Midweek Mantra Mix 039: Liquid Bloom brings ecstatic dance to Costa Rica
Wednesday is humpday, which not only marks the halfway point between the work week and the coveted weekend, but also Conscious Electronic’s Midweek Mantra Mix (M3). We’ve been scouring the web’s most enlightening bass music mixes that align with our vision: to provide “a conscious way to consume dance music.” M3 spotlights both veteran and up-and-coming bass music artists whose music seeks to raise the vibrations of their collective listener base.
For two decades, Amani Friend has been elevating the spirits of his fan base. One half of the legendary duo Desert Dwellers, he has also explored his own musical path, creating and collaborating with a host of musicians from across the world, while carving out a distinct and memorable sound. His solo music project, Liquid Bloom, draws on a variety of influences, bringing his spiritually uplifting world sound to yoga retreats, meditation ceremonies, and other conscious gatherings.
One such event was at the Danyasa Yoga Retreat Center in 2018, where he played for a two-hour ecstatic dance session. Based on Costa Rica’s stunning southern Pacific coast, the retreat center is a place for the conscious-minded to gather. It is also one of the sites nearby the Envision Festival grounds. As excitement builds for the environmentally-minded festival, we again celebrate its host of educational and healing workshops and a staggeringly talented music lineup, all taking place in the verdant jungle of Costa Rica.
Liquid Bloom’s mix from this ecstatic dance features both artists who have graced Envision’s stages in the past and some who will be performing there in February. With selections from Desert Dwellers, ATYYA, Hedflux, Deya Dova, Nicola Cruz, and more, the nearly two-and-a-half-hour mix proves Amani Friend’s prowess not only as both a producer and a curator. The mix becomes a spiritual journey through movement and sound, making it the perfect Midweek Mantra Mix. Although Desert Dwellers are not on Envision’s 2020 lineup, there is no doubt that the vibrations they’ve brought to Costa Rica in the past are continuing to reverberate throughout the community.
Moving through tribal instrumentation, world music, chanting, and other ancient incantations, this selection of music expertly blends past and future in one of the most eco-conscious communities in the world. The spirit of love and connection radiating out from a myriad of gatherings and healing centers in Costa Rica can be felt through the music as Liquid Bloom dives deep into holistic bass music.
