Sound Haven is now six years deep in memories, experiences, struggles, and resolutions. By this point, many independent festivals either sell out to their success, or fail by not listening to their core community. Sound Haven has neither sold out nor turned a blind eye to its family. As a result, we’ve watched a grassroots project cement itself in the bass music community as a must-go-to festival that puts family and artists first (with extensive love and care going into sound and curation).
To say this year was wildly successful would be an understatement. No festival or event is immune to its own hiccups (or mother nature), and Sound Haven has had its fair share in the past. But this year was near flawless, and River Beats Dance was lucky enough to be invited to cover the remarkable weekend held in Jaceland.
Just shy of thirteen hours away from the venue (not including stops), I started my journey into the night to the sound heaven, Sound Haven. From New Jersey to Tennessee, an excruciating half-day was spent inside a car and nervously problem-solving a few mishaps along the way.
Attitudes were positive nonetheless and by sunrise I finally found myself breathing fresher air than up North, enjoying the beautiful weather, and planning to grab some Bojangles with the boys before our final Walmart trip ahead of the festival.
Entry
While I wasn’t fortunate enough to make it in time for Wednesday’s pre-party, Thursday still boasted more than enough to make up for it. Not to mention the rest of the weekend. My RV was secured and I was eagerly heading down the long dirt road once again.
Unlike last year, not only did we have clear skies upon entry, but they were also prepared for potential storms and a line the likes of 2023. With the entrance being such a narrow dirt road with no pavement, a torrential downpour was its worst enemy last year. This forced an insane amount of attendees to completely miss the pre-party, some of which were stuck in their cars in line for upwards of sixteen hours (I was one of them).
This year, fresh gravel was laid out quite far, and plenty of it. Add to that, there was almost no line and plenty of staff working, making entry an absolute breeze.
Day 1 – KursaCATT on Veros & Deep Diving 140 on E5s
The UFO stage looked as good as she always does, with the Funktion-One Vero system being pushed to its limits early by Feelmonger. The energy was steadily rising throughout the night and the curation felt perfect so far.
Tiedye Ky delivered a phenomenal performance that felt refreshing, as he always does. I heard “Never Cage a Butterfly” from a distance and immediately caught goosebumps thinking back to the first time I had heard the song played out live at a HiJinx afterparty. smith. took the stage after and properly started turning the energy up a few notches as the night sky took over Jaceland’s natural amphitheater, with Black Carl! following up and maintaining a high energy of his own.
Capping off the first night at UFO was just sonic mayhem. Kursa B2B COPYCATT with Truffula on visuals was madness. It wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was everything I didn’t know I wanted and needed. The two musical scientists went to absolute work on those Vero’s and explored every corner of the melodic spectrum before EPROM closed it out with an iconic Vault set that explored any other corner Kursa and COPYCATT may have missed.
With our brains already scrambled, we made our way over to the Planetary stage to be blown away by the Element 5 system, literally. Upon walking up to it, I immediately noticed some upgrades in production. A bit bigger in build, with some larger screens in the middle and on either side. All tied together by some incredible light and laser work.
Thursday was stacked up with some OGs in the 140 game and some new blood as well.
Opening up the E5’s first was Pushloop, followed by The Widdler treating us to a ton of new ID’s from his forthcoming album. This was two hours of sub-chasing madness that set the tone for Planetary. Criso stayed true to his Sound Haven reputation and put on another clinic with energy that’s near impossible to match, followed by IDHS, and then Sol Good to close out Sound Haven’s first night.
Day 2 – Pre-rain Saka Todd, Post-rain barnacle Bread
After a decent amount of sleep, I was up early and ready to explore a little bit. I spoke with a few staff members and was told that about 70% of ticket holders were scanned in as of that morning. Needless to say, vibes were high and the crowd was ready for music.
Not making it out to Kouch Kollective last year made it a must-see. Especially with the lineup they had and becoming an official stage this year. Early afternoon hours brought me over there for Headnod, where he was taking full advantage of the massive Hennessey system.
