Like any festival, decisions and sacrifices will be made. With five stages spanning across a much wider venue (Whittier Recreational Park — just north of the Downtown LA area), it’s almost vital to have some sort of personal schedule to follow. Or not…

HARD SUMMER 2014 MUST-SEE ACTS

With this being my fifth HARD Summer (not bragging, just establishing some background), it’s easy for me to say that HARD always brings the most talented DJs and producers around. This year, however, it almost goes without saying. With a multitude of genres occurring across the park, it’s going to be difficult to watch everyone you want, so here are some of the ones you should make an effort to squeeze into your schedule.

Brillstein — HARD always likes to bring some Los Angeles natives into the mix, giving the festival its own home-grown vibe. This time it just so happens to be Thee Mike B‘s most recent and funky project. Since the festival starts so early this year, there’s no reason why you and the homies can’t show up and get things started properly with Brillstein. If you’re into deep, rump-shaking funk, Brillstein will be delivering some serious grooviness that you should not miss out on.

Trippy Turtle — This one is brutal because it lines up with Dillon Francis, but if you’re trying to see one of the best up-and-coming producers live and in action, this is the dude to see. Trippy Turtle has been making some remarkably huge waves as of late, and HARD will be the perfect stage to see him strut his stuff.

He has been instrumental in the rise of the Jersey and Baltimore Club sub-genres and this young gun’s skills are creatively reflected in every live performance he puts on. Trippy Turtle will definitely be a wise choice for anyone looking for bouncy, out-of-the-box goodness.

DJ Mustard — If you were able to watch the live stream of Skrillex’ Mothership Tour at Red Rocks (or even better watch it IN PERSON), you most likely caught DJ Mustard. He’s the man behind some of the most infamous pop/ hip-hop fusion songs you hear on the radio and also is extremely mean on the decks.

Mustard’s set will undoubtedly be one wild party, so if you’re craving a hard, trap and hip-hop influenced sound, and you’re trying to get down with everything you’ve got, leave it all at DJ Mustard’s stage.

A-Trak — It goes without saying that this guy is a living DJ legend. So why see him when you can see other awesome DJs instead? First of all A-Trak has been DESTROYING his live performances lately. If you’ve been able to catch any of his recent Instagram posts, you’ll see that the dude is scratching better than ever and playing out one of the most diverse set lists you will ever see. Fact.

Coming off the recent GoldGoneWild tour, the Fool’s Gold Records boss is white hot, and with HARD coming up, you can most certainly expect this renown veteran to put out an amazing performance this weekend. With a handful of DMC championship titled under his belt, as well as production credits with some of hip-hop and dance music’s biggest names, A-Trak is a marquee act that you absolutely should not pass up on. Trust me.

Jack U — Another fairly obvious choice but, come on. Who would give up the chance to see Skrillex and Diplo share the stage together? They haven’t played a festival this big since Ultra and that was just a shit show (the good kind).

These are arguably the two biggest, most dominating American DJs and producers in the game right now, and I’ll bet the house of the fact that these two are going to deliver a larger-than-life performance at HARD. Not to mention that LA is Skrill’s hometown, so you know he will be putting out for his city in impeccable fashion. Sonny and Wes onstage for an hour and a half? Yes please. Move over Carnage. Go stage dive some more…

HARD SUMMER 2014 SCHEDULING CONFLICTS

Both days are packed to the brim with talent, so naturally there are some pretty major scheduling conflicts. This obviously all depends on what you’re into and who you’re trying to see, and thankfully, HARD is the festival that can deliver a completely unique festival experience to all of its attendees, because of its incredible diversity. Some of these conflicts might not even exist for you because you’re only going to see Tiesto though. Hey, that’s cool too, bruh.

Saturday:

GRiZ vs Bro Safari — Does one get funky as fuck or so turnt your face hurts? This is a toss up because I’m a huge GRiZ fan but I also love making that “who just shat in my lap?” face when Bro Safari drops something too nasty. With GRiZ making sweet electro-soul laced with sexy saxophone, and Bro Safari bulldozing masses with waves of head-crushing bass, taste plays a big part in making this tough call.

Tchami vs Alex Metric — The real question here is, “how much booty shaking do I want to do?” Either way you’re making a great choice. Are you going for that future-house sound Tchami has mastered over the past year or that silky, ultra-soulful, funky kind of booty shaking only Alex Metric can provide?

