I met Justin Roy in the line at Electric Island a couple of Mondays ago. As soon as we made eye contact, we both knew we were going to be friends forever and that we were brothers who have known each other eternally. My roommate, Tim, had actually mentioned Justin to me a couple months prior: Tim had seen Justin DJ a Conscious Dance Party and had his mind blown.
Justin recently returned from Costa Rica where he concluded a transformative month-long adventure with three Ayahuasca ceremonies alongside his girlfriend Chrissy. His story is amazing, and he and I vibed immediately. We talked, danced, hugged and shared for the next six hours, recognizing tons of synchronicity along the way. He's releasing an album, and he's planning a crowdfunding campaign to launch a tour for his sound activation and shamanic dance parties. I had been looking for the second DJ for my book launch party (having already confirmed John Dill to play), and the universe aligned perfectly to show me Justin.
Last night, he hosted an event called Restorative Rhythm--an intimate sound activation and shamanic dance for about 30 people at his and Chrissy's home.
Right from the outset, the vibe in their apartment was so full of love. Everyone was hugging and bonding, open, revealing and nurturing. Justin's calling this initiative Lovelution—a name delivered to him in a dream by John Lennon. Justin’s intentions are wonderful: to uplift and raise vibrations to evolve consciousness as a whole and unlock the creator Gods within all of us. The sound activation was otherworldly. He and a group called Vibe with The Tribe combined crystal bowls, various instruments and vocals to create one of the most powerful experiences I've been a part of, and absolutely the most healing encounter I've had with sound. They are SO incredible at how they perform. They took us to other dimensions. Their crystal bowl playing was unlike I had heard before (admittedly, I'm new to crystal bowls, but it was obvious they had a powerful connection with them), and the integration of the other instruments was astounding. And, different people were placed at particular points around the room who were singing, chanting, whistling songs, sounds and vibrations at seemingly very calculated moments, all harmonizing in ways that caused physical reactions--my body would jolt and twitch, and my spine would roll and wave as various chakras would be activated and cleansed. It seemed like the performers were channeling in a way similar to how my Peruvian shamans channelled Icaros, and there were moments during some Lion King-esque chants that I felt like I was lying on the plains of Africa.
We then climbed up on the building's rooftop and watched a technicolored sunsetted sky as we drummed and danced barefoot in puddles so big, they were more like small ponds.
After that, we made our way back inside for Justin's DJ set. Justin is a divine and transcendent being and we share such a deep bond. He's one of the most magical, happy and uplifting people I've ever come across. I've known him forever. All his friends are magically special, so loving and beautiful. His girlfriend Chrissy is a Goddess and the mutual love and admiration they have for one another is such a beautiful thing to behold. They went to wonderful lengths to make the party magical for everyone--they even had a crazy light system and smoke machine for the DJ set. Their home is so full of love. People were expressing unadulterated joy during that set, and throughout the entire evening. The feel was like a blend of shamanism and Robot Heart. I'm convinced Justin will be playing sets on that magical bus in the near future. He operates on such a high frequency and the way he mixes is unique, and his track selection so fun, groovy, powerful, transformative, and miraculous. Plus, I've never seen a DJ have so much fun--he was dancing his ass off while belting out an infectious laugh. The whole vibe elicited sounds, yells and animal calls from those sharing in the music--a symbiosis between DJ, dancers and listeners, all together harmonizing to create something more uplifting than the sum of its parts. I tapped into a level of singing unlike ever before--a powerful vibration flowing from the cosmos, through my vocal cords, out my mouth and into the room--a channeled and improvisational call and response with the other people dancing, and with each call and response, we raised our vibrations a little more.
This is the beginning of something incredible, and everyone there recognized it.