The UFO stage started out strong once again with sets by Ozztin, Tree Gaud, Ghost Lotus, and DMVU seamlessly flowing into one another to start everything off. Then, once Saka appeared on stage, the energy shifted into party mode.
It’s never a dull hour when you catch Saka, and this was no different. Freddy Todd followed up with no remorse for your brain. He unleashed all of his weird and wonderful sounds, some BLAAP IDs, and a killer stage presence.
I had been scouring the weather all weekend as usual and everything looked golden until Friday night, a possible rain storm. We were almost in the clear, but who knows? Maybe it won’t be so bad.
barnacle boi began ushering in a chiller vibe that fit the increasingly cloudy skies and I began to forget about the potential weather warning. Not long into barnacle boi’s set, it begins to absolutely pour. I gathered my things and ran back to camp drenched. Due to the severity of the storm, as well as lightning, all music was responsibly pushed back. Fortunately, the rain didn’t last long and music went on as scheduled after a one-hour delay.
Though I missed being in the crowd for the rest of the UFO stage’s music block, I was also camped behind it where I was able to graciously hear any music from my camp as well. After drying some essentials off and getting myself together, I started out for Planetary again where I felt the magnetizing pull of the E5s.
ONHELL kicked off the night with an extremely versatile set that had me thoroughly impressed. It was during this set, however, that I confirmed that Monty and Joker could no longer make it due to travel issues. Although a huge blow to lose two names that carry such weight, there was no way it would dampen the weekend as a whole.
Rather than Monty taking the stage after ONHELL, we moved right into Hyroglifics. From liquid to neuro to breaks, Hyroglifics scaled the drum and bass mountains and played it all, even rinsing out one of Alix Perez’s most recent tunes, “Elastic Soul,” off of his forthcoming album.
Tunic’s time came thereafter where he set the sound system ablaze. Dawning a bunch of forthcoming releases and some fan favorites, the New Jersey native had the late-night crowd wide awake and super-glued to the Element 5s.
A bit confused as to where the scheduling went after and feeling the fatigue starting to creep up on me, I began to pack up a bit and slowly make my way back to camp to wait and unwind to Skeler’s Night Drive set.
Day 3 – Daytime Renegade Shenanigans, EAZYTrees, and VCTRE’s Sunrise
Saturday at the UFO stage started with Baltimore-based producer, Togeki. Having been a fan for quite a while, I was excited to finally catch a set and he did not miss. I did my digging between stage lineups to decide what kind of absurdity I wanted to experience next and only one answer seemed right- Criso B2B Torcha renegade set in the GA campgrounds, hosted by Future Antique.
Without a doubt, the ideal 140 combination. Last year I was lucky enough to catch their daytime renegade as well and the “My Humps” acapella over “Shake Junt” still lives in my head rent-free. A deep bag full of IDs and some heavy-hitting favorites kept the sound system and the crowd fed. This was one of my most anticipated sets and it exceeded expectations.
After mustering up some energy and cooling off for a bit, I made my way back over to UFO for an hour of downtempo bliss with none other than Supertask. Supertask has been steadily in my rotation for years now, and every time I’ve seen him it’s been completely fresh and focused. The mellow sunset and calm crowd made this one of the more surreal moments throughout the weekend.
Lumasi and Chmura followed and took the crowd into the night. Both played impressive sets with feel-good energy and kept the crowd full of vitality, reminding us that we’re just getting started for the night.
EAZYBAKED was next to step into the spotlight. You can always expect to get rowdy when these two show up, and Saturday night we did exactly that. They played out some new tunes that included an out-of-control “Certified VIP,” a Caspa collab, some old fan favorites like “Bandzzz,” and even paid homage to the dearly missed CharlesTheFirst.
