The 8 Most Essential National/International Sets of Together

Photo by Tim Gagnon

Floating Points @ Middle East Upstairs

Booking Floating Points was an impressive move to open the festival, and the British dance/experimental jazz prodigy did not disappoint. Flanked by four incredibly talented performers in a more traditional full band setup, Sam Shepard put on an absolutely gorgeous set that ran the gamut of spacey experimentation, traditional jazz riffs, and even Bond theme-level bombast. The musicians all displayed an excellent poise and cohesiveness, though special praise specifically has to go to the drummer, who did an admirable job holding down the difficult syncopated rhythms demanded by the material. Perhaps the only real criticism of the set was it’s brevity, lasting barely an hour. However, with the absolutely brilliant music alongside a light show that painted sacred geometry using lasers, to be left wanting more only speaks to the quality of this set.

– GG

NAAFI @ Phoenix Landing

One of the more hidden gems that took place during Together was the NAAFI showcase at Phoenix Landing. NAAFI, a collective out of Mexico, is known for its and eclectic take on electronic, constantly is searching for new, boundary-pushing music.

America’s Southern neighbor is often overlooked in terms of culture, so it was refreshing to hear the DJs focus on large selections of Latin American music. Though the mixes were not easily recognizable, the NAAFI artists, specifically Lao and Mexican Jihad, brought them to twisting life for one hell of a presentation. The music glided near-seamlessly from one track to the next and left the audience properly exhausted.

– Seth Garcia

Photo by Nick Minieri

The Black Madonna @ Middlesex Lounge

I know it’s lame to recommend an artist based on their Twitter, but The Black Madonna’s tweets may be the reason I was convinced to check her set in the first place. Filled with pithy takes on the music industry, politics, sexism, and the key qualities in a good hotel stay, Marea Vierge-Noire’s tweets are not only a worthwhile follow, but insightful into the radiant positivity that emanates from her sets. Operating as a master class in Chicago house and disco, Vierge-Noire made two hours effortlessly glide by as The Black Madonna, making the Middlesex Lounge feel more like an intimate house party than had all week (or year, for that matter)

– Tim Gagnon

Fatima Yamaha @ Middlesex Lounge

In a culture that will propel a musician to unfathomable heights as long as they have a good backstory, Fatima Yamaha should be preparing for liftoff.

Scoring a hit single in late 2014 from a long-overlooked instrumental he made in 2004, Fatima Yamaha (real name Bas Bron) became an overnight success twelve years in the making with “What’s A Girl To Do”, which was boosted by the likes of singer Jhene Aiko, Hudson Mohawke, and fellow Together headliners Bicep. Boasting a full analog setup, Bron proved to be anything but esoteric with it, delivering euphoria via funk-heavy synth work. While “Girl” became even more satisfying with Bron noodling over that now-iconic synth part, the highlight audience-wide was the funk pop single “Love Invaders” from last year’s Imaginary Lines LP. With (literal) measurable hype in how many adults were jumping around Middlesex like kids in an unsupervised bouncy castle, there will be little justice left in the festival world (both electronic and mainstream) if Fatima’s name is not on every bill.

– TG

Bedouin and Agents of Vibe Boat Cruise

Though weather reports had initially predicted a rainy evening, the crowd’s noticeable excitement might’ve been enough for the weather to sway in our favor. There wasn’t a drop, and despite not having perfect sound quality by any means, the Bedouin and Agents of Vibe Boat Cruise surpassed the expectations of an average boat cruise with a beautiful, cool breeze passing through the night crowd. Agents of Vibe kicked things off with a set of house beats accompanied by a live guitarist, whose bends and delay-soaked licks fit the late-spring mood. Afterward, Burning Man regulars Bedouin got the the loudest praise came when they dropped Spaceandtime’s remix of the Jefferson Airplane classic “White Rabbit”, putting the crowd in gear for a warm summer by mixing big kick drums with airy samples of Middle Eastern, African and psychedelic music.

-Harry Gustafson

Photo by Nick Minieri

Henrik Schwarz @ Middlesex Lounge

Fun is such a cheap word. With the advent of IDM and other heady musical experimentation, it was nice to kick to Henrik Schwarz, a seasoned deep house jockey flown in from Berlin. Though he himself has participated in projects of varying degrees of jazz and classical, his set was nothing but dance and fun—pure, simple.

Opening the set were the Make It New residents, who were on point throughout. Schwarz’s experience came through in his set, taking apart each track to a distinct foundation and linking it with the next’s. Playing to a crammed-full house at Middlesex Lounge, he balanced between heavy riffage and his signature wraith-like take on soul sampling. One could argue his set bore the flare of instability, but it was something only a veteran like himself could keep leashed.

– SG

Photo by Ben Stas

Jon Hopkins/ Kink @ Middle East Downstairs

Jon Hopkins and Kink at the Middle East was a stacked double bill. Jon Hopkins (somewhat surprisingly) went first, presenting an absolutely stunning hour long set that covered a good portion of his impressive discography. Equal parts heavy and comforting, Hopkins’ consistent use of emotive piano balanced out some of the more aggressive bass he leans on.  If you’ve seen him before you know the deal: “Open Eye Signal”, “The Escapist”, and “Candles” are standbys, but he pulled everything off with the grace and depth that has made him one of the most impressive live acts in electronic music.

After Hopkins’ introspective journey set, KiNK’s follow-up felt a bit like a cool off. Still, the Bulgarian musician laid down a particularly groovy hour and a half, using an elaborate live setup to skillfully consturct a killer dance set. Disco-influenced house was the name of the game, though he was never afraid to drift into neighboring genres, predominantly soulful techno, to lead the vibe where he thought it should go. The inclusion of a live singer added another dynamic element, leading to a couple of spectacular moments to punctuate the set.

– GG

Ben UFO & Bicep @ Middlesex Lounge

For the final show, Together managed to pull one of the best bookings of the entire festival. Individually, Bicep and Ben UFO are two of the most talked about DJ acts around, but to see them on the same bill is a special experience. Even though this came on the final day of the festival, when everyone was a little spent from a week’s worth of dancing, the fact that it was scheduled from 4-10 PM helped draw in a substantial crowd. Bicep alternated between deep textures and melodic tracks while wrapping their set around thunderous bass lines. Ben UFO loosened things up with a very atmospheric dance set. UFO wrapped a massive bow on a strong week, but it makes you wonder if such a strong double booking deserved a more primetime slot on a Friday or Saturday.

-HG