I’ve had the pleasure and honor to play the bus three times now, however this time I decided to take a different musical direction. As the bus was getting ready to depart, I started the journey with experimental tribal, synth rhythms, then in true celebratory form I brought the house-y vibes to gear us up for what would be a truly magical night…

So many emotions and thoughts go through my head as I am writing this. It was an unplanned and unexpected play for me this past year. I heard the news only a few hours before, when my dear friends Gunita and Colin came to wake me up. Without a flinch I quickly got myself together while various groups of friends stopped by to rally after getting wind of the news. My dear friend Atousa styled me while I quickly prepared music with my muse, Bilaliwood, then we all set out to find the bus. We had a little trouble and couldn’t see any sign of the heart at first, but after some time we bumped into two lovebirds and asked if they knew where Robot Heart was. They replied, “Out there”, pointing to the deep Playa. At this point I realized I have a flat tire, so I pushed my bike back to Big Imagination where we were camped, and I started thinking to myself that I was going to fail and miss the whole thing. My beloved friend Simar found a fellow camp-member’s working bike, then he and Bilal decided to escort me.. Just as we’re about to head out, Bilal and I ask another couple where the bus is; they sadly replied, “They’re not doing it tonight” and pointed back to the Robot Heart camp. This is when I decided to let go and surrender to the Universe and let whatever is meant to be…be.

After a bit of struggle trying to find the bus, it turned out the bus was still parked and the heart just wasn’t lit yet. Nonetheless, Bilal, Simar and I dropped the bikes and walked over… Literally, right as we turn the corner of the bus, the heart LIGHTS UP! This is the moment when I “officially” met Gary! 

Shocking as it may be (and is to me), though I’ve known Swamy, Dill and Ben, well over a decade now, I had only briefly met Geo once. There were a lot of people surrounding Geo at the time, so I was never really properly introduced nor got the time to connect. I told this to Gary after walking up to the bus that night, but in the totality of our conversation throughout the night before/during and after my set, Gary and I covered so many life-topics and learned a great deal about each other. What transpired during that time was nothing short of beautiful. I got to know Geo through the energy of his brother Gary. We also learned that he and I technically met many years ago... Back in 2010, my second year on the Playa, I tagged with Lee Burridge and when we were done a massive dust storm developed and wiped us ALL out, literally. As I was telling Gary about that experience, he tells me that he was the one who was driving the bus that day and remembers it clearly. 

This was my 10th Year on the Playa and the true highlight for me was getting to know Gary on a deeper level, mixed with the fireworks going off simultaneously during our AH-MAZING conversation and at the perfect time during my set. It all seemed kismet and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The fact is, the desert is my favorite place on the planet, and the pleasure and journey to play on the bus every year is something that I hold sacred and would do in a heartbeat. The Playa always provides... For me, this past year’s experience was a reminder to let go and always SURRENDER to the Universe! 

MEGALOVE to the whole Robot Heart crew and all of YOU for making this and every year such a wonderful and otherworldly experience! 

-N-

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Photo Credit:
Christian Lamb
John Dill

Nikita - Robot Heart - Free Burn 2021

NALA at Do LaB Stage Weekend One 2022

Tracklist:

Sextile - Contortion
Jaco - Show Some Love (Rhythm Invention Remix)
The Organism - Radha (Whitesquare Remix)
Eskuche - Passion
Giom & Andrea Rais - Discotheque
Interplanetary Criminals - Where's Your Head At?
Autarkic - Solid States
Demarkus Lewis - Body Tonic
Den - Haas - Dance Tip
Rina x Benji - Koshmaru
Y.O.G.A. - Pain Makes Us Alive (Red Axes Remix)
Carlita - Everybody
Palmaira - Surfin' (Gerd Janson Remix)
Claude VonStroke & Nala - Wet State
Anfisa Letsyago - Orizzonte (1979 Remix)
Pirate Copy, Nicolas Caprile - Acid Jazz
Ardalan & Nala - Habits Die Hard
Michael Bibi - Soul System 
Kristen Velvet - Eat the Drum 
KC Flightt, Funky Junction - Voices 
Cornelius Doctor - Zsa Zsa Don't Cry
Ratpack & Freestylers - Searching for my Rizla 2017
Nala & Nikki Nair - The World is Always Ending

NALA at Do LaB Stage Weekend One 2022

Empty Nest

BOC turns 200!!

With a special guestmix from the Label Bosses 'Pavement Special'

Tracklist:
1. Rocksted & Korvo - So Bad
2. Holt 88 - Play The Bass Loud
3. A21 & Pepperman - Skeptic
4. Taylor Pierce & Fubu ! - Super Active
5. Shmeyevan - Baseline Drop
6. Arnold & Land - Olababay
7. Wongo - Kamikazi
8. The Sponges - Make It Juicy
9. Sinden & BOT - Grit Mania
10. Errow - Freak
11. KC Flight - Voices (Riva Starr Remix)
12. Charlie XCX & Billie Eillish - Guess (Kyle Watson Flip)
13. Noizu - Rattlesnake
14. Pavement Special - The Key
15. Kyle Watson &Ero808 - Shapeshifter
16. Adam Beyer & Green Velvet - Simulator (Odd Mobb Remix)
17. Botnek - Wiggle
18. FENIK - Vertigo
19. Marco Strous - In The Park
20. Dr Dre & Eminem - Forgot About Dre (Reebs & Solidravers Edit)

Box Of Cats Radio - Episode 63 feat. Pavement Special

Rules Don't Apply Radio with Walker & Royce debuts every first Thursday 9PM PST on Diplo's Revolution (SIRIUS XM) and every third Monday 9PM PST on ANALOG (Insomniac Radio).

Tracklist:
Walker & Royce, Shinichi Osawa, Princess Superstar - Detonator (Redux)
Mattilo & AVE - Brighter Days
Mike Renza - Just A Lil Bit
Taylor Pierce, Wet Velvet, AMPRS&ND, Barney Bones - Old Flame
Ardalan - Missin You Feat. Nicollette Sullivan
Kevin Knapp - West Coast
Ben Dragon - Bounce
Detlef - HOLDIT
Max Styler, Deomid - Every Night
Ardalan - Alive
Edris Omar - I Want You
Elroy (AUS) - Hot
Cyril, Kelland - I Got Love (feat. Nate Dogg)
SCRIPT - WTF
Jaxx B - I Wanna You
Landis LaPace - Restore

Thank you for listening :)

Empty Nest

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