Closing out the UFO stage on Saturday was the big dog on the lineup, Of The Trees. Watching an artist like him grow from daytime sets at Big Dub to headlining slots at Sound Haven has been unbelievable. He is an artist who deserves every bit of success that he’s worked for. He’s leveled up his production and mixing capabilities beyond what I ever would have imagined and this set showcased it perfectly.
Marveling once more at the elusive Element 5 system, I was ready and willing for the beating I was about to take from Torcha’s solo set with Rakjay on the mic. The energy in the crowd said it all. This was undoubtedly one of the most hyped sets of the festival.
Distinct Motive took us to class for an hour and served up some illegal dubplates, with Chef Boyarbeatz exploring his own genre pallet afterward. With dubstep’s OG, Joker, not being able to make it out to Jaceland, the lineup continued to roll through with Don Jamal and SHMUX warping sounds as scheduled, just an hour earlier.
In place of Joker, we were given a gift from the sound design gods, a VCTRE chill set at sunrise. The excitement was immeasurable. I hadn’t properly been awake for a sunrise set in years, but this was not something I could afford to miss. VCTRE played us into the sunrise with a tone and essence so perfectly fit, that it almost brought tears to my eyes. About halfway through, “Seasons” dropped and nothing else mattered anymore. This was an ideal way to end Saturday and start Sunday.
Day 4 – pheel.ing The Music, Resonant VIP, and Getting Micked
The final day. Day four. Is this even possible? all:Lo takeover, Resonant Language, Mickman… How does a lineup get better than this?
The UFO stage had the Vero’s sounding extra crispy today.
Flintwick set the last day in motion along with some other exceptional sets by Humandala and Daggz, followed by Crawdad Sniper and the all:Lo takeover. This entire block of music was curated so well, that it’s almost hard to believe it happened. The all:Lo takeover produced one of, if not, the best pheel. sets I’ve ever heard.
Right after Thought Process took us through his minefield of sonic explosions, we moved up a bit closer for Resonant Language and prepared for lunacy. VIP after VIP, soul-snatching visuals provided by Diethylamide and Arkitekt, and a Funktion-One Vero system. Does it get any better? You never knew what was coming next. You think he’s moving left, he moves right. You prepare to wiggle, but instead, you melt.
After that mind-bending set, you couldn’t help but wonder – What does Mickman have in store for us? This set was not for the faint of heart. Seeing Mickman tear apart the Portal stage at Secret Dreams only a couple of weeks ago, I was curious how different this set would be. The short answer? Completely. He eased everybody in gently, knowing exactly what he was about to do. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was all gas, no brakes. The pit was a perpetual dancefloor with not one still body, exactly how it should be, and Papabear’s visuals paired perfectly.
The UFO stage was done for the weekend, with not a single boring moment there. On to the Planetary stage for one last round. Medicine Place commenced the latter half of the night with Mikrodot B2B Salty bringing a dose of salt to the dinner table afterward.
My heart was full, my mind was motivated, and my body was tired. I had gotten everything I needed and started my way back to camp where I was able to ease up and listen to the remaining music comfortably. Veil, Wiley, and Basura all fit into the final night’s curation at Planetary like missing puzzle pieces. The secret set, Chmura B2B Daggz, was the final set of the weekend, properly closing out the festival.
Festival Grounds
The festival grounds this year had not changed too much. We did see larger shaded areas though, along with plenty of gravel laid out to prevent anybody getting stuck.
There was definitely no shortage of visual art either. On top of a stacked VJ lineup at both stages, the UFO stage also had its entire left border lined with live painters and stunning art that was hard to not stop and gaze at when walking through the crowd. The Planetary stage also had some live painters and art installations along its left side as well, which made for some amazing progress check-ups. There was even a live glass blowing booth hosted by Level 42 Gallery & Studio.
Food vendors were plentiful. Whether you were looking for a gourmet grilled cheese, some pizza, hibachi, or some refreshing Space Fruit smoothies, they had it covered. Split amongst both stages, any food or beverage was in extremely close range, making the decision to refuel easy since you wouldn’t be missing much. The same things apply to any merch and clothing vendors. Only a stone’s throw away, and plenty of familiar faces like Morphis and Reddy Threads to support.
