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PODCAST

Almost Familiar

Elizabeth Dreeson, Wes Johnson

Is Pretty Lights the Phish of EDM? Is it possible to love Dubstep and Bluegrass? Have you ever called someone a wook or been called a wook yourself? Elizabeth Dreeson and Wes Johnson discuss the evolving landscape of what they call "neo-hippie music festival culture." Wes and Elizabeth have witnessed firsthand this emergent subculture"s evolution over the last decade and are interested in looking at the past to make better sense of the present. The music speaks for itself. Wes and Elizabeth are

music music commentary

All Episodes

01:17:41

The 2022 Unwrapped Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/12/31

Get familiar with highlights of the 2022 festival season and beyond. Wes and Elizabeth share their own highlights and also conducted a community census to get a sense of what stood out between festivals, events, musicians, mixes, albums, and personal milestones. Trending submissions include Submersion Festival, Daily Bread's latest Bread & Breakfast mix and Mishawaka shows, and newly on some radars are Piri and Tommy, Cool Customer, and Eliptek, along with unwavering hope for a Pretty Lights return

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01:25:59

The ZONE Drums Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/12/06

Get familiar with ZONE Drums aka Aaron Harel, whom you have likely seen on the drums bringing abstract electronic music to life with the 5AM Trio, Thought Process, CloZee, Daily Bread, and more. Aaron has a knack for recognizing potential in both music and materials - from cutting his teeth by promoting dubstep shows in a church to upcycling drum kits to making diffusion panels that “bridge the world of art, music, and fabrication.” Inspired in part by Envision Festival’s infrastructure, Aaron’s

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01:50:35

The Wessanders Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/11/25

Get Familiar with Wessanders, a Connecticut- based producer and staple member of The Rust, whose music is as eclectic as his life experiences. A traveler and student of the world, Wessanders has immersed himself in many cultures outside of the US and imbeds them into his ever-evolving sound including his recently released EP, El Gringo Hace Cumbia (The white boy makes Cumbia). Wessanders sharpened his skills at Berklee College of Music allowing him to merge his influences in the creation of a truly

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01:21:25

The Cnopes Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/10/04

Get familiar with Cnopes, a producer whose electronic music style is influenced heavily by jazz, blues, hip hop and soul, creating sensational soundscapes that have caught the attention of lineup curators for festivals like Sonic Bloom and Sound Haven. Connor shares how he shifted his approach depending on the time slot and stage to match the vibe and what it means for smaller artists to be able to perform on stages with such high quality production. While his exposure to music culture and community

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01:17:01

A Tale of Two Festivals

Almost Familiar ·

2022/07/16

Get familiar with how the pandemic has impacted the experiences and infrastructure of two of the scene’s most beloved and influential festivals: Lightning in a Bottle and Sonic Bloom. After allowing some time for the dust to settle (and there was lots of dust), Wes and Elizabeth reflect on the highs and lows of returning to their favorite long-standing festivals after a two year hiatus. Music featured in this episode: Almost Familiar - Pretty Lights Emerge in the Feeling - Yheti Supersonic (VIP) -

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01:24:15

The pheel. Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/06/05

Get familiar with pheel., a Denver-based producer and co-founder of the increasingly popular All:Lo record label who specializes in all things low end. Known for his signature Morning Coffee series in collaboration with Parkbreezy, Phil shares how these mixes evolved from beats to drink coffee to as requested by The Black Box’s talent buyer to opening up for Tipper himself at the most recent Tipper and Friends. Almost Familiar kicks off Gemini and festival season through pheel.’s upcoming lineup of

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01:47:49

The Anti-Alias Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/02/16

Get familiar with Jack Hurley, better known as Anti Alias, whose career as a multimedia designer has taken him from working a corporate job to collaborating with Tipper at his most recent return to Red Rocks in 2021. Jack talks about his experience collaborating with Datagram Visuals for the second night of the run, appropriately titled Bangers Night. Jack reflects on how the emphasis on VJ culture has evolved since he was first hooked at Basslights, and the challenge of crafting a narrative

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01:44:06

The Phyphr Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2022/01/18

Get familiar with Phyphyr, whose project is as much of a product of Nick’s experiences with the scene as our podcast. After being inspired by the hybrid electronic/instrumental acts he witnessed at Hulaween, Nick began his journey in creating music which has transplanted him from North Carolina to Denver’s hub of creativity and collaboration. Nick shares how he drew inspiration from artists not only with regards to music, but also building an authentic brand. We reflect on the evolution and success

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00:59:21

The West of the Moon Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/10/27

Welcome back to season two of Almost Familiar! Sharing space with harmony, rhythm and eternity, Wes and Elizabeth had the opportunity to record in-person for the first time after attending their first concert together since the last Pretty Lights performance at Red Rocks in 2018. Sound Tribe, San Francisco, and Sex & the City. Need we say more? Heard in this episode: This is Us, New Dawn, New Day (Intro Mashup) from 2021.10.09 :: West of the Moon :: Napa, CA by STS9Presence of Light > Modular from

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02:24:26

The Rust Music Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/07/30

Get familiar with The Rust Music, a collective that curates some of our favorite gatherings on the East Coast. From the events, to the artists they represent, to their blog, the crew at The Rust Music does everything with the intent of authenticity to push the boundaries of how we experience electronic music. We chatted with Talent Buyer/Manager/Event Curator Jezze Boya and Editor of The Rust publication, Pasquale Zinna. We get into the origins of The Rust, how they curated a community defined by

