Photo: Mass EDMC
The Village
Undoubtedly the mecca of bass stages for the Pacific Northwest, The Village was built for the sole purpose of shaking the earth, breaking necks and melting faces. Last we checked, The Village is boasting a total 200,000 watts of premium PK Sound, including a Trinity array. With the announcement of PK’s latest subwoofer, the Gravity 30, we’ve got HIGH expectations to get blasted with them this year. We’ll save all the technical jargon and just say that 1 Gravity 30 is equal to 3 of their dual 18″ CX800s. With some improvements from 2016 to help make more room dancing, the possibilities are really endless.
The Village is pretty much THE basshead stage so expect to hear some of the heaviest drops in dubstep, drum & bass, trap and more.
- NSD Takeover – We’d love to see a record label take over in The Village. 2015’s Dirtybird Takeover was WAY too much fun. We’re up for the challenge of a Never Say Die takeover to see if we make it out alive.
- Destroid – OK, we know this may be a bit of a long shot but a live Destroid performance would be one for the books. We’d love to have the full suits and all…but even without we’d be TOTALLY ok. Jeff ended his set in 2016 with “See you all in 2017 with some special stuff we’re working on”. This statement was followed by Datsik saying “You mean a special Excision b2b Datsik set?”. Jeff agreed but also mentioned that wasn’t all of it so either way we’re in for something special.
- Figure – Don’t need to say much here, we just want Josh in the Village.
- Chase & Status – The DnB icons would be great to have, plus we can always use more Drum & Bass!
- Seven Lions b2b Illenium – Also a bit of a long shot but we can dream. After a surprise Said the Sky b2b Illenium set last year at Paradiso, we could only image what something like that would be at Shamb.
- Calyx & Teebee – How has this not happened yet?! Earlier this month, we got our first lineup announcement that Delta Heavy will be making an appearance, so lets hope we continue to see more Ram Records artists.
Photo: Joffrey Photo
The Grove
There’s something a little special about The Grove, beyond the fact it’s the only stage to still be sporting a Funktion 1 sound system. Its lush scenery, maze of pathways, interactive art installations and plenty of chill spots make it great place to hang out during the day and at night. The decision to continue with an F1 sound system is one we couldn’t agree more with as the artists who play the Grove sound SO GOOD. It’s not to say PK isn’t great…it is, but it’s just different, and we love having the ability to have two unique sound types. It’s easy to immerse yourself into the Groove as you take in all its glory. Some of our favorite sets have gone down here, and even some new artist discoveries.
The Grove lineup is always one filled with a great mix of live artist, deep dub, weird and wonky, and just plain out great music. Having the opportunity to hear some great acts on a Funktion 1 is also a plus, one which we’ll say allows you to hear tracks quite differently than PK.
- Shpongle – We hear this one a lot and not just from our inner circle. Shpongle needs to make a return to Shambhala and we’ll happily have them back for 2017.
- DMVU – The Denver based producer would be a great fit for The Grove. His monster track Bloccd has gotten PLENTY of play since its release and even considered as one the tracks of 2016 from Truth.
- Psymbionic – We managed to catch him earlier this year at Bamboo Bass in Costa Rica and without a doubt know he needs to come to the farm.
- Kaiju – Really anything Deep Medi was made for The Grove, so at this point the more Deep Medi artists the better!
- Ivy Lab – The London trio would likely be a highlight of ours if made possible.
- Pomo – Vancouver local and live act Pomo is due for a Shambhala set. We loved him last year at FVDED in the Park, so we hope to see him added to Shambhala 2017.
The Ampitheatre
If you do not arrive for Thursday, then you’re missing out on an entire night’s worth of music. Last year, the Ampitheatre saw some serious improvements and a massive lineup of artists. At one point during Thursday night last year we thought: “Is this a Friday night”? It’s clear the folks behind The Amp are making a push to make it a much more recognizable stage. With plans to continue to make improvements, (so we hear), we’re expecting to be spending much more time in the Ampitheatre and can’t wait!
With open space for dancers, live acts and plenty of other shenanigans, The Ampitheatre is a great place to host a wide range of music. Most sets here typically feel like a party, so looking to keep the party going with these artists this year.
- Skepta – Can we get a little live UK Grime for 2017? We loved having Troyboii give us a taste last year so having the don himself on stage would be amazing.
- K Theory – Another great fit for The Amp that would likely turn any crowd into a frenzy.
- Mr. Carmack b2b Stooki Sound – Give a listen to their track, Uppers and then ask yourself…would I not enjoy this epic b2b?!
- Barclay Crenshaw – Also known as Claude VonStoke, we’d really enjoy having his “Metaphysical slow jams” grace the Ampitheatre stage.
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