This year also saw the return of Sound Haven’s sober camp. A nice place to relax, get away from the party, and convene with others on a similar journey. There was truly something for everybody. With a full schedule of workshops scattered throughout the weekend as well, you never found yourself bored. Want to learn Kendama? Trying to unwind with some yoga? Ever wanted to get into flow arts? There were workshops for it all. Late at night near Planetary, there was even a massive fire spinning circle.
For anybody who still found themselves with nothing to do in the mornings between workshops and music, there was an hour before music started each day that was devoted to listening to vinyl live on the Funktion VERO system at UFO. A brilliant idea that was executed well with prime choices made in regard to what records were chosen.
Overall Experience
Sound Haven 2024 was impressive, to say the least. It was a weekend that provided a communal sense of comradery, emphasized the underground, and put the culture first. All of which have become increasingly unfamiliar in today’s festival circuit. It’s sincerely tough to put into words what exactly I experienced because it was unlike any other festival I’ve ever attended. The key to most of these events is individuality. What sets it apart from the rest. Sound Haven just has so much going for it that makes it as special as it is.
Having no conflicts is huge. Sound ordinances can completely kill the vibe and ruin the night. A lot of artists don’t get proper sound representation because of it, and people become upset. Jaceland doesn’t know low volume and it makes a world of a difference in keeping the night flowing.
In addition to no conflicts, you get some of the best sound in the world at Sound Haven. The UFO stage boasted a fat Funktion One Vero VX system supplied by Inter-Dimensional Guidance Group, while the Planetary stage got to flex the only Element 5 system deployed in the US provided by Boom Audio and Visual.
The renegade stages were even set up with proper sound. Kouch Kollective had a massive system provided by Hennessey Sound, and Future Antique provided sound with Rumble Bee for the Future Antique stage in the GA campgrounds. Let it be known that the only good system is a sound system.
Being run by three incredible collectives has kept the Sound Haven family running strong. Sacred Hive is a Nashville-based, underground-focused music collective where it all started. Not limited to throwing immaculate events, they also have their own label and provide artist management as well. Wobble Factory is a staple in the scene. Meshing quality streetwear with our culture’s customs has made them a frequent collaborator amongst many of our favorite artists. Kouch Kollective is a collective and promotion company based out of NC. If you’ve poked your head around the right corners, you should be familiar with them. They are a cohesive and closely connected part of our community with their own roster of impressive talent as well.
Praise and Feedback
It’s difficult to find anything negative to say about such a festival. Many things were upgraded and corrected which left very little to be desired. The hissing sound of tanks throughout sets was exceptionally minimal, the rain storm was handled with ease, they worked fast to find replacements for Monty and Joker, and the med tent didn’t have any attendees in it every time that I passed it.
The few suggestions that I have for organizers to keep in mind for the future, come down to attendee transparency and notification. Finding out that Joker and Monty couldn’t make it had everybody trying to figure out who would fill those slots. While Sound Haven did announce VCTRE as the replacement for Joker on Saturday night, nobody could figure out who was playing in place of Monty and sadly, I never found out.
Another suggestion would be to have a clear VJ and artist pairing schedule rather than having to guess who’s on visuals for who. We haven’t seen a pairing lineup since 2022 and we hope to see it return next year. Being able to know exactly what food vendors are going to be there would be handy as well. A full list of food vendors would help many attendees be able to plan meals accordingly, or grocery shop accordingly if nothing fits into their diet. That said, issues weren’t prevalent or big at all.
Sound Haven should be beyond proud of what six years of hard work has grown into. I cannot stress enough how much I recommend this festival to become part of your annual plans. We know it’s a part of ours.
Make sure to keep up with Sound Haven in the links below and continue watching River Beats Dance for anything and everything Sound Haven-related!
