This Sunday concluded the second chapter in Bass God, Excision’s (aka Jeff Abel)Â Lost Lands Music Festival. The young festival is held at Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio. Legend Valley also hosts a range of other musical events, but no other event compares to the enormous scale of Lost Lands’ 1,000,000 watts of bass. Some social media reports expressed that the bass from the stages could be heard up to 22 miles away.
This gargantuan festival recruits all of the biggest names in bass music to come together for one giant reunion. Upon entering the festival you are met with a greeting party straight from the Cretaceous. A grazing triceratops guards the area of the grove.
Veterans from 2017 will have immediately recognized a change in the venue, the dinosaurs populated! Thursday’s massive pre-party was held at the Prehistoric Paradox main stage, which also grew from 2017 with larger cinder stacks on either side of the stage. The addition of a new water station to the left of the main stage was absolutely necessary. Weather reports had the temperature at mid-80’s with 100% humidity. I second the alternative label “swamplands” coined by various west-coast bassheads.
During the extent of the festival there were sets of volunteers who would search for people that needed hydration and deliver them water. The volunteers paired with the trained medical staff created an efficient process which saved lives.
Friday
Friday was savagely hot, but it did not prevent bassheads from coming out and getting their tan on. Wooli set the stage for other artists like Loudpvck, Svdden Death, Spag Heddy and Black Tiger Sex Machine for the mid day tunes. As the time drifted on, tension in the air increased waiting for Excision’s set. After nightfall and Zomboy’s performance, Excision immersed us into an amazing orchestration of visuals and sound. This performance expressed the true power of the Paradox.
Thank you Headbangers! Lost Lands is going off!!
Track: @jantsenmusic – Bring it Back ft. Yaysh pic.twitter.com/yqPpTNKU2i
— Excision (@Excision) September 15, 2018
After the sets for the days were over, Excision’s team fully thought out fantastic ideas to either lull headbangers into a state of comfortability, or exhaustion. One of these options were to watch the original Jurassic Park via the legendary PK Sound System. Or conversely you could select the sound camps where the after parties were held. The sound camp was a compound that held six stages separated by sea containers. Having walked the length of the camps and noting that none of the sound bled into the other locations appeared to be a sound engineers wet dream.
Saturday
One of the most difficult aspects of Lost Lands is deciding which set to see over another. Compromising the entire group to see Sullivan King shred over Buku? Or perhaps leaving your boyfriend to see 12th Planet b2b Virtual Riot over Illenium? Consequently, difficult decisions had to be made over the weekend. Splendid artwork from Boogie T‘s wonky set kept us spoiled. Soon after lightening the mood, G Jones’ thrilling psychedelic journey stimulated our minds, before Ganja White Night took the crowd on a shamanic journey with animations from the Origins tour.
Sunday
The final day of the festival came to a start. The weather reports rolled in, and X’s team gave an official announcement that set times would be shifted and the sound camps closed. This did not stop the cult of Rezz and Jauz’s Shark Squad from staying late to see their favorite performers! Jauz’s set was moved into an earlier day time slot due to weather. Although the time changes prevented the full effect of Vogel’s visual performance, it gave more people the chance to catch his new album The Wise and The Wicked live. The performance by London natives Nero brought fans to tears in a rare performance in the states. Nearing the end of the weekend, Doctor P and Flux Pavilion sent the festival off donned in tuxedos.
The final day also revealed to us the “secret special guest” as none other than basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq’s DJ alias “DJ Diesel” displayed on the main stage, surprising all. Having been a DJ since 1986, it is about time he got into the festival scene. Many people embraced Shaq’s insane riddim set. Are you upset you didn’t catch him at the festival? We’ve got you covered. After all, DJ Diesel sets are rare.
To tie it all together, Jeff Abel has orchestrated a platform which artists and GA can feel at home together. A place where we can cultivate a paradise. Coming together for the music and staying because of one another is what makes a festival truly personal. Lost Lands has grown a unique cult following that emphasizes community, as we are all “one tribe.”
Unfortunately over the weekend, the coroners office confirmed two deaths. This yielded an immediate response from X himself. Friends have subsequently set up a Go Fund Me page for help with the funeral costs. As someone who knew Mario Symborski, he was one of the kindest and caring people you could have met. Rest in paradise big bear.
Lost Lands Family: pic.twitter.com/mCHOGNRtqB
— Excision (@Excision) September 18, 2018
Having attended both years, Lost Lands has one of the most positive communities I’ve ever witnessed. After all, none of this would have been possible if it were not for the volunteers, security, dinosaur crew, production personnel and medical staff. We thank you for your hard work and will see you in 2019!
Photo Credit:
Terrence Blanton – @Fadewood Live
@DiVisuals
