In Alphabetical Order… Please no panties in a wad…
When I tell my peers about Wavefront Beachside Music Festival in Chicago, I’m usually greeted with a confused look followed by the question, “Wait – there’s a beach in Chicago?” I guess that’s what you get for living in Florida. You know, both because of the schooling system and not being landlocked at all or anything.
Once we move past that and I school them on the awesome lineup that has popular acts like 3lau and Rusko mixed with techno legends like Dubfire and Seth Troxler alongside variety like Justice, Pillowtalk, Caspa and Nicolas Jaar.
The experience starts to sound more and more like a grown-up EDC (sorry Insomniac…) The diversity is sure to draw the “EDM” heads to a mainstage that will boast a lineup of Rusko, Diplo, Fatboy Slim and Erick Morillo, but with some side stages that will definitely keep anyone who isn’t a fan of cheesy electro entertained for hours. I can’t wait to see what this festival has planned and because of my excitement, I outlined the top 10 acts to see at this beachside festival!
Caspa – So dubstep may or may not be dead, but it sure as shit isn’t very “cool” anymore. Luckily, we don’t really give a flyin’ hoot about those types of tings. Caspa, one of the genre’s biggest catalysts to success, will throw down a mix of UK dub and who knows what else. One thing’s for sure, and that’s that I’m going to find out…
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Cosmic Gate – Trance. It certainly isn’t my favorite music in the world, but it can be pretty damn cool when done properly. Artists like Tritonal, Armin and these guys are leaders of the electronic genre and it will be a great addition to the dubstep, techno and experimental vibes of Wavefront.
Diplo – You already know what it is with this guy. Whether he’s playing for FSU greek life or for a bunch of NOLA freaks til the sun comes up, Diplo has the crates to make yo’ booty shake. The guy has tons of charisma and has never let me down, so it’s only natural he’s making the list here.
Dubfire – I saw Dubfire in Orlando at a ritzy little club that is now out of business. In true techno-God fashion, the Iranian DJ / producer completely shut it down with a 2+ hour set of hyperactive tech house that rivals the likes of Loco Dice, Richie Hawtin or Carl Cox.
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Fatboy Slim – Quentin Leo Cook, better known as Fatboy Slim, might be the best DJ in the world. Each time I see him I am enchanted by the song selection, mixing and FUN that this 50 year old man is having up on the 1’s and 2’s. I can’t wait to see what he brings to the beach in Chitown!
Justice – These guys are HUUUGEE. While the Wavefront Festival lists this as a Justice DJ set (as opposed to the live set), I’m really not so sure I know the difference between the two. I think the “live” set just has a bunch of fake Marshall Amps on there. If you’re a huge Justice fan and I’m wrong, please flame the shit out of me but also tell me what the difference is… Thanks.
Mark Farina – Dude is legendary and well known for a series of mixes called “Mushroom Jazz.” I’ll leave you with this and move on…
Maya Jane Coles – She’s beautiful, she can mix, she can sing. She has an alias for her dubstep project (Nocturnal Sunshine) and I’ve heard she’s incredible live. Maya Jane Coles produces some of the deepest, most soulful house music I hear around and I’m seriously excited to see how it translates into a live setting… especially what will probably be during the day on the beach as opposed to a dark club at 4am.
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Nicolas Jaar – I honestly hadn’t heard about this guy until he won Resident Advisor’s award for best live electronic act. From there, it was clear Nicolas Jaar was on my radar of acts to see. While it isn’t specified if this will be a live or DJ set, I’m excited to see what this genre-crossing New York-native can bring to the table.
Soul Clap – Dirtybird affiliations, a goofy promo shot and the word “soul” right there in their name. Soul Clap’s groovy, 80s-inspired sounds will definitely be seen by these eyes, and I hope yours as well! [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/11493156″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
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