Spirituality is the Lifeblood of Mystic Grizzly’s Collective, Manifest Gang

by Michael Ryan · Published October 13, 2023

Mystic Grizzly's experimental production style is infused with a deeply spiritual essence.

Feelings of euphoric reflection and unconditional love bubble to the surface in his psychedelic style of bass music. Tribal and world bass influences collide with left-field sound design for an intellectual listening experience.

The newest track from Mystic Grizzly, whose real name is Jordan Hoffman, is no exception. Tapping into the power of a hypnotic soliloquy to deliver a goosebump-inducing sound, "Heaven is Here, Now," a collaboration with Anabodi and Damiana, transports us to a blissful and meditative state.

"It really encompasses the spiritual side of everything I do," Hoffman said about the new release in an exclusive EDM.com interview. "It's a great example of the sound and style I represent. It's powerful music medicine and no matter who listens to it, it's definitely going to hit you and make you feel something, as it still does for me. It still gives me chills every time."

For Hoffman, music production is a healing outlet that channels higher consciousness and spiritual alignment.

"Music is energy," he gushed. "It is one of the most potent ways to convey a message. When you put positive intention into those sound waves, you are getting hit with the energy of love and positivity. On an energetic and subconscious level, every human picks up on that. That's something I consider every time I sit down to write a song."

By virtue of his unique sound design, the Florida-based producer writes music with the goal of stimulating and galvanizing the brain via personal contemplation.

"I want people to look inward and reflect on themselves, and to make their minds expand by comprehending sounds they’ve never heard before," he said.

In 2016, Hoffman realized that he wanted to pursue music full-time after having a transformative experience at the inaugural Tipper & Friends event, which opened his eyes to the power of electronic music culture. He was enthralled by the accepting nature of the EDM scene and its unity, tolerance and constructive energy.

Hoffman, who has been playing guitar since the age of 11, says he fell in love with the sounds of bass music and united a variety of musical influences to weave his own signature style. He draws inspiration from nature, film and travel experiences in Hawaii, Costa Rica and more.

Since starting the Mystic Grizzly music project, Hoffman has released two albums and a slew of singles and EPs, crafting his unique sound over the years. He has performed at many notable shows and festivals, including Envision in Costa Rica, EDC Orlando, Okeechobee Music Festival and more.

"Being from Florida, I attended those Southern festivals as an attendee many years ago and it was only ever a dream to perform one day. And then, that all came to fruition," Hoffman said.

However, Hoffman isn't always behind the decks. He also taps into the power of community to host enlightening curated events and festival renegades with his collective, Manifest Gang.

"Manifest Gang is a collective of like-minded, forward-thinking, conscious artists," he explained. "We are a full-spectrum community movement based around music, consciousness, health and wellness."

The collective's roots were planted in 2015, before the Mystic Grizzly project was even established. The idea stemmed from his high school friend group, with whom Hoffman gathered to learn about spirituality.

"We would do these experiments together to try to collectively manifest each other's goals, starting with small short-term things like getting a certain job or saving money," he recalled. "Through the process of each person collectively thinking, speaking and envisioning each other's goals, they literally all came true. It was extremely eye opening. It was undeniable to us. It was no longer this airy thing or just a coincidence."

Hoffman says his group of friends found that manifestation could help shape their reality by tapping into collective consciousness and community intention.

"It became clear that I wanted to integrate manifestation into my life," he continued. "So, Manifest Gang started as a group of people who can manifest each other's goals and dreams. I am living proof of that and I try to convey that message to others."

Now, Manifest Gang represents a tight-knit collective featuring the sounds and styles of Slaycub, SYLR, Invader Zlim, Dropkick and more.

"These artists, and many more, have made Manifest Gang what it is today," Hoffman says with a smile. "They have been there since the beginning. Plus, Sunken Frequencies has played a huge part in the creation of the spaces we hold. It has been a huge collaborative effort with them in terms of physically building and creating those stages and spaces."

As he reflected back on his journey, it became clear that Hoffman has seen his intentions and visions of a greater community manifest themselves tenfold. The most impactful part of what he does is seeing how it impacts others, he said. The best moments, for him, are when people approach and share how much his music or events have made a difference in their lives—either weeks, months or even years later.

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"Music has incredibly deep ripples that you might not even be aware of," he says. "It gives you the full reassurance that what you're doing is impacting people in a positive way and you really are making a change in the community. It's what ultimately keeps me doing what I do. It fills my cup and fulfills me in knowing that my mission and my vision, as well as the collective Manifest Gang vision, is doing what it was intended to do. The main mission of my project is to collectively raise the vibration."

Catch Mystic Grizzly performing in Saint Petersburg, Florida on New Year's Eve alongside Papadosio, Mindex and more. Upcoming Manifest Gang shows include Austin's Beyond Existence Festival as well as a collective showcase in Jacksonville on November 25th.