San Francisco’s Portola Festival is for the music heads — but still has room to growPortola Music Festival is for the real music lovers, the ones that like to get down.
On September 28 and 29, seemingly every raver from the San Francisco Bay Area descended upon SF’s crane-filled Pier 80, transforming the active shipyard into a massive dance floor.
Portola’s strength is its expansive definition of dance music fortified by a hearty dose of live performers like Justice, Gesaffelstein, Tycho, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Disclosure, Soulwax, Barry Can’t Swim, and LP Giobbi (who showed off her deft piano skills in a sparkling hybrid set).
Launched three years ago by Coachella-producer Goldenvoice (owned by American live event monolith AEG), Portola has become a major event in California’s festival season. Amidst a shaky, saturated festival market, where events like Goldenvoice’s This Ain’t No Picnic and Barcelona-bred Primavera Sound, both held in Los Angeles County in 2022, weren’t renewed and even Coachella was unable to sell out this year, Portola’s success is impressive (and warranted). The two-day dance music festival sold out for the first time this year, spiking its estimated attendee count to 45,000, up from 35,000 attendees the past two years.
Justice at Portola Festival 2024. Image: Press
While electronic music festivals proliferate across Europe, they remain more limited in the United States — EDC and Ultra are two of the biggest, geared towards the EDM crowd in the glitzy, bottle service havens of Las Vegas and Miami, respectively. Portola feels much more closely related to Detroit’s Movement, one of the country’s longest-running and most authentic-feeling dance music fests, where people show up to dance.
French electro duo Justice is the undisputed highlight of Portola 2024. Their dizzying new 11-ton light apparatus, debuted at Coachella, enraptures revellers as they mashup their catalogue in a raucous, captivating mix, where Mannequin Love, We Are Your Friends and The Party become one, for example. It’s hard to tell what gear Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé are commanding at their three stations, but the pair spent the captivating 75-minute set carefully attending their synths and controllers, meticulously crafting the sound design live. Even with an annoyingly quiet main stage (likely to avoid noise complaints), Justice still provided a transcendent space trip.
Chicago-bred, SF-based Portola three-time attendee Mike speaks for many of us when naming his favourite sets of the weekend. “JUSTICE in all caps. My friends and I jumped up and down until our bones hurt. The set was truly thrilling and probably a top 10 ever for me…I was looking up their tour schedule afterwards. I want more.”
Soulwax at Portola Festival 2024. Image: Press
Disclosure’s set also stands out; a reminder that the Lawrence brothers’ 2013 debut album Settle still slaps. Their live set is a jovial demonstration of their musicality, with the lads playing drums, bass and synths, even enlisting help from a brass band for Tondo.
Other 2024 highlights include nu-disco queen Jessie Ware, representing the dance pop side of the lineup, who shook it until the Pearls came off in a silver-sequined, pink marabou-lined tunic. Landing a stunning cover of Cher’s Believe, she took a victory lap of the Pier Stage to party with her fans, closing with the unabashed enthusiasm of piano house bop Free Yourself.
Le petite dark prince Gesaffelstein slayed us with his abrasive, sexy synths from up high in his jet-black crystal lair, while Four Tet went into full rave mode in the Warehouse. On the complete other end of the electro spectrum, yet equally captivating, was Peaches with a poignant dose of activism, nudity and full-on camp provided by dancers dressed as vaginas and laugh-out-loud lyrics (see Dick In the Air).
The stacked lineup is the sell for many attendees and something the artists also appreciate. Four Tet could be seen vibing side-stage for Joy Orbison, and Marc Gilfry of funky dance pop outfit Neil Frances tells us that Soulwax’s set was “life-changing” while dancing to Gesaffelstein.
Portola Festival 2024. Image: Press
For Carlita, who played the Warehouse stage with DJ Tennis as their Astra Club duo, the crowd was the highlight of the event. “The vibes were amazing, and I really liked the stage we played. People were really receptive to the music we were playing, and we were going a bit more experimental,” the Turkish-Italian DJ/producer says. “It was a music head crowd. They were not just there to be there; they were there to listen to music.”
