Mother of All Bass (MOAB) was a media outlet and creative platform that supported artists, music festivals, and record labels in the electronic music scene. MOAB started as a passion project Nick Cook and I launched in college, combining his focus in film and mine in Advertising & PR to apply what we were learning to something we both loved: music.
MOAB began blogging about the bass music scene in West Michigan and quickly built momentum through its original content and reputation for highlighting artists early in their careers.
We went on to interview dozens of artists, including being the first blog to interview PEEKABOO before his breakout success, while also interviewing artists like Super Future, Sully, Crankdat, and Two Friends, and photographing artists like Marshmello, Migos, and RL Grime.
MOAB also partnered with festivals such as Summer Camp, Breakaway (Grand Rapids), and #GRIDLIFE to produce editorial content, photography, and on-site coverage to help promote and tell each event’s story.
Over time, MOAB evolved to support artists more directly and worked on promotions with artists like PEEKABOO, Super Future, and Sully, as well as record labels including Confession and Dirtybird.
Take a trip down memory lane and read on to learn more about the love and passion that went into this project.
Music Festivals
Boredomfest
Grassroots electronic music festival in Michigan showcasing emerging talent
MOAB worked with Boredomfest to build early awareness by covering their Road to Boredomfest tour, giving audiences a preview of what the festival was all about before it even happened. From there, MOAB supported the festival with editorial content and on-site social media coverage to help capture and extend the festival’s experience.
Summer Camp
Nationally recognized multi-genre festival beloved for its down-to-earth culture
In 2017, a local artist MOAB was connected with (Flats Stanlie) won The Untz Challenge and earned a slot at Summer Camp in Chillicothe, Illinois. That opportunity opened the door for MOAB to attend as an official media partner, documenting performances, artist stories, and the culture that defines Summer Camp. MOAB also partnered with apparel brand Sloth Steady—a connection made during Boredomfest—to run a giveaway for a custom Summer Camp pin, giving fans something tangible to engage with.
#GRIDLIFE
Hybrid music and motorsports festival with a highly-engaged niche audience
For #GRIDLIFE, MOAB created content at the intersection of music and motorsport to help expand the festival’s reach while staying true to its core audience. This included pre-event storytelling, on-site coverage, and post-event content to build hype for the following years.
Breakaway
(Grand Rapids)
Multi-city electronic music festival known for its high-profile lineups
When Breakaway expanded into Michigan in 2017, MOAB partnered with the festival to develop content leading up to the festival, including playlist curation, editorial coverage, and promotional storytelling around key announcements.
To build early awareness, MOAB helped bring the Breakaway experience to life ahead of the festival through an off-campus pool party, giving Grand Valley State University students the chance to hear local artists performing at Breakaway and win tickets through raffles and contests.
During the festival, MOAB partnered with local brand The Oddest to create “The Oddest Lounge,” an activation where attendees could shop merch, recharge, and connect with artists like Crankdat and Two Friends through live, on-site interviews hosted by MOAB.
UpNorth
An up-and-coming festival in Northern Michigan pushing forward-thinking lineups
MOAB worked with UpNorth to create content leading up to the festival, including editorial coverage and a collaboration with artist YE. on an interview and SoundCloud mix to help promote both the festival and his set. MOAB had plans to provide full on-site coverage, but the festival was canceled just a week before it was supposed to happen. (Still one of those what could have been moments.)
PRIME
An offshoot festival in East Lansing, produced by the team behind Breakaway
MOAB worked with PRIME Music Festival to expand the festival’s reach through pre- and post-event editorial coverage and on-site photography, building hype for the following years.
Artist PR
After more than a year of covering the West Michigan bass music scene, MOAB evolved into a platform that worked directly with artists and record labels on storytelling and promotional campaigns.
MOAB worked with artists such as PEEKABOO, Super Future, Sully, FETISH, and Gettoblaster and supported releases on labels including Confession, Dirtybird, and Eclectic Imprint.
That work included pitching new tracks to blogs and platforms like YouTube to drive discovery, securing interviews and media coverage around releases and performances, and placing music in front of DJs and A&Rs for inclusion in mixes, radio shows, and live sets.
We also leaned into more creative, on-the-ground ways to promote artists.
MOAB partnered with clothing vendor Grassroots California during Summer Camp 2018 to organize a pop-up “vibes” set with Super Future at their booth, introducing him to new fans and building hype ahead of his main set later that night.
At Electric Forest 2018, MOAB hid custom CDs and promotional cards throughout the festival grounds to promote Super Future’s festival and afterparty sets, tapping into the event’s culture of discovery and gift-giving in a way that felt organic and authentic.
SEAN BILLISITZ 