For inspiring communities towards living more sustainably, through the power of music (and partying)
Vivie-ann Bakos, better known as BLOND:ISH, is a green warrior that wears many hats. She calls herself a serial collaborator, spiritual seeker, brand boss, rush of energy, and just about everything in between. But most people will know her for her DJ work: she’s not only a DJ, but also a producer, promoter, and record label head. We know her, though, for her environmental activism that puts front and centre what she does best: connecting people. And for her infectious positive energy.
Her mission is two-fold: spreading positive vibes on the dance floor and doing what’s right by nature. What does this mean in practice? Engendering positivity on the dance floor means creating and sharing uplifting underground music defined by the spirit rousing principles of esotericism. The rhythmic spell BLOND:ISH weaves is designed to heighten your senses, and open your heart. But that’s not all—she wants to make a positive impact on partygoers, music lovers, and the planet too. How? By raving the right way, and connecting with Bye Bye Plastic, a fully-coordinated movement started by BLOND:ISH in 2018.
What is Bye Bye Plastic? It’s a non-profit organisation and movement aimed at wiping out single-use plastic in the music industry. There are plenty of ways Bye Bye Plastic involves industry or event professionals, artists, brands, or simply partygoers: you can join the community, calculate your plastic footprint, find various actionables on how to party more sustainably, and more. The organisation is focused on making sustainable partygoing accessible and actionable, in the hopes that one day party hubs across the planet will quit using single-use plastics.
These core values of spreading positive vibes via music and eco-friendly, plant-loving actions, represent the central pillars on which the BLOND:ISH mantra is raised. She’s taken a pledge to promote positive house and techno music, and to simultaneously awaken ravers who care enough to dance, and also care enough to think. The BLOND:ISH mission, as she says, is as beautiful as it is potent. Today, you’ll find BLOND:ISH championing her inspirational ethos via her ABRACADABRA TV network, bringing her now-iconic HUMAN NATURE live streams every Saturday night to thousands of fans worldwide, along with an ever-evolving programme of music, interactive magic, self-love and eco-activism. She’s also on Twitch, where she connects with her community and shares with them her inspirational vision of how life on earth might look and sound if we allow small communities with sustainable ideals to develop organically from the ground up. BLOND:ISH also has got two huge festival fundraisers under her belt, raising thousands for ocean conservation.
And yet beneath it all, she says, BLOND:ISH is just a little blonde girl from Canada with a big heart. And when it comes to affecting positive change, she knows intuitively that music is the answer.