The festival is a respite from the city’s notorious unfashionableness, offering residents a vital space to let their creativity shine and freak flags fly, with colourful, sparkly and downright silly attire encouraged. Cute coordinating ‘fits identified friend groups and couples, including an adorable partnered rave raccoon and disco chicken, a nod to Portola’s mascots. While he may have lost his fellow Teletubbies, gay icon Tinky Winky spread unbridled joy as he raged to Justice atop someone’s shoulders.
“We sorely needed a festival like this. People here love to dance (I think noticeably more so than my hometown of Chicago) and Portola is a wonderful venue for that,” Mike adds.
Nia Archives at Portola Festival 2024. Image: Press
It’s refreshing to experience a lineup with an expansive definition of dance music. Portola leans into live electronic acts, including dance pop queens, with a fun helping of millennial nostalgia, including artists ripe for a “comeback,” like Nelly Furtado last year and Natasha Bedingfield and Peaches this year. Yet the decisions to offer M.I.A. a platform to rant about immigration ahead of the election and to keep Róisín Murphy on the 2023 lineup after making anti-trans comments online are deeply questionable.
There are women and people of colour on each lineup, but it could easily be more diverse and representative of dance music’s Black, queer roots in Chicago and Detroit. Futuristic 00’s Bay Area rap group Deltron 3030 was a welcome addition, but it would be nice to see more local acts young and old getting their shine. Portola 2024’s B2Bs were thoughtful, stellar pairings: Astra Club; Ed Banger icons Braxe + Falcon with label head Busy P; earth-rattling techno and electro from Boys Noize and VTSS. A few more pairings would be welcome at future Portolas, including ones uniting younger artists and their elders.
Braxe + Falcon and Busy P at Portola Festival 2024. Image: Press
“Portola is a great lineup. It’s hard to find festivals in the United States where the lineup is focused on good music, there are a lot with lineups that are all over the place,” DJ Tennis asserts. He has some helpful suggestions, though.
“They need to improve the setting because it’s a bit generic. They have to transform the stages into something more special; club-oriented or something [unique]. That’s why I love festivals in Europe like Draaimolen in the Netherlands. They have custom-made visuals and stages and a setting that feels very special.”
DJ Tennis also suggests moving stages be closer to the crowd, to enhance the connection between the artists and fans. Noteworthy moments that collapsed the boundaries of the mainstage—when Jessie Ware danced in the crowd and Justice walked through the middle of the audience to high-five hundreds of fans during The End—underscore this point.
While Goldenvoice noticeably ironed out many of the new event kinks from the first year, 10,000 more guests felt chaotic and intense. Cell service dissipated early in the day, packed stages and very limited rest areas and décor amplified the matter, while bar and bathroom lines remained notably short throughout the event in both GA and VIP. The VIP offering felt worth it, offering prime vantage spots and dancing space at all four stages, with a new VIP area connecting the adjacent Crane and Ship stages this year, making bouncing between them much easier. Yet given the steep starting price point of $440 for GA and $670 for VIP (a slight increase from 2023) and the already not-very-underground idea of offering the latter in the first place, its value is relative. The lack of seating outside of VIP feels cruel, especially considering the ground is asphalt, not grass.
Jessie Ware at Portola Festival 2024. Image: Press
“It’s fun to see how it’s evolved,” Dallas-born, SF-based Christy, whose been to every Portola, reflects. “The lineup is always really great and not oversaturated. There’s only four stages, which is manageable; it’s not too big and it’s easy to get from one stage to the other.”
Portola is now a highlight of California’s music festival scene and electronic-centric North American fests. It’s a much-appreciated homecoming event for Millennial ravers, with a lineup fresh and eclectic enough to have more-than-something for everyone. As it continues to grow, using its platform to highlight the genre’s American-bred OGs and local innovators would be a welcome expansion of its concept.
Read more features on culture, artistry and creativity. 
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Range Media Partners sued by talent giant CAA for alleged theft of confidential informationLawsuit claims that Range is 'an unlicensed talent agency built on deceit'
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John Summit on Collaboration, His New Record Label and Advice to Aspiring DJ/ProducersThis week, Ari talks with John Summit, world-renowned DJ/producer, about how he worked his way from bedroom beats to global success.