Follow Sound Haven:
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Sound Haven is now six years deep in memories, experiences, struggles, and resolutions. By this point, many independent festivals either sell out to their success, or fail by not listening to their core community. Sound Haven has neither sold out nor turned a blind eye to its family. As a result, we’ve watched a grassroots project cement itself in the bass music community as a must-go-to festival that puts family and artists first (with extensive love and care going into sound and curation).
To say this year was wildly successful would be an understatement. No festival or event is immune to its own hiccups (or mother nature), and Sound Haven has had its fair share in the past. But this year was near flawless, and River Beats Dance was lucky enough to be invited to cover the remarkable weekend held in Jaceland.
Just shy of thirteen hours away from the venue (not including stops), I started my journey into the night to the sound heaven, Sound Haven. From New Jersey to Tennessee, an excruciating half-day was spent inside a car and nervously problem-solving a few mishaps along the way.
Attitudes were positive nonetheless and by sunrise I finally found myself breathing fresher air than up North, enjoying the beautiful weather, and planning to grab some Bojangles with the boys before our final Walmart trip ahead of the festival.
Entry
While I wasn’t fortunate enough to make it in time for Wednesday’s pre-party, Thursday still boasted more than enough to make up for it. Not to mention the rest of the weekend. My RV was secured and I was eagerly heading down the long dirt road once again.
Unlike last year, not only did we have clear skies upon entry, but they were also prepared for potential storms and a line the likes of 2023. With the entrance being such a narrow dirt road with no pavement, a torrential downpour was its worst enemy last year. This forced an insane amount of attendees to completely miss the pre-party, some of which were stuck in their cars in line for upwards of sixteen hours (I was one of them).
This year, fresh gravel was laid out quite far, and plenty of it. Add to that, there was almost no line and plenty of staff working, making entry an absolute breeze.
Day 1 – KursaCATT on Veros & Deep Diving 140 on E5s
The UFO stage looked as good as she always does, with the Funktion-One Vero system being pushed to its limits early by Feelmonger. The energy was steadily rising throughout the night and the curation felt perfect so far.
Tiedye Ky delivered a phenomenal performance that felt refreshing, as he always does. I heard “Never Cage a Butterfly” from a distance and immediately caught goosebumps thinking back to the first time I had heard the song played out live at a HiJinx afterparty. smith. took the stage after and properly started turning the energy up a few notches as the night sky took over Jaceland’s natural amphitheater, with Black Carl! following up and maintaining a high energy of his own.
Capping off the first night at UFO was just sonic mayhem. Kursa B2B COPYCATT with Truffula on visuals was madness. It wasn’t at all what I expected, but it was everything I didn’t know I wanted and needed. The two musical scientists went to absolute work on those Vero’s and explored every corner of the melodic spectrum before EPROM closed it out with an iconic Vault set that explored any other corner Kursa and COPYCATT may have missed.
With our brains already scrambled, we made our way over to the Planetary stage to be blown away by the Element 5 system, literally. Upon walking up to it, I immediately noticed some upgrades in production. A bit bigger in build, with some larger screens in the middle and on either side. All tied together by some incredible light and laser work.
Thursday was stacked up with some OGs in the 140 game and some new blood as well.
Opening up the E5’s first was Pushloop, followed by The Widdler treating us to a ton of new ID’s from his forthcoming album. This was two hours of sub-chasing madness that set the tone for Planetary. Criso stayed true to his Sound Haven reputation and put on another clinic with energy that’s near impossible to match, followed by IDHS, and then Sol Good to close out Sound Haven’s first night.
Day 2 – Pre-rain Saka Todd, Post-rain barnacle Bread
After a decent amount of sleep, I was up early and ready to explore a little bit. I spoke with a few staff members and was told that about 70% of ticket holders were scanned in as of that morning. Needless to say, vibes were high and the crowd was ready for music.
Not making it out to Kouch Kollective last year made it a must-see. Especially with the lineup they had and becoming an official stage this year. Early afternoon hours brought me over there for Headnod, where he was taking full advantage of the massive Hennessey system.
