Global Dance Festival 2013 | July 19-21 | Red Rocks Amphitheater

With Denver hosting one of the year's biggest music weekends Global Dance Festival will invade the majestic Red Rocks Amphitheater. Fans will get to enjoy a some of EDM's biggest and brightest.

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We are thrilled to announce that Sunday, July 21st of Global Dance Festival will feature both solo sets from Griz and Gramatik, PLUS a rare collaborative set from Grizmatik. One of the most exciting artist collaborations of the past year, these giants of funk have united their soulful yet bass-laden unique styles for one infectious sound that is taking the world by storm.

Frontman of the record label "Lowtemp," Gramatik is know for his lush, big beats, breaking through all boundaries and sampling classic hip hop beats and live instrumentation for a funky, downtempo feel. A master of production, Griz infuses hip hop, electro soul and future funk, often incorporating live performance or recording of his Alto Saxophone, creating a ground-breaking sound that absolutely smashes dance floors. Prepare to be blown away by their artful combination of funk, soul and gritty electronic synths as they dominate Red Rocks with bass thumping energy and an undeniable groove. Their live performances emphasize the idea that good music is felt, not heard, and we can't wait to experience it beneath the Colorado night sky.

The 11th annual Global Dance Festival will take place on July 19 through July 21, 2013 at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colo. Gates will be open at 5 p.m. each day. Tickets are available now from www.ticketmaster.com.

For ongoing updates, and complete lineup information:

www.globaldancefestival.com
Facebook: facebook.com/globaldancefestival
Twitter: @GlobalDanceFest
You Tube: youtube.com/user/GlobalDanceUS

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Gramatik with Talib Kweli | The Fillmore | November 17th

There is something to be said about the electronic-dance music scene in Colorado. It seems that every artist that rolls through our great state brings a huge crowd for the  ever-growing genre. Friday night at the Fillmore Auditorium, played hosts to two genres in particular, hip hop and EDM. Gramatik held it down as the headliner, choosing Denver to beta his new elaborate stage setup dubbed “The Coil”. Straight out of a mad scientist lab, the stage production gave off a high voltage spectacle with waves of low current and lighting-enhanced discharge to compliment his music.

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Gramatik dropping beats flanked by "The Coil" (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

In true Gramatik form he came out hard and fast and maintained that momentum throughout his set. It wasn’t until he stopped three quarters in to give homage to our great state and our recent passing of Amendment 64, legalizing marijuana. “It’s time for a smoke break” as he lit up. The crowd erupted and many joined in as the words Amendment 64 highlighted the stage.

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Talib Kweli giving Denver love. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The night’s other performance was none other than Talib Kweli. Kweli has always been a huge favorite in Colorado, often playing here 3-4 times a year. With a loyal fan base, he hit us with his signature East Coast rap style that has earned him merit all across the hip hop community. With fan-friendly hits, he warmed up the crowd with his legendary verse on Kanye’s “Get Em High”.

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The Fillmore crowd showing love to Gramatik. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

However, the epic climax of his set was during his best known song “Get By,” which had all the hip hop heads in the audience singing word for word. Not a bad night for Denver; with music at its finest and two of the best ambassadors in their own respected genres. Check out more photos here.

Interviewing Gramatik

Here is our interview with Denis Jasarevic, or, Gramatik. Make sure to catch his dope show this weekend at the Fillmore in Denver.

What were some of your highlights from 2012?

Red Rocks was a highlight, that was a great day. Digital Freedom dropped in April and had really great response. It’s hard to say, I can never be objective about my stuff, but Red Rocks and Digital Freedom were definitely highlights. Electric Forest, too. It’s a magical place; there for three days with Big Gigantic. 

What do you prefer: festivals or a stop on a tour?

Festivals are a different experience than headlining your own show. Most of the festivals I’ve played have been more or less on point. Electric Forest was properly organized with positive energy. I meet a lot of people and artists at festivals and that’s the cool thing about festivals. We get to meet and talk about collaborating.

What inspires you as an artist?

For me, I get inspired by a lot of things that aren’t necessarily musical. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, political satire, inspires me to be good in my heart. I’m a huge, huge comedy buff.

On that note, who’s your favorite comedian?

George Carlin. Definitely George Carlin. He was the father of comedy and a genius all around; he inspires me. I religiously watch his stand-up.

In the future, do you see yourself producing or performing more?

It’s all abut trying to balance life and art, you know. Once you dedicate your life to creating art you very quickly become a socially awkward person. It consumes you. You have to feed your creative impulses and when they come around, you have to grab them and act on them and that definitely makes you a socially awkward person. 

Do you have any projects coming up as a producer?

I’m working on my next EP and I’m working on a project called Extraordinary Magnitude. We just recorded an album that should come out early next year and it’s an album that’s completely it’s own. 

What about Colorado shows do you love?

