Midwest dubstep and electronic fans will get a little taste of “Minnesota nice” with the first annual Infrasound Music Festival – a weekend-long campout in Houston, Minn. Summer’s end and the grind of school are closer than we care to think about, and Infrasound offers a weekend romp to listen to some big names in dubstep under the stars.
Among the headliners is Vaski, a dubstep DJ and Minnesota native who is known for such singles as “Dreamworld” and “Limitless.” He will play the Friday of the fest. In an interview with The Badger Herald, Vaski dished about his name, Infrasound and what dubstep means to him.
The name “Vaski” has unlikely origins. After putting all his favorite letters into an online letter scrambler and scrolling through all the jumbled combinations, “Vaski” was the stage name he decided on. The anonymity is something he said he values and has tried to cultivate.
“I don’t like people knowing my real life … Being somebody that people look up to when you’re out of state is different when you’re in your hometown. When I’m home I just like to be in my own world and do my own thing,” he said.
The first time Vaski ever heard dubstep was at an outdoor festival similar to Infrasound, and he said the Minnesota scene has been gathering clout and distinction. While it’s not vastly different from other cities and places he’s played at, he said there are some distinguishing traits of a typical Minneapolis and Midwest crowd: There’s little violence at shows, and the scene caters to a large fan base where everyone can feel welcome and enjoy what’s important – the music.
“As far as the amount of shows and the size, I’d say for the size of the cities, Minneapolis has a pretty standard crowd which comes out. I think other DJs are surprised. I’ve talked to other DJs. Minneapolis isn’t a very famous city, so it’s pretty cool to see that we go really hard and everyone has fun,” Vaski said.
So if you’re a festival junkie whose looking to take a little adventure to the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Vaski said you can expect a smaller atmosphere than some of the big-ticket fests like Ultra Music Festival and Electric Zoo – and that’s not a bad thing.
He said his friends at TC Dubstep, a local company and not a major corporation, put on Infrasound. Vaski said that fact alone means Infrasound will be less about drawing as many people as possible to make as much money as possible and more about the music.
The genre itself has taken root with mainstream listeners, he said, and even though someone new to dubstep may think it all sounds the same, it has developed many facets, from chill, twinkling beats to doom-heralding drops. Along with being “aggressive” and “intense,” dubstep, Vaski said, could be a vehicle for all kinds of emotions, which is what he tries to convey with his music.
“With my music, I would say dubstep is a way to express a lot of different feelings in the same kind of music,” Vaski said.
Infrasound won’t be Vaski’s first time playing to a large outdoor crowd, and he intends on rolling out some new material during his Friday set. While he’s currently working on a collaboration with signer Ava, who has previously worked with Bassnectar and Lupe Fiasco, fans at Infrasound can expect to hear his new single, “Insane,” along with other Vaski classics.
And don’t forget the camping. Vaski said he’ll be staying around Infrasound for as long as he can, soaking up the experience and camping out.
Infrasound Music Festival will be held at the Outback Ranch in Houston, Minn., August 2-4. All ages are welcome, and two and three day camping passes are still available, totaling $90 and $110, respectively. Visit www.facebook.com/tcdubstep for more information.