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01:38:34

The Sanctuary Radio Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/06/22

Get familiar with Stacey Forrester’s Sanctuary Radio, a weekly podcast about safer nightlife with a focus on consent and harm reduction. Stacey runs the harm reduction program at British Columbia’s boutique Bass Coast festival, co-founded the Vancouver chapter of Good Night Out, and creates beautiful harm reduction graphics that you may recognize from G Jones and CharlesTheFirst events. On this swap cast, Stacey challenges Wes and Elizabeth to consider whether it’s possible to separate the art from

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01:35:35

The DB Montana Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/06/06

Get familiar with DB Montana, who used social media to create a safe space for the victims and survivors of Bassnectar’s disturbing and pathological abuse to anonymously share their stories that shattered his public image built on meticulous manipulation. Montana tells this story from the beginning, taking us back to the controversial reputation he developed for his criticism of Bassnectar as an admin of the irreverent Weird Drunken Uncle Facebook group. We reflect on the dangers of idolatry, toxic

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01:29:27

The Father Figure Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/05/14

Get Familiar with Father Figure, an East Coast-based producer and fellow Mudson Project survivor with whom we exchange horror stories from the trial-by-fire that was Camp Bisco. From a profound Amon Tobin ISAM set, to playing the renegade stage, Matt’s seasoned perspective allows him to reflect on why some of the staples of today’s scene such as the Philos crew and CloZee feel more intimate than its pioneers. Matt shares the complex familial origins behind his stage name and how his infectious

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01:16:04

The Midicinal Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/04/23

Get Familiar with Midicinal (Scott Rhatigan), an Arizona-born producer currently residing in Denver whose music is imbued with themes of travel- pulling from his own experiences of moving frequently. As his name suggests, Scott fully understands music’s healing properties and shares his experiences of both performing and internalizing “midicinal” music. Scott shares the epic story behind his memorable Sonic Bloom set where he brought out the dancing lobsters, resulting in an unforgettable

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01:41:21

The PLF Series Vol. 3: Jesska Cvijanovic

Almost Familiar ·

2021/04/09

Get familiar with Jesska Cvijanovic whose pins, photography (214), and merch are foundational to the Pretty Lights Family that she helped create. Jesska shares how her photography passion changed her experience and perspective of shows, the history of the Illuminator and Vibe Adjuster programs, and the significance of some of the early Pretty Lights Family gatherings at festivals. She tells an unforgettable birthday story where her longtime friend Michal Menert gave her the ultimate VIP treatment at

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01:46:22

The 5AM Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/03/26

Get Familiar with 5AM, an innovative electronic music producer who is pushing the boundaries on what improvisation can look like in the abstract corner of electronica. 5AM went from asking “What’s a Tipper?” when first encountering his name on a festival lineup to kicking off Uptempo night for his “Tippsgiving” event at the Kings Theater in Brooklyn, cementing himself as a staple in a scene whose influence we compare to the French Impressionists and Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder label. We chat about

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01:14:54

The PLF Series Vol. 2: Sam Ackels

Almost Familiar ·

2021/03/15

Get familiar with Sam Ackels, whose first show was Pretty Lights’ last - the second night of Red Rocks 2018. Wes and Elizabeth learn that context was not required to experience the profundity of that singular show. Sam shares the moments that hooked him and how it influenced his journey and taste through electronic music. We discuss the slippery slope of the Pretty Lights merch game, Goose’s magnetic appeal amid their meteoric rise, and where we draw the line at too much wookery. Sam’s excitement

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01:44:06

The Shuj Roswell Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/02/26

Get familiar with Shuj Roswell, a Denver born-and-bred producer who specializes in what he calls “Funktronadelic.” Mark A. Cooley (Shuj Roswell) takes us on a journey of his distinct travels through sound and the paths of rhythm: from seeing Pretty Lights at Boulder’s Trilogy Wine Bar, to watching him outgrow Cervantes, to linking up with Michal Menert and Super Best Records, to collaborating with former STS9 bassist David Murphy.We chat about his newest EP, Shuttlecock, which is his first project

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02:06:33

The Vincent Antone Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/02/12

Get Familiar with Vincent Antone, the man behind the “All the Pretty Lights” tribute that recently reverberated some much-needed positive vibes in the Pretty Lights Family. Vincent shares which Pretty Lights interviews he sampled in the tribute, his creative process on making music that Makes You Feel, and how a Pretty Lights performance video on YouTube inspired him to get on the waitlist for a monome made by a couple that only builds 200-300 a year. Vincent is a talented musician whose various

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01:26:35

The No Simple Road Episode

Almost Familiar ·

2021/01/29

Get Familiar with the No Simple Road Podcast, one of the major inspirations for Almost Familiar that’s hosted by a Deadhead family of charismatic cosmic wanderers. Wes and Elizabeth share how they met, what it took to get the podcast off the ground, and how they got “turned on” to Pretty Lights - and it doesn’t take long for the No Simple Road family to understand that there’s something about our culture that feels almost familiar to theirs.Aaron, Mel, and Apple share the first time they experienced

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