“It’s not what you fight against that matters as much as knowing what is worth fighting for. Wake up and dream.”
"If Art can't tell us about the world we live in, then I don't believe there's much point in having it."
Wow, life! After years of hard work the world is finally starting to show me some love for all I've done to try and inspire people. My talks on the visionary horizons of human experience from Center Camp and Fractal Planet at Burning Man 2013 were just featured in Jack Rabbit Speaks, the official Burning Man newsletter! I am so honored...and even more honored to receive not one, but two gushingly positive reviews of my festival performances from the excellent webzine, LostInSound.
Life has been an incredible challenge for me this year – legally, romantically, financially. But we all have to polish that pearl somehow. Thank you for growing with me. I hope that this newsletter offers you something meaningful to carry into the rest of your life. Stay in touch if you have anything to say, or to ask...I'm always available to help you find your way, or cheer you on.
Life has been an incredible challenge for me this year – legally, romantically, financially. But we all have to polish that pearl somehow. Thank you for growing with me. I hope that this newsletter offers you something meaningful to carry into the rest of your life. Stay in touch if you have anything to say, or to ask...I'm always available to help you find your way, or cheer you on.
Art Outside & Gratifly Reviews by LostInSound
Photo & Article by Bridget Chaney
"Arguably Garfield’s greatest success lies in how seamlessly he flows from one role to another – a friendly teacher, a minstrel, and a visionary – all while setting and maintaining a thoughtful, kind, and introspective tone through all of his work...offering us a refreshing dose of relatable academia that is too often left out of the festival environment. It is largely because of him, and others like him, that these events are evolving from 'just another party' to a social movement capable of 'transforming' our society and bringing about the evolution of new ideas."
"His intricately developed soundscapes delve into the internal harmonies of what it means to be human: the percussion our pulse and the melody the flow of our spirit, like blood vessels serpentinely traversing through the labyrinthine veins of the body. If cellular mitosis had a trippy soundtrack, it might be Michael Garfield."
Photo by Yvonne Smith | Article by Matt Bovard
"Welcome to the future...Michael is a pioneer exploring the edge realms where the electric and old world meet. His improvised sets are the modern equivalent of Charlie Parker blowing out his soul into the smoky nights of the 1940’s...The soundscapes vibrate with eco-delic cowboy vibrato that takes the listener on a journey from which they cannot return the same as they left."
Looper's Night at Burning Man Center Camp 2013
With an audience full of amazing musicians, including Erothyme and Cualli, I had no choice but to break out a series of unprecedented and improvised live looping collaborations. This is deep heavy chill, perfect for late-night listening. Throat-singing, didjeridoo, and cybernetic sound mangling for journeying and dreamwork.
After jamming with the third group, all total strangers, (my favorite jam, unfortunately not recorded), everyone left the stage in different directions and I called after them to stay in touch. A guy in a couch in the front row slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER??" Not bad for being propped up by DayQuil and playa love. ;)
New Painted Hats & Shoes
After a short hiatus, I'm back in the game! Email me if you'd like a custom lid, or shoes, or anything that will hold a coat of paint. (The Bassnectar flatbill you see below is my very last, though. I would rather make you something more uniquely you.) You can click on each picture to get a better look:
Holiday Discount on MG Ravenectar Tees!
Thanks to Montreal-based sublimation printing company Ravenectar, I now have my art on some very cool shirts. If you want one of these – in men's OR women's sizes – you can use the coupon code "MGHOLIDAY" to take 15% off any order, including gift card purchases, until the first of next year. And if I see you around wearing one of these, you're getting a huge hug. Check out their store.
Thanks for reading and have a beautiful week!
