Together Boston
Together Boston is an annual electronic music and arts festival based in the Boston and Cambridge, Massachusetts area. It was first held in 2010. Through a week-long series of educational and professional discussions, demonstrations, installations, screenings and performances at venues around the Boston/Cambridge area, Together Boston attracts thousands of people every year and has increased its attendance every year as a primary New England area music festival. Originally based in Boston proper, Together's office and primary venue locations lie across the Charles River in Central Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts, frequenting locations such as The Sinclair, The Middle East (nightclub)
2016
For its seventh year, the festival honed in on its more technological side. Three different installations were included at the Middlesex Lounge, including the incredible Lumen Octangula programmed by Theresa Silver. Downstairs in the Middle East, meanwhile, featured an LED wall behind the stage for the first time. Other outstanding technologists participated all week long. Finally, the riveting and electric performance of the Floating Points live show at The Sinclair for the launch party was a perfect set-up for the coming week.
2015
The first-ever official Resident Advisor event was a highlight, featuring Mano LeTough and Bob Moses, while Andy Stott played the opening night party. Dirtybird Records' Justin Martin brought the house down, Sango visited to represent the Soulection movement, and the Middlesex Lounge in Cambridge was turned into a dark black box of flashing lights. While the number of events declined, the quality of the experience was heightened. Art installations like a human-sized Lite Brite and the world premiere of the Gif Dance Party left quite an impression on attendees.
2014
This year saw some special musical events including Bob Mould playing in Cambridge to celebrate the 10th anniversary of gay marriage, Chicago soul champions The Numero Group visiting Boston's legendary Soulelujah team and the debut of an experimental live lab in Inman Square's LilyPad featuring leading lights of Massachusetts' psychedelic rock community such as Major Stars, Sunburned Hand of the Man and internationally recognized sound designer Keith Fullerton Whitman. Other guests from 2014 included Detroit techno legend Robert Hood, Brooklyn's Mos Def, Germany's Tensnake and Norway's Cashmere Cat, most recently responsible for producing a single for Ariana Grande.
2013
In 2013, Together hosted internationally known musical artists such as Flying Lotus from Los Angeles, Four Tet from London, Crystal Castles and Grammy-nominee Duke Dumont, both from Toronto, Oscar-winner Juicy J with A$AP Ferg, Zomby and more.
2012-10
2012 highlights included now-popular television star Big Freedia, critically acclaimed noise producer (and one-time Massachusetts resident) Oneohtrix Point Never and Album of the Year Grammy-winner Todd Edwards. 2011 and 2010 both included some superstars, including SBTRKT, Nico Jaar, Spank Rock, Damian Lazarus and Trentemoller.
== Mission ==
The festival's motto, Music, Art, Technology, underlies its efforts to link new music with all aspects of modern and forward-thinking culture via an intellectual slant. The festival seeks to provide more than just a week of music, educating attendees through daytime panels, art exhibitions, and film screenings.
== Music ==
The music component also focuses on showcasing any number of local musicians from the Boston area (Horse Jumper of Love, André Obin, Blue Boy Productions, Guillermo Sexo, John Barera, Mean Creek, Ricardo Donoso), and pairing them up with international stars. In addition, the festival spotlights key visual artists and technologists from the city's burgeoning innovation and art community: past artists have included First Night honoree Zebbler, Brian Kane (formerly of Emergency Broadcast Network) and Beyoncé-video director Julian Wadsworth. 2013 film screenings included Style Wars and We Are Modeselektor at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. In 2014, they screened I Dream of Wires, a documentary about the modular synthesizer at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston.
== Acclaim ==
Together Boston has been gathering acclaim since its inception. In its first year, Metro Boston reported that reaction is positive from the community and business groups involved. In 2011, the Boston Globe reported that with an increased focus on a slate of daytime panels, discussions, and technology demonstrations, the organizers want to engender a dialogue about music. 2012 saw Red Bull Music Academy documentation with future Best Album Grammy-winner Todd Edwards and Chicago Juke legend DJ Rashad., while music website Earmilk said: Together creates a nightlife with smart undertones for people to gather around to try to find something a bit more transcendent, surrounded by cool, interesting people.
