Further Future: Robot Heart’s Private Bash

Veteran burners have no doubt heard of Robot Heart, the famous art camp that grew into a mini-festival itself. The group made waves with performances by Above & Beyond, Major Lazer and Skrillex, building their name into one of the biggest brands at Burning Man.

If that seems like a contradiction, it is. The group has been at odds with Burning Man staff for their association with the plug-and-play crowd (people who pay money to join a party camp, but don’t participate in the Burning Man community). Last year, Robot Heart launched Further Future, their own inaugural festival created in the spirit of Burning Man, though in a slightly different direction.

© Christian Lamb | Further Future

The landscape and production will look familiar to returning burners. 2015’s festival was relocated to the Moapa Indian Reservation in Nevada, a dry desert bearing a strong resemblance to Mars. Robot Heart had to shift location after the Bureau of Land Management denied them a permit, resulting in a rush to find and build the site. Last year’s attendees said the grounds were a little spread out and stages were still being constructed when they arrived, but all inaugural festivals face growing pains like these, especially independent ones without the resources of a parent company like Live Nation.

In addition to production problems, Robot Heart has been at odds with Burning Man for using playa footage to profit elsewhere. Like their parent festival, beautiful art installations and offbeat attractions dot the sandy landscape, but a closer look will reveal Further Future’s true nature characterized by luxury tents, spas and helicopter rides. While the musical lineup is well curated, many of the speaker sessions feature tech CEOs who are usually millionaires themselves.

Boutique camping options are popular at Further Future, ranging from $850 Alpha Class pods to a $7,500 Lunar Palace. While this might be a turnoff to the Burning Man regular, the biggest offense would have to be the lack of community. Instead of encouraging cooperation and a gift economy, Further Future has food vendors and volunteers, resulting in trash that gets ignored by people who want someone else to pick it up.

Many have voiced their concerns about Further Future, and with the second festival happening this month, time will tell whether it has what it takes to become a Burning Man rival.

© Gilles Bonugli Kali | Further Future