Electronic music is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. and is finding widespread appeal among the college crowd. Recognizing this fact and the vibrant local electronic music community that exists, a few motivated individuals got together and decided Chapel Hill would be an ideal location to hold a festival not just for the immediate area, but with a scope focusing on the entire Southeast.

The Beginning:
Held on April 7th and 8th, 2006, the festival drew over a thousand electronic music fans and curiosity-seekers from across the Southeast. Signal provided something for everybody: internationally-renowned DJs, producers, and bands in more than a half dozen venues ranging from large clubs to cafes covering a wide spectrum of musical styles. Because the electronic music scene is so rich in the Chapel Hill area, Signal drew from lots of local talent as well. While the nights were full of music, seminars were held during the day for festival-goers to meet artists and learn about the music industry.

One of Signal’s most unique characteristics is that it was able to be held in venues within walking distance from each other. This allowed festival-goers to freely move between events in such a way that it was possible to experience part of almost every event. When SIGNAL 2006 had come to a close, festival-goers left inspired and enthusiastic for the next year’s festival.

The Organizers of SIGNAL:

Ctrl+Alt+Del was formed by a group of young professionals, most of whom happen to be DJs themselves. A for-profit company, our sole purpose was to organize and promote SIGNAL– a festival we expect to grow in size and prominence year after year.

Enter the Signal Foundation:

In the fall of 2007, we made a decision to transfer all SIGNAL property to the The Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to all things that cross the path of music and technology.  This decision was made out of necessity--and common sense.  There are a lot of factors that go into running a music festival; the cost of bringing talent and our desire to make the festival affordable were major considerations among other considerations. Ultimately, our organizational structure is now aligned with our vision. We look forward to hosting many more festivals and working to the arts community at large.

The Future:

SIGNAL is now in its 5th year and bigger than ever.  Each year, SIGNAL gets bigger acts and more people interested in the events as well as the educational workshops.  But of course, music is a forever evolving entity and SIGNAL is dedicated to always being one step ahead at the intersection of music and technology and will continue to lead the charge with the growth of music as we know it.

Contact us:
Please send all inquiries to info@signalfest.com