Flosstradamus vs Dusky vs What So Not vs Oliver — Woof. Turn up or boogie down? If you’re a ratchet bitch, go to Floss, obviously. But, if you’re into What So Not’s ambient, yet party-fueling sound, it’ll prove to be another tough call up against the likes of Oliver’s unmatched funky, nu-disco finesse. To make this even more difficult, Dusky will be serving up hot, fresh booty-house vibes right at the same time. This one is about to be a doozie.

Baauer vs Justin Martin vs Jack Beats — Good Christ. First off, after the “Harlem Shake” phenomenon, Baauer chilled out for a little bit, and now has returned with some pretty incredible tracks. On the other hand, Just Martin killed in the Dew Lab at this year’s Coachella, and he is one of the unparalleled masters of the booty bumping goodness that is DirtyBird Records.

But then there is Jack Beats. The UK-bred OWSLA duo is known to spin a wide variety of different sounds, but are always known to bring a good time, as well as a raucous set. These two vets are definitely a force to be reckoned with too, making this triangle of heavy-hitters an incredibly difficult call to make.

DJ Snake vs Kill The Noise — Another tragically difficult decision to be made here, although it really once again comes down to taste. Kill The Noise is going to offer his OWSLA/Slowroast Recs hybrid sound; a mix of head-splitting dubstep and wild electro-house. KTN will surely deliver the one-two punch with his veteran experience performing at HARD, and will undoubtedly put on one of the grimiest sets of the weekend.

Next, consider DJ Snake. The Parisian Mad Decent superstar has taken over the world this year with a handful of twerk-inducing collabs and originals that turn dance floors into saunas instantly. Taste remains key, but for those just looking for a good performance, this one is nearly impossible to call.

Seth Troxler vs The M Machine vs Jack U — This one might be the most difficult call on Saturday. Diversity, as welcomed and appreciated as it is on a lineup this large, is coming back to bite us in the ass as Saturday’s final sets pose this incredibly tough decision. Off to party with forward-thinking beat maker Seth Troxler, or will you make your way to one of the biggest, most anticipated headlining sets of the entire festival circuit over at Jack U? 

And as if that wasn’t hard enough to call, throw the M Machine into the discussion and it becomes all the more difficult. The OWSLA championed trio will be throwing down their brand of futuristic, fresh, hard-knocking bass music at the same time. 

Sunday:

Milo and Otis vs. Wax Motif— Sunday afternoon offers its first conflict as Wax Motif and Milo and Otis take the decks at the same time. To choose between the up-and-coming trap duo who are fresh off Skrillex’s Mothership Tour, and funky, techno guru who frequently collaborates with Destructo will prove to be a difficult test of tastes.

Mercer vs. Hannah Wants– Both of these performers have some serious talent to showcase at this year’s HARD. Both bred in the house genre, these two have respectively taken club music to their own realms, and each pack some noteworthy talent.

For the type looking for an immerse, deep house experience, look no further than Hannah Wants (who is making her first US appearance this weekend). However those looking to party down to some of the hardest electro-house out there, Mercer will absolutely be the set for you.

Clockwork vs. Shiba San vs. 2manydjs–  This conflict might be overlooked, however, with some thought, you’ll find this one to be just as tough as most of the others. Shiba San is going to take his crowd through a variety of different deep and funky soundscapes, while Clockwork is going to do what he is best at. Clockwork is going to deliver a mind-bending, teeth-grinding set that will be an absolute party from start to finish.

Then there is 2manydjs. The Belgian duo have been around forever and have produced some of dance music’s most creative outputs in the last two decades as either 2manydjs or their live collective Soulwax. Anyone who appreciates where all of this came from should definitely give 2manydjs a gander, I promise it’ll be worth your time.

Trippy Turtle vs. Dillon Francis– Probably the hardest toss up of the whole weekend here, folks. Cat master and festival headliner Dillon Francis is slated to play at the exact same time as on of the most promising up-and-coming names in all of dance music, Trippy Turtle. Both will surely deliver amazing bouts from behind the decks, however unfortunately this painstaking decision will have to be made.

Trippy is going to offer a bubbly, light, bouncy experience, complete with dripping synths and bedroom-rattling remixes. Dillon is going to bring the party like only Dillon Francis knows how. Who knows, DJ Hanzel, or even DJ Rich As Fuck might even make an appearance at Dillon’s set. Either way, this one will most likely be a game-time decision.

Maya Jane Coles vs. Tiesto vs. Nero vs. Brodinski– Oh, brother. We have the return on UK-trio bass masters Nero, going on at the same time as Bromance authority Brodinski throwing down his own meshing of deep, dark techno and filthy hip-hop.

