Tag Archives: San Francisco

[Electronic] TATE SEDAR – San Francisco

TATE SEDAR has emerged as a rising electronic artist on the west coast, celebrated for his dynamic fusion of genres and profound narrative storytelling through sound. His journey from an electronic music enthusiast, first introduced through Dance Dance Revolution, to a visionary on the post-EDM frontier, showcases a smooth trajectory of growth, innovation, and a commitment to artistic depth. SEDAR’s collaborations with music industry titans and performances, including the acclaimed 2020 Insomniac Discovery Project: EDC Virtual Rave-a-Thon, all show his dedication to the game and bright future going forward.

Accumulating over 5.7 million plays in 2023, SEDAR’s influence spans globally, with his work featured on leading EDM platforms, marking him as a staple in Insomniac Events’ artist roster. His singles “Heaven” and “Find a Way” have seen distinctive success, while his upbeat remixes, like “Hero” and an edit of Justin Bieber’s “Hold On,” have been well-received for their deep thematic resonance.

post-EDM (n): a progressive style of electronic dance music that draws from sounds of the EDM era (2010-2020) and prior while using analog & digital instrumentation.

The release of “San Francisco” is the next chapter in the journey, encapsulating the essence of his musical origins and the innovative horizon of post-EDM. This track serves as a bridge between SEDAR’s musical roots in the culturally rich city of San Francisco, known for its contributions to rock, funk/soul, and hip-hop, and his exploration into novel sonic territories. “San Francisco” stands as a symbol of SEDAR’s ability to weave together disparate musical threads into a cohesive and catchy post-EDM masterpiece, marking a milestone in his continuous journey of musical and personal evolution.

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Treasure Island 2016: 12 Must See Acts — SF 10/15-16 [Festival Preview]

culrt-fumaam8ayIf you’ve been following The Music Ninja over the last few years, you already know that Treasure Island Music Festival reigns atop our list of best music events in the Bay Area. Rounding out peak festival season, TIMF consistently avoids the repetitive lineups that plague competitors while offering an ideal environment for attendees worn out from over-crowded events. 2016 is an important year for the festival marking both its 10th anniversary and final year taking place on Treasure Island itself as a result of upcoming real estate development. Thankfully it will not be the end altogether for the SF staple, which will be relocating to a TBD destination come 2017 (the SF Chronicle even has a poll where you can vote on where it should be).

With those milestones in mind, Noise Pop have stepped up their already fantastic curation bringing what may be our favorite lineup to date. Our best advice would be to catch as many artists as the schedule permits, be prepared for the rain and stop by the Silent Disco. Although we know and love pretty much every artist on this weekend’s bill, we’ve curated our top picks for each day below. Hope to see some of you Ninjas on the island! Continue reading

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Outside Lands 2016: 13 Acts To Catch Before 4 [Event Preview]

As Outside Lands approaches every year, there’s a unique buzz around San Francisco. Between those frantically searching for tickets, hashing out set conflicts, proclaiming excitement or proudly boycotting, the City’s biggest festival is on locals’ minds this week. For the last 5 years we’ve watched Another Planet Entertainment’s crown jewel grow along a similar trajectory as the Bay Area–rapidly rising in popularity (and price). Even with the ever-changing landscape that surrounds it, Outside Lands maintains a dedication to quality music, comedy and food in 2016. The lineup sticks to the tried and true formula of local / up ‘n coming acts, the years’ current headliners and a rare performance from a star of the past.

While we’d be happy to harp some more on how awesome Anderson .Paak, Rufus Du Sol or LCD Soundsystem are, we thought we’d take this opportunity to introduce all our Bay Area Ninjas to some acts they might fall in love with for the first time this weekend at Outside Lands. We know how hard it is to get your crew moving, particularly in SF, but we think these artists make accelerating your pre-game well worth it. Hope to catch some of you Ninjas out in Hellman Hollow!

Day 1

Make It Funky DJs (Heineken House, 12-1:30PM)
For the most prompt attendees, we’d recommend kicking off your weekend at the Heineken House with our friends from Make It Funky. Over the last 3 years, the DJ collective have established themselves as a staple of San Francisco nightlife. If you haven’t yet been to one of their events, their set in the Heineken House should serve as the perfect introduction to their funk/disco vibes and get you dancing from the jump. – Ash

Marian Hill (Twin Peaks, 12:45-1:30)

’Marian Hill – One Time’

Marian Hill is the cleverly titled Philly-based band consisting of Jeremy Lloyd and Samantha Gongol. While they haven’t been on the scene long, the band makes up for short-term fame in their long-term chemistry – having performed together since middle school. Since gaining notoriety behind the catchy “One Time” in early 2014, Marian Hill has been putting together jazzy-electronic tracks at a solid pace. Their debut album, ACT ONE, is out now and well worth a listen. – Dom P.

Wet (Sutro, 2:30-3:20)

’Wet – It’s All in Vain’

While riding the wave to fame behind a hipster following, Wet has taken the back roads to success, allowing their vast internet following to shower them with (well deserving) praise behind early bedroom productions. Since putting out the 2013 melodic “I Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl”, the Wet trio has signed to a major label and toured nationally. Recently reemerged from their production studio in the wooded thickets of Hadley, Massachusetts, Wet dropped their debut album Don’t You and will be certainly gaining even more followers after their OSL performance. – Dom P.