H200 headphones from ADAM Audio ADAM Audio’s latest product sees the company take their first step into the headphone world, introducing a new pair of closed-back cans that promise to deliver the same signature sound as their popular range of studio monitors.

CRBN2 headphones’ SLAM acoustic technology offers groundbreaking bass response – but it doesn’t come cheapSony-owned headphone manufacturer Audeze has given one of its flagship products an upgrade. Building on the bones of the original CRBN model, CRBN2 promises an immersive, fully optimised listening experience.
Thanks to Audeze’s very own Symmetric Linear Acoustic Modulator (SLAM) technology, CRBN2 boasts a bass response superior to its predecessor. The acoustic system enhances lower frequencies, giving the earphones a tactile, physical bass sensation.

READ MORE: Best headphones for music producers, DJs and musicians

Audeze argues that its SLAM technology provides an “unmatched” listening experience unlike any other electrostatic headphone on the market right now. The enhanced bass response aims to plant listeners firmly in the world of the track they are listening to, allowing for a truly spatial sonic experience.
Audeze CEO Sankar Thiagasamudram has emphasised this factor, insisting that the company’s latest product will provide a ‘lifelike’ listening experience. “Our goal was to create an immersive experience that truly brings music to life leveraging the audio innovations Audeze is known for,” he says.
“With CRBN2, we’ve pushed the boundaries of electrostatic technology even further, introducing our new SLAM system to deliver the most lifelike bass and transparency ever achieved in an electrostatic headphone,” he asserts.
The headphones are designed with pretty premium materials, so your musical journey will be nice and comfortable. We’ve got leather earpads, a suspension headband, all the carbon fiber you could hope for. And it comes in at a relatively light 480 grams.
The design is inspired by a project to produce headphones that can safely be worn during MRI scans. Headphones with any ferrous metals are a no-go when getting an MRI due to the machine’s powerful magnetic fields. Alongside the UCLA School of Medicine, Audeze developed the carbon-nanotube electrostatic driver.
As well as bring MRI-safe, Audeze’s second-gen carbon-nanotube electrostatic driver pairs nicely with the fresh SLAM technology. The combo is set to offer “exceptional” sound fidelity.
Each pair of CRBN2 headphones is also hand-assembled and tested in California. With that in mind, the company insist means each pair will be of the utmost quality.
CRBN2 headphones can be pre-ordered now for $5,995.00. However, if you already own CRBN headphones, a Loyalty Update Program will allow you to upgrade for just $995.

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The UK ‘hit’ music industry is becoming an import market for US stars.MBW founder Tim Ingham discusses the paucity of British artists making waves in the UK's own charts in 2024
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Graillon 3 is a live voice changer and pitch correction plugin – and you can get it for freeAuburn Sounds has given its Graillon pitch correction plugin a long-awaited facelift: enter Graillon 3.
As Graillon 2 was beloved for its live voice alteration and pitch correction, Graillon 3 offers an enhanced experience. With a fresh UI, built-in effects and an intuitive trio of pitch engines, Auburn Sounds has pulled out all the stops – even for the free version.

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The plugin’s core pitch-shifting technology can now be achieved through three different pitch engines. The selection offers G2, G3 and I1 engines.
G2 entirely recaptures Graillon 2’s classic sound, including the outdated instalment’s flaws and distinctive textures. G3 embodies Graillon 3’s renewed engine, offering Auburn Sounds’ fastest pitch-correction to date, as well as allowing the detection of high notes (unlike G2). However, the best engine seems to be the I1, which utilises Auburn Sounds INNER PITCH pitch-shifter technology. However, while I1 offers the best, most natural pitch-shifting, it is seven times slower than the other modes.

