Sonic Bloom 2015: A Family Affair at the Unified Field’s 10th Anniversary

Photos by Lynn Millspaugh

This year marked the 10th Anniversary of Sonic Bloom Music Festival: The Unified Field. A strong sense of community and uninhibited creative license were the key points at this four-day music and art event. The festival took place at the foot of the Spanish Peak Mountains at Hummingbird Ranch from June 18th to the 21st where Sonic Bloom Founder Jamie Janover’s hopes to see Einstein’s Unified Field Theory in action rang true.

The Sonic Bloom community is known for being tight knit and family-vibe oriented despite it’s growth toward international recognition. The mystical wooded area within the festival grounds came alive at night by the efforts of commissioned performers and attendees alike. Glow-in-the-dark installations, live painting, slack-lining, drum circles, LED hula hooping from attendees, vendors, designated flow artists, yoga, stone stackers, the list goes on and on — all brought vibrance and growth to the community. What is important to note about this list is the wonderful ambiguity between those commissioned to perform at the festival and the attendees. While the dancers, flow artists and performers brought their tremendous talent to the scene to be appreciated, attendees such as those who brought their own flow arts props also claimed their own small stages simply by dancing and interacting with the space. One of the remarks by the media and press is that the ratio between attendees and the many people putting on the festival is becoming more and more equal, adding to a sense of unity.

People drove from all over the country to attend Sonic Bloom 2015, including myself. My cousin, Kearsley Schweller, vendor of recycled journals for Bearfoot Happiness, friend Matt Knotts and I drove twenty-four hours from Atlanta. By Thursday evening, the energy in the car line was buzzing, everyone was ready to get down to live music, express their own creativity, and have a pleasant escape from everyday life. Music festivals can be a microcosm of society – and for many people, regardless of what state a given festival is in or who is on the lineup, these campgrounds are home. At the press conference, Drumspyder reminded us of the idea that “the human drummer and dancer is one of the most ancient forms of connection.” All weekend, we are reminded that what goes on at these festivals is rooted in ancient human nature.

VibeSquaD, aka Aaron Holstein – Colorado’s beloved bass music producer and performer, made a really touching comment at the press conference about the family affair aspect of Sonic Bloom by talking about how he and his son had been attending bloom for over a decade together. “I used to have my son on my shoulders as a toddler at Sonic Bloom, and now I get to look over and see him killing a Bass set on stage at age nineteen, it’s really special.” VibeSquaD’s signature sound, vibrant stage persona and twenty-plus years of experience in musical performance are carrying over to the next generation. The dance floor really loved the soaring synth textures, hard-hitting drum patterns and thick bass brought on by the family effort.

Meanwhile at the Hummingbird stage, Sonic Bloom featured Amani Friend and Treavor Moontribe of Desert Dwellers, a duo of prolific downtempo artists from the U.S. who mentioned that they had taken chances and gone against their normal flow with the set. This idea of creative liberty was a common theme amongst performers at the festival. At the press conference on Friday afternoon, the artists chimed in about why they feel at home at Sonic Bloom. Vancouver, British Columbia-born artist, songwriter, producer, and DJ ill-esha spoke to this unified sense of comfort by saying, “Sonic Bloom is a musical festival equivalent to ‘letting it all out’. It’s like I can put on my musical sweatpants and just have a good time.” Atomic Reactor, a Glitch and Jazz instrumental artist with soulful vibes, chimed in with a similar comment, saying “Sonic Bloom is a place where Denver’s EDM community can feel comfortable taking chances and know that they crowd will be receptive.”

Friday evening was capped by a main stage performance from fan-favorite headliners STS9 who performed two stellar sets throughout the evening.

Saturday, attendees caught the Janover and ReSunator set followed by Dirtwire featuring David Satori of Beats Antique. Saturday night was a wildly energetic set from The Trancident, made up of members of The String Cheese Incident. Rather then showcasing the traditional String Cheese Jamband sound, they branched out with electronic infused jams in the vein of EOTO, yet another success story of performers who went against the grain.

Ultimately, everyone at the 10th Anniversary of Sonic Bloom Music Festival 2015 had a wonderful time, and felt united at the Unified Field. This festival is truly a staple of Colorado’s EDM scene and great annual gathering. We look forward to seeing the festival grow more in 2016 and returning to this special community.