The UFO stage started out strong once again with sets by Ozztin, Tree Gaud, Ghost Lotus, and DMVU seamlessly flowing into one another to start everything off. Then, once Saka appeared on stage, the energy shifted into party mode.
It’s never a dull hour when you catch Saka, and this was no different. Freddy Todd followed up with no remorse for your brain. He unleashed all of his weird and wonderful sounds, some BLAAP IDs, and a killer stage presence.
I had been scouring the weather all weekend as usual and everything looked golden until Friday night, a possible rain storm. We were almost in the clear, but who knows? Maybe it won’t be so bad.
barnacle boi began ushering in a chiller vibe that fit the increasingly cloudy skies and I began to forget about the potential weather warning. Not long into barnacle boi’s set, it begins to absolutely pour. I gathered my things and ran back to camp drenched. Due to the severity of the storm, as well as lightning, all music was responsibly pushed back. Fortunately, the rain didn’t last long and music went on as scheduled after a one-hour delay.
Though I missed being in the crowd for the rest of the UFO stage’s music block, I was also camped behind it where I was able to graciously hear any music from my camp as well. After drying some essentials off and getting myself together, I started out for Planetary again where I felt the magnetizing pull of the E5s.
ONHELL kicked off the night with an extremely versatile set that had me thoroughly impressed. It was during this set, however, that I confirmed that Monty and Joker could no longer make it due to travel issues. Although a huge blow to lose two names that carry such weight, there was no way it would dampen the weekend as a whole.
Rather than Monty taking the stage after ONHELL, we moved right into Hyroglifics. From liquid to neuro to breaks, Hyroglifics scaled the drum and bass mountains and played it all, even rinsing out one of Alix Perez’s most recent tunes, “Elastic Soul,” off of his forthcoming album.
Tunic’s time came thereafter where he set the sound system ablaze. Dawning a bunch of forthcoming releases and some fan favorites, the New Jersey native had the late-night crowd wide awake and super-glued to the Element 5s.
A bit confused as to where the scheduling went after and feeling the fatigue starting to creep up on me, I began to pack up a bit and slowly make my way back to camp to wait and unwind to Skeler’s Night Drive set.
Day 3 – Daytime Renegade Shenanigans, EAZYTrees, and VCTRE’s Sunrise
Saturday at the UFO stage started with Baltimore-based producer, Togeki. Having been a fan for quite a while, I was excited to finally catch a set and he did not miss. I did my digging between stage lineups to decide what kind of absurdity I wanted to experience next and only one answer seemed right- Criso B2B Torcha renegade set in the GA campgrounds, hosted by Future Antique.
Without a doubt, the ideal 140 combination. Last year I was lucky enough to catch their daytime renegade as well and the “My Humps” acapella over “Shake Junt” still lives in my head rent-free. A deep bag full of IDs and some heavy-hitting favorites kept the sound system and the crowd fed. This was one of my most anticipated sets and it exceeded expectations.
After mustering up some energy and cooling off for a bit, I made my way back over to UFO for an hour of downtempo bliss with none other than Supertask. Supertask has been steadily in my rotation for years now, and every time I’ve seen him it’s been completely fresh and focused. The mellow sunset and calm crowd made this one of the more surreal moments throughout the weekend.
Lumasi and Chmura followed and took the crowd into the night. Both played impressive sets with feel-good energy and kept the crowd full of vitality, reminding us that we’re just getting started for the night.
EAZYBAKED was next to step into the spotlight. You can always expect to get rowdy when these two show up, and Saturday night we did exactly that. They played out some new tunes that included an out-of-control “Certified VIP,” a Caspa collab, some old fan favorites like “Bandzzz,” and even paid homage to the dearly missed CharlesTheFirst.
