Located in the lush jungle along the serene black-sand beach in Uvita, Costa Rica, Envision Fest welcomes international fans to celebrate art, music, and healing with diverse hand-curated producers. Returning for his ninth consecutive year, West Coast producer, Random Rab, describes his passion for performing at this unique community-oriented festival. Read the exclusive interview below and check out Envision Festival here.
EDM Sauce
Music is more than just noise; in fact it’s more often a feeling. But for someone planning to attend Envision that has never heard your music before, how would you describe your sound? What feelings or tone do you wish to convey via your music?
Random Rab
The way I see it, not just anyone makes the journey to attend Envision. There’s a certain commitment to experience art, music, and community in the depths of the jungle in Costa Rica. I feel as though it comes from an appreciation of nature, the ocean, and pure sunshine. That feeling when you close your eyes and the sunshine warms your face as a cool ocean breeze surrounds you in grace… this is the feeling I hope to express in my music. It all seems to work perfectly in harmony at Envision.
EDM Sauce
Since you’ve been playing Envision from the very start, what elements of this festival keep you coming back? What differentiates Envision from other music festivals?
Random Rab
The obvious thing would be Costa Rica itself. It’s such a magnificent country and the people are so warm and vibrant. It’s really incredible that the Envision production crew is able to pull off such an amazing experience down there. The conditions can be quite extreme at times so things like building the magnificent stages in the daytime takes a certain toughness and dedication. This seems to be the vibe of everyone who works at the festival. It is something from the heart. Pure passion. I love the way it all comes together. I’ve also always been attracted to how eco-conscious this festival is, and how well they utilize their resources and minimize waste.
EDM Sauce
Every year at Envision, you have done a sunrise set. What essence of sunrise makes for a gratifying set for you as an artist, and festival-goers?
Random Rab
I love playing sunrise. Whether at Envision, or any other festival, the moment the sun rises is the most magical feeling and also when we all feel emotionally raw…friends are reunited when the light returns and you can see everyone’s smiling faces again. There is a feeling of alignment with the cosmos that is hard to deny. The sunrise makes one feel as if anything is possible.
EDM Sauce
During your sets do you improvise and what do you think that adds to the experience, if anything? Do you incorporate instruments, vocals, or guests into your live performances?
Random Rab
I definitely improvise, and play off of the energy of the crowd and environment. I’ve always had vocals but this year I’ve been bringing the focus back to singing and playing the guitar live. Ilya Goldberg of Lapa and Emancipator is one of my closest friends, and he will be playing the violin with me this year at Envision. It’s always a good time when I get to have him on stage with me.
EDM Sauce
Having never been to Envision, it seems as if this festival embodies more than a music lineup. Workshops, yoga sessions, environmental conservation, and community are significant aspects of Envision’s unique experience. Outside of performing, what aspects of Envision are you looking forward to participating in this year?
Random Rab
Well as I said earlier, I love how eco-conscious this festival is and participating in such a large event where everyone brings that to the table is inspiring. Also my girlfriend got me into yoga this year, so I’m looking forward to catching a few classes (hopefully during the cooler hours of the day).
EDM Sauce
What are you currently working on? What projects do you have coming up that you're excited about?
Random Rab
My next album Anew will be coming out March 1st, so most of my “free time” has been dedicated to that in recent months. I’m really excited about this album and bringing the focus back to more singing and playing instruments live. I’ll also be playing Red Rocks for the first time this year on May 11, and debuting a live band experience there (Random Rab and the Penumbra). I’m really looking forward to playing at such an iconic venue.
