Elements Music & Art Festival 2016 Review

Stephanie Kazhiloti | August 18, 2016

From the moment I walked into the Elements Festival and saw the abandoned boats resting on top of the gorgeous blue water that was surrounding Brooklyn's industrial Red Hook Grain Terminal, I had a gut feeling that this festival was going to be the most soul-feeding, stimulating, and groovy experience of my entire life.

I'm gonna be 100 percent honest, I've been to a lot of fests in my day, but I don't think I've been to one that perfected every little detail about the festival, from the all-star lineup featuring the best underground and big-name talent, or just the overall aesthetic of the festival.

-Photo Credit: Chris Lazzaro | Freedom Film LLC-

I felt like a kid in a candy shop as I walked in and saw the variety of vendors selling crystals, apparel, jewelry, trippy art, and the interactive attractions like body painting and hair-braiding.

But everything came to a halt when I saw that there was a bouncy house; it happened to be scorching hot that weekend so I was convinced that this massive bouncy house was just a mirage, but alas, it was ALL REAL. And yes, my inner child was screaming from happiness because who doesn't love bouncy houses? All I could think to myself was "man, if this is just from the first 10 minutes I walked in, then what is everything else gonna be like?"

"Berlin, Buschwick and Burning Man" are the terms that were used to describe Elements and it fits the fest to a T. It's like mini version of Burning Man in the heart of Brooklyn with the best underground and big-name talent in the game.

The vibes that the people brought this year were super funky and infectious, and the first place I took myself to experience these vibes at was the fifth Element stage, a cozy little brick house that was covered in tarps and lights- the Desert Hearts stage.

-Photo Credit: JAYKSPhotography-

A moment that I'm going to keep with me until I'm a granny was seeing David Hohme flash a smile as he played house and techno tracks that left you covered in chills, and seeing people in the crowd close their eyes and smile as they grooved along to the same beat.

Watching all these gorgeous souls blowing bubbles that filled up the room and fanning their fellow neighbors that they didn't even know to help cool them off from the heat; I couldn't explain what that moment was like. Everyone was connected by their love for the music and by their souls, and I wanna personally thank BangON! NYC for making this moment possible because moments like theses are what all of us live for.

-Photo Credit: Tod Seelie-

As I wandered deeper into the festival, I found myself at the Fire stage surrounded by huge tires and smashed cars and motorcycles that really emphasized on the whole industrial rugged theme of the stage.

There were dancers and professional acts wielding rods of fire which was definitely anxiety-inducing to watch, but also mind-blowing because they looked like a fire-bender from Avatar.

-Photo Credit: Tod Seelie-

Each stage felt like its own little village and world of its own. I felt free and peaceful as I sashayed my way on over to the Water stage upon passing a giant 10-foot skeleton puppet that was controlled and towered over by fest-goers.

Arriving just in time to catch The Golden Pony throw down some groovy tunes, the MixMag-curated Water stage was wrapped in leaves and decorations, such as gold merman's and mermaid's holding Poseidon torches. There was also a gorgeous view of the Brooklyn waterfront. Headlining the Water stage were acts such as Klingande, Claptone and Le Youth.

-Photo Credit: Tod Seelie-

As I made my way on over to the Air stage, which as beautifully covered in patterned tarps and nested right in the middle of the boarding dock, my ears were filled with deep, chilling beats from artists like Yokoo and BLOND:ISH that felt like a breath of fresh air.

Prying myself away from the Air stage so that I could check out the the last stage, my body began to gravitate towards the bass coming from the core-rattling Earth stage. And the one serving up these earth shattering beats was none other than bass-wizard Ghastly himself, throwing down right before Mija.

-Photo Credit: Chris Lazzaro | Freedom Film LLC-

And guess what, fam? I was able to achieve my lifelong dream of breaking it down on top of an art car. The same cannot be said for my friend however, who somehow managed to fall down the ladder of the art car, so one thing was learned from this weekend: always climb the art cars with caution, kids.

So now here I am, experiencing major Elements withdrawal and twiddling my thumbs as I wait for next year to be back at my sanctuary of art, infectious vibes and top-notch music that just leaves you feeling exhilarated.

Elements was my safe haven. Thank you to BangOn! NYC for putting on an event that truly is exceptional and for setting a new standard as to what music festivals should be. See you all you funky souls again next year!