The plugin also comes with a handful of built-in effects; you can toy with compression, gate, preamp, chorus and bitcrusher effects. Thankfully, every effect has been fine-tuned to avoid latency, meaning you can compress vocals to your heart’s content without fear of delay.
Graillon 3 also offers a few other features to tweak how much pitch-correction is at play. The Snap Min feature allows you to minimise correction, enabling you to preserve some of your natural timbre and vibrato. Formant shifting has also been added, allowing you to scale your formant shifting between 0-100 per cent
While the plugin remains free, there are a few features that can only be accessed through purchasing the Full Edition. This includes a doubler effect, and Pitch-Tracking Modulation to allow precise microtonal adjustments.
Graillon 3 also boasts the same CPU-friendly costs as its predecessors. While it offers up a wider range of features and enhanced voice-changing potential, it still wont slog down your system.
Graillon 3 is free to download at Auburn Sounds. The Full Edition upgrade currently costs $29.

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Scalpers offer hundreds of US Oasis tickets before they are on saleTicket scalpers are offering hundreds tickets at grossly inflated prices to upcoming Oasis North America tour dates before they are even on sale.
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Pink Floyd catalogue finally sold in $400 million deal with Sony, reports claimPink Floyd have sold their music catalogue to Sony in a $400 million deal, according to sources.
Original reports that the English rock band were looking to make the sale first began circulating in 2022. The sale was then delayed, allegedly due to “infighting” among band members.

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At the time, a bidder for the catalogue alleged that the strained relationship between bassist Roger Waters and guitarist David Gilmour had “made it impossible” to come to an agreement.
Gilmour shared back in September this year that he was hoping a sale would still go ahead, and confirmed that discussions were ongoing. He told Rolling Stone, “To be rid of the decision making and the arguments that are involved with keeping it going is my dream.”
Now, according to the Financial Times, the sale is believed to have gone ahead, and includes Floyd’s recordings catalogue, neighbouring rights, and also ‘name and likeness’ rights. However, it does not include publishing rights.

According to Music Business Worldwide, it was originally believed that the catalogue had attracted interest from the likes of Warner Music Group, BMG, Hipgnosis, Concord, Primary Wave, and private equity group Blackstone, as well as Sony Music Group.
Back in June, Sony landed the biggest acquisition sale of its kind for the back catalogue of Queen, with a reported record-breaking deal of $1.27 billion. Allegedly, another bidder (who remained anonymous) almost secured the catalogue, but had not offered more than $900 million. As well as Queen, Pink Floyd join artists such as Bruce Springsteen (whose catalogue sold for $500 million) and Bob Dylan, in making such a deal with their music.
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How To Get ISRC Codes & Report Music Sales for Charts to LuminateUnderstanding ISRC codes is crucial for tracking performance and reporting music sales for chart inclusion accurately. Learn how to get ISRC codes and report music sales for charts to Luminate.
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Focusrite completes its fourth gen range with three new Scarlett interfacesFocusrite has completed the fourth generation of its Scarlett range with the arrival of three new interfaces.
The new additions, the Scarlett 16i16, 18i16, and 18i20, bring greater connectivity for modern studio spaces. Scarlett’s fourth generation launched in 2023 and introduced several major advances, but these new products now add more analogue inputs and outputs, front-panel monitor switching, mute control, additional headphone outputs, and even a built-in talkback mic on the 18i20.

