EDM Identity
  • News
  • Music
    • Exclusive Mixes
    • Playlists
  • Events
  • Culture
  • Interviews
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
EDM Identity
No Result
View All Result
January 18, 2023

Gryffin Talks Sold Out Spring Festival and More

Jared "JSkolie" Skolnick
Gryffin

Gryffin talks about his background and his sold out, first ever, Lunar New Year event in electronic music at Avant Gardner.


Electronic music in the US has a wildly diverse following, and there’s no denying the commitment from the Asian supporters of the scene. So when Spring Festival was announced at Avant Gardner, it was surprising to see that this is the first event of its kind honoring Lunar New Year. The two-night event is being headlined by Gryffin and KSHMR, with the first night already sold out. Each of differing Asian backgrounds, these two headliners are a good example of cultural diversity in the scene. At the same time, we must acknowledge that the diversity of fans isn’t always reflected on stage, so it’s nice to see an effort to highlight such artists.

We sat down with Gryffin to learn more about his background and what this celebration means to him. He realizes that while our scene is doing a good job of increasing representation, we still have a long way to go. As he acknowledges the gender gap in the scene, it’s nice to see that one of the supporting artists is SunrYse, who has been supporting a number of big names lately including Above & Beyond, Markus Schulz, Lane 8, and Ben Bohmer. Read on for more on this topic, how Gryffin managed through 2022, and his favorite thing about NYC. Spoiler alert – I couldn’t agree more with his NYC observation!

Listen to Gryffin’s sophomore album, Alive, and read on below for the interview!


Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today. While I’d like to focus on your Lunar New Year event planned in NYC, let’s start with a little background. How was 2022 for you? How did you focus your time and energy in that year of flux?

2022 was a big and busy year for me. I released my sophomore album, Alive, and played my biggest show to date to almost 20,000 people at LA State Historic Park. I got to collaborate with artists I have looked up to and always dreamt about working with. Outside of music, I took the little time I had to work on my golf game and spending time with my family in Palm Springs.

Tell us more about Alive. Not only is this a huge album with 17 tracks, but it truly spans genres while being so clearly the Gryffin sound. How are you feeling about this release?

I’m very happy and relieved this album is finally out for the world to hear. I started making Alive during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020. It has been about a three year project as I wanted it to be perfect, and took my time really making sure every record could be the best it could be. Alive takes you through the human experience of emotions. The album helps you dive into what it means to be alive, to be human, human emotion, to feel, the senses. 

With Spring Festival (Lunar New Year) approaching, please tell our readers about your Asian background.

I grew up in a bi-racial setting. My dad comes from German and English descent, while my mom immigrated from Japan to America when she was 18 years old.  So while I had an American upbringing for some aspects, there was an equal part of me that grew up with Japanese culture around me. I went to Saturday Japanese school as a young kid and my mom always had Japanese television shows playing in the background. Looking back on it, it was really cool for me to have experienced such different cultures at a young age, and I’m really thankful for that today.  

How do you feel about headlining for the first US-based Lunar New Year event in the electronic music scene, and that KSHMR who also has an Asian background is headlining the second night?

It’s an honor to headline an event that celebrates such a huge annual moment for Asian people all around the world. Being able to do it with another Asian-American producer like KSHMR is such a privilege and I can’t wait to play!

Can you describe how different Asian cultures honor the Lunar New Year and what this means specifically to you and your culture? 

Personally, my family did not celebrate Lunar New Year as my mother is Japanese and the event is not widely celebrated in Japan. I have a few friends of Vietnamese and Chinese descent that I’ve had the privilege of sharing a few Lunar New Years with and the experience has always been amazing. Seeing how the event brought together friends and family helped me see how important of an event this was to so many people around the world and made me appreciate it more over the years. The red envelopes were always a nice treat! (Laughs)

Any other thoughts about how our scene can continue to be more inclusive, while also continuing to expand? You’ve called upon the GRAMMY’s to add a Best Electronic/Dance Producer category, which would do a lot to introduce our scene to a broader audience. How do we expand while remaining true to our roots?

I think continuing to highlight new artists of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds is very important. The scene itself is still super male dominated, and predominantly white/Caucasian. I still think having more female representation within the scene, as well as highlighting more global sounds and artists, could be a really cool way to expand the genre and keep it diverse.

To wrap this up, you’ve spent plenty of time in NYC. What’s your favorite thing about the city that never sleeps? Any favorite activities or food spots you want to share?

Unquestionably the energy. There is nothing in the entire United States that can match the energy and vibrancy of New York.  It makes me want to work so hard, and take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way. Lowkey, I love Los Tacos No1 in the Chelsea Market. Whenever I’m in need of some good tacos on the east coast, that’s my spot.  


Follow Gryffin on social media:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | SoundCloud | YouTube

ShareTweetShareShare

Jared "JSkolie" Skolnick

Jared "JSkolie" Skolnick

Jared, aka JSkolie, was introduced to electronic music in the 1990’s by way of Orbital. He raved in parks and fields in South Florida where the entirety of the production was a DJ in a box truck. Now living in NYC, he attended his first Above & Beyond show in 2016 and his life has never been the same. Jared has been energized by the Trance community and its PLUR ethos. He is a supporter of harm reduction and is a DanceSafe volunteer. Jared enjoys endurance events and has danced for 12-hours straight while often recovering from raves with bike rides just as long. Or longer.

Recently From Jared "JSkolie"

Events

Gryffin and KSHMR to Headline Lunar New Year Events In NYC

Opinion

Exploring the State of Live Events Ahead of 2023

Opinion

Is Spotify Wrapped Really So Evil?