In 2013, Together received a lengthy, well-written review from tastemaking music magazine XLR8R: Together remains a festival by Bostonians for Bostonians, a fitting labor of love for a city in need of as much love as it can get. And also from the Boston Globe: This year’s programming further emphasizes the art and technology aspects of Together’s larger mission. The following year, the Globe said: The focus of the week is not just music, but also the art and technology that makes Boston such a thriving, creative place to live at the moment. The same year, Fact Magazine said Together Boston is rapidly positioning itself as one of the United States’ best events for forward-thinking music.
In 2014, new Boston Mayor Marty Walsh chimed in on the festival before dropping the ceremonial first beat. Lineups like these garner national and international attention, the Mayor said, which helps us strengthen Boston's reputation as a cultural destination. And the reputable international music magazine Resident Advisor gave the festival a 4.5 out of 5-star review in 2014. Together showed what a dedicated community can accomplish even with factors like that stacked against it, and it made the city seem vibrant, fun, and hungry for good music.
In November 2014, Together Boston was awarded Best Festival in Boston by The Boston Calendar. The Boston Calendar organizers called the event ahead of its time.
Thump, Vice Magazine's dance music channel, reviewed the festival at its sixth iteration. The sixth edition of Together ... was a reminder of how much Boston still has to offer for the tribes of dance music fans who live here. And: Despite its size, Together pulled off an impressive range of sounds from across the electronic spectrum.
Resident Advisor again visited to review the event. With consistent sound, good crowds, solid venues, and a great lineup, I still can't quite narrow down exactly what made Together 2015 feel as great as it did. Maybe it's just a matter of getting all the little things right.
Previewing the festival, Resident Advisor called Together 2016 a global destination in their Top 10 Music Festivals feature.
In 2016, The Boston Globe wrote of the event: The core notion of the festival ... isn’t just to provide a good time, but to illustrate the fertile mix of art and technology intrinsic to current-day Boston, a city that celebrates its visual artists and musicians even as it cultivates a fresh identity as a hub for technological advancement.
After that year, Resident Advisor said: The festival's seventh year was its best yet, primarily through refinement: rather than growing larger and more sprawling, Together has narrowed its focus. Every day of the week, there was at least one—and often several—things to look forward to.
== Musical Performances ==
Together has held events at most Boston/Cambridge, MA area venues, such as The Sinclair, The Middle East, House of Blues Boston, Royale, Paradise, Great Scott, Middlesex Lounge, Goodlife, Phoenix Landing and more. As a festival that hosts showcase style events over a week, some artists appeared together for label showcases or as a part of a typical club night roster.
Notable musical artists who have worked with Together Boston include:
=== 2017 ===
Adesse Versions
Alessandro Cortini
Avalon Emerson
Beautiful Swimmers
Ben UFO
Clark
Com Truise
CreateSpace Collab
Dâm-Funk
Dee Diggs
Detroit Swindle
Elements
DJ Bugalú
Gary Carlow
Jacques Greene
Jamie O'Sullivan
Kerri Chandler
Kim Ann Foxman
Leon Vynehall
LSDXOXO
Magda
Matrixxman
Mike Servito
Mr. Mitch
Mumdance
Octo Octa
Om Unit
Pangaea
Pantha du Prince
Pearson Sound
Princess Nokia
Proximia
Ricardo Donoso
Sappho
Simian Mobile Disco
Solar
Soul Clap
Star Eyes
UMFANG
=== 2016 ===
Ben UFO
Bicep
The Black Madonna
Axel Boman
Fatima Yamaha
Floating Points
Giraffage
Miss Honey Dijon
J. Phlip
Juju & Jordash
Kink
Matthew Dear
Optimo
Palms Trax
Henrik Schwarz
=== 2015 ===
Andy Stott
Ardalan
Bob Moses
Breakbeat Lou
DJ Three
DVS1
Gina Turner
Justin Martin
Laidback Luke
Life on Planets
Mano Le Tough
Martyn
Sasha
Scuba
Soul Clap
Total Science
=== 2014 ===Bob Mould (DJ Set)
Cashmere Cat
Chet Faker
Daniel Avery
The Gaslamp Killer
Julio Bashmore
Keith Fullerton Whitman
Natasha Kmeto
Noisia
The Numero Group
Robert Hood
Sophie
Tensnake
Untold
Yassin Bey (Mos Def)
=== 2013 ===
!!!
