In an ever-evolving universe, the art of maintaining complete and total fluidity is the most necessary key for survival. Renowned for his metamorphic capabilities and expertly crafted sonic adventures, Liquid Stranger has mastered his ability to slip in and out of genres all while honing his own personal style.

Liquid Stranger has earned his reputation for exuding incommensurable talent and taking audiences on a soul-stirring aural journey of genre-bending beats on the dancefloor. He has performed at some of the most innovative events and festivals around the globe including: Shambhala, Bella Terra, Escape from Wonderland, EDC Orlando, Summer Camp, Paradiso Festival, Beyond Wonderland, Shambhala, Inox Park, SXSW, Enchanted Forrest, Elements Festival, Infrasound Equinox, EDC Las Vegas, etc.

In his latest installment, Nomad Vol 2, Liquid Stranger seamlessly blends three tunes- Bounce, Freefall & Zenith- that radiate aqueous harmony, are dripping in luxurious bass and topped off with a splash of funk. The Nomad Series in itself is an excellent representation of Liquid Stranger as an artist as it was created purposefully to push the envelope of genres and create something that could easily satisfy the likes of anyone listening. In accordance to Liquid Stranger himself, “I travel a lot and go through phases of living a somewhat nomadic life style.” He goes on further to explain how much of his inspiration is drawn from these journeys, “and the Nomad series is about taking all these influences and blending them into one sonic stew.”

Liquid Stranger is no alien to the Beatport charts, and has held the #1 spot on numerous occasions and in several different genres including: dubstep, reggae and drum & bass. Over the course of six full-length albums, countless EPS and a plethora of single releases, he’s yielded worldwide hits as diverse as “Ripple” and “Bombaclaad Star”, which reigned supreme as the #1 reggae track of 2011. “Shake My Ass” dominated the drum’n'bass chart at #1, while his third album Private Riot has become a timeless dubstep classic, solidifying him as a force to be reckon with.

In 2015, Liquid Stranger continues to transcend musical dimensions by curating thought- provoking harmonies. This year he has also brought us Wakaan, a label pioneered by Liquid Stranger himself. With the new label he has given free-form compositions and artists a place to thrive. However, what’s next to come is simply unforeseen, as he is a jack-of-all-trades. But one thing is for certain, whatever he brings to the table will be produced mindfully and masterfully to the highest artistic standard.

Those who are unfamiliar with his music often tend to categorize him as only a heavy dubstep artist, which is anything but the truth. The most effervescent quality of Liquid Stranger is his ability to shift from genre to genre all while maintaining a sense of smoothness and consistency, which in turn makes him one of the most unpredictable artists to date. In a sense, he has ended genre barriers for the sake of musical storytelling taking whatever sounds he needs to put forward the intended vibe.

Liquid Stranger’s omnifarious approach to music has led him to stand out amongst a pack of artists desperately trying conform to a commercial demand. Proven to be a timeless staple to the world of electronic dance music by bridging the gap between mellow and heavy, what’s next can not be foreseen for this contrastive musician.

Manic Focus is the electronic music project of John “JmaC” McCarten, a Chicago-based producer originally hailing from the Twin Cities. McCarten’s music is known for its multi-dimensional sound, incorporating elements of soul, dubstep, hip-hop, blues and funk, as well as smooth vocal samples, heavy-hitting bass lines, and the occasional rowdy rhymes of hip-hop artists.

Born in Boston in 1986 and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, McCarten’s introduction to music began at an early age with classical piano training. As a teenager, he became enthralled with the hip-hop culture, citing influences such as Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Green Lantern, and Outkast. In high school, McCarten started producing hip-hop infused beats for his classmates to rap over and recorded tracks in his parent’s basement. While attending DePaul University and living in his new home of Chicago, McCarten continued to master Ableton software and perfect his craft, which has evolved into the electro-soul genre under which he classifies his music today.

Over the last 5 years, JmaC has released four full-length albums, each one a new evolution in sound and approach. After releasing his first three albums independently - Definition of the Rhythm in 2011, Expanding Mind in 2012 and Distant Perspective in 2013 – McCarten released his fourth album, Cerebral Eclipse, on GRiZ’s All Good Records label in 2014. Always one to embrace artistic collaboration, Cerebral Eclipse featured tracks with Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic), GRiZ, Michal Menert (Pretty Lights Music, Super Best Records) and incorporated an enhanced collection of live instrumentation. He has completed a slew of remixes for artists such as GRiZ, The Floozies, Lettuce, Minnesota and Pretty Lights, and released several works with Pretty Lights Music veterans Break Science.

On the road, JmaC has been steadily building his live performance to include additional musicians and elements of production. Jacob Barinholtz is now a mainstay on the drums, and other musical co-conspirators join the two on select dates around the country. He’s also been known to incorporate surprise guests such as Big Gigantic’s Dominic Lalli, GRiZ, The Floozies’ Matt Hill, and Russ Liquid, to name a few. Occasionally, fans are treated to the rare live fusion of Break Science and Manic Focus, taking the stage as Manic Science.

In the studio, JmaC continues to push himself to new musical limits by incorporating original, sample-free recordings of many up-and-coming musical allies. This is especially apparent in the material from his forthcoming album, Minds Rising, to be released in April of 2017.

Whether it’s at a small-town venue or a world-renowned music festival on his nationwide headlining tour, you won’t want to miss a Manic Focus throw-down.