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This particular interface is described as an update to the flagship third gen model, and is a rack-mountable USB interface with 18 inputs, including eight advanced fourth generation Scarlett preamps, and 20 outputs. The 18i20 also features additional workflow enhancements so it can operate within complex project studios, including A/B speaker switching for instant referencing on different monitors and eight channels of LED bar metering.
For a smaller set up, the Scarlett 18i16 offers a desktop-format, still with 18 inputs and fourth Gen preamps. It has slightly fewer outputs, with a total of 16. Focusrite says it makes an ideal hub to integrate hardware with a DAW, providing enough analogue and digital I/O to connect a large number of external instruments, processors, and effects.
The Scarlett 16i16 is also made for the desktop, and is the most compact of the trio. It shares the same feature set as the 18i16 but has 16 inputs, two fourth gen preamps, and 16 outputs.

It’s important to note that all three models also offer 122dB of dynamic range – using the flagship RedNet range converters, “found in the world’s best studios” – as well as a re-engineered Air mode and new Harmonic Drive.
They also feature Auto Gain and Clip Safe modes (which can handle up to eight microphones at a time), custom-designed headphone amps, and a refreshed Easy Start tool. Users can also access further settings via a new mobile app, and will receive access to Ableton Live Lite, Pro Tools Artist 3 months, and FL Studio Producer Edition 6 months with their purchase.
The Scarlett 18i20 is priced at £629.99, with the 18i16: at £489.99 and 16i16 at £349.99. Find out more over at Focusrite.
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“Users can easily create bespoke instruments”: Audiomodern launches Soundbox, a fully customisable MPE sampler and instrument platformPaid partnership with Audiomodern.
Audiomodern has unveiled Soundbox, a fully customisable MPE sampler and instrument platform for Windows, MacOS and iPad.
Aiming to introduce “cutting-edge virtual instruments with enhanced power and capability”, Soundbox arrives with a plethora of features built for heavy customisation, allowing users to create “bespoke” instruments from scratch.

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“No code or programming skills are needed…” says Audiomodern. “Users can easily create their own bespoke instruments, with their preferred effects signal chains, their own artwork and colour combinations and share them across devices or with other users with one-click export/import.
Key to mention, too, is that “with respect to the open-source concept”, Soundbox is subscription- and paywall-free. Users must simply pay for the libraries they’d like to use, offering complete control over purchases, and ensuring they only invest on the content that suits their creative needs.
“Our goal is to provide a straightforward and user-friendly experience, allowing you to focus on making music without any unexpected costs,” Audiomodern says.

Soundbox also offers “flawless sound browsing”, with tags for both genre and style, ensuring “rapid access” to your sounds.
There’s also a comprehensive audio and mapping editor, equipped with multiple velocity layers, a group section, and a host of other powerful features.

“With MPE support, modular effects, a Vector engine and powerful modulation engines, Soundbox is designed to be highly extensible, reconfigurable, and fully customisable,” Audiomodern continues.

Soundbox is available to download now for free, with three instruments available for an introductory price of €29 each. They are: Voxmotive, offering “new age and cinematic vocals”; Kromium, for “contemporary abstract strings”; and Cosmo, for “keys and beyond.
To learn more about Soundbox, head to Audiomodern.
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Musician’s Guide to Music Copyright Law [Free Book Excerpt]Get a free peak at the first chapter of Jim Jesse's Musician's Guide to Music Copyright Law [2nd Ed.} The book covers 10 essential rules every artist should know, from understanding copyrights and music publishing to navigating the digital revolution and streaming.
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Auburn Sounds releases Graillon 3 vocal pitch correction tool
Auburn Sounds released the Graillon 3 enhanced vocal pitch correction tool on Tuesday, accompanied by a free version.  Graillon 3 is a Windows, macOS, and Linux release available in VST2, VST3, AAX, AU, and LV2 formats. On the product page, you can choose between downloading the free version or the full version, with the latter [...]
View post: Auburn Sounds releases Graillon 3 vocal pitch correction tool

SSL 2 & 2+ MkII interfaces now available Building on the success of their predecessors, the SSL 2 MkII and SSL 2+ MkII boast performance upgrades and an enhanced set of features that the company say cater to beginners and professionals alike.