Agoria
A$AP Ferg
Art Department
Biz Markie
Black Marble
Blue Boy Productions
Chief Boima
Chez Damier
Crystal Castles
Dam Swindle (formerly Detroit Swindle)
Flying Lotus
Fred Falke
Four Tet
Gold Panda
Jack Sparrow (DJ)
Jeff Bujak
Juicy J
Kool Moe Dee
Le1f
Lespecial
LIFELIKE
Loudpvck
Mathew Jonson
Mike Swells
Objekt
Pictureplane
Soul Clap
Teebs
Thundercat
Tiga
Toy Selectah
Voices of Black
Wilkinson
Zombie Nation
=== 2012 ===Big Freedia
Break Science
Dillon Francis
Dubfire
FaltyDL
Fenster
Gramatik
Kyle Hall
Phill Niblock
RJD2
Treasure Fingers
6th Borough Project
Mala
Armanni Reign
Nero
Oneohtrix Point Never
Photek
Poirier
Starkey
Teebs
Todd Edwards
Voices of Black
=== 2011 ===Trentemøller (Live)
Wolfgang Gartner
Pantha Du Prince
Switch
Mary Anne Hobbs
Ninja Tune
Mogwai
Harvard Bass
SBTRKT
Mr. C
Ramadanman
Zed Bias
Goth-Trad
DJ Dara
Egyptrixx
xi
Anton Pieete
Maya Jane Coles
Future Rock
Hot Pink Delorean
Steve Porter
Spectrum
=== 2010 ===Damian Lazarus
Das Racist
Machinedrum
Justin Martin
Nico Jaar
Neon Indian
Phantogram
Sinden
Spank Rock
== Daytime Events ==
=== Discussions/Panels/Lectures ===
For the first time in the festival's history, Together Boston launched an app which helped to guide festival attendees all week long. Meetups for 2016 commenced with a discussion on  again in partnership with the Dutch Government. Tech huddles commented all week as well, again at the tech hub named Danger!Awesome. The talent behind the VJ Competition held a free tutorial on Ableton and VJing. The record fair was once again a success, this time welcoming a guest host in accomplished producer Martyn.2015 Seminar highlights included visiting author Michaelangelo Matos discussing his book The Underground is Massive, an RA Exchange podcast with Martyn, and an official Ableton session with Ellie Herring. The Cambridge-based makerspace Danger Awesome held its concurring events, like the Cryptoparty with Massachusetts Pirate Party and a music hackathon. There was also a unique international component as the festival hosted many Dutch guests from Utrecht. The result was an official proclamation from Boston's Mayor Marty Walsh honoring the contributions the Dutch have made to international culture.
2014 the daytime events transformed into two locations: The Mmmmaven Project educational program in Central Square and District Hall, Boston's brand-new home of innovation in Boston's Seaport District. The Recharge Lounge featured Integrating live performance in Ableton and demonstrations of creative collaboration with ToUch Performance Art. Meanwhile, District Hall held the Ableton Spaces, which included demonstrations of Ableton's popular push controller, vocal processing with Natasha Kmeto and How to Make Music with Plants featuring Data Garden from Philadelphia.
Also at District Hall were the Together Talks, featuring four themed days of discussion. Day 1, Community Day featured Boston Mayor Marty Walsh dropping the ceremonial first beat and a discussion with Boston-raised superstars Soul Clap. Friday was Technology Day which featured VSnap, Cadenza and Groupmuse. Saturday then became Music Day with presentations from Harvard University, MassArt and famed technomusicologist Wayne Marshall. Finally, art had its place on Sunday May 18 with multiple presentations from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a segment on augmented wearable fashions from the Rhode Island School of Design
2013's panels included a discussion on artist representation in the digital age with Josh Bhatti of Bowery Boston, Carter Adams of the Windish Agency and Michael Walsh of XLR8R, a panel on copyright law in the modern era moderate by Andy Sellars of Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and a Q&A with meme celebrity Scumbag Steve.
Demonstrations from 2012 included a Drum Production workshop hosted by iZotope and a panel called Needles vs Buttons, discussing the differences between vinyl DJing and Digital DJing. As well as more general music and creative industry panels such as Beyond Ramen: Surviving as an Artist and War Stories from the Start-Up Front.
