Over the past ten years, something truly special has been growing and morphing in the bushland of south-east Queensland.
Written by Krystle Richardson & Callum Dorward
From its birth as a small, simple party in the bush, Earth Frequency has evolved into a shimmering, magnetic creature that almost needs to come with a warning: try it once and you will be hooked for life. Having outgrown Landcruiser Park, Earth Freq is now settling into its second year in a much larger site only 45 minutes from Brisbane at Ivory's Rock. The new location boasts powered camping sites, phone reception and bathrooms that are nicer than the one I have at home! I am pleased to report that not once did I have to subject myself to the nasty-smelling sauna that is a festival port-a-loo in the middle of the day.
Kicking off on Friday night, we had a wealth of musical options. The Pyramid stage was dominated by bass music and there were some awesomely-energetic live acts on the Earth Pod but for me, there was no leaving the feast of techno on Subterran.
Image © Callum Dorward
Vinny Xavier’s deep, groovy minimal tech was a perfect opener and gave a beautiful sense of connection to last year’s festival where he closed the Subterran stage. From there, each set was perfectly placed to create a continual build that kept me hooked for the night. Before we knew it, the whole dancefloor had gone from a casual groove to an energetic stomp and there was no stopping as Tranceducer skillfully transitioned us from tech into progressive just as the night transitioned into day.
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On Saturday, I had the pleasure of keeping company with a young one and so, instead of staying firmly planted on the dancefloor, I got to explore the many other delights that Earth Freq has to offer. We got dressed up in costumes, had our faces painted and generally ran amok, five-year-old style. This is a side of the festival I’ve never really seen before and I was so impressed. The kids space offered a plethora of fun and quirky activities to suit all ages but there was absolutely no need to stay only in the designated family areas.
There’s a real sense of connectedness at Earth Freq and, while people certainly got loose, they maintained an awareness of and respect for each other. No matter how large the crowd, there was still room to dance freely without being jostled around. The kids had a great time running in and out of legs and having a boogie with the rest of us.
Image © Callum Dorward
The first part of Saturday evening was pretty relaxed with dub, glitch and a variety of live performances. For me, the night didn’t truly come alive until Grouch hit the stage. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen him play but somehow, I never seem to tire of Grouch’s music. He perfectly intertwines cute and quirky with dark and earthy and the dancefloor vibe he created was electric.
There was so much good music to be enjoyed at this festival and so many times when I was torn between stages, knowing I’d be loving the tunes wherever I went. On Sunday night, I dragged myself away from Dose’s full power, energetic drum & bass to catch the last half of Evil Oil Man’s set on Subterran.
Image © Callum Dorward
The stages this year were quite a distance from each other so; in order to cut down on transit times, we found a secret little goat track that took us in a direct line from the Pyramid stage to Subterran. At night it removed you from the vibrancy of the festival and thrust you into the pitch black bushland. We crept through the grass, brushing spider webs from our faces and listening to the little creatures scurrying about and calling out to each other. As we emerged at the Subterran stage, we were greeted with music that felt like it had grown from the very bush we’d just been trekking through.
Evil Oil Man’s set was filled with earthy, organic night-time sounds, which seemed to speak and interact with each other, just like the creatures in the bush, all held together with slower paced beats that just felt good to move to. Once again, the night built perfectly with Kilment offering dark, organic sounds with a bit faster pace. And then with no break between sets and no long, slow build Electrypnose let loose a cracking sonic boom followed by nonstop, punchy beats. His dark psy throws out all the misconceptions about the genre. While it is dark, there’s certainly nothing evil about it; there’s playfulness to his music and a bounciness to his beats that made it look like the crowd was on a trampoline.
Image © Callum Dorward
It wasn’t until Monday afternoon that I realised I hadn’t actually checked out the Earth Pod stage. Wandering over, I was rewarded with quality glitch and dub that was slow but still going somewhere; the kind of music that makes the whole dancefloor drop down low (and gives you aching thighs for a week afterwards!). Everyone was grooving about, laughing and chatting in the sunlight and it really felt perfect.
