The Alchemy Tour: Where All that GLITCHES Turn to Gold

Cover photo from Insomniac’s Website

“Alchemy” can be defined as “any seemingly magical process of transforming or combining elements into something new.” Four of some of the most prominent names in Electronic music are joining forces on The Alchemy Tour: The Glitch Mob, Seven Lions and NGHTMRE + Slander present: Gud Vibrations. Even typing these names gives me chills. If you’re a little bit familiar with dance music today, you’ll recognize the sheer amount of talent on this lineup poster. I may be a bit biased as these are literally some of my favorite artists, but this is NOT a tour you want to miss.

Let’s break down this EPIC lineup (in no particular order).

The Glitch Mob

Founded in 2006, The Glitch Mob (TGM) consists of Justin Boreta (Boreta), Ed Ma (edIT) and Joshua Mayer (Ooah). Their distinctive Glitch-meets-industrial grimey bass is a sound like any other. Their live show is unparalleled thanks to The Blade, an instrument they designed to play their music live. Think about that concept; an instrument didn’t previously exist for them to perform their music the way they wanted, so they created one. In an interview from 2014, Josh describes their creation:

 The Blade is our new instrument that we play, which also is a set piece and a visual element. We basically built it as one giant instrument. We play The Blade. All the instruments that we play are actually customized and built into it. It also houses tons of lights and it’s all been painted with tons of texture and detail. Actually, the guys that we designed it with also built huge movie sets in LA. When it came together, it was such an amazing thing. It really represents who we are and what we’re trying to say, and it’s just a functional thing that lets us play our music the way we want to play our music.

TGM have headlined nearly every major festival in North America and toured the world. They have worked with with industry names such as Bassnectar, Elohim, Aja Volkman, Yarrohs and Metal Mother. They also deliver an EPIC live show, and I can’t recommend seeing them enough!

Seven Lions

Fluent in trance, mainstream pop and dubstep, Jeff Montalvo has created a multi-genre machine that goes by the moniker Seven Lions. His signature style allows him to play heavy dubstep one moment and then slow it down with gorgeous, melodic trance the next. In a style all his own, his songs take the listener on a journey through dramatic build ups, bombastic drops and tranquil moments. I have definitely shed a tear or two at his shows. At age 25, Montalvo won a competition hosted by the Trance gods Above & Beyond (A&B) by remixing their song, “You Got to Go.”

I was at A&B’s Weekender Event at the Gorge this summer and Montalvo surprised us all by showing up to play his new song with A&B, “See the End,” which had dropped that same day. The crowd went wild and later was treated to a house set he played out of a food truck in the camp ground. Headlining major festivals all over North America, Seven Lions always plays epic sets with thrilling visuals and lights. He’s a name I never miss at a festival!

NGHTMRE + SLANDER Present: GUD VIBRATIONS

Never have I ever seen the two titans NGHTMRE and SLANDER take the stage together, but I have seen them both individually. If their sheer amount of individual talent is any indication, we are in for quite the performance! NGHTMRE quickly became a household name after remixing Skrillex’s “Street” in 2015, which has become a timeless festival anthem. Tyler Marenyi, aka NGHTMRE, has since collabrated with heavy hitters such as Zeds Dead, Flux Pavilion, Wiz Khalifa, Dillion Francis and SLANDER. Tyler has played festivals across the world as NGHTMRE as well as with best friends Derek and Scott of SLANDER as GUD VIBRATIONS.

Forever friends Derek and Scott of SLANDER have crafted a brand known for uplifting lyrics and heavy drops with powerful melodic undercurrents. The LA Based pair have worked with Seven Lions, Gryffin, Spag Heddy, Sullivan King and, of course, NGHTMRE. Their trap anthem with vocalist WAVZ “Love Again” has amassed over 10 million plays.

Together, NGHTMRE + SLANDER toured as Gud Vibrations in 2018 and sold out all 34 cities in North America. To say I’m excited to see them is an understatement.

Playlist for Your Thoughts?

If you’re still on the fence, give The Alchemy Tour playlist a whirl, which features a sampling of The Glitch Mob, Seven Lions, NGHTMRE and SLANDER. I’m beyond ecstatic to celebrate my birthday with some of my favorite artists at The Gorge Amphitheatre—will l see you there?