Closing out the UFO stage on Saturday was the big dog on the lineup, Of The Trees. Watching an artist like him grow from daytime sets at Big Dub to headlining slots at Sound Haven has been unbelievable. He is an artist who deserves every bit of success that he’s worked for. He’s leveled up his production and mixing capabilities beyond what I ever would have imagined and this set showcased it perfectly.
Marveling once more at the elusive Element 5 system, I was ready and willing for the beating I was about to take from Torcha’s solo set with Rakjay on the mic. The energy in the crowd said it all. This was undoubtedly one of the most hyped sets of the festival.
Distinct Motive took us to class for an hour and served up some illegal dubplates, with Chef Boyarbeatz exploring his own genre pallet afterward. With dubstep’s OG, Joker, not being able to make it out to Jaceland, the lineup continued to roll through with Don Jamal and SHMUX warping sounds as scheduled, just an hour earlier.
In place of Joker, we were given a gift from the sound design gods, a VCTRE chill set at sunrise. The excitement was immeasurable. I hadn’t properly been awake for a sunrise set in years, but this was not something I could afford to miss. VCTRE played us into the sunrise with a tone and essence so perfectly fit, that it almost brought tears to my eyes. About halfway through, “Seasons” dropped and nothing else mattered anymore. This was an ideal way to end Saturday and start Sunday.
Day 4 – pheel.ing The Music, Resonant VIP, and Getting Micked
The final day. Day four. Is this even possible? all:Lo takeover, Resonant Language, Mickman… How does a lineup get better than this?
The UFO stage had the Vero’s sounding extra crispy today.
Flintwick set the last day in motion along with some other exceptional sets by Humandala and Daggz, followed by Crawdad Sniper and the all:Lo takeover. This entire block of music was curated so well, that it’s almost hard to believe it happened. The all:Lo takeover produced one of, if not, the best pheel. sets I’ve ever heard.
Right after Thought Process took us through his minefield of sonic explosions, we moved up a bit closer for Resonant Language and prepared for lunacy. VIP after VIP, soul-snatching visuals provided by Diethylamide and Arkitekt, and a Funktion-One Vero system. Does it get any better? You never knew what was coming next. You think he’s moving left, he moves right. You prepare to wiggle, but instead, you melt.
After that mind-bending set, you couldn’t help but wonder – What does Mickman have in store for us? This set was not for the faint of heart. Seeing Mickman tear apart the Portal stage at Secret Dreams only a couple of weeks ago, I was curious how different this set would be. The short answer? Completely. He eased everybody in gently, knowing exactly what he was about to do. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was all gas, no brakes. The pit was a perpetual dancefloor with not one still body, exactly how it should be, and Papabear’s visuals paired perfectly.
The UFO stage was done for the weekend, with not a single boring moment there. On to the Planetary stage for one last round. Medicine Place commenced the latter half of the night with Mikrodot B2B Salty bringing a dose of salt to the dinner table afterward.
My heart was full, my mind was motivated, and my body was tired. I had gotten everything I needed and started my way back to camp where I was able to ease up and listen to the remaining music comfortably. Veil, Wiley, and Basura all fit into the final night’s curation at Planetary like missing puzzle pieces. The secret set, Chmura B2B Daggz, was the final set of the weekend, properly closing out the festival.
Festival Grounds
The festival grounds this year had not changed too much. We did see larger shaded areas though, along with plenty of gravel laid out to prevent anybody getting stuck.
There was definitely no shortage of visual art either. On top of a stacked VJ lineup at both stages, the UFO stage also had its entire left border lined with live painters and stunning art that was hard to not stop and gaze at when walking through the crowd. The Planetary stage also had some live painters and art installations along its left side as well, which made for some amazing progress check-ups. There was even a live glass blowing booth hosted by Level 42 Gallery & Studio.
Food vendors were plentiful. Whether you were looking for a gourmet grilled cheese, some pizza, hibachi, or some refreshing Space Fruit smoothies, they had it covered. Split amongst both stages, any food or beverage was in extremely close range, making the decision to refuel easy since you wouldn’t be missing much. The same things apply to any merch and clothing vendors. Only a stone’s throw away, and plenty of familiar faces like Morphis and Reddy Threads to support.
