Saturnalia Festival — Dreams on Celluloid

I don't attend many festivals but of the ones I have attended all in part have to do with music of a psychedelic verity. There's something magical about the genera and the radical people who chose to align themselves with it. Mind you I am talking here with an extreme bias. It's a tone based sentiment much older than most in attendance, a sound with such reverberating strength that the notes first played in that manor still echo today, like some cosmic tape delay in the sky. Its apparent in the eyes. A comfortable longing, an aching, an adoration to these warm passages, complete with tape pop. Its genuine and it feels more real than the other sounds that can be pushed on an individual in the sake of monetary gain, even though it is a recycled amalgamation of past lives.

The over all success hung over me like an oman. "How the fuck is this going so well?" Suspend negativity of that statement and substitute a genuine sentiment of impressed. With the exception of one artists late arrival (Bushwick Bill), the entire event ran without a hitch. Seemingly i suppose as I've yet to hear anything that says otherwise. Everything was handled fairly decisivly, cool n' collected, and all players on deck went to task and made sure their parts ran smoothly. I'm willing to wager that it ain't easy putting on a festival, that in mind: these boys made it look easy.

I originally had reservations pertaining to the dependability of the film over the course of the weekend. Though admittedly at the time they were more feelings of doubt and insecurity which had little to do with my medium of choice. Speaking from a technical aspect: it shouldn't of been done. The amount of money spent on a specific film stock, specialty development, and the 16+ hours of scanning... But I wouldn't be writing this if I decided to do what was easier. Hell, I would of never picked up the camera in the first place if I was afraid of doing the work to create my images. And in a way that's why we all showed up that weekend. A group of individuals chose to move ahead with at plan regardless of the amount of work required. What had transpired was an excellent example of when unwavering ambition gives way to a vision coming to fruition. Because of that I wanted to create images that matched that on a level. I didn't shoot film cause I want to make it difficult on myself but to have images that have the craft work and time baked into them just like the festival itself where diligence and good intent were personified.

Austin Texas, November 30 - December 3rd 2017

Canon 1v, 17-35L / 28-70L / sigma art 24, Fuji Superia 1600 @ 6400

Lights: Ether Wave, Mustachio Light Show, Astral Violet, Fever Dream, Weird Destiny

Day 1: The Electric Church

The Nymphs: sphinx-like reverberated vocals fade into the mix as another instrument over treble heavy surf

Trance Farmers: Kinda like a decent robo trip

Continental Drift : Afro beat noir and dark polished spaghetti western funk

Christian Bland and The Revelators: A dope garage surf session on waves of reverb

Day 2: Hotel Vegas

Peyote Coyote A minimal frill, to the point, melodic, Steppenwolf type rock experience and dreamy harmonies

Count Vaseline A late 90's flavored hard candy with a post punk psych inner.

TEEVEE: A churning velvety shoe-gaze with haunting wispy vocals, dark and drippy shadows

Lola Tried: Garage pop on the cleaner side of the sound with crisp bright vocals

Ringo Deathstarr: Reverberated airy pop vocals and heavy driving shoe-gaze drone

Al Lover: Triply well stitched loops built to showcase a thick and vibrant soundscape

Octopus Project: A well polished vignette of the electro-based near future, thick fat synths, rhythmic percussion and melodic and roboticly entrancing vocals.

Hollow Trees: Dark 1950's monster movie surf psych

Think No Think: High energy garage psych noise and wild thick rock crooning vocals. Turnt up n' broke the nob off.

Day 3: Sahara Lounge & Webberville Road Baptist Church

Croy and the Boys: An easy going good ol' boys type country with snide vignettes of the American dream

Rattlesnake Milk: A spaghetti western tale told with rockabilly pizazz all dark n' surfy

The Halfways: sounded like a psychedelic Steely Dan

Flower Graves: A 60's garage pop throw back rich with creamy organ and surf/beach vibe

Big Bill: High energy nonsense pop punk making you question your sanity

Lochness Mobsters: An all around good time surf garage grit slapped together with love goo n' creepy smiles. "We love you"

Vockah Redu: Booty bounce. Entrancing

The Sun Machine: 60's space surf done up with voodoo jazz beats n' reverb

American Sharks: An amorphous hard driving unbridled blob of blinding rock. I've never seen anyone play drums that hard, it's like he hates them.

Kupira Marimba: A beautiful symphony made up of numerous wooden xylophones rhythmically pounding out as one. Like the recurring uplifting tune in "True Romance"

Cosmonauts: Engulfing uplifting psych, cyclical drone, it's it's own texture, smooth and tactile, like you could jump in it

Golden Dawn Arkestra Ancient futuristic Light worshipers. Afro-beating funky signals carry a message from space

Bushwick BIll: An industry veteran spittin with a smooth cadence that rides the beat just right

Day 4: Sahara Lounge & Webberville Road Baptist Church

Crypt Trip: A throw back to the beginings of 70's metal. Thinck heavy bottem end, simple hard hit drums, and classic slap back delayed vocals.

Pearl Earl: A rotary dream painted in space psych

Sailor Poon: Garage psych with vocals sharp, frank, and raunchy

Crocodiles: Noise pop, rhythmic, melodic and dancy

Annabelle Chairlegs: Tones of deep garage and relaxed surf with strong, direct, and playful vocals in perfect reverb. truly original take on the timeless sound.

Morgan Delt: A audible preternatural desert trip with all the common trappin's a DMT episode

Allah-Las: Not explosively energetic but undeniably present. Mellow garage vibes and soft psych subtleties with airy vocals.