Photo by Ben Stas
Last week, Together returned for its seventh year, taking over Central Square in Cambridge and other venues throughout Boston for a celebration of all things dance music. Boasting arguably their best lineup yet along with a bevy of excellent daytime events, the organizers absolutely made good on its mission of showcasing the vibrancy of Boston's electronic scene and abroad.
As mentioned in our preview post and chat with Together founder David Day, this year’s programming leant heavily on live performers, a welcome change from the last year’s more techno-centric booking. From the Dekmantel showcase’s smorgasbord of analog gear to Floating Points’ stunning live jazz band to Jon Hopkins’ typically stunning journey set, the dynamic nature of the performances elevated the majority of the lineup to something truly memorable. Plenty of talented locals, including Strange Mangers, St. Nothing, and Lychee, also made appearances at other showcases (particularly local blog Clicky Clicky’s impressive two night stand at Lilypad), providing experimental and exciting takes on electronic.
Photo by Nick Minieri
Of course, that isn’t to say the DJs were slouches. With genre-bending weirdness from Scottish dance institution Optimo, pummeling tech-house from Dirtybird spinner J.Phlip and consistently solid opening sets from residents like Mike Swells and John Barrera, there were a host of great selectors to fill out the lineup.
Up the road from the venues, electronic school MMMMaven (who are heavily involved in running the festival) hosted production and sound design tutorials in one of Together's many efforts to expand the electronic scene. Between VJ competitions, a record fair attended by Brainfeeder producer Martyn, and one of the most fun (and only) history lessons on Dutch dance music you've probably ever had, the educational portion of the festival was far from a tacked-on component.
The chief praise has to go to something less easily defined though: the strong feeling of positivity and exploration ringing through the experience. Among festival-goers, there was very little of the drunken aggressiveness incorrectly associated with all dance events and far more passionate talk about all things electronic with the seemingly ever-present founder David Day encapsulating that giddy nature. Where many of it’s fellow festivals can feel like a cash grab, the Together fans and crew’s enthusiasm were the cherry on top of a killer festival. With seven great years under it’s belt, it’s hard to consider Together anything but a Boston institution at this point.
- George Greenstreet
For our extended coverage on this year's festival, including local favorites and our eight favorite sets of the week, click through below.
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ntcVE3AQsg
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ9HPU74XgI
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
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q04ILDXe3QE
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
Local Highlights
Photos courtesy of Dillon Riley and Tim Gagnon (respectively)
Harry's Pick: Strange Mangers, CYBERBULLY, and DJ Lychee @ Lilypad
In terms of stylistic diversity, Clicky Clicky's showcase of local talent was one of the most interesting bookings of the festival. CYBERBULLY opened things with a performance that brought to mind Death Grips, both in terms of the noise elements of the music and the aggressive, intense stage presence of Alex Jackson. Following that were Strange Mangers, whose relaxed blend of downtempo trip-hop beats and washed out guitar licks provided a vast departure from the preceding act, providing a gentle pulse that the audience could sway to.
Finally, Lychee started her set off with some slower techno and gradually picked up the pace. Sadly, by that time, the already small Lilypad was filled with about 20 people. Fortunately for that select group, they got to hear a talented local DJ cultivate an emotional atmosphere.
- HG
Tim's Pick: St. Nothing @ Lilypad
Despite the energy drink-guzzling rumors of a multi-day electronic music festival, we all need a break. Coming off of a mid-week Giraffage set featuring a LED wall of flashing cat gifs, my need to find a "mellower set" isn't a slight to said "mellow" artist, but an acknowledgement of their necessity. While I unfortunately missed the rest of the Clicky Clicky showcase on Wednesday, headliner St. Nothing provided a stripped down set that felt impossibly filling in the tiny Lilypad space. Maybe it’s the fact that they were the only cello I saw employed at a Together set, but I was sold on the fact that the group could very well be star students at Twin Shadow and Patrick Wolf's academies of string-heavy, '80s influenced synth rock. - TG
Favorite Daytime Events
All photos on page by Nick Minieri
America and the Netherlands: A History of Dance Music in America and the Netherlands @ MMMMaven
One of the best features of Together is its inclusivity, specifically with informational talks and workshops on dance music and culture. One of the highlights included a discussion with Mark van Bergen “who literally wrote the book on Dutch Dance music,” according to Together founder David Day, who was also part of the panel. Rounded out by legendary Boston DJ Bob Diesel, Van Bergen spoke about his publication of Dutch Dance, outlining some of the historical facts contained within it.
The talk shed a good deal of insight on the roots of Dutch electronic music while also linking it with parallel American scenes like that of Detroit. Avoiding pretentiousness by providing information digestibly, the panel aimed to educate whether the attendants had vast or limited knowledge of dance music. For anyone attending Together that wanted to dip their toes in the electronic world, it was a welcoming privilege.
-SG
Synthesizer Petting Zoo @ MMMMaven
Have you ever heard a great act play a set and wonder, “how did they make those sounds?” The Synthesizer Petting Zoo is where you can take a hands-on approach to figuring that out. With equipment from big names like Roland, Moog, Novation and more on display, you could spend up to four hours twiddling knobs, tapping pads, and beeping around on hardware you’d otherwise have no access to unless you were willing to take a significant dip into your savings account.
-HG
The Workshops of danger!awesome
In honor of Together, the generally stripped-down interior of the Middlesex Lounge was reimagined with the trendiest of New York clubs as inspiration, complete with blackout panels fitted over the windows, color-sync lighting installed on the walls, and a massive, projection-mapped pyramid hanging from the ceiling. The festival's beloved Triune pyramid (above), along with many of Together's other visuals, were thanks to local maker space danger!awesome, who were also host to a number of great workshops for more of the festival's tech-friendly attendees. Between talks on sequencing sound and light, dissecting a subwoofer, and... uh, plastic men of the future (see below), danger!awesome rapidly became our favorite spots for "fun science" in Cambridge.
- GG and TG
