ROBOT HEART FREE BURN 2021

I am so grateful to Robot Heart for inviting me to perform this set which was without doubt one of the most memorable experiences of my life. 

A few years ago, I was dancing as the sun rose over Robot Heart in total wonderment, in a state of total inspiration. During lockdown I recalled that feeling and got to work on two albums, Yin, a classical record and Yang an electronic one. 

Writing these two albums was my therapy during the pandemic, dreaming of a day I could connect with people again on the Playa. It’s just so wild, that the fantasy came true in the best way possible and I got to perform this set, transitioning from Yin to Yang with a special arrangement for the Robot Heart Sunset, opening with about 20 minutes of piano and sound bowls before the electronic beats kick in. 

In order to play the piano live here, I had my beloved Steinway sampled into a virtual instrument and it was a real thrill to be able to play with that sound on the playa!

Yin and Yang were recorded in 432 Hz tuning and are musical expressions of my musings about life, the universe and infinite consciousness. 

I’ve always been fascinated by this quote by William Blake, and it was ringing through my mind the whole of the Freeburn week, and especially during this performance. 

He wrote: “If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things thro' narrow chinks of his cavern.” 

The view from atop the Robot Heart bus warmed my heart, the doors of perception were being cleansed by the beautiful souls in front of me, and I am infinitely grateful. 🙏🏽

soundcloud.com/rezasafiniamusic
www.rezasafinia.com/
www.facebook.com/rezasafiniamusic
www.instagram.com/rezasafiniamusic
www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlORP-uSFieBPVIRXHO0pg
spoti.fi/3F0etov
www.tiktok.com/@rezasafiniamusic
rezasafinia.bandcamp.com/

Photos: Christian Lamb & John Dill

Reza Safinia - Robot Heart - Free Burn 2021

The “FreeBurn” was so needed! To celebrate life - we needed to reflect, dance, laugh, cry, and let go - in the place we call home. 

I was a bit nervous playing music this year - I had not DJ'd on the bus for four years after parking myself on “a bench” because of hearing issues. So when I found out I was going to play a small “opening of the bus” set I was stoked to get reacquainted before my scheduled Friday sunrise set. I started with my favorite chill track at the moment. The rest were selected because they gave me a dusty vibe, and I wanted to hear them on the bus system. Some were given to me by close friends - So it was a dusty family affair of sorts. The last track of that set has the vocal “Fade out again” - those lyrics gave me the idea to fade the set into my sunrise set. It was unplanned that these two sets would live together. Or even work together - I only planned my bus opening track and my sunrise moment. 

This leads me to my sunrise set. Where to begin? - how to honor Geo - celebrate the sun - tip my hat to the night - take the crowd on a bit of a journey - share sounds that speak to me - spread some love. I knew I wanted to have a special moment for Geo, but it did not hit me until I was on the plane headed out west. It was sunset and the sun was hitting my eyes through the plane window - and that was the moment it clicked. I was lucky to have WiFi on the pane and searched on all our group chats for a sound bite of Geo that would make sense with the track I had in mind. It took me a few hours, but I found a video with one. It was perfect - very subtle and very Geo. I did a quick edit in Ableton and thought WOW indeed. Big thank you to Brian Cid for taking the edit to the next level and to Jean for delivering the track to me before my set. 

We designed a Geo tattoo this year - I placed one on each forearm - facing opposite directions a few hours before I was to play. Energy in, energy out - That was my “mantra” for my set. I could feel so much love around me, in front of me, and above me in the heart - then the Drone show appeared and blew my mind. Thank you Studio Drift for the beautifully concepted and executed tribute.  

It was hard to judge the sun this year -  as there was so much smoke, but in the end, all was perfect. Feeling all the emotions, I just looked directly at the sun and had a little chat with Geo, expressed gratitude and shed some tears of my own. 