STAY IN THE LOOP

Subscribe to notifications
  • LINEUP ANNOUNCEMENT: 🗣️⁠
@Tomorrowland releases the full line-up for the 17th edition of the iconic Belgian festival, which will revolve around this year’s theme ‘Adscendo’. ⚡️⁠
⁠
Set to welcome more than 600 of the world’s best electronic music artists across 14 mesmerizing stages during two weekends of magic in De Schorre, Tomorrowland Belgium 2023 will take place from July 21-23 and July 28-30. 🗓️⁠
⁠
Swipe to see the lineup, head to Tomorrowland
  • LINEUP TEASER: 👀⁠
@Chris_Liebing, @OfficialGreenVelvet, @Klangkuenstler, @Underworld, @TSHAMusic, @DomDolla b2b @JohnSummit, and more are set to play @movementdetroit 2023! 💥⁠
⁠
Movement Detroit is one of the premier electronic music events in North America, with its unique experience that consistently boasts some of the best artists in the house and techno scene on its lineup. Past editions of the festival have seen thousands flock to the birthplace of techno to catch legends in the community and rising stars who are carving out their own niche alike, and now as Paxahau gears up for the return of Movement Detroit on May 27-29, they’ve revealed the initial lineup for fans to salivate over. 🤤⁠
⁠
🎫 Three-day and single-day GA and VIP tickets for Movement Detroit are on sale now. Let us know if you
  • Got this one on repeat today 🔁

🎵: @surfmesa - “City of Love” feat. Selah Sol

—
#surfmesa #surfmesamusic #newmusic #cityoflove #edmidentity #producer #edmmusic #selahsol #coletrotta #downhillskateboarding
  • LINEUP DROP: ⁠
The lineup for @okeechobeefest
  • ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: 🔦
Following the release of “Feelin’ Down,” @Mahalo stopped by to chat about The Mahalo Show, owning his own studio, and more! His signature sound, dubbed “liquid house,” has won its way into the hearts (and playlists) of dance music lovers everywhere, earning him status as one of the hottest up-and-coming producers in the scene. 🔥

👉🏽 To read our exclusive interview with Mahalo click the link in our bio and be sure to check out his EDMID Guest Mix 358 that he made for us! 🎶

EDMID Writer: @hollyyofearth
📸: @newcitygas
  • FESTIVAL NEWS 🗞️:⁠
The debut headliner lineup for @RESISTANCE Miami’s residency at @M2_miami has been revealed with @CarlCoxofficial, @realAdamBeyer, @CharlotteDeWittemusic, and more.🎵⁠
⁠
Miami has been a hot spot for house and techno lovers. The new nightclub will be in the Miami’s Art Deco District. The hype for the debut season of the RESISTANCE #Miami residency grew as they revealed details surrounding the venue, which is a 35,000-square-foot behemoth that features two floors and enhanced production elements.🏖️⁠
⁠
Head over to RESISTANCE Miami’s official website to join the waitlist for access to tickets. Link in bio to read more about this!🔗 Let us know if you will check out this club!⁠
⁠
EDMID Writer: @czarcruise⁠
📸: @resistance
  • FEATURED INTERVIEW:⁠
Fresh off the release of “Take Me Into Space,” @DadaLife and @DEXTERKINGMUSIC chat about what it was like working with each other and more! 🎵⁠
⁠
Strap on your moon boots because for the first time ever, Dada Life has infiltrated the award-winning Canadian independent record label @Monstercat with “Take Me To Into Space.” Not only was this the first time that the duo released music outside of their own imprint since its launch, but this was a project that came to life with a bit of help in the form of DEXTER KING.💫⁠
⁠
🔗⁠ Click the link in bio to read more about these great artists! ⁠
⁠
📸: @lorenzotnc⁠
✍️:@fluffies4life⁠
  • INTERVIEW:⁠
Fresh off the release of Just What The World Needs, @WalkerandRoyce dropped by to give us the scoop about their US tour and more! 🌍️⁠
⁠
Beloved house duo and Rules Don’t Apply head honchos Walker & Royce are wasting no time kicking off 2023 with a bang. They’ve been hard at work planning their brand new Just What The World Needs tour that kicks off on January 27 in Detroit and will touch down at major cities along the way, including New York, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, and more. 🌆⁠
⁠
👉🏽 If you’re planning on making it to the Los Angeles show at @shrinela, make sure to enter our contest on our website for a chance to win two tickets!⁠
⁠
Make sure to grab your copy of Just What The World Needs on your favorite music platform, stream the EP on Spotify, and then continue on for our chat surrounding their upcoming tour! Link in bio for the full convo! 🔗⁠
⁠
✍️: @fluffies4life⁠
📸: @walkerandroyce⁠
  • NEW MUSIC 🔊: Melodic tech house artist @julianwassermann has been delivering impeccable beats into the ears of his fanbase and tastemakers while using dance floors as his dominating platform across the globe. His productions create a vibrant atmosphere in the club to festival appearances where participants can dance the night away. 🪩⁠
⁠
As a new year delivers fresh soundscapes with subliminal rhythm, Julian Wassermann dropped off the My Side EP on @balance_series to help everyone fight those January blues.☔️⁠
⁠
🔗 IN BIO for EDMID Writer @ashleybigfield
  • About
  • Contact
  • Team
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement

CONTACT INFO

San Diego, California

contact@edmidentity.com

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Music
  • Events
  • Culture
  • Festival Tips
  • Interviews
  • Shop

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist