One such initiative formally launched in mid-May, on the day of the full flower moon: a new record label and platform called Future Sound of Nature, dedicated to “blending the soul of electronic music with the rhythms of the Earth.” The platform is the brainchild of Eli Goldstein and Lola Villa, two electronic artists who connected as part of the group DJs for Climate Action.

“Having experienced what happens on the dance floor and the type of magic that happens there, we always believed that it was a very special place for community building around climate and acknowledging the Earth,” said Villa. “Eli and I wanted to create an organization or a platform where music could speak to that notion. And then also, how do we give nature a role in our storytelling and in our business model?”

In Future Sound of Nature’s model, 20 percent of the revenue from each release will go toward conservation or stewardship projects for the habitats featured in the recordings. The plan is for every release to have a theme, Villa said, whether that’s a location, a type of habitat, or even perhaps a single species. The first release under the new label was an EP of her own, titled Amazonía. Its eight tracks are built on field recordings she took during two visits to the Peruvian and Colombian Amazon, and 20 percent of the proceeds will go directly to the Indigenous Bora people who hosted her there.

That direct connection is an important part of what Goldstein and Villa are trying to create for artists and listeners alike. “It’s not just like, ‘Here’s some nature sounds, make some music,’” said Goldstein. “It’s really all about trying to create a deeper connection with the land and the communities where the music is being recorded, where nature is being collaborated with.”

Every time she has played the Amazonía set live, Villa said, she has given her audience context about the landscapes and animals that are represented in what they’re listening to — including the threats that they face. For instance: “Some of these birds are endangered. What does that do to you?” she posed. “What does that do to the listening experience?”

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Soul Clap’s Eli Goldstein has launched a new label with artist Lola Villa, Future Sound of Nature (FSON). The imprint will focus on highlighting work "at the intersection of electronic music and environmental consciousness," per a statement. 20 percent of the proceeds from every FSON release will go to the habitats used during the album's recording. FSON's first release is Villa's new album Amazonía. To create the record, which centers around Amazonian Manguaré drums and field recordings of local birds, Villa spent three weeks living with the indigenous Bora people of Peru and Colombia. A percentage of profits from the record will go directly to those communities. The imprint also plans to release records from Soul Clap and Aru Apaza over the coming months. In addition to a standard release cycle, the label encompasses a soon-to-launch internet radio station broadcast from a permaculture greenhouse. FSON also runs a two-day music festival in New York's Hudson Valley. The first edition ran in June 2024, and hosted the likes of Matt FX, Sister Zo and DJ Guy.

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“The Future Sound Of Nature Festival is a regenerative electronic music festival in Oak Hill, New York, in the foothills of the Catskills Mountains. The festival’s mission is to celebrate and support the people and ecosystems of the Catskills and Hudson Valley by dancing to local DJs, eating local food, nurturing local connections, and stewarding local habitats. Committed to leaving the community and land better than they found them – Goldstein and his team are dedicated to planting seeds, growing community, sprouting joy and inspiring action.”

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Abiding by the motto that “we are all nature,” the Future Sound of Nature Festival is a regenerative electronic music festival celebrating the people and ecosystems of the Catskills and Hudson Valley. But this isn’t your typical music festival: the entire weekend focuses on leaving the community and land better than we found it and blending sounds of nature and electronic music. Expect a full healing experience at Locust Grove that features a swimming hole, a waterfall, camping, a nightclub, local food, foraging, herbalism, and DJs and electronic artists and DJs like DeeDee Dame, Jams Bond, Hila The Earth, and more. Enjoy dancing outside, a food pop up by Von Salad Farms, nature and healing workshops, land work, a vintage pop-up with Thrift 2 Fight, screen printing with Flying Eye Press, and art installations by Maria Puente Flores, Neen Rivera, and OVNIS. On Sunday, stop by the Family Day BBQ on the creek with nature programming for all ages.

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