Almost Familiar

Latest Episodes:

The Sanctuary Radio Episode Jun 22, 2021

Show notes

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 the artist and how this factors into the larger conversation about sexual violence. We discuss how we can do a better job of supporting and centering survivors when allegations surface and the importance of holding space for people to change their mind and evolve their perspective once they learn new information. Stacey is a wonderful resource, and we highly recommend that you engage with her content to make our scene safer. Everybody deserves to feel safe at shows.

Interview starts at 23:20

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Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

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Email us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

The DB Montana Episode Jun 06, 2021

Show notes

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 positivity, and unhealthy relationships with the scene. Montana’s

relentless pursuit of the truth is a labor of love for a community that we hope can use this unfortunate circumstance as an opportunity for transformation and to actively define standards of behavior and accountability.

Follow Almost Familiar on Social Media:

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Email us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Heard on this episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

1993 by Emancipator

How We Do by Pretty Lights

The Father Figure Episode May 14, 2021

Show notes

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 Prodigal Son LP symbolizes coming full circle with those relationships.

Follow Father Figure:

SoundCloud

Instagram: @fatherfiguretunes

Facebook: Father Figure

Listen to the set that hooked us: River Beats Set (1.29.21)

Follow Almost Familiar:

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Email us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Heard in this episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

The Love by Father Figure

Dancing in the Dark by Father Figure (unreleased)

Unreleased Pheel x Father Figure collab

The Midicinal Episode Apr 23, 2021

Show notes

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 synchronicity the following weekend at Electric Forest.

Follow Midicinal on Social Media:

Instagram: @midicinalmusic

SoundCloud: MIDIcinal

Follow Almost Familiar on Social Media:

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Email Us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Heard in this Episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

Tumbleweed by Midicinal

Total Fascination by Pretty Lights

The PLF Series Vol. 3: Jesska Cvijanovic Apr 09, 2021

Show notes

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 Electric Forest 2013. Jesska unapologetically advocates for Michal Menert’s underrepresented place in the scene, and shares her take on the controversial history of Taking Up Your Precious Time.

The PLF Series is a collection of casual conversations that Wes and Elizabeth have with members of the Pretty Lights Family in an effort to understand our collective experiences despite our different backgrounds. We hear how people got turned on, what Pretty Lights means to them, and how these experiences have shaped their lives on our version of this long strange trip.

Check out Jesska's Art:

Photography

PLF 214 Merch

Follow Almost Familiar on Social Media:

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Email us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Heard on this episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

Lost Pieces (Deluge + If You Knew)

How We Do by Pretty Lights

The 5AM Episode Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

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 the 5AM Trio’s approach and the process of establishing a cohesive vision with his band mates, Tygris & Zone Drums. 5AM also shares his perspective on how religion, spirituality, and heady philosophy intersect with festival culture and contribute to the cleansing nature of our collective experiences.

Follow Almost Familiar on Social Media:

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Email Us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Heard in this Episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

How We Do by Pretty Lights

The PLF Series Vol. 2: Sam Ackels Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

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 around Pretty Lights is almost familiar to when we were first turned on & proves to us that a hiatus will not stop this movement. In fact, it corroborates its strength.

Follow Almost Familiar on Social Media:

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Email Us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Heard in this Episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights (covered by Sam Ackels)

Look Both Ways by Pretty Lights

Archived tracks from Red Rocks 8.11.2018 via PrettyLightsLive.com

Is There Any Love performed by Pretty Lights Live

New Track? (prod. Borahm) performed by Pretty Lights Live

"Jam" performed by Pretty Lights Live

The Shuj Roswell Episode Feb 26, 2021

Show notes

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 that features 100% original music, creating a beautiful blend of Lo-fi hip-hop that your ears are sure to love. As someone who has been there from this scene’s beginning, Mark offers an informed perspective on the different iterations of Pretty Lights, how we might mark the different eras, and the difference between labeling a song as a remix, a cover, a flip, or “vs.” This episode also contains a truly hilarious story of Mark’s first and only interaction with the one and only Derek Vincent Smith, whose surgical strategies might just be one of our favorite Derek stories we have heard yet on Almost Familiar.

Listen to Shuj Roswell:

Follow Shuj Roswell:

Follow Almost Familiar:

Instagram

Facebook

Heard in this Episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

Ric Flair All Night by Shuj Roswell

So Wonderful by Shuj Roswell

The Teachers Lounge by Shuj Roswell

Unreleased: Kool & The Gang vs. Prince. vs. Pretty Lights

Flying High Above the World (feat. David Murphy) by Shuj Roswell

Bob Marley - Exodus (Pretty Lights Remix)

More Important than Michael Jordan (Flip) by Pretty Lights (from Red Rocks 2016)

Run on For a Long Time by Shuj Roswell

Rocket Man (Shuj Roswell remix)

Unreleased: R. Strauss: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Shuj Roswell Remix)

The Vincent Antone Episode Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

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 projects have performed at many major festivals including Austin City Limits, Wakarusa, and even the last Pretty Lights Episodic Festival in Texas. Represented by Mammoth Music Group, Vincent ponders what avenues he might take his latest project given his myriad of interests and influences, and hopes to cultivate a fanbase that is open to experimentation.

Vincent kept it real and shared some incredibly vulnerable struggles from his past, his ongoing journey for self-improvement, and how these experiences have helped shape his outlook that maybe life is “about experiencing [suffering,] using it, and coming out on top” If you enjoyed the “All the Pretty Lights,” tribute check out his music and keep your eye out in this episode for a sneak peek of a track from his new EP dropping this spring.

“I think what [Pretty Lights] did most importantly is he disproved the notion that electronic music couldn’t be human or soulful. He was, to me, what proved that it could be”

Follow Vincent Antone On:

Spotify
Soundcloud
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

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Instagram

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Email us: almostfamiliarpodcast@gmail.com

Mentioned in this Episode:

After Skool: How Childhood Trauma Leads to Addiction - Gabor Maté

The Big Book (Alcoholics Anonymous) by Bill W. (buy this from your local bookstore)

Heard in this Episode:

All the Pretty Lights by Vincent Antone

Journey Through a Dream by Vincent Antone

Teaser from an unreleased track by Vincent Antone

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

Gazing at the Glare by Pretty Lights

Pretty Lights vs. Led Zeppelin

The No Simple Road Episode Jan 29, 2021

Show notes

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 the crossover of Grateful Dead and electronic music culture at Summer Meltdown, when they got their “wigs flipped” at Tipper, a sensory experience which Aaron describes as smelling like a “brand new tennis shoe on fire.” If you’ve been to a Tipper show, you know what he’s talking about. Despite the generational gap, there’s something about this music that gets us to the same place that exists outside of time where there “ceases to be a separation between the music and the listener” where “you have a feeling and the music will play it or the other way around.” Whether you consider yourself a casual fan of the Grateful Dead or identify as a Dead Head, there’s no better way to get familiar with that culture than with the No Simple Road family.

Follow No Simple Road

Instagram: @nosimpleroad

Facebook: No Simple Road

nosimpleroad.com

Follow Almost Familiar

Instagram: @almostfamiliarpod

Facebook: Almost Familiar

Heard in this episode:

Almost Familiar by Pretty Lights

Something's Wrong by Pretty Lights

Out of Time by Pretty Lights

Ripple by The Grateful Dead