One of my favorite all time sunrise Djs was to play after me - it was surreal. Looking back now, I can see Lee Burridge showing up at sunset and surprising us all was part of Geo’s doing. Geo always called me Dilly Dill. So to have a DillLeeDill morning still has me smiling. Ironically this was the ten year mark where Lee and I first truly connected on the bus with a random morning 5 hour b2b set that started our friendship :) 

Lee had to leave early and there was only going to be an hour left till we were originally scheduled to close the morning. We had asked Holmar if he wanted to play the next day after Diplo (so he could have a long set) and I would just go back on after Lee. Somehow this one hour turned into almost three hours. And I was playing music from folders that were dusty themselves. This set is a whole other story!

Thank you for listening! And to my dusty family and friends from that sunrise/morning thank you I’m still in awe ✨☀️

To the dreamers and doers who put in the extra effort to make this year happen on and off the playa and to my Robot Heart family for the continued love and support - THANK YOU ❤️

I feel blessed to have been able to express myself musically on our magical bus after such a long break. Let’s see what’s next.

PSA - wear earplugs my friends! 

Much love, 
Dill, aka "Dusty Pickle"

JOHN DILL SOCIALS
https://www.soundcloud.com/johndill
https://www.instagram.com/sliceofdill
https://www.facebook.com/sliceofdill
https://www.sliceofdill.com

Photo Credits:  Christian Lamb, John Dill

John Dill - Robot Heart - Free Burn 2021

Coming to Burning Man for the second time in 2017, I was primarily a saxophone player, not a DJ, not a proceder... 
I used to go art car hopping, bringing my sax along and jamming with whoever was willing. I had especially fun times jamming with DJs. 
On the last morning of that Burn, Monday morning it was, I bumped into two talented DJs playing incredible tracks on one of the best sounding art cars I've ever heard... 
Naturally, I took out the sax, and started jamming on the sandy dance floor in front of them. Soon enough some people gathered around, and I was pulled up to that old looking artistic mutant vehicle and, with the DJs consent I jammed on top as well... 
The morning went on and it started getting hot, it looked like the end was near, and I was somehow back on the playa "dance floor" when a couple people called me up saying "The DJ is looking for you..." I quickly came up and asked "whats up?" He said: I'm gonna play the last track now, and then you play the outro. Excited to share the last moment of that morning, I obviously jumped in, and was honored to play the last notes of that magical morning... 
After that I got to chat with the DJs for a bit, they said their names were Martin & Nico (aka Acid Pauli & Nico Stojan and this was my first introduction to the magical bus called Robot Heart. 
Fast forward 4 years later, we have gone full circle and I finally got the honor to tell my own story on, what is in my opinion, the best stage in the world to play music...
I hope you will enjoy this ride, at least as much as I did... 
Much Love 
ITAI

instagram.com/ITAI_Music
soundcloud.com/itai_music
https://www.facebook.com/ITAIMusic1

Photo Credit:
John Dill

ITAI - Robot Heart - Free Burn 2021

Our invitation to perform at the Free Burn in 2021 was met with joyful anticipation, a bit of nerves, and gratitude - this would be our first time in the Black Rock Desert for the Free Burn. 

We played during sunset on the day that the Robot Heart Community celebrated Geo, and still remember the palpable love and human connection as everyone danced and honored him and his contribution to this magical place.  

The energy that was built from the time we set up all of our music gear, through the performance, to the very end, was out of this world. Playing live and completely improvised, our music was a direct reflection of the synthesis of human love and energy that intersected there, on the open desert plain in the glow of the setting sun.  

Thank you to the Robot Heart Community, Swamy, Gunita, Navid, and the countless friends and special souls who came together to make this one of the most memorable experiences - for all of us. 

www.numlive.com
soundcloud.com/numlive
instagram.com/numlive
youtube.com/channel/UCWeyCLPt4OimomCgOsnFfmg
facebook.com/numlivemusic
ra.co/dj/num-us

Photo Credits:
Stacie Hess 
John Dill

ROBOT HEART FREE BURN 2021

BOURNE