Shambhala 2016 Retrospective: The Weekend of our Lives

The Music Pt. III

Then, it was time for Mija, one of our favorite sets from Shambhala 2015. Her sunrise set at the Pagoda last summer blew us away, and showed us the OWSLA artist had no problem living up to the hype surrounding her. When we found out she was returning to the Farm this year, she was firmly on our ‘can’t miss’ list, and like everyone else this year, she delivered. Playing everything from tech house and future bass to heavy metal and happy hardcore, Mija showcased the talent that more and more are paying attention to every year, putting on one of the best sets of the weekend.

The OWSLA-fueled madness continued, when Getter’s Shambhala-return smacked everyone directly in the face with all of the bass. Whether he thought he was at the Village is yet to be confirmed, but regardless of the location, Getter’s set was one of the filthiest of the festival, and we’re happy he’s playing and producing whatever the hell he wants.

The Grove – Photo Credit: Joffrey Middleton-Hope

Before the biggest set-time conflict of the festival at 1:30 a.m., everyone had suitable options for how they wanted to spend the final night of Shambhala. Shades and Troyboi were keeping the Amp going at full-speed, while Green Velvet and Felix da Housecat turned the Fractal Forest into House Heaven, and Snails got the Village grimier than it had been all weekend. Then, far too quickly, it was time for the tough choices. We all made our decisions at 1:30 a.m., and there were certainly no bad ones.

Marshmello is often talked about, and when an artist with a profile like his performs at a festival like Shambhala, there will be a lot of eyes, and pressure, on the set. That wasn’t noticeable early-Monday morning at the Pagoda, where Marshmello looked at home, and threw down a surprisingly heavy set that even the biggest-hater couldn’t complain about. Meanwhile, one of the few artists who live up to the moniker of legendary, Andy C was the crown jewel in the treasure-trove of drum & bass acts performing at the Village all weekend long. The bass-heads in attendance were treated to another masterclass from RAM Records boss, who we hope returns for Shambhala next summer.

Oh yeah, there was also Ghastly. In the Fractal Forest. At the same time. We love having to make these types of choices, and those who chose to get down with Ghastly at Shambhala 2016 chose wisely. The crowd was incredible, and the energy between artist and fans was palpable, similar to the buzz around REZZ’s performance at the Pagoda the night before. The feeling was mutual, as Ghastly is calling his set one of his favorite, ever. We know that not every awesome artist can come back next year, but nobody can argue that more Ghastly would be a bad thing.

Andy C at the Village – Photo Credit: Joffrey Middleton-Hope

Closing out Shambhala is never easy, and deciding when to responsibly call it ‘over’ isn’t fun. Shambhala does their part though, providing us plenty of great options and artists with whom to say ‘goodbye’. (It’s not goodbye! It’s see you later!) What So Not and a several-hours-long set from industry-titan Destructo closed out the Pagoda, while Yheti, Slynk, and Longwalkshortdock gave those perfect Shambhala-feels from stage-to-stage, right up until the end.

All in all, one simple fact rings true about the music at Shambhala 2016: the lineup delivered. As it always does at Shambhala. But, when the artists you’re excited to see, at the best place to see them, provide an experience that not only matches, but exceeds our expectations, credit is due. We loved the amount of multiple sets from acts like Skiitour, Troyboi, Stylust Beats, and more, and hope that more are in the works for next summer. We also were big fans of the amount of live-acts, like Tennyson, Beats Antique, AlunaGeorge, and more, gracing the Farm this year, and hope that trend continues as well.