Our annual Summer Stars series features a variety of groups making the rounds on the festival circuit. Today we feature Emancipator. We’ve also checked in with Zoogma, Foxygen, The Flaming Lips, Allen Stone, Lord Huron, Shovels & Rope, Passion Pit, John Scofield, The Lumineers, Futurebirds, Tea Leaf Green and moe..

Doug Appling, aka Emancipator, first played in the U.S. in July of 2009, when he opened for Bonobo at New York City’s Roseland Ballroom. The Portland, Ore.-based producer had already played a few shows in Japan after the late instrumental hip-hop wizard Nujabes introduced his self-released 2006 album Soon It Will Be Cold Enough to the island nation.

Fast forward a few years and Emancipator has once again proven himself a master of the sublime. His 2013 release, Dusk To Dawn, weaves a number of disparate styles together to create sonic tapestries that can feel both natural and deliberate. “My sound is layered,” says Appling. “It’s chill with a lot of hip-hop beats and ambient layers, as well as classical instruments.”

Those classical instruments are precisely what set Appling apart from so many of his contemporaries. While a number of today’s producers take the stage accompanied by a live drummer, Emancipator performs live with violinist Ilya Goldberg, who breathes life into the lush string arrangements that turn many of his songs into things of beauty. He performs these ethereal tracks alongside an eclectic set of remixes, which incorporate samples of Outkast, Elephant Revival and everything in between. It’s a nuanced live electronic experience that’s refreshing in today’s world of wobbles and womps.

With a European tour now under his belt, Appling’s sights are set on the festival circuit. “I’m playing at a bunch of awesome festivals,” he says. “I’ll put out some new tracks as soon as possible, too.” *

Album for a Hot Summer Night: Outkast, Aquemini

Summer Drink: Any cold IPA beer

Festival Stops: Wakarusa, Infrasound, Electric Forest, High Sierra, Lightning in a Bottle, Gratifly, Faerieworlds, more.