Show Preview: Lost In The Woods, Maysville, NC - Featuring Gein, DJ Odi, Bad Syntax, Mythic Image, Des McMahon, Dave Shichman & More - August 15-17

Show Preview: Lost In The Woods, Maysville, NC - Featuring Gein, Odi, Bad Syntax, Mythic Image, Des McMahon, Dave Shichman & More - August 15-17

Lost In The Woods Lineup

Deep in the woods something menacing stirs... From August 15-17, the woods of Eastern North Carolina will be ringing with the sounds of basslines. 30 DJ's will find themselves coming through the timbers over the course of 3 days, with even more joining via a renegade stage.

You can take one look at the lineup and get the idea; It's gonna be heeeeeavyyyyy! And I for one cannot wait.

Taking place in Maysville, North Carolina, camping is highly encouraged. It'll be a BYOB affair, but no glass will be allowed inside. Pre-sale tickets will be available for $75, while the gate fee is $85. If you're simply interested in attending Saturday, you can pay $50 at the door and get your face melted for a day, which I'd say is a pretty good deal given the absolute heat that will be taking the stage. If you're interesting in a 3 day ticket, you can pick one or four up over at Tickethive!

Gein

I haven't been back to NC in quite a while. I'm most certainly looking forward to dropping some heat and catching up with old friends! -Gein

When it comes to the dark and heavy side of Drum and Bass in the United States, few names resonate more than that of Gein. Sinister Souls, Current Value, Fragz, Merikan, Evol Intent, Technical Itch; Do I need to keep naming absolute heavyweights or do you get the picture? Gein is unrelenting and undeniably heavy and dark. If I were to pick a DJ to summon a demon in the woods of North Carolina, it would be Gein, and I'm not entirely sure I could pay someone a greater compliment. Now focusing on his Bad Chemistry imprint, Gein's hit the ground running this year delivering heavy release after heavy release and putting major shine on some of the brightest the US has to offer in terms of new talent. Having said that, I can't let this go without highlighting his remix of 'Killsound' that he did alongside Noisesmith. The vocal of Jakes cuts through the absolute brutality that is this tune. If you have speeding ticket money, throw this on.

Tech Itch & Gein feat. MC Jakes - Killsound (Gein & Noisesmith Remix)

DJ Odi

In truth, I'm not even sure how I could put words to describe this man's impact on Drum and Bass in the United States. The word 'legend' gets thrown around quite frequently today, but it's an apt descriptor in this instance. Having DJ'd since the 90's, there are quite genuinely generations of ravers who have been graced with this man behind the decks. With that experience comes knowledge; of the culture, of its formation, of technique, and of sound. I've been incredibly fortunate to be a recipient of some of that knowledge sharing, as are others I know. I'm not going to sit here and tell you what his sound is or you should listen to this that or the other; It's Odi, and he's a true legend. If you have not seen him play, if you've somehow lived under a rock for the last 30 years and don't know the impact this man has had, now will be your time to remedy that. I will simply leave you a link to one of the absolute most seminal mix tapes ever created in US DnB.

DJ Odi - The Matrix

Bad Syntax

Looking forward to banging out a ton of new collabs including a new vinyl project I wrapped up and other various debuts that include collabs I did with Diode, Stonx, Sindicate, FauxRealz, The Fi5th as well as some originals and remixes that either only a select few people have or even some that will be heard the first time at this event. -Bad Syntax

Bad Syntax is a name that is synonymous with Neuro in the US. His label, Abducted LTD, has become a go to for any Neuro listener or DJ regardless of where they're from with stellar releases from industry vets and newcomers alike. Even further, he runs bestdrumandbass.com, the largest DNB website in the US, which regularly features tune reviews, mixes you don't want to miss, and integration to the Best Drum & Bass Podcast which has tens of thousands of monthly listeners. Best DNB regularly hosts and features guest mixes from ANY DJ of ANY style, making it a vital component of the US Drum and Bass community. His production chops have also been showing, having joined the mighty Eatbrain imprint on a collab with Stonx and Sindicate last year as well as pushing through his own label. A personal fav of mine came out in April. Aptly titled 'Bomb Squad', it's a filthy dancefloor damager.