As Lubdub brought the festival to a close, a light rain shower swept through, staying long enough to cool us down. It gave a real sense of closure and harmony with nature that was, to me, more moving than the closing ceremony itself. As a nice, little bonus, we were treated with some extra tunes on the chill stage on Monday night. I was a bit dubious of an after-party playing lethargic chill music; however the atmosphere was relaxed but still alive. The tunes weren’t the 'put you to sleep' kind of chill and created the perfect backdrop for a final chat and gentle boogie with your mates.
Image © Callum Dorward
Now, in the wake of the festival, the thing that strikes me most is the intentions that lie behind it. There are so many challenges involved in taking on a new, larger site and, like an awkward adolescent going through a growth spurt, it’s impossible to expect it to be a perfectly smooth transition. But it is abundantly clear that Paul Abad and his crew are building something greater than just a party in the bush.
Even though it’s now a year away, I am already excited to see what they bring us in 2016.
- Krystle Richardson
Up near the hills on the 13 of February, a 20-minute drive from rural Ipswich, Earth Frequency quietly built-up to a roaring first night of its four-day festival, focusing on culture, togetherness and most importantly dancing!
It’s was surprising to see such an outpouring of energy on the first night. You would think that after a sweaty day of setting up the tent, cursing at your friend for forgetting the pegs and stocking up on 'essentials' (copious bags of salty chips and bread) that patrons might want a good sleep and go hard for the rest of the festival. But no. Earth frequency gave a splendid arrangement of music on its first night from acts such as Deya Dova, Dubmarine and Dub FX.
Image © Callum Dorward
Deya Dova essentially showered us in love. Her songs preached acceptance and joy, and as she told us, and were formed through her travels to places like of the States and visiting tribes themselves. It was a beautiful performance, and really set a great tone for the festival itself, which prides itself on the feelings of closeness and intimacy.
Dubmarine, with their funky and electronic looks stepped it up a notch and got the crowd pumping. They had an amazing stage presence and colourful mix of fashion, sound, set, lighting, make-up and crowd engagement. It really was a sight to behold. D-Kazman had some wicked face-paint on that really accentuated the band's look and sound.
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Although what seemed to be a music-based festival, soon turned out to be as culturally engaging as well. A welcome ceremony centred around the original owners of the land - or as they beautifully put: “We are not the owners of the land, but the keepers” - was a great performance of Aboriginal Dreamtime and didgeridoo music.
The elements and aesthetic of the festival were heavily spiritual and environmental; all about reconnecting with mother nature and what she has provided us with. It was all very thoughtful and planned out.
Image © Callum Dorward
Earth Frequency also had a wide range of market stalls, offering anything from bespoke pipes to handmade, pine-cone necklaces and everything in between. The stall holders were homely and welcoming; you didn’t feel pressured into buying everything and every store tried its best to have the most organic and fair-trade items, emphasising recycling, re-using and giving back to the earth.
The kids of the festival were not forgotten either. Just like Woodford (I couldn’t help draw some comparisons, and in fact made me miss Woodford a small bit) kids were carted around in these handmade, charming little pull-along trucks fitted out with beds, cushions, entertainment and fairy lights for the nighttime. They seemed genuinely pleased to be there, partaking in just as much dancing and partying as their mums and dads, if not more (can someone give me some of their energy?). The family realm was also a great stomping ground for kids, offering workshops on puppetry for big kids and sand play for the little ones.
Image © Callum Dorward
Another great part of the festival were the ‘nodes’. Body, mind, healing and soul nodes all offered workshops, talks and sessions alike to do with their respective node name. You could learn about collaborative art in the body node and head over to the soul node to learn about opening your third ear!
All in all it truly was an inclusive festival, offering up its arms to all shapes, genders, sizes, races and ages.
- Callum Dorward
