05.29
Source: Drew "Rukes" Ressler
Well, it’s official, the EDC line-up is posted. I won’t copy it here but you can go to this link to see all the stages. This line-up is massive, one of the most diverse and most impressive I have ever seen for an EDM event in Los Angeles. This LA Times article sums up where the scene is at right now and this line-up only proves that. I mean seriously, could we get it any better in LA?
This year there are 2 main stages, which are clearly the Kinetic Field and Circuit Grounds. I’m guessing they will set up the main tent from TAO/Monster Massive as well as the Coliseum. I have not heard anything about the Sports Arena being used but obviously Rob and I feel like that would be the best thing to do.
Here’s my take on the line-up (I will have to neglect the bass-pod stage due to lack of knowledge…):
Friday
Kinetic Field – Basically all house. A very house heavy, groovy Friday that has some of everything in terms of house. First is Insomniac resident Joaquin Bamaca who always plays too early for me to see him, followed probably by Oscar G and Chuckie, who with Afrojack is playing both Saturday and Friday. The “Dirty Dutch” sound is clearly something Insomniac hopes will attract more of the David Guetta crowd. And I’m sure it will. Also on the line-up are Dirty South and Kaskade, both of whom were awesome at Coachella and I can’t wait to see again. After that is Swedish House Mafia, who to my knowledge has never played in the US before all together. Steve Angello has basically moved to LA at this point while the other guys are regulars at Avalon so they should have a lot of fans come through. Expect a lot of Euro house anthems and dudes with slicked back shoulder length hair and sunglasses. It’s gonna be great. Last but not least is Deadmau5, who will bang our brains til we can’t think no more with intense electro-house tracks. It’s a mystery as to whether he will have his setup from Coachella because the last time EDC had set-up delays things did not go well (recall the hour with no sound last year…).
Circuit Grounds – the real big headliner here is of course Moby, who still brings back good memories in everyone who went to EDC in 2008. He will very likely draw a big crowd as well as Basement Jaxx, who will drop a unique sound on the ears of EDC ravers. Also on the line-up are old timers Infected Mushroom who have yet to miss an Insomniac event (but always draw a crowd so I don’t see the harm), BT, and DJ Z-trip who plays awesome hip-hop and rock mashups as well as a little drum and bass. Last but not least is Afrojack, who, again, is looking to draw the David Guetta crowd with some intense electro remixes.
Cosmic Meadow – this is put on by Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak events and features… Steve Aoki who has amassed a huge following lately. He is joined by lots of electro house acts such as Bart B More, Dada Life, Hyphy Crunk, Armand Van Helden, and others. That stage should be really intense. I’m scared to go over there. But Dada Life should be good fun. And it can’t be as bad as the Drum n Bass stage…
Neon Garden – this stage has a lot of up and coming acts including Avicii who has recently done remixes for Tiesto and the Black Eyed Peas. The other names I have heard floating around and are mostly house DJs that should be interesting for those looking to hear some newer more underground sounds than the other stages.
Saturday
Kinetic Field – this night features one of the most epic combinations ever, which I witnessed at the Love Fest Afterparty in 2008 – Armin van Buuren and Above and Beyond. Both play uplifting, epic trance music which will surely lift some people right out of the coliseum and into a euphoric state unheard of before. Drugs may or may not be involved. Saturday features a newcomer to the rave circuit – Will.I.Am who already played a set at Miami’s WMC. I listened to his set and it was mostly super grimy, dirty electro music mixed in with a little bit of hip-hop. It’s good stuff and I’m sure his sound will continue to improve, judging by the fact that he has been hanging out with David Guetta who can teach him to beatmatch and tell the crowd how much he loves them and how beautiful they all are. Back for more on Saturday are Afrojack and Dada Life, who will drop some electro on the main stage along with Laidback Luke and Benny Bennassi who will play some ripping house tracks. Saturday’s looking like a fantastic mix on the main stage! Also sounds like I’m going to have a very hard time deciding who to see…
Circuit Grounds – back with another house-loaded stage, we have Groove Armada who did a great job last year and are doing another main stage set. They are joined by techno DJ Sasha (who I still don’t like… sorry Rob) and then more house – Fedde Le Grand, Roger Sanchez, and James Zabiela, supported by Avicii and Chuckie again. Must be nice to play 2 main stages on 2 separate nights at the same event. 2 different main stages. Lucky dirty dutch… Lastly the Circuit Grounds features a guest spot by Boys Noize which will get all the hipster electro fans excited and dancing as well. I look forward to hearing FLG and Roger Sanchez drop some Euro house beats; I will probably not see Zabiela because his music didn’t excite me as much as I thought it would when I saw him at Avalon. More scratching would fix that though!!!
Cosmic Meadow – this looks like a line-up for a HARD event so Insomniac is definitely pulling all the stops on Saturday to beat last year’s attendance record of 90,000 people. We have MSTRKRFT, Wolfgang Gartner (who dropped a great set at Coachella), LA Riots, Duck Sauce, Them Jeans, and others. Electro to the max. Again, scared to go to this stage.
Neon Garden – ahh yes, ohh my… I am very excited and happy to see this stage. The trance stage. Just for me. And all the trance fans in LA. Insomniac definitely hit the sweet spot for me by putting this stage on there. It’s got some names from last year’s EDC – Aly & Fila and Christopher Lawrence, as well as Gareth Emery who is now regarded as one of the best DJs and producers in the world. They are joined by Psy-Trance master John 00 Fleming whose Essential Mix this year ensured I would stop by to see him, and last but not least… the beastly and monstrous combination of Sean Tyas and Simon Patterson. They are going to blow the lid off of EDC with 140 BPM intense trance beats, a-la Trance Energy. I’m also somewhat scared to see them but I feel like I have to for at least a little while, before things just get out of control and I have to walk away.
Conclusion
One of the most diverse and well-rounded line-ups I have seen for an electronic event in the United States. I am truly happy and proud that we are having such an event; any dance music fan who saw line-ups like these would have to be extremely jealous… unless they are holding tickets to Ibiza in their hands. In which case I, sir or ma’am, concede my jealousy to you.
It’s gonna be tough to make decisions on Friday and Saturday of this event, especially because I am a believer in hearing the majority of a DJs set (otherwise you’re missing out on the development of it). But I might have to suspend that belief for this weekend just so I can get a piece of everything.
See you at EDC 2010 folks!!!
© 2010, M Silin. All rights reserved.