This year also saw the return of Sound Haven’s sober camp. A nice place to relax, get away from the party, and convene with others on a similar journey. There was truly something for everybody. With a full schedule of workshops scattered throughout the weekend as well, you never found yourself bored. Want to learn Kendama? Trying to unwind with some yoga? Ever wanted to get into flow arts? There were workshops for it all. Late at night near Planetary, there was even a massive fire spinning circle.
For anybody who still found themselves with nothing to do in the mornings between workshops and music, there was an hour before music started each day that was devoted to listening to vinyl live on the Funktion VERO system at UFO. A brilliant idea that was executed well with prime choices made in regard to what records were chosen.
Overall Experience
Sound Haven 2024 was impressive, to say the least. It was a weekend that provided a communal sense of comradery, emphasized the underground, and put the culture first. All of which have become increasingly unfamiliar in today’s festival circuit. It’s sincerely tough to put into words what exactly I experienced because it was unlike any other festival I’ve ever attended. The key to most of these events is individuality. What sets it apart from the rest. Sound Haven just has so much going for it that makes it as special as it is.
Having no conflicts is huge. Sound ordinances can completely kill the vibe and ruin the night. A lot of artists don’t get proper sound representation because of it, and people become upset. Jaceland doesn’t know low volume and it makes a world of a difference in keeping the night flowing.
In addition to no conflicts, you get some of the best sound in the world at Sound Haven. The UFO stage boasted a fat Funktion One Vero VX system supplied by Inter-Dimensional Guidance Group, while the Planetary stage got to flex the only Element 5 system deployed in the US provided by Boom Audio and Visual.
The renegade stages were even set up with proper sound. Kouch Kollective had a massive system provided by Hennessey Sound, and Future Antique provided sound with Rumble Bee for the Future Antique stage in the GA campgrounds. Let it be known that the only good system is a sound system.
Being run by three incredible collectives has kept the Sound Haven family running strong. Sacred Hive is a Nashville-based, underground-focused music collective where it all started. Not limited to throwing immaculate events, they also have their own label and provide artist management as well. Wobble Factory is a staple in the scene. Meshing quality streetwear with our culture’s customs has made them a frequent collaborator amongst many of our favorite artists. Kouch Kollective is a collective and promotion company based out of NC. If you’ve poked your head around the right corners, you should be familiar with them. They are a cohesive and closely connected part of our community with their own roster of impressive talent as well.
Praise and Feedback
It’s difficult to find anything negative to say about such a festival. Many things were upgraded and corrected which left very little to be desired. The hissing sound of tanks throughout sets was exceptionally minimal, the rain storm was handled with ease, they worked fast to find replacements for Monty and Joker, and the med tent didn’t have any attendees in it every time that I passed it.
The few suggestions that I have for organizers to keep in mind for the future, come down to attendee transparency and notification. Finding out that Joker and Monty couldn’t make it had everybody trying to figure out who would fill those slots. While Sound Haven did announce VCTRE as the replacement for Joker on Saturday night, nobody could figure out who was playing in place of Monty and sadly, I never found out.
Another suggestion would be to have a clear VJ and artist pairing schedule rather than having to guess who’s on visuals for who. We haven’t seen a pairing lineup since 2022 and we hope to see it return next year. Being able to know exactly what food vendors are going to be there would be handy as well. A full list of food vendors would help many attendees be able to plan meals accordingly, or grocery shop accordingly if nothing fits into their diet. That said, issues weren’t prevalent or big at all.
Sound Haven should be beyond proud of what six years of hard work has grown into. I cannot stress enough how much I recommend this festival to become part of your annual plans. We know it’s a part of ours.
Make sure to keep up with Sound Haven in the links below and continue watching River Beats Dance for anything and everything Sound Haven-related!
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