The energy and vibe of the shows and the fact that the scene is booming hard; it’s on a whole different level. In general, it’s just a great, great state.

Why is Pretty Lights Music label so passionate about free music for the fans?

Derek and I really shared that. Music should be free, primarily. People have to have it available at all times and not every person can buy every album they want/ We prefer to give it away so they can have it anywhere they are and they don’t have to be pirate criminals. It’s inevitable. They will donate when they have money. Why make them a cyber criminal? 

What is on the horizon for Gramatik? What do we have to look forward to?

Definitely my album which will be out next year that will be on my own label. I’m starting my own thing, like Derek did, but we will always be family. The upcoming Colorado show will be the biggest to date. I’m premiering my new set design, which is still in beta.

Castro & Amanda

Pretty Lights Music Afterparty | The Gothic | August 18th

As if getting to see the whole Pretty Lights Music lineup at Red Rocks wasn't enough, word comes in that the PLM crew will be throwing down at The Gothic next Saturday for an after party. The lineup includes some of the finest in the biz; be sure to get your tickets here.​ Scheduled to perform are Michal Menert, Gramatik, Break Science, Paul Basic, Supervision and Eliot Lipp. 

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Wanderlust Festival: July 5-8

Ultra5280 can't be more excited to be a part of Wanderlust Festival this summer! It is a four-day festival at Copper Mountain that consists of music, yoga, meditation, hiking, art, lectures, and more. With music headliners Ziggy Marley, Gramatik, and Beats Antique paired with Deepak Chopra and inspirational yogi's you will walk away from this festival feeling a new sense of purpose. The weekend is all about you; we get too caught up in our daily grind and caring for others that we let ourelves go. This is a time to think of your physical and spiritual well-being and become centered again.

There are diffrent tiers of tickets that can be purchased HERE, one, three, or four day passes, music only, yoga plus, and kids yoga. The festival is an easy escape from Denver, so check out the website and get those tickets!

Amanda

Pretty Lights Music at Cervantes

This post is long overdue. A special thanks to Andrew "AC" Lao for his support of Ultra5280 and local music.  You are a great friend a talented musician and performer.  YOU CRAY!

With multiple DJ sets, a typical Wednesday at Cervantes was a far cry from normal and boring.  Four talented DJ’s from the Pretty Lights Music label played well through the night, displaying different strengths and talents that had a little something for each person.  Paul Basic, SuperVision, Michal Menert with guest AC Lao, and Gramatik each played at least a 40-minute set, if not longer. Even as talented artists tying to make a living, their albums are free for download HERE.  To show your support, donations are accepted and attending a show is encouraged.
 
Colorado native Paul Basic didn’t let the theft of his Macbook Pro Tuesday night slow him down, with borrowed machines he brought his unique talent while still keeping in good spirits.  With a few hiccups and pauses in between songs, Paul Basic (Paul Brandt) brought the beats that laid the foundation for the DJ’s to follow.  Donations were taken up in contribution to his new laptop.  Check out his album “The Mirror” that dropped late September and show your love for a Colorado native.
 
Next on the lineup was Supervision, a guy that showed his support for others on the label, mixing their music as well as other familiar songs.  You could hear the excitement in the beginning of the set as as it seemed like there was a lot going on, but as the set went on so did the editing and it cleaned up very well.  Familiar songs like Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” gave the crowd something to sing along to all while making it his own.  He wrapped things up with a Michal Menert song, giving the crowd a taste of what was to follow.  Richard Blake Hanson, or Supervision, has shared the stage with some talented artists like Ghostland Observatory, Pretty Lights, Public Enemy, Classixx, and RJD2 only to name a few. Download his album “Telescopic” and you can hear where Supervision draws inspiration from.

Michal Menert tore it up.  His attention to detail and his production skills were the best of the night.  He understands the concept that “less is more” and knows when to edit; his music is clean and he knows what sounds good, plain and simple.  On stage with him Wednesday night was drummer, AC Lao, keeping the rhythm for his set.  AC brought something to Menert’s set, he brought life.  The drums were real, not mixed, and the crowd was very responsive to it.  Menert, with his sweat-soaked hair under his flat-brimmed hat, was nothing less than thankful for his time on stage.  With the recent loss of his father, his song “Memories” spoke loudly to anyone that had ever felt the weight of losing someone special. 

A Led Zeppelin favorite, “Stairway to Heaven” was used as a segway from Menert’s set to Gramatik’s.  Gramatik took the stage and raged it, and the energy never seemed to fizzle as the crowd anticipated the final set.  Menert and Gramatik piggy-backed off each other, hopping from one set back to the other.  The lights were flashing and the bass was bumping, Gramatik delivered a high-energy set packed with favorites.  The DJ’s raged on until 2 am and while the streets were quiet and the weather was chilled throughout the night, within the walls of Cervantes was a loud, sweaty party that lasted for hours. 

Amanda