Electric Forest is right around the corner and I could NOT be more excited. Along with my 3 nights of Cheese, 2 of Umph and a little STS9, there’s a load of funky house DJs and bands that I’m stoked for.
We all know most of the headliners, but here’s a few deep cuts on the lineup that I think you should get acquainted with at Electric Forest this year…
Bob Moses
As soul and R&B slowly start creeping up in mainstream electronic music, artists like Chet Faker, James Blake, Nicolas Jaar and Sampha are becoming increasingly more common. And that’s a great fucking thing in my opinion…
Bob Moses falls loosely under the same umbrella as the aforementioned artists. It’s definitely beat-based dance music, but there’s a strong emphasis on song-writing, lyrics and vocals. I heard Bob Moses is a duo that does live vocals, but I’m saving my research to be (hopefully pleasantly) surprised come Saturday at 5:30 at the Tripolee stage.
Xavier Rudd
A serious lack of bluegrass isn’t exactly my favorite part about this lineup, but after checking out Xavier Rudd I’m convinced I will at least discover one awesome artist that could be classified as Americana (even if he calls the other side of the world home). This Australian multi-instrumentalist will have to hold it down for folksy-roots music at Electric Forest this year.
On the realest of reals, this dude is making some incredible music. He’s on that better-the-world, feed-the-hungry, be-nice-to-people vibe like Michael Franti, making music that makes me feel like Mufasa just for sittin’ on my Brooklyn roof top and gazing out in to the city. For real at the end of this song I just shut my eyes and pretend like I’m holding Simba up to a sea of monks or some shit…
Homie plays the Ranch Arena on Saturday, kicking off a lineup of himself, Stephen Marley, String Cheese Incident, and the Lauryn Hill Incident on the main stage.
Trippy Turtle
Aside from having what I think is one of the illest DJ names around, Trippy Turtle also releases some decent music. The dude does a lot of that jersey club / alternative trap stuff that’s blowing up, and is a part of Diplo’s Mad Decent crew. With an afternoon set on Sunday, I have no doubt he’ll help the Forest faithful get their bearings back for one last night of partying.
J.Phlip
Dirtybird’s female representative is one of their fastest rising stars, delivering impactful sets at festivals across the world. Her funky brand of house is known to break away from the four-to-the-floor pattern that usually classifies the genre, but anyone who breaks the rules is cool with me. J.Phlip plays Tripolee on Thursday after Kaytranada and before Catz n Dogz, Justin Martin, Dusky and Classixx. What a hell of a lineup…
Art Department
Art Department is not unlike Bob Moses, and by now you’ve caught on to the soulful house that hits home with me. Art Department is a little more minimal and techno-oriented than melodic, but we’re not exactly talking apples and oranges here. This Canadian duo will close the night out at Tripolee on Saturday, following STS9’s set on the Sherwood Forest stage.