Highlights From Deep Tropics 2023 — Celebrating Five Years Of Music, Sustainability & Fashion In Nashville
When you think of Nashville, you think of the glittering tents of the biggest country stars of all time. Also good white Broadway cowboy boots. But with a name like Music City, it's no surprise that all genres are represented here. Even electronic music.
Attend Deep Tropics, Nashville's premier electronic music festival. Just like the surprise I felt when I discovered Nebraska's love for hardcore and punk music, Nashville showed its desire to immerse itself in two intense days of house, techno and bass music.
PART I - Festival Area
What's a dazzling house music show without the bright city lights? Located in Nashville's Bicentennial Park, Deep Tropics has transformed the city's capital park into a tropical oasis adorned with delicious beats and radiant bass. I found the full expression of my anger at the main stage, the Meru Amphitheater, with the illuminated Capitol Building in the background, and imagined all the government officials watching the chaos below.
While some festivals need to expand their stages to allow space between sets and allow attendees to move around, Deep Tropics made perfect use of the space. Meru Amphitheater and Lotus Stage were a two minute walk and Lotus and Congo Soundsystem 30 seconds. Each scene had its own audience and atmosphere due to other overlapping sets. For a three-stage music festival in an urban park, it's a huge success.
Offstage, Deep Tropics has created an immersive environment with 24-hour programming focused on wellness programs and educational workshops. City of Deep Culture welcomed tropical travelers to its retreat for yoga and relaxation sessions, discussions with influential artists and unifying dances, while Healing Sanctuary offered tarot readings and massages and TRIBE Refuge organized community discussions.
II. PART - Music
I also had concerts in the morning and I must say. Nashville never tires of electronic music. The town went wild for it, and attendees danced offstage to house, techno and bass (no electronic genre was left out this weekend).
On Friday, Khiva offered body shakes and golden hour bass on the Lotus stage. If you ask a low-key bass player about bass music, you'll often find that what attracts them is the feel of the bass in the body. Throughout their set, Hive delivered a recipe for bass-heavy melodies, low-frequency soundscapes, and charged beats that literally shake the atoms of your body and heal you from within.
Then it was the turn of the shoes and the cats. You can never be satisfied. LP Giobbi stole the show on Friday night, beautifully combining infectious club beats with piano house melodies. The multi-instrumentalist took the audience on a musical journey at the intersection of electronic music and classical composition, reminding Music City of the universal connection of music.
On Friday night, the party officially kicked off with English electronic music duo Gorgon City. It was quite a spectacle, lit up by British garage and multi-dimensional house, as lasers swept across the Meru Amphitheater and everyone settled into the frenzied depths of bass house.
Saturday was hot in the late summer heat in Nashville and full of sonic exploration. Bringing the West Coast to Music City, Smoakland delivered epic dubstep and head-shaking bass before the night was hosted by Denver's INZO on the Lotus Stage, creating a fusion of fluorescent synth lines and melodies from soulful bass.
At Congo Soundsystem, Arvi Mala combined laid-back tropical house with warm vibes, revving everyone up before closing out the night with matching sets from SG Lewis and Troyboi. With careful planning, the best bet here was to meet SG Lewis at the Meru Amphitheater for a good half hour of his great electro pop and house tunes, before an easy two minute walk to watch the last 30 minutes. World famous trap and future bass master Troibo.
Although the music stopped at 11 p.m. each night, Tropical Travelers had three entertainment options throughout the night. Interestingly, two of the arenas, the Eastside Bowl and the Brooklyn Bowl, also included bowling. There was a good scene at the Eastside Bowl on Friday night where a member of staff directly asked if every band in attendance was there to bowl or "see EDM."
"I'm definitely here to see EDM," I replied. The EDM of the evening was better than the bowling selection, featuring Redrum and What So Not with fast break beats and drum and bass until 3pm. Subrinse, Eli & Fur and Sonny Federa wrap up the festival, with other marquee venues in Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
III. PART — Maximum Duration
Do you still believe in the outdated stereotype that electronic music fans and music festivals have no purpose or positive influence?
