#festivalseason - Motion Notion finds a new home and packs it full of funky homies.
#festivalseason - Motion Notion finds a new home and packs it full of funky homies.
I honestly don't know much about Motion Notion, which is odd considering it's a BC festival and I live in BC and it's in its 19th YEAR. (The fuck was I doing until about three years ago when I heard about it?) I've heard nothing but good things and the pictures make it look excellent. And this year the good people of MoNo are setting up shop in a new home, The Coldwater Fields in Merritt, BC – the home of the legendary Bass Coast Festival. More than almost any other festival lineup I've seen this years Motion Notion is filled with a ridiculous amount of Rags Music-certified Gs. In fact, this years lineup features no less than 10 past answerers of our own 5 Questions With Rags interview series. In honour of this HomieFest, this list is comprised almost entirely of artists I am super familiar with. I'm pretty confident when I write these lineup previews that I'm giving you all the goods, but this time I'm wholly confident in my picks. Motion Notion has put together an incredible lineup and this just the tip of the iceberg. And really, just the tip of the part of the iceberg I know at the time of this writing. Even if you fuck the rest of your weekend up, you'll have a proper good time if you just go see these cats.
Get tickets for Motion Notion 2018 (August 23-27) now!
Marten Horger
Sometimes you see someone time and time again and you wonder if you reeeeeeally need to see them again. Even though I've been thoroughly enchanted every time I've seen this wonderful human lay down his relentless bass stylings (Even arguing with friends the whole way home after a powerful night at Vancouver's near-legendary Red Room where they claimed he wasn't the most untouchable of the night...they were wrong), I almost didn't go catch him here in Victoria last weekend (July 28), because I am aging and going out, even on a Saturday, is at times a monumental task that defeats me on a regular basis. But I'm glad a friend helped me soldier through, because Horger was as on point as ever. He was going B2B with the homie Neon Steve – who you should definitely also see as I am just noticing his name here on the MoNo lineup – and was as in command as ever. When you feel and hear the devastating bass of a Horger track your heart beats a little harder and then you look up to see him behind the decks and you almost see the joy radiating off of him. Make sure that no matter what you do with your weekend, get after it and see this legit Hero of Breaks.
Alex Mei
The only person on this list that hasn't been a guest on 5 Questions with Rags (Despite repeated efforts from both parties) but that's not really important, I just like talking about myself. I've seen Alex Mei twice – once opening for favs Pigeon Hole and once playing before the legends Stanton Warriors – and though both of the sets were wildly different, both were massively impressive, with a deep bass-knowledge and willingness to try new sounds on full display. (Legit was an instant fan after that set before Pigeon Hole...fucking hell I wish I had that set to listen to right now.) Her Soundcloud is masterclass of diversity, with mixes running a gamut of bassy delights. In a world where I can't figure out the genre definitions in the world of bass if my life depended on it, Alex Mei continually reminds me that I don't need to worry about that shit. Good bass is good bass. And here's the mix of hers I've listened to the most...an all-time Stoney-Playback mix if there ever was one.
Stickybuds
It's always a good time to see Stickybuds, but right now – summer 2018 – might be the best time to see the funky master at work. Fuelled by the recent release of his incredible debut album Take A Stand (Westwood Recordings), Stickybuds is on a tear and from all accounts, as relentlessly funky as ever as he's been rocking crowds, armed this powerful new piece of musical weaponry. If you've followed the good Mr. Buds on social media, you know he's a thoughtful and conscious human, always trying to better the world around him and more than anything he's done since, Take A Stand captures that spirit. A Stickybuds set always guarantees a fucking good time and now you're gonna get some proper positive vibes in the words you're hearing, in addition to that funky bass that makes it impossible to keep your ass still. Also, you're probably gonna get to hear “The Firestarter” which is hands down one of my favourite tracks of the summer.
K+Lab
Speaking of homies who have new music, also being released on Westwood Recordings, the reigning Intergalatic Funk Champion, K+Lab, is getting ready to drop a new album in the coming months. But for now we have the new track “Good Juju” to (kinda, sorta) hold us over until then. The heavy funk banger is an extension of some of the phenomenal sets I've seen from K+Lab over the past year. (And there have been quite a few.) These sets have been dripping with the classic G-Funk sound that originally spread the west coast ethos through music. Watching K+Lab jump around with his keytar (Or shoulder synth. Sorry, DAM-Funk) is always a guaranteed fun-bonanza and with a whole album of new sounds and ideas to select from, K+Lab is can't-miss-hot-ysht right now.
Moontricks
You'd think I'd get tired of writing about Moontricks, and honestly, you'd kind of be right. I've lost track of the number of things I've written about Moontricks but astonishingly there are still people I know who read the things I post on this site and people I talk to in real fucking life that still haven't heard or, more importantly, seen Moontricks. This is unacceptable. These guys are making seriously delightful bass music that sounds unlike anything else being made around here right now. Lots of people throwing live instruments into the mix to set themselves apart, but Moontricks is rooted in live instrumentation. There is no schtick here; this is the goods. Their folk leanings and taste for slow-burning grooves make them perfect for any time of day, which is something that not all bass music can make a claim to. And they always seem to have something to play at their shows, something you definitely haven't heard them play before. If you're at Motion Notion you're probably going to need some serious chill times at some point and whether you've seen them before or not, Moontricks will do the, uhhhh, trick? I can't think of a better word to use there right now...
Bonus Pick – Calyx & TeeBee
I dunno much about Calyx & TeeBee (And they definitely haven't been 5 Questions guests) except that they play drum n' bass that goes a bit too hard for me sometimes and all my bass-friends seem to really like them. I also like their name a lot, so that's a plus. If you're looking for some drum n' bass to inject you with some extra high-energy fuel during your weekend, probably make sure you check C&T out. That is all. Here's a track that my homie Jerrrrrrf picked out for your listening pleasure.