Bad Syntax - Bomb Squad

Mythic Image

The duo of River Accorsi and Nick Bee make their way across the pond to join Lost In The Woods. One needs to merely look at where they've released music to understand the undeniable quality: Eatbrain, Kosenprod, Vision, Momentive, Flexout Audio...you get the point. With a sound that's undeniably funky, they are not afraid of massive experimentation in their music, giving them a rather distinct sound at a time when a lot of things sound similar. Their most recent release on Eatbrain, titled Divine Retribution, reminds me greatly of the early days of Neurofunk. While I would highly encourage everyone to check their Soundcloud for the delicious bootlegs they've released, it's difficult for me to tie down a favorite track so here's two, on very different ends of the spectrum. 'Fat Beam' is just pure bouncy funk, and absolutely glorious in the mix. 'The Heat', featuring Jaira Noelani's intoxicating vocals, is a dark and ominous contrast to the aforementioned, but evokes so so much emotion that it's hard to resist.

Mythic Image - Fat Beam

Mythic Image feat. Jaira Noelani - The Heat

Des McMahon

With very little question, Des is one of the best producers in the United States at this time and, in my humble opinion, one poised to become a household name in the very near future. If I had to sum him up in a single word, it would be 'clean'; If you wanted a second, it would be 'emotive'. His production chops show on everything he touches, with tracks that feel like they're living, breathing entities that deliver a sonic experience that, frankly, is incredibly hard to describe unless you experience it, but will feel like home the moment you do. As someone who has regularly had Des's tunes in my sets pretty much since I started DJing, I could go any number of directions for a recommendation, but the track I absolutely have to recommend is 'Dread & Despair'. Give it a listen and you'll immediately understand every word I've used to describe his music. Absolutely stunning.

Des McMahon - Dread & Despair

Dave Shichman

Fresh out of NYC, the Driven AM bossman brings 20+ years of experience to Lost In The Woods. He's rocked pretty much every stage one can fathom in the US, giving him a widespread reputation of being a top shelf DJ. In fact, the legend grew recently when inclement weather forced several flight cancelations for a WoDNB show and Dave stepped in to headline. By all accounts, he absolutely shelled the place down, and I'd expect nothing less from him at Lost In The Woods as well. With releases on the likes of Formation Records, Rolled Up Records, his own label Driven AM and many more, it's a wealth of talent touching down once again in North Carolina to wreak havoc on the ears. I have to give a massive shoutout to Dave's track 'Hard to Love Her', as those horns are just stunning and frankly take me back to the sounds coming out of Brazil when Marky exploded on the scene.

Dave Shichman - Hard to Love Her

Noisesmith

You won't find a lineup like this anywhere else in America, really looking forward to seeing everyone. Also super excited to debut a ton of new material, going to try to do a 100% original set. -Noisesmith

What a year it's been for the North Carolina native, with chart-topping releases on Therapy Sessions, Barcode and GDNBC. He brings a style to production that is rather distinctly his own, having found his sounds make it onto the likes of Rinse.fm and having Bailey drop one of his tunes at Steel Yard London during one of the legendary Virus nights. There will be no slowing down for him, as the number of projects he currently has in the works would make a normal person want to cry in a corner. Now a member of the Bad Chemistry leadership, he's spearheading a huge VA which is currently accepting submissions, showing both his AND the labels commitment to pushing the harder, tougher components of Drum and Bass. Noisesmith tunes are FREQUENT in my sets, but if I had to choose a favorite? 'A.I.' hands down. Absolutely menacing tune that immediately injects energy into any mix.

Noisesmith - A.I.

It's set to be quite the weekend at Lost In The Woods, with prominent labels being represented left and right. The sounds will be heavy, the basslines fat, and the good vibes plentiful. Make sure you go out and support the show and the talent, August 15-17 in Maysville, NC. You can pick up tickets here.