AREA34: Abduction Signals a New Era for Gulf Coast Electronic Music

NOLA EDM: For those discovering Area34 through Abduction — who are you as a collective, and what originally pulled you toward curating immersive, multi-stage electronic experiences?
Area34: Area34 was formed to bring electronic music to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  We really didn’t have much of a scene here, but had a lot of people really passionate about electronic music in the area.  The amount of talent in this region is off the charts and we wanted to create a platform for the community to showcase those talents.  We did our first show in December 2023 in Gulfport at Club Thirty IV.  Following that event Jezereck, Hiyote, Peauxboi, and Gargoyle MODE banded together as founders of Area34 and evolved it to what it is today.  We have steadily worked to build an inclusive and sustainable scene keeping ticket prices as low as possible, and often free for our events.  When we say the talent here is off the charts, we don’t just mean DJ’s.  There are so many people that work behind the scenes at Area34 shows doing lighting, visuals, lasers, sound, etc and without them our scene wouldn’t be what it is today.  A lot of our DJ’s and attendees help set up and tear down the events, so everything really is a community effort.

Our desire to produce curated immersive festival style events stems from the broad range of experience our team has.  Hiyote has attended many festivals all around the globe taking a lot of his inspiration from festivals like Mysteryland, Tomorrowland, Electric Forest, Shambhala, and Hulaween.  Festivals that put a lot of effort into curation are so inspiring and he wanted to bring those vibes to the Area34 events.

NOLA EDM: Abduction is more than a show, it’s a two-night indoor mini-festival with narrative themes, performance art, and distinct sonic worlds. What inspired the concept behind this event, and how did the alien / cosmic storyline come together?

Area34:

We were wanting to do something otherworldly and the name Abduction fit like a glove from the first second.  The possibilities surrounding the theming are almost limitless and fit very well with the overall vibe of the event.  We had already been talking to Hostage Situation about coming out when we coined the name so their motifs were a perfect fit for Abduction.

NOLA EDM: Each night of Abduction has a completely different arc: from alien encounters and experimental bass on Friday to dark romance and high-energy chaos on Saturday. How did you approach programming the Hiyote Stage versus the MODE Stage to tell that story?

Area34: We wanted to provide a wide variety of options for people.  So by having two stages we are able to have a bit of yin and yang.  If the MODE stage is going hard, you can expect to find something more chill or upbeat on the Hiyote stage and vice versa.  Naturally with Valentine’s Day we felt that house music goes really well because who doesn’t want to shake their ass surrounded by heart themed decorations.

NOLA EDM: Sound system culture plays a huge role in this event, with 50,000W RCF on one stage and 20,000W JBL on the other. Why was it important for Area34 to invest so heavily in sound design, and how does that shape the audience experience?

Area34: Area34 at its core absolutely embraces soundsystem culture.  Gargoyle Mode is always pushing for us to have the highest quality sound we can get our hands on.  He even hosts a free monthly event in Ocean Springs called SoundSystem Sessions.  Honestly, the house sound system at Club Thirty IV is pretty good. It would have been more than adequate for our Saturday night acts, but we wanted something with much higher fidelity for CØNTRA, DÊTRE, and all of the other experimental bass acts Friday.  We really want the music to be heard as it’s intended and for people to feel the bass.  High fidelity music causes less fatigue and allows people to feel more immersed.  The idea is for the event is to be Abducted from reality so that one can forget about the stresses of everyday life, grounding, and recentering themselves.

NOLA EDM: Abduction brings together artists like Hostage Situation, CØNTRA, DÊTRE, and more across bass, techno, house, and experimental worlds. What do you look for when curating lineups that cross genres but still feel cohesive?

Area34: During the curation process, it was very important for us that we provide options while telling a story.  The time and stage each artist plays is all heavily choreographed to provide the highest vibes possible.  Each artist rides the wave the previous artist behind them created.  We made it the way the energy of the entire event flows like a movie, climaxing on Saturday.  We started first with the idea of experimental bass Friday and heavy dubstep Saturday on the Hiyote stage.  Then we booked the headliners.  Once we had the headliners set, we worked to curate the rest of the event.  We even hosted open deck events to find new talent for Abduction.

NOLA EDM: Art installations, performers, vendors, and environmental storytelling are core parts of this weekend. How do those non-musical elements elevate the festival beyond a traditional club night?

Area34: We really want people to feel they are immersed and those are key components.  We are a mini-festival inside of a club, and want people to feel like they went to a homie camping festival.  Last year we did the same with our WonkyWilla event and it was a breath of fresh air for all those that came to experience it.  It was something that can’t see every other weekend of the year and we plan to repeat that bigger and better this year.

NOLA EDM: Area34 events tend to attract a crowd that’s adventurous, expressive, and deeply engaged. What kind of energy do you hope people bring into the space, and what do you hope they leave with after two nights of Abduction?

Area34: Area34 is heavily invested in the values of PLUR and we hope all of the attendees will bring those vibes.  We really do think of ourselves as vibe curators and we work to ensure everyone has a great time.  Our guests are our number one priority.  The glyphs on our flyer say MODE Making Our Dreams Evident PLUR LIFE.  MODE and PLUR are our core ethos.  By Making Our Dreams Evident we manifest the destiny we dream of and being good stewards along the way is very important to us.

We hope that people leave with a sense of belonging and community after experiencing Abduction.  Area34 is very much a community and we couldn’t do these events without the support of everyone in it.  So many people volunteer their time and donate equipment to make our events happen.

NOLA EDM: Looking ahead, where does Abduction sit in the bigger picture for Area34? Is this a one-off experiment, or a blueprint for future large-scale concepts?

Area34: We hope Abduction will be a yearly event and we intend to grow our scene as much as possible, hosting or taking part in other larger events soon.  Our capacity for the event is around 700 attendees each night, so it’s a great size for an intimate mini-festival.  One thing we don’t want to do though is to overextend ourselves or the community.  We want the things we do to be steady and sustainable.  When the community is ready for more, we are ready to grow.  If it isn’t ready, then we will continue to produce smaller high quality events.

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