.

Another episode guides the viewers through the creative process Levitin and Freelon explore with each individual interaction. A young musician, Martin, who specializes in the accordion, allows them to lay down some tracks and create a beat challenge posting samples viewers can mash up. Exploring the sound of Trap a mix of Hip Hop and Electronica, we see first hand the talent behind both pros as their two unique sounds come to surface. In a similar way throughout the series they explore with many different sounds some native to the country of destination and others appropriated through pop culture to create the beats of choice.

When asked about the origin of the project Levitin takes it all back to Mark Katz: “I am a producer and musician, and did a guest lecture at UNC-Chapel Hill in a class taught by Mark Katz. I approached him about doing a full class about music production, and we immediately had synergy around beat making education in the university. We developed the curriculum into a very popular class in the music department in 2011. Pierce joined the class to teach, and we brought this class into the community, first at a vibrant arts center, Yole Africa in the DR Congo” and now with the assistance of PBS they are making history.

The project was initially funded through an Indiegogo campaign and grant support from UNC but at the present time PBS funds all international labs. They have also partnered with Global Giving to accept donations, and with ReverbNation as one of their recipients of a really great initiative called Music for Good where 50% of song downloads get donated to the program. GOOD.is, the social network for good, was a major part in their intital sponsorship. Starting off with the Congo beat-making lab, they contacted the co-founder, Casey Caplowe. Within 6 hours of being posted on GOOD.is, PBS got involved and is now their home on YouTube.

The Beat Making Lab has provided not only a creative outlet for youth, but has also allowed many to participate in additional opportunities that would otherwise not be possible. Most students start out with very little experience, if none at all but Levitin and Freelon made the program easy enough that anyone interested can participate and fully develop the necessary skills, creating their very own. Once the program is completed, the community is left with a new music arts program as well as a space for youth to express themselves.

Each country provided an insight, Levitin describes Goma as “The amazing arts center Yole Africa is, among the chaos that exists in Goma from natural disaster to war. The other most surprising thing is the level of thrift store fashion that is in Goma, as well as the huge breakdancing scene.”

Throughout Season 1, the viewers are immersed in the process of creating beats as well as the production side of the project. Wrapping up their first season, the duo is already preparing for their second where they hope to reach countries such as Brazil, China, India, Iran, and Indonesia.

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