=== Film Screenings ===
Together Festival also focuses on screening films that relate to music and aspects of new music cultures throughout the week of each festival. The screenings typically take place at Boston and Cambridge, MA's independently owned cinemas. However, screenings have occurred at the area's largest cinema, Boston Common Lowes 19. A few films focusing on German artists were screened at Boston's Goethe Institute.
Previous years' film selections included:Take One
Don't Think
The Electric Daisy Carnival Experience
Speaking in Code
Berlin Calling
Villalobos
Style Wars
We Are Modeselektor
I Dream of Wires
=== Get Together ===Every year, the festival hosts a daytime farmers market-style trade show where local enthusiasts and music product retailers display and sell many different products relating to music culture. In previous years, music products retailers Music Studio Direct and representatives from several software developers such as Ableton have had booths with a wide array of local vendors. It is particularly popular for its wide assortment of second-hand dance music vinyl records sold and traded by local DJs throughout the day.
In 2013, Get Together moved outdoors to the become the World's Fair. The event featured live music, DJ stages and food from local restaurants and food trucks as well as the traditional trade show.
2014 saw the debut of the Soul Clap Record Fair, a tradition that has turned into a seasonal event in Cambridge, MA. The record fair continues to this day.
=== Competitions ===
For the first three years, Together ran an amateur remix, DJ and VJ competition, open to all USA residents which, in 2013, awarded prizes including festival passes, an opening slot for Tiga, courses at the MMMMaven DJ school and a wide assortment of production software and software plug-ins. Production competitions in recent years have allowed entrants to remix Boston-based artists Bad Rabbits, Win Win, Tiga and Cambridge's own Soul Clap, who have become one of the world's most prominent DJ and Production groups.
== Annual Compilations ==
Together releases an official free annual compilation of tracks composed, mixed, and mastered by Boston-based musicians, including both individual tracks and a master mix of all tracks. 2017GMGN - In The Sun
Dusty Digital - Disco Pump 5000
Coralcola - Wind Tiki
Colin Domigan - Hoverboard Kickflip
Deezy & Embee - Hoia-Baciu
Foli Jackson - Laughing Track
Hot Pot - Chemicals (feat. KR the MC)
Steve Darko - The Lowdown
Subalias - Point Blank
Antonious Monk - Crab Nebula
Cross Chatter - Midnight Pass
Moduloktopus - Shampanskoye
Psylab - Jupiter in Aries
Siouxside - Listen
American Dave - Burnout
Gys - Deg Mode
Hash Collision - Ground Fault
Loonball - El Sid
Nick Minieri - Together Compilation 2017 Mix
2016Saucy Lady - Bitches All Sound The Same
Dumka - Grim
Camino 84 - Barely Broken
Basek - Night And Day
Antonious Monk - Green Planet
Colin Domigan - RaveTech 9000
Fuzzy Fotch - Bad Boy
Hot Pot - Hug Dealer
Odd Job - Throwya
Omdose - Nuwoseo Tteok Muggi
TWISM, B3RAO & Groove N Soul - Ibiza Life
Peter Corvaia - Track 'Em
Jack Novin - The Warmest
Jonathan Santarelli - Vibe
GMGN - Get Stoopid
L'Homie & FlyLosophy - Red Mantis
Andski - 617
Bamboora - Good Times
DERIC - Don't Stop
2015ø˚(Alt-OK) - Revol
Camino - You My Love
GMGN - In The Fields
John Barera & Bob Diesel - No Fly List
Peter Corvaia - Due Time
Twism & B3RAO - Detroit
Dusty Digital - Acid Will Set You Free
Knowlton Walsh - Jaded
Mr. Marimba - Two
Pat Fontes - Hudson House Pizza
TECHNCN - Turning Point
Adam Noya - Back Up
Dumka - Motif
