On Saturday, May 9, we returned to scenic Eugene, Oregon, for the fourth year in a row for Red Cube’s famous Foam Wonderland. This long-standing staple of the Oregon rave community has brought some of the biggest names in EDM to the Cuthbert outdoor amphitheatre for a day of fun, friends, and of course, foam. The 16+ event is known as many young adults’ introduction to the electronic scene, drawing a diverse crowd of first-timers, longtime veterans, and even some of the area’s older residents.
This year’s accommodations were a step up from last year’s, incorporating electronic payment, more food and drink options, and more staffing. These improvements lead to faster entry and service. Getting in, getting food and drinks, and even the restroom lines seemed to be quicker than in previous years. This may have been due to the event having fewer ticket sales than the last several years; regardless, we were happy not to waste any time in long lines. We quickly got into the amphitheatre, got a good spot, and prepared to hear the talented openers for this year’s Foam Wonderland.
This year’s Foam Wonderland was the most diverse lineup to date, including genres like house, hip-hop, mumbaton, heavy bass, dubstep, and more. With the sun shining and fans flooding into the Cuthbert, Kasas City-based artist Veng took the stage to get the crowd warmed up. Veng played a tasteful multi-genre mix of house and wubby bass mashups, remixes, and originals.
Credit: Rachel Whitcomb
With the crowd moving and the fashionably late now arriving, Tampa-based DJ Machaki took over to get the crowd moving. Machaki turned up the heat with heavy-bass remixes of classic hip-hop songs and 2010’s throwbacks.
Next up, bass music legend Jon Casey hit the decks to give Eugene a crash course on international bass music culture. Jon Casey’s signature style of percussive beats blended with plucky basses and heavy subs wowed the crowd, playing tracks from his longstanding career, including his latest EP, Happy To Be Here.
With the sun setting and the rave in full swing, Effin began his set with the Ink Spots classic I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire. Effin’s one-of-a-kind style of the early 20th century meets EDM. Effin took the crowd on an audiovisual journey through music history to give the crowd a refreshing take on electronic sound.
Credit: Rachel Whitcomb
Finally, dubstep heavyweights Ray Volpe and Kai Wachi headlined Foam Wonderland with an exhilarating set of heavy dubstep. Both Kai Wachi and Ray Volpe brought their A game to the stage, flawlessly mixing between each of their newest songs, WIPs, and biggest tunes to date, including Ray Volpe’s 2022 classic Laserbeam and tunes from Kai Wachi’s latest album Nekrosis.
Credit: Rachel Whitcomb
After an exciting evening, we decided to keep the party going across town at the McDonald Theatre for the Foam Wonderland Afterparty. With ravers trickling in from hundreds of Ubers and ride shares, we entered the theatre to the sounds of local DJ Abaddon, who played out an entertaining mix of multi-genre classics and mashups. Next up, prominent and long-standing producer Tisoki brought the volume and energy needed to get the house moving, playing tracks from his over two-decade-long career. In a wild turn of events, both Ray Volpe and Kai Wachi joined Tisoki on stage for the exhilarating last half of his set.
To headline the afterparty and finish off the night on a high note, Jkyl & Hyde took us on a journey of nostalgia and wonder with his distinctive flavour of experimental bass and dubstep. His set included some of his most popular songs, like remixes of Fanagram’s When I’m Small and Julia Wolfe’s In My Room, and originals like Sensory Sessions from his latest album, Second Self.
Credit: Rachel Whitcomb
With another amazing year of Foam Wonderland under our belt, we left Eugene, Oregon to return home and count the days till we return to scenic central Oregon for another year of fun, friends, and foam, and foam, brought to us by Red Cube and Disco Presents.
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