It's an incredible feat for the festival to achieve its sustainability goals while promoting a large-scale event while inviting fans around the world to immersive and interactive art and music experiences. Deep Culture Inc. By partnering with a non-profit organization, Deep Tropics was able to offset its carbon footprint, reducing its waste from 93% last year to 96% this year. This includes 2,882 kilograms of recyclables and 947 kilograms of compostable material, which saves 12,702 kilograms of CO2 emissions, or the equivalent of 100 kilograms of planting and cultivation over 10 years.
Additionally, Deep Tropics has started again, being the first to use Sunbelt generators to fully power the Meru Amphitheater. Additionally, all attendees were asked to bring reusable cups or water bottles, and beverages were served in reusable tin containers.
IV. PART—Tropical Travelers Festival Mode
Fashion and music festivals go hand in hand. Planning and crafting an outfit can sometimes take weeks in advance, because knowing what to look like is a form of creative expression.
Deep Tropics raises the bar in this area with its vintage market and fashion show. Common brand. . holiday products
“It's exciting, there's so much to do in Nashville,” Ashley East, owner of Madnest, a Nashville art gallery and community space, said in a local interview. “There are so many creatives and artists in Deep Tropics and the city of Nashville in general trying to bridge the gap between music, art and style. We are excited to be a part of it and see where it will grow over the years. »
Nashville is a beautiful city full of beautiful people, so this time I added a bit of myself. I have put together a mix of newly purchased clothing that matches the timeless and elegant nature of Deep Tropics. On Friday, the Barbie Festival outfit debuted a new psychedelic top and hat, along with a new white tennis skirt and white ankle boots. The shoes lasted all day...until they stopped. I wore my new white Astral sandals which literally saved the night. The sandal is made from 100% post-consumer recycled materials and uses a balanced geometric design to ensure a comfortable and natural foot position. Without wearing them, they saved my feet on Friday night and became the shoe of choice for the "Tropical Traveler" look on Saturday, with a transparent skirt and a white t-shirt.
I balanced out the two days by visiting Glitter Bitch, which serves as Deep Tropics' biodegradable glitter makeup tent.
Check out this post on Instagram
PART V – Where to sleep?
In line with its commitment to bridging the gap between music festivals and true sustainability, Deep Tropics has partnered with the Virgin Hotel Nashville, currently billed as "the greenest hotel in town", while actively measuring performance of the building to reduce its "power". , water consumption and its total carbon footprint.
Located on Music Square and a 10-minute drive from the festival, the Virgin Hotel Nashville is the perfect place to relax for an evening. As soon as I entered, I was greeted by a beautiful high-end and refined musical instrument that opened my eyes. True to form, the bright and open atmosphere (The Commons Club and Shag Room) enchanted the senses with a balance of Southern hospitality and modern decor.
I was lucky enough to get a room on the 10th floor, which of course has a panoramic view of the Music City skyline. The bedroom's double bay design, a barn-style sliding door that separates the sleeping area and the comfortable walk-in closet, is clearly thought out, allowing for perfect functionality for late-night hotel stays.
I'm the type of person who never turns on the TV when I'm at the hotel. There is never a need. But when I found out I'd made the new mistake of forgetting all that bullshit (we can blame it on the morning assembly), TV became my best friend. I could directly order my forgotten essentials in one click. Because who really wants to call reception and say they need a toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant?
In fact, it was his secret speech, “The Late Great” that convinced me. It was quite a conversation as I had no idea how to get there until a member of staff led me through the dark hallways to the old school hall. Inspired by the ethos of Nashville's legendary B-rooms, the intimate venue featured upscale dark spirits and sleek furnishings that literally exuded sensuality. It was the perfect venue for the Tropical Travelers Welcome Party on Friday night, where I graduated as a local producer showcasing the city's increasingly popular electronic scene.
Although I only managed to spend half my time on the property, I was able to check out the rooftop pool on Saturday. The Pool Club on the 12th floor had an urban charm and was full when I arrived in the sweltering midday heat. There is always music playing in the hotel so the chill of the day didn't bother me as I relaxed in my bed overlooking the Nashville skyline.
Click here to reserve a room at the Virgin Hotel Nashville. Deep Tropics has announced reunion dates in 2024 and will return August 16-17. For more information, visit the festival's website.