Fuzzy Fotch - Yo Cut
Moduloktopus - All That Ever Mattered Was How Well You Lived The Present Moment
Tone Ra & Jon Pon (d) Scum - Prophets
Vaepors - 911 Emergency
Antonious Mong - Titanium Girlscout
KiA MAZZi: The City On The Hill
Noms X CHLO - Kuma Hugz
Nu.F.O - Rise up
ShaR4 - Bring Us Together
2014
In 2014, Together Boston partnered with Boston label Zakim Recordings to produce a vinyl edition of the compilation, with 6 of the tracks featured on a special-edition 12 release. All six could be found on the Zakim Bandcamp page, the rest were released digitally via SoundCloud. Those on the special Zakim edition are indicated by a *.Adam Noya - It's All A Hologram
Doctor Jeep - Together
John Barera/Baltimoroder - Walled City
John Barera/Ali Berger - Off the Clock
Smeed & Suspense - Handle It
Undrig - Backslider *
Cirrus - Almost There
Coralcola - Moping Mechanism
Living Light (Eartha Harris) - Hidden Mission
Shar4 & Kid Optimus - Would You Be
n0ms - Westcoast to Coast
Colin Domigan - Strap Up
Fuzzy Fotch - Dub Chi *
Eric Rigo - Dreams
Chadley - Unfortunate Truth
Pat Fontes - Suburban Shake
Moduloktopus - Bottom Pushah *
TBMA - Obsessed (Voltran Remix)
Monktec - Kenmore
Tone Ra - Tell Me If There's An Iceberg *
Amaranth - Davis Square
Skullyman - Staying Ground *
Choppa Dunks & Prince Fox - Money On My Mind
Wubson - Hentai
EHT - Amethyst
Nick Garcia - Visions
Timmy Trax & BRRIO - Lookin' 4
G Notorious - 787
Micetro - Brunch Muzik *
Tide Eye - Sweat
Dusty Digital - Nightdrift
XzakLee - Saxohornz
GMGN - Pieces
Virek & Surgio - Spare Me
Dark & Stormy - My Body
Blunt Sinatras - Subba Rankz
2013Tone Ra - There It Is
AxH - Take a Number Baby
Holm - May Whatever You Believe In Be With You These Days
Space Oreo - Vindaloo
Bass Glutton - Hit Da Flo!
Ceoux - There Are Birds Outside
Victor Radz - Make a Living
Noms - Egypt
Chadley - Slowsey Downsey
Cirrus - Foxhound
Doctor Jeep - Devil Rhythm
SBJCT #3 - Summ-R
Fuzzy Fotch - Rinse Out
Gonja - Persian Passover (ft. Wallace Liberachi)
Victims of Modern Art - Small Apartment Windows
Hasaan Barclay - Turismo
Ali Berger - Laser Beam
Secret School - ICA Step
M.O.O.N. - Case Logic
Tide Eye - Falling
Visual Transitions - Bourne (Sagamore)
2012
In 2012, the compilation was also made available through download cards sponsored in part by FizzKicks.Prism - Iconic Soul 6:00
Chadley - The Love 6:40
Fifty Grand - I Have Never Been Afraid 6:00
AxH - My Baby Bad 4:39
Valor - Warehouse Rave 6:55
Doctor Jeep - Preciso 5:55
P.Dumsk - Take A Penny 2:20
J-Hilla - Fuse 6:31
Quam - Coordinate 5:40
M.O.O.N - Delay 8:17
Sergio Paramo - Chicago (Festival Mix) 6:02
DJ Melee & Shuman - Vulpine 6:44
Rewrote - Gravel 2:29
Brent Still Life - Taken From You 5:02
Glass Teeth - Hurt Me 2:40
L.A.D.S - Get You Off My Mind 6:30
Figgy - I Can't Help 3:46
DeQualia - Rescue When Beautiful 7:27
2011
2011 was the first year the festival utilized a Soundcloud.Coracola (ft. Andre Obin) - Little Doll
Dev Null - Bithowl
Dabu - Ghetto Ballerinas
Brothers - Faded Signal
Red Foxx - I WANT 2 B FREE
Ming Ming - Drawer of Bitches
Doctor Jeep - Yr Mind (Elkid Mzungu remix)
Christopher Wade - Miss Vicarious Sunset
Steppo - Gassed
Kat Fyte - Grab It
DJ Vous - Doin My Thang
DJ Die Young - Cambridge Bells
Grizzly - Dance With Me
Black Adonis - So Fine
The Statesmen - 19 Drops
2010
In the first year of Together, the 8-song compilation came courtesy of CDRs provided by Discmakers.Sect - Searching for Santos
Binmaker - Pep Pep
Bodega Girls - Ain't That Cold
Sluttt - Kiss Infinity
Encanti - Dub Fish
Christopher Wade - Falling In
Coracola - Egggirl
Chris Ward - Don't Know