As if that wasn’t difficult enough, you also have to choose between one of the biggest DJs who ever lived, Tiesto, playing at the same time as Maya Jane Coles. Tiesto will bring the world-celebrated house and club sounds that he helped create and popularize over the last twenty years, while MJC will bring her meticulous brand of silky, sexy deep house to the mix. This four-way talent cluster caps off the festival, leaving one of the hardest calls for last.

HARD SUMMER 2014 VENUE LAYOUT

One of the best things about this year’s HARD Summer is the new venue. Whittier Narrows Recreation Area is almost three times larger than the Los Angeles Historic Park (HARD’s former home) and offers guests a much GREENER atmosphere. I think I speak for most of the HARD ticket-holders when I say I’m very much looking forward to leaving the festival sans dust and wood chips.

The new venue offers guests a TON of strolling area compared to the Historic Park’s high-traffic try-not-to-run-into-people areas. My hopes are that with so much additional space, the festival will be able to accommodate attendees with plenty of bathroom areas. Although last year was fine (for me at least) there still seemed to be an alarming number of drunk white girls screaming “I’M GONNA FUCKING PISS MYSELF!”

TRAVELING TO HARD SUMMER 2014

As always, HARD makes it incredibly easy for you and your crew to get to the festival. By train, cab, uber, or hooves, you can get to Whittier Park for next to nothing. Or absolutely nothing. Take a look at this dope ass pic:

Welp, that about sums up everything you need to know about this year’s HARD Summer. Have fun, be safe, and dance your little tush off!

The post The Ultimate Guide to HARD Summer 2014 appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

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Couldn’t make it to Coachella this year? Just tune in to the Coachella Music & Arts Festival 2014 Live Stream to check out all the artists being broadcasted live. If you happened to miss the live broadcast of Coachella, no problem. Down below are the Coachella Music & Arts Festival 2014 live sets of artists who played on the first day; including the track list and free downloads for each set in alphabetical order.

Don’t forget to enter yourself to win $150 worth of Coachella merchandise! More info here. 

Reminder:

These are being kept up to date as new content is released. Please refresh the page or tune back in later for more updates on additional artists, sets, tracklists, and free downloads.

If a track or download isn’t available, leave a comment below and we will fix it as soon as possible.

Latest Updates: 

1. Updated Martin Garrix’s tracklist.

2. Updated Carnage’s tracklist.

Day 2 SETS

Day 3 SETS

Bastille | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

Carnage | Free Download

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Tracklist:

1. Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash – Reload w/ BlasterJaxx – Mystica
2. Armin van Buuren & W&W – Big Ping Pong Foot (Bobina Mashup)
3. The Game feat. 50 Cent – This Is How We Do 
4. Carnage & Alvaro – Harry Potter (Working Title)
5. David Guetta & Showtek feat. Vassy – BAD
6. A$AP Ferg – Work
7. A$AP Ferg feat. A$AP Rocky – Shabba
8. Carnage feat. Katie Got Bandz – Kat!e
9. Zatox & Nikkita – Poltergeist (Carnage Festival Trap Remix) 
10. Showtek – We Like To Party (Slander & NGHTMRE Remix)
11. Showtek feat. We Are Loud & Sonny Wilson – Booyah (Party Favor Remix)
12. DJ Fresh & Diplo feat. Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake (Yellow Claw & LNY TNZ Remix)
13. Nicky Romero & NERVO – Like Home (D-Block & S-te-Fan Remix)
14. DJ Snake feat. Lil Jon – Turn Down For What?!
15. Robin S – Show Me Love (Bass King Bootleg) w/ R3hab & Deorro – Flashlight w/ Deorro vs. Krewella – Yee Alive (Clockwork Mashup) w/ Wiwek – Angry Birdz
16. Wiwek & Gregor Salto – On Your Mark
17. ID – ID
18. ID – ID
19. Carnage & Junkie Kid – Krakatoa
20. Bastille – Pompeii (Audien Remix)
21. Carnage & Tony Junior – Michael Jordan (Bare Remix)
22. Hardwell – Spaceman (Carnage Festival Trap Remix)

Chromeo | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

Deorro | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

Ellie Goulding | Free Download

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Tracklist:

1. [00:00] Ellie Goulding – Figure 8 
2. [04:35] Ellie Goulding – Goodness Gracious
3. [08:08] Ellie Goulding – Animal
4. [13 min] Ellie Goulding – Starry Eyed
5. [16:38] Madeon feat. Ellie Goulding – Stay Awake
6. [20:40] Ellie Goulding – Tessellate w/ Ellie Goulding feat. Angel Haze – Life Round Here
7. [25:24] Ellie Goulding – Anything Could Happen
8. [30:45] Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding – I Need Your Love
9. [35:25] Ellie Goulding – Lights
10. [39:25] Ellie Goulding – You My Everything
11. [43:15] Ellie Goulding – Burn

Flume | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

Gareth Emery | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

Mako | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

Martin Garrix | Free Download

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Tracklist:

1. Martin Garrix – Animals (Onderkoffer Orchestral Intro Remix) w/ Martin Garrix – Animals (Botnek Edit)
2. Martin Garrix vs. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike – Tremor
3. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike & Sander Van Doorn & Martin Garrix vs. Pendulum – Project T vs. The Island (Martin Garrix Mashup)
4. Kid Cudi feat. MGMT – Pursuit Of Happiness (Steve Aoki Remix) w/ Pitbull feat. Lil’ Jon & Will.I.Am & JD – Put Your Fuckin Hands Up (Acappella) w/ Martin Garrix & Jay Hardway – Error 404 w/ Zedd & Lucky Date feat. Ellie Goulding – Fall Into The Sky (Everybody Fuckin Jump Acappella)
5. ID – ID w/ Tiesto – Maximal Crazy (Acappella)
6. FTampa vs. Nirvana vs. Chuck Nash – Kick It Hard Teen Spirit (Hardwell Mashup) w/ Chuck Nash – Are You Ready (Make Some Noise) (Acappella)
7. R3hab – Samurai (Go Hard) w/ Dirty South & Those Usual Suspects feat. Erik Hecht – Walking Alone (Acappella)
8. Arston & Sandro Silva – Symphony (Working Title)
9. Martin Garrix & Jay Hardway – Wizard
10. Martin Garrix – Proxy w/ Fedde Le Grand & Nicky Romero feat. Matthew Koma – Sparks (Turn Off Your Mind) (Acappella)
11. Bassjackers – Crackin (Martin Garrix Edit) w/ Alesso – Raise Your Head (Acappella) w/ David Guetta & GlowintheDark feat. Harrison – Ain’t A Party (Let Me See Your Fuckin Hands Acappella)
12. DVBBS & Borgeous vs. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis – Tsunami Can’t Hold Us (Neitronic Mashup)
13. Ummet Ozcan – Raise Your Hands
14. Dillon Francis & Martin Garrix – Set Me Free w/ Pitbull feat. Lil’ Jon & Will.I.Am & JD – Put Your Fuckin Hands Up (Acappella)
15. Martin Garrix & Firebeatz vs. Swedish House Mafia & Knife Party vs. Zedd & Lucky Date vs. Icona Pop – Helicopter vs. Antidote vs. Fall Into The Sky vs. I Love It (Martin Garrix Mashup)
16. Bassjackers & MAKJ – Derp
17. Afrojack & Martin Garrix – Turn Up The Speakers (Working Title)
18. Blur – Song 2
19. Autoerotique – Play It Again
20. Jay Hardway – Bootcamp
21. Riva Starr & Fatboy Slim – Eat Sleep Rave Repeat (Calvin Harris Remix) w/ Autoerotique – LZR Bass
22. Dada Life vs. MOTi & DVBBS – Feed The Dada vs. This Is Dirty (MOTi Mashup)
23. Alpharock – Drop The Guns
24. Julian Jordan & Martin Garrix – BFAM
25. Bruno Mars – Locked Out Of Heaven (Sultan & Ned Shepard Remix) w/ TJR – Whats Up Suckaz
26. Krewella vs. Hardwell & Makj – Alive vs. Countdown (Bassjackers Mashup)
27. ID – ID
28. Sander Van Doorn & Martin Garrix & DVBBS – Gold Skies

Shlohmo | Check Back for Updates

Tracklist:

The Glitch Mob | Free Download

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/144462706″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Tracklist:

1. The Glitch Mob – Mind Of A Beast
2. The Glitch Mob feat. Aja Volkman – Our Demons
3. The Glitch Mob – Can’t Kill Us
4. The Glitch Mob – Drive It Like You Stole It
5. The Glitch Mob – Fortune Days
6. The Glitch Mob feat Aja Volkman – I Need My Memory Back
7. The Prodigy – Breathe (The Glitch Mob Remix)
8. The Glitch Mob – Skullclub
9. Matty G – West Coast Rocks (The Glitch Mob Remix)
10. The Glitch Mob – We Can Make The World Stop
11. The Glitch Mob – Carry The Sun

