Rilla Force is making sure Boston squeezes some final summer “feels” out of August in more ways that one. Fresh off the release of his new electronic banger “FEELS” (out today, August 26), the producer has also co-organized the Beats on the Beach Block Party, a beatmaker-focused event taking over Dorchester’s Malibu Beach tomorrow (August 27).
The all-afternoon affair is a celebration of the third annual Beats on the Beach competition, which challenges local producers to create their own music using sample packs of ocean-adjacent sounds. Beats on the Beach began in 2020 as a project of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a local non-profit that is “committed to making Boston Harbor, the Islands, our beaches, and our programs inclusive, equitable, diverse, and accessible for everyone and anyone, knowing that racism and oppressive systems have prevented that from becoming a reality.”
This year’s block party transforms the competition into a free community event, featuring fresh eats from The Pull-Up, dragon boat rides from Ohana New England, and performances from Dephrase, Lightfoot, Leo The Kind, LDER, ximena, 1800shortking, The Hip-Hop Transformation, and Rilla Force himself.
“Maya [Smith] from Save the Harbor and LDER came up with the original concept for Beats on the Beach in the early stages,” Rilla explains. “The first year LDER and myself [pictured above] were featured producers for the competition — that meant we made beats using samples collected from local beaches around Massachusetts. We would use those beats as promotion material and inspiration for other producers to enter the competition.”
The year, competitors used similar sample packs of splashes, boardwalk footsteps, and crunching pebbles collected by Dephrase and Lightfoot. The 2022 first place winner will walk away with Izotope’s Music Production Suite, a cash prize, and the opportunity to have Leo The Kind evolve their beat into a full song.
Most notably, the block party spotlights electronic and lo-fi musicians in an unlikely location: An outdoor all-ages space in broad daylight, as opposed to late night clubs and bars where casual music fans might not stumble upon their set. The presence of producers on Malibu Beach tomorrow will send a clear message: Beats — and Massachusetts beaches — are for everyone.
Grab all the details for tomorrow’s event in the flyer below.
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