This Saturday 6/1 Lane 8 is coming to New York City to perform at the one and only Brooklyn Mirage. He is hosting a few Summer Gatherings across the US this summer starting in New York City, with two following in California, one in his home town of Colorado. This will be my first time seeing Lane 8 live and I truly can not express my beaming excitement in words.
Lane 8 is an artist that is spreading an extremely important message to the world. His label is called, This Never Happened, and the concept behind that phrase is something that he is extremely open about. On his website the phrase ‘Experience The Moment, Dont Record It, This Never Happened’ reads across the bottom. He also gave cards out back on his tour in 2017 reading the same message, see below.
Additionally, he sent out an email to his fans explaining this concept, see the email below.
We live at a time when distractions from reality are never further away than our fingertips. Our phones offer us unlimited stimulation and temporary comfort.
The possibilities of technology are endless, but they also limit the possibility… the possibility to truly experience and submit to the moment.
For me, going to a club has always been about letting go of the world around me, like a vacation from the nagging realities of everyday life. In the best clubs I have been to, the people were united by a desire to experience electronic music in the purest sense — to get lost in its tension and release.
Somewhere along the way, we as a society have lost the ability to experience those special moments. On the rare occasion that they do happen, we scramble to grab our phones in time to capture them — but those moments cannot be truly captured — and they don’t need to be broadcasted or recorded.
Sometimes, the best thing we can do is fully appreciate what is happening in that room, at that moment, with those people around us. At This Never Happened, we invite you into a space where the only thing that matters are the people in that room, the music, and the magic that happens when those things interact. — an event where the dance floor is a phone and photo-free space.
This experience we share together, by 2017 standards, may never have happened. But those who dare will always know — something special did happen here.
Love,
Daniel
This message is one that is so important today. With technology only growing every day and Instagram becoming a full blown business and lifestyle, it’s almost impossible for people to put their phones down. It’s basically required for everyone to be “in the know” in order to be successful in modern society and the market is so saturated that it is almost impossible to keep up with it all. I can only imagine what it must feel like as an artist today. With this ever changing landscape of technology and socialization, the music scene has also seen a shift.
Today at a concert, everyone always takes out their phone when the most popular song comes on. Everyone wants to capture that moment live, but are they truly capturing it if they aren’t actually watching it with their own eyes, but instead through their camera screen? What’s the difference between that and watching the concert on TV at home? There is no difference, and that is the point. This world has shifted into an experience economy, everyone wants to pay for an experience over anything else because they want to escape reality. The information age is an age where knowledge and socialization is invaluable because it is accessible with our fingertips. Therefore, everyone is craving a true connection with something bigger than a screen, something real. All of this contributes to why the Festival world, and the live music world in general, has seen such phenomenal growth.
Sadly, although everyone is trying to escape their screens they still end up on them at the show. Lane 8 asks all of his fans to put their phones away and avoid taking picture or videos during his shows. He calls his shows This Never Happened Summer Gatherings because if it wasn’t recorded in this modern society, did it even happen? Those who truly understand Lane 8’s message realize that the moment weighs more than capturing a memory without ever actually experiencing in it in the first place. Is it even a memory if it wasn’t initially experienced?
Outside of Lane 8’s absolutely beautiful message, he is also an extremely talented house producer that has seen much success in the electronic world. Originally under Ajundadeep Lane 8 has released two studio albums that take you on a deep journey through his mind and soul. He has released many successful mixes and official remixes to extremely popular songs such as Virtual Self’s ‘Ghost Voices’, ODESZA’s – ‘Bloom’, Deadmau5’s – ‘Strobe’, and Rufus Du Sol’s ‘Innerbloom’. Additionally, he has accumulated press coverage from Dancing Astronaut, Billboard, Spin, and more! His show at Brooklyn Mirage sold out in minutes and I know that it will truly be a special experience for everyone in attendance. I assume since Governors Ball is also this weekend, the show is going to be beyond capacity! Tune back into Festival Squad next week, I’ll let you all know how it was!