Zedd | Free Download

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/144462747″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

Tracklist:

1. Zedd feat. Foxes – Clarity w/ Wolfgang Gartner – Nuke
2. Joe Garston feat. Andrew Farr – Happy Ending (Froxic Remix) w/ Zedd & Lucky Date feat. Ellie Goulding – Fall Into The Sky
3. Dillon Francis & Major Lazer – We Make It Bounce
4. Zedd – Codec w/ Calvin Harris feat. Florence Welch – Sweet Nothing (Acappella) w/ Chuckie – Who’s Ready To Jump (1 2 3 Let’s Go Acappella)
5. Swedish House Mafia – Greyhound w/ Deniz Koyu – Tung!
6. Zedd feat. Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant – Find You (ID Remix) w/ Zedd feat. Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant – Find You (KDrew Remix) w/ Zedd feat. Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant – Find You (Dash Berlin Remix) w/ Zedd feat. Matthew Koma & Miriam Bryant – Find You (Mike Hawkins Remix)
7. Zedd feat. Matthew Koma – Spectrum
8. ID – ID
9. ID – ID
10. ID – ID

The post Coachella 2014 Weekend 1 Day 1 Live Sets: Zedd, Flume, Carnage + Many More appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

We noticed something very special immediately upon entering BUKU 2014… It might have been because we were totally out of our element in the deep south, or maybe it was being so close to the Mississippi river. Maybe it was the perfect weather or maybe it was the beautiful people… No matter what it was, we knew we were going to have an incredible time at BUKU right from the get-go.

The festival was set up exactly like a shotgun home in New Orleans: the stages were all in line with each other, allowing attendees to go from the main stage all the way to the back alley without having to walk around aimlessly or use a confusing map. Everything was straight forward and easily navigated. You could literally walk in a straight line next to the river and hit ever stage. It was incredibly easy and convenient.

Along the way from one stage to another, concert-goers could stop by an assortment of INCREDIBLE vendors including food, merchandise, and more. New Orleans is home to some of the best cooking in the entire world, so taking a break for food was something to look forward to. From brats to pizza and even some vegetarian options, BUKU had the food game locked down.

BUKU 2014 Day 1 Recap:

If you weren’t able to make it to the first day of BUKU as soon as the gates open, you missed out on some serious up-and-comers. Treasure Fingers was a blast in the Ballroom, and NO native DXXXY tore it up in the back alley (check out DXXXY’s full set from BUKU right here) before Jesse Slayter completely blew it up. Kid Kamillion was after Slayter making the Back Alley the place to be for some of the best underrated acts at the festival.

Meanwhile at the Power Plant main stage, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony were bringing everyone back to the 90’s with all of their hits. Seeing them followed by NAS was one of the coolest and most nostalgic festival experiences ever.

The Ballroom definitely had its own vibes throughout the entire afternoon with Classixx and Miami Horror playing some incredible live sets that were each funkier than the next.

We were also able to hop on board the S.S. Blu-Ku to catch Big Freedia’s Twerk Lesson which had to have been one of the most unique experiences of any festival we have ever been to. Watching a swarm of people twerk as hard as they could while Big Freedia slapped their asses was hilariously educational.

If you were looking for a place to really get down, the Float Den was where it was at. Good lord was that place sweaty. Watching Paper Diamond we thought there was no possible way that stage could get any more rowdy, until Carnage came on and completely ruined every one in attendance.

Once the sun went down was when things really got goin’ at BUKU. After rocking out to Sleigh Bells (who were extremely impressive and above our expectations) we were relaxing with a few beers during Dusky‘s deep set in the Back Alley before catching the last bit of Ellie Goulding at the main stage.

One of the biggest (and best) surprises of the entire festival was getting to catch The Gaslamp Killer‘s set in the ballroom between Pusha T and Chance The Rapper. GLK’s set was full of awesome new music from Hudson Mowhake and live scratching that showed the audience what an actual DJ does…

The best set of the night (and possibly the entire weekend) was without a doubt Chance The Rapper. Saying his stage presence is “high energy” does not do the man justice. An hour was not nearly enough time to soak in the magic that was Chance. His band was tight, on point, and perfectly coupled his quick flow.

BUKU 2014 Music + Arts Festival Photos

More photos and a recap video on the way! Stay tuned!

BUKU 2014 Day 2 Recap:

Day 2 of BUKU 2014 started off harder than expected with DJ Snake in the Float Den. It was our first time seeing Snake perform live and it was not a let down whatsoever. Focusing more on his  festival set than what he showcased in his two-hour essential mix, DJ Snake definitely blew us away. But nothing could prepare us for what was to come.

As we made our way into the Ballroom, we noticed something strange happening during Dan Deacon‘s set. He had shifted the entire audience into a giant dance party — and not the kind you would expect. Playing on the floor instead of on stage, Dan Deacon was able to shape the crowd into a huge circle that completely occupied the space of the Ballroom.

People would take turns running into the middle and showing off their moves. Once he felt the crowd had enough, Dan had everyone run to the center and greet each other with high fives. It was yet again one of the most unique things you could ever witness at a festival.

Since the Back Alley was a success for us on the first day of the festival, we made our way back and once again were not dissappointed. We caught another New Orleans native, Shanook, on stage while Boyfriend was getting down with the crowd performing one of her newest tracks. It was just another in-your-face experience from BUKU.

One of the most anticipated acts of BUKU (for the JNTM BUKrew at least) was the Funklords known only as Chromeo. It was awesome getting a chance to see the the guys live, right in midst of their 2014 tour. The guys were on point as always and their set featured some of their new jams like “Jealous” and “Come Alive,” both of which were even better live.

Cashmere Cat was another catch in the Back Alley, playing everything from his own Wedding Bells EP to other FoFoFadi-inspired artists like Drippy Dolphin and Trippy Turtle. Cat went super hard and had the entire back alley packed to the brim with adoring fans.

There was really no other choice other than seeing Baauer b2b RL Grime. Two of trap music biggest stars collaborating with each other behind the decks was by far the most insane experiences of the festival.

After getting completely turnt up at Baauer and RL Grime, we made our way to Soul Clap who was playing two full hours of some of the most soulful, funky house music we had heard all weekend long.

Fortunately the grooves kept on rollin’ with Skream, who as of late has been venturing further away from the disgusting dubstep he made his name with and has moved closer to disco house that had the Back Alley getting down with their funky selves.

After passing through the Float Den to catch a little of Tyler the Creator (who was raunchy and awesome as always), we made our way to the Beats Antique set in the Ballroom. The place was packed and sweatier than ever. The crowd was full of die-hard fans who were dancing and enjoying the last few hours of the festival.

BUKU 2014 Review

The festival was overall a huge success. Everywhere we turned we were met with another great act. The venue could not have been better and the food and beverage vendors were a perfect representation of the host city.

It wasn’t just the entertainment that was impressive, the attendees of BUKU 2014 were also something to write home about. The people in New Orleans are some of the most down to earth and friendly folks. There were multiple times where people would walk up to us and start a conversation like we had all been best friends for years. Now THAT was truly a unique festival experience.

Another important aspect was the art. Now, most festivals say they’re an “music and arts” festival, but not many actually mean it as much as BUKU does. Everything about the festival was in some form or another focused on art. Whether it was the wall of live graffiti or the commissioned piece hanging in the float den, BUKU was actually an art festival.

Overall, the BUKU experience was a refreshing one. The festival is still very young and growing into itself, but that’s what makes it so great. There weren’t a lot of bros or VIP people spending tons of money just to be seen at the show. Everyone in attendance was someone who was there for the music, or at least there to have fun.

That’s the bottom line. The festival was FUN. There was nothing quite like BUKU and I personally cannot wait to return.

The post BUKU 2014 Music + Arts Festival Recap & Photos appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

New Orleans’ own BUKU Music + Art Project unveiled its schedule that fuses EDM, hip-hop, indie rock, and everything in between into two short days with 69 acts. With one of the year’s freshest and diverse lineups, its inevitable that BUKU’s schedule is full of overlapping performances forcing festival-goers to make tough decisions.

Friday the 21st’s schedule kick-starts the weekend with instrumental dubstep supergroup Conspirator followed by notorious hip-hop collective Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.  The conflicts get tough, do you see Paper Diamond deliver his soulful blend of bass and trap, hip-hop legend NAS, or New Orleans-native trap star Kid Kamillion? Catch Carnage’s grimy big-room showcase or WAVVES surf-inspired vibe session? Dance music powerhouse pop producer Zedd or pop-rock duo Sleigh Bells? Ellie Goulding or Dusky? How do you choose between Kaskade and Chance the Rapper? Do you cap the night grooving to the kings of dubstep Zeds Dead or with Holy Ghost (DJ set)?! Buku brings the best of all worlds, making festival-attendees to plan their sets carefully.

Saturday, March 22nd brings even more hype and brutal decisions.  The day gets started with Thundercat’s jazzy take on bass music, Mad Decent hotshot DJ Snake, and Schoolboy Q. But then, do you see the legendary Dan Deacon or electro-house maestro Clockwork? It’s painful knowing you can’t be getting funky with both Chromeo and GriZ.

Choosing between forward-thinkers Gaslamp Killer and Friends and Cashmere Cat will also prove to be a gut-wrenching call. Overlap between veteran psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips and trap music’s most promising young guns Baauer and RL Grime‘s back-to-back effort also highlights just how packed this lineup is. French electro-pop juggernaut David Guetta or Explosions in the Sky? Tyler the Creator or Beats Antique? The Glitch Mob or Danny Brown?

Thankfully though, Buku has also announced a stacked series of after parties to keep the good times rolling after the festivities and into the early morning. Curated after hours parties hosted by the likes of Bassik, Lucky Me, Mad Decent, and Zeds Dead are bound to bring around the clock madness after each night of Buku. Follow up sets by Cashmere Cat, Doctor P, Just Blaze, Valentino Khan, Trippy Turtle and a bunch of guests to be announced add even more hype to one of this year’s most promising festival experiences.

Buku’s schedule announcement comes just a little more than a week prior to the event, giving attendees barely enough time to tweak their set schedules and prepare for an out-of-bounds weekend of good times, packed full of great music.

So if you still haven’t purchased your tickets for BUKU 2014 — Buy ’em now!

The post BUKU Music + Art Project Announces Set Times appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

The saying goes, “everything is bigger in Texas.” Lights All Night in Dallas was no exception. Taking place in the Dallas Convention Center (literally one of the biggest venues I’ve ever seen an indoor festival take place), Lights All Night was two days full of top-billing artists, awesome visuals, and a whole lotta PLUR.

Day 1

I started the day off arriving in Dallas with just enough time to drop my bags off, grab a quick bite to eat, and hop in a cab before catching Icona Pop at the main stage, “The Mothership.” Before the all-girl duo took stage, I honestly had my doubts. I’m typically not a fan of live vocals (or live instruments for that matter) during an EDM show, but as soon as they took the stage I was blown away. With impressive vocal harmonies and fantastic stage presence, Icona Pop was definitely the best way to start off the night.

Before too long I decided to mosey on over to the next stage, “Boombox,” to see Le Castle Vania who was someone I’ve heard great things about but never actually had the chance to see. He definitely lived up to his reputation, playing a high energy, progressive set.

Next on my list was Carnage. Not only is the dude a big guy, his set was just as huge. Blending trap and big room, Carnage was definitely in my top 5 favorite sets of the entire weekend. And, with some insane pyrotechnics blasting across the stage, things were definitely starting to heat up.

Zomboy was another surprise of the night, playing a strictly dubstep set. I really had my doubts about this young talent, but seeing him live was one of the most fun experiences of the weekend. His energy was absorbed by the crowd and made his set more than just an auditory experience.

After a quick set change, Grizmatik took the stage at Boombox and threw down one of the funkiest sets I’ve seen in a very, very long time. With a combined effort from Griz and the two-man troupe Gramatik, the room was full of sax, guitar, and huge beats. It was so much fun seeing these three truly enjoying themselves in front of a packed audience.

I wrapped up the night with one of the biggest (and most outspoken) producers in the world — Deadmau5 — whose set was a perfect combination of old and new. After some minor technical difficulties, the mau5 was up and running, and before long had the crowd screaming the lyrics to “Ghosts ‘n Stuff.” “Oh, come on! Don’t act like you don’t know the words!”

Day 2

The second day of Lights All Night started off after another late start — a little sightseeing in Dallas never hurt anyone! I got to the show just in time to catch Nom De Strip, another act I had heard great things about but never had the chance to see. He also lived up to the hype with a set full of a little bit of everything — disco house, progressive house, big room, etc. I could tell he was humbled a bit when he looked out and saw the massive amount of people that had gathered to watch him play. 

Next up was Kill Paris who was also on his funk game, even more so than when we saw him at the True Music Festival in Phoenix. With huge tracks and an even bigger stage persona, Kill Paris was another fun one to watch for sure.

After Kill Paris I pretty much set up camp at the Boombox stage to see four of my favorite artists from 2013. First up, Paper Diamond. PD was one of my surprise favorites at HARD Summer, and was in my top 5 from LAN as well. His set was full of some of the best trap tracks of the year along with a new collaboration with Arizona native Protohype. I also later found out he performed his entire set with a broken foot, and when asking him about the injury he stated, “broke my foot but I’m still out here partying!”

Once the dust had settled from PD’s set, the one and only A-Trak took the stage. Now, I’ve seen A-Trak multiple times within the past few years, but no set came close to the one he played at LAN. Playing all his hits while catering to the raver audience, A-Trak was one of the hardest sets and definitely my favorite of the weekend.

Legendary duo Above & Beyond took to the Boombox stage next, playing a set consisting of their hits including their Blue Monday remix, giving their crowd some very much needed Group Therapy.

To end the night, I stuck around to catch one of my all-time favorites, Major Lazer. The trio could not have made for a better way to end my weekend in Dallas. Their set included their most recent hits like “Jet Blue Jet,” along with their classic ML antics like Diplo roaming the crowd in his Zorb ball.

After leaving the venue that night, I ran into two older women with “Rave Mom” printed on their shirts. I asked if they were picking up their kids and, in a very southern accent, they responded, “Oh hell nah, we were here partyin’! We just love Kaskade and Above and Beyond. We would’ve stayed all night but it’s already way past our bed times!” Definitely the highlight of my entire trip.

Lights All Night 2013 Review

Lights All Night was a well-organized production with very little to complain about. One thing I noticed was the fact that the Silent Disco stage was almost completely hidden. To be honest, I actually still have no idea where it was.

Security was just tight enough, and there seemed to be little to no medical emergencies. The “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy put in place by the festival was also a great addition.

While not everyone is addicted to cigarettes, I still found the “smoking lounge” (basically just  fenced off area outside the venue) could have had a bit more organization. Separate “in” and “out” doors would have been a great idea.

As promised, the sound was on point and the stages all had fantastic visuals. The Dallas Convention Center was a perfect place to hold the venue, as attendees could cross over from stage to stage with ease, relax in the lobby area, and purchase food, drinks, and souvenirs from vendors surrounding the stages. There was never any overlap of sound from either one of the stages, and guests seemed to be having a generally awesome time throughout.

All in all, there was still that one thing every festival would suck without — unity. As lame as it may sound Lights All Night was a look inside the Dallas EDM scene which, judging by these two nights, is alive and well. Everyone got along just fine and there were zero fights, arguments, etc. The love for EDM was in the air and it was truly a PLUR-tastic time.

If given the opportunity, I would ABSOLUTELY head back to Dallas for Lights All Night. Thanks for having us!

More photos on the way! Sit tight. 

The post Lights All Night 2013 Review appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

We here at JNTM are very excited to welcome Raffi to the writer staff!  Raffi is a Los Angeles resident studying Computer Science at California State University, Northridge.

When Raffi isn’t writing for Just Noise to Me, he enjoys swimming, exercising, watching movies and shows. Let’s take a look at what else he had to say about himself.

JNTM: Who are some of your favorite producers/DJs right now?

Raffi: Feed Me, Deadmau5, Adventure Club, Carnage, Mat Zo, Armin Van Buuren, Datsik, Kaskade, Ummet Ozcan and Flux Pavilion would be a handful.

JNTM: If you could see any DJ/artist perform live, who would it be?

Raffi: I would probably have to go with the Mau5 on this one.

JNTM: If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

Raffi: I really admire Europe. One of my choices would be Ibiza.

JNTM: What are some genres you really like and some that you really hate? Any that you hate you like?

Raffi: I could say I like mostly everything in the electronic sub-genres: trap-style, trance, electro house, dubstep, and progressive house.

I am very selective when it comes to drum n’ bass tracks. I’m not sure why. I do enjoy classical, rock, and some hip-hop/rap too. Country music and most pop tracks on the radio are not for me.

JNTM: What’s one thing you’re willing to admit that most people don’t know about you?

Raffi: While sharing this much love for electronic dance music, I never got around to going to an Insomniac event yet. This is my goal!

Want to join Raffi on the Just Noise to Me team? Send us a message on our Facebook page and we’ll get back to you! 

The post Welcome to the JNTM Team, Raffi! appeared first on Just Noise To Me.