07.13
I couldn’t stay away for too long, could I?
Currently sitting at a friend’s house on the Adriatic coast in a small town in Italy called Fano, finally with some free time to check in. I’m almost 4 weeks into my trip and, needless to say, am having a brilliant time. From Sonar Festival in Barcelona, to experiencing Spain’s World Cup victory in Madrid, the planets have really aligned for me this past month or so. I’ll be able to get more into the EDM aspects of my trip once I return and have more time to share my thoughts with y’all, but for now, a few tidbits on the LA massives front.
Insomniac’s next big event Audiotistic, which goes down on July 24th at the NOS Events Center in San Bernadino, will now be done in 18+ fashion. Well, this was a no brainer, wasn’t it? I don’t think I’ve talked to a single person who didn’t see this as the logical next step. I’m sure angry Southern California teenagers are venting about how unfair this is through the majesty of facebook status update, but it’s not like they know what’s good for them anyway. Glad to see Insomniac moving in the right direction (though it’s not like they had any other choice).
In case Audiotistic didn’t make it into your rave-o-dex (like Rolodex…funny, right? no? sorry), it looks like a solid event that’s worth the drive. It features a mix of hip hop, dubstep, house, and trance, boasting acts like Kid Cudi, Bassnectar, Rusko, A-Trak, Riva Starr, and Marco V. It could also be worth checking out just to see what new (if any) security modifications Insomniac has made to their events following the EDC shenanigans (no, we won’t talk about that shit again, pinky swear). More Five-Oh? Drug sniffing dogs? Giant anti-rave, fun-hating robots patrolling the venue? My bet is on the former, but I wouldn’t count out the latter.
HARD LA Fest w/M.I.A. Cancelled
A somewhat more surprising piece of news. The M.I.A.-centric festival has been nixed less than a week before it was supposed to go down. Gary Richards’ full statement, which can be found here, holds that post-EDC security issues were NOT the stimuli behind the cancellation. Rather, he seems content to leave his reasons to our collective imagination, though the water cooler talk is that low-ticket sales were the deal-breaker. Whatever the reason, HARD LA is kaput. Done and dusted. The good news is that many of the acts (including Flying Lotus) will now be part of the HARD Summer lineup, which already includes Soulwax, Major Lazer, Digitalism, Green Velvet, Erol Alkan, and Tiga. I hope I had you guys at “Soulwax”. GO!!!
People are sure to draw comparisons between last year’s HARD Summer debacle and this year’s HARD LA cancellation. While these are valid (and Richards surely can’t maintain a steady brand with regularly botched festivals), you gotta look at the music he’s trying to bring to the main stage: Underworld, Soulwax/2ManyDJs, Modeselektor, Buraka Som Sistema, Fake Blood, Carte Blanche, Boy 8 Bit, etc. Quality electronic dance music acts that don’t get watered down at the top of the charts and bring something different to the table. Sure, you get these names occasionally at events like EDC, but they’re shoved to the side stages, afterthoughts brought in to make EDC appeal to more demographics.
Insomniac events bring in the bodies and big bucks, but HARD events bring a vibe that EDC couldn’t dream of matching. The lineups strike such a balance between honoring the old school/established talent and introducing the fresh, new school up-and-comers, and the audience is large, but not too large; its manageable and more intimate, with room to actually DANCE (not just fist pump like you’re auditioning to be on Jersey Shore 2). As long as HARD keeps rocking this winning formula, LA will remain a 2 party system.
Of course, I’m biased. I’m the guy who thinks that HARD Haunted Mansion is the best EDM event of the year (it is).
Now, I’m off to enjoy the rest of my travels. Venezia tomorrow, then Geneva, Paris, Berlin, and finally, back to this beautifully ridiculous city of Los Angeles that we all call home. Travelling has been a blessing, but I can’t wait to return home to continue writing for you guys and enjoying one of the best music/art scenes the world has to offer. Ciao!
-Rob
© 2010, Rob. All rights reserved.