Vulfpeck (Panhandle, 2:55-3:35)

’Vulfpeck – Back Pocket’

It’s unlikely you’ll see any performance quite like Vulfpeck’s this weekend. The funk/soul band take a fully improvisational approach to songwriting resulting in a catalogue of epic, at times comedic, jams that are morphed and built on during live performance. Don’t let their light-hearted approach fool you, though, Vulfpeck are truly gifted musicians who involve the audience in their show at every opportunity. – Ash Continue reading

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[Event Review] Mura Masa, NAO and Bonzai @ The Independent–SF, 5/12

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’Mura Masa – …Girl’

I can remember pretty distinctly when my enchantment with Mura Masa’s music began—specifically the first time I heard “…Girl.” That piano-driven, trap-influenced beauty served as an ample intro to his intricate production style but it really only scratched the surface of what was to come. His 2014 debut album Soundtrack to a Death, a collection of dynamic beats, cemented his status as one of the most exciting electronic artists out–seamlessly fusing the enormity of trap percussion with fluttering instrumentation and chopped vocal samples.

While that first project captured the bloggers and electronic music enthusiasts, it was Mura Masa’s Someday Somewhere EP that, with the help of a diverse set of collaborators, catapulted his notoriety among casual fans and the biggest producers in the game alike. Since that release, he’s launched Anchor Point Records his own label that’s already brought us fantastic projects from Bonzai and Jadu Heart.

In San Francisco, it’s common to discover an artist on Soundcloud and find them on a show flier within a few months. In the case of Mura Masa, though, the wait for a live performance felt like an eternity—spanning almost three years. Having checked literally hundred of artists off of the must-see list in that time, it would be a massive understatement to say we were excited as we walked into The Independent to see the 20-year-old phenom’s SF debut alongside Bonzai and NAO. So, if you’re wondering why this article is so long it’s probably because we’ve been waiting for so long to write it. Continue reading

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[Giveaway] Brillz Offers Up Tickets to Multiple California Shows

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’LAXX & Brillz – Destruktion’

Vape connoisseur, producer, and DJ Brillz is currently heading around the United States for his Twonk Di Nation tour. Soon, he’ll be entering California for shows up north, as well as down south. Brillz decided to enter the dojo and offer up tickets for a few lucky fans. If you want us to get technical, we actually have two giveaways.

Brillz will be joining Party Favor and Infuze in Santa Ana on February 18th, and then San Francisco will get to enjoy Brillz with Infuze two days later on the 20th. We have a pair of tickets for both shows, because let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to see Brillz throw down for free? All you need to do is enter below for a chance to win. Each contest will run until two days prior to the show date. For those of you who aren’t savvy at math, the giveaways state how long you have left until they each are closed!

Not from California? That’s okay, Brillz may still be coming your way for the rest of his tour. Check out the dates and information at his tour website.

Brillz Ticket Giveaway: Santa Ana (Contest on Hive.co)

Brillz Ticket Giveaway: San Francisco (Contest on Hive.co)

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Three Years of Make It Funky: An Oral History [Event Preview + Interview]

mifPosterAs we kick off 2016, San Francisco’s local music scene finds itself in an interesting and exciting place. While the city is a guaranteed stop on any tour, the shifting culture and demographics have made homegrown music movements somewhat rare. Thankfully, though, there are a number of local promoters, brands and general music enthusiasts dedicated to maintaining and evolving SF’s distinct nightlife. The Make It Funky collective are one of several such culture drivers who we’ve had the pleasure of working with over the last year–SF Ninjas may remember our two collaborative showcases in 2015 at El Rio and Brick & Mortar Music Hall or our appearances on their BFF.fm radio show, which led to one of our own!

For the last three years, the collection of DJs and promoters have been bringing house, disco and funk vibes to San Francisco through their own sets and numerous renowned bookings from around the world.This Saturday (January 16th), the Make It Funky crew are celebrating their 3-year anniversary at Monarch with the help of UK-based disco connoisseur Ray Mang. To help you all prepare we’ve decided to revisit some of the most memorable moments of their run thus far. To get the scoop, we caught up with co-founders Michael Fortune (aka Fortune) and Mohit Kohli (OneMoHit). Flip through some epic and, at times hilarious, peaces of Make It Funky history and grab tickets for their upcoming show here.

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[Festival Review] Moments & Songs from Treasure Island 2015–SF, 10/17-18

DNP_5253It’s particularly sad to say goodbye to Treasure Island Music Festival. Not only does TI mark the end of the summer festival season, but it’s also a true breathe of fresh air from the oft-overwhelming mega events that have come to dominate the space. With relief from the typical pains of festivals –trouble meeting friends, overcrowded stages, set conflicts and the list goes on–we always walk out of TI refreshed and this year was no exception. Overlooking the San Francisco skyline, Treasure Island’s serenity never fails to amaze us and it didn’t hurt that the weather was pretty much perfect all weekend.

The clear-split lineup that highlighted electronic/hip-hop on Saturday and alternative rock/pop on Sunday gave each day a vibe all its own. Take a trip back with photos and songs from the two different, but equally enjoyable, days.

All photos by Dominic Powell unless otherwise stated. 

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