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HARD Summer As I Saw It: Fresh, Feisty, and Funky

Hannah Vandeventer — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 19:04:42 +0000

Earlier this month, Los Angeles’ highly anticipated HARD Summer took place in its new home on the radically expanded grounds of the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area. Outdoing themselves not only in the amplitude of attendees, but with the mind-boggling lineup, Gary Richards (Destructo) and his crew delivered one wild party.

Notorious artists such as the Jack U duo, Nero, Dillon Francis, A-Trak, and Disclosure headlined the overwhelmingly distinguished lineup of artists, although all of the talent could have been headlining acts. Each headliner delivered a wild, main stage primed set, capping off each night of the weekend with a bang. Of course we could not miss the rare union of Skrillex and Diplo coming together to form Jack U, nor could I have passed up on crowd-pleasing funnyman Dillon Francis.

However, since the day the lineup dropped back in April, I was beyond enthusiastic to see the amount of funky deep house and techno house talent that was represented. Don’t get me wrong, witnessing the Jack U closing spectacle the first night in the rain, playing banger after banger, setting off flames and lasers was incredible, but what really got me going was the intense funkiness that characterized this summer lineup.

Watching A-Trak do what he does best on his turntables in complete awe was unforgettable, and Disclosure’s all-out, strictly business live set won’t soon be forgotten either, however, I was mostly grasped by HARD’s heaping dose of groovy garage funk. The acts I boogied down at were marked by surprisingly small crowds in HARD’s multicolored tent stages where I spent most of my time out of the dust and getting sweaty in the massive awnings from group-session groovin’.

Saturday kick-started the funk in the Pink Tent. Representing the badass ladies taking over the scene, JNTM favorite J.Phlip had the Pink Tent going off with her infectious, deep bass lines meshed with bouncy disco elements. J.Phlip throws down a party, never a moment of monotony, and she effortlessly makes the crowd dance as hard as they can as everybody gets down to her bootylicious house. I stayed right where I was in the Pink Tent as J.Phlip came to an end for my most anticipated set of the weekend, Tchami.

This Paris native is conquering the states with his uncanny, groovy take on what he is calling “future house.” Tchami flaunted his melodic, deep basslines making anyone and everyone boogie down, whether they were in control or not.

The Pink Tent was booming and what seemed to be a smaller sized crowd was now a roaring crowd of people reflexively dancing in unison, almost as though Tchami was robotically controlling the entire Pink Tent.

From the visuals and the grooving to his exotically catchy take on deep electro house and addictive hit remixes, Tchami tremendously exceeded my expectations and upheld my every reason for anticipation. I headed over to the Purple Tent for the infamous British OWSLA duo, Jack Beats, initially to catch a quick glimpse of what their hype was about.

It quickly turned into me becoming hooked by their incomparable sound blending everything from hip-hop to drum and bass to dubstep to electro/deep house. Their captivating originality makes Jack Beats’ set one I will not soon forget either.

Sunday’s staggering schedule of performances had me restless before I even entered the festival’s gates. My day started early and I soon realized the incredible inflation in attendees, dust, and intoxicating performances. Australia’s Danny Blanc, known as Wax Motif, brought his fresh and unique mixing technique to the Green Tent.

Wax Motif’s techno house sound had crowds flocking from every direction to get down and dance. His set showcased elements of hip-hop throughout his distinct techno dance style and was the perfect prelude to the Green Tent’s next electrifying star, Hannah Wants.

As one of her premiere US appearances, Hannah’s garage-house sound that incorporates familiar hip-hop and R&B tracks had the crowd boogying down. Her use of heavy bass creates a toxic sound that had me goggle over her and her groovy deep house style that impressively stimulated the entire crowd. Hannah Wants got me and the rest of the crowd so pumped for the style she was creating as well as ceremoniously showcasing the success of women artists across the dance music spectrum.

I moved from the Green Tent to the Purple Tent to experience a different take on deep house by Pittsburg’s own Kastle. His sunset performance brought a soulful edge to grime and garage style dubstep. The crowd was disappointingly small considering Kastle’s love to party that is represented by his accomplished development of underground electronic music fused with hip-hop.

His sound is so clean and precise due to his background as an engineer you can’t help but wonder when people will catch on. Kastle effortlessly warmed up the crowd for Wave Racer to take the decks, flipping the party upside down.

The crowd was immediately hypnotized by Thomas Purcell’s, a.k.a Wave Racer‘s, playfully distinct sound. His mix of bouncy, animated synthesizers, electro house, and samples of 90’s gaming systems are compiled into an unmatched blend of sunshine that intoxicated the Purple Tent. Wave Racer’s unconventional and whimsical take on future bass and warping of party jams had everyone boogying down.

The final night of HARD ended with a rapid fire round-robin of sets, as we checked on Gary Richard’s funk-laced techno set as Destructo, Disclosure‘s absolutely jaw-dropping live showcase at the main stage, alongside R&B maven Mary J. Blige, DJ Mustard‘s rowdy hip-hop shakedown, and Nero’s festival-ending return to the American festival circuit.

My weekend ended with some of the best sets of the festival, where I got to see some of the freshest talents dance music has to offer. Nero’s set wound down with their famed “Must Be The Feeling,” artfully mixed with Justice’s pounding magnum opus “Genesis.” I let the goosebumps take over as I put my hands in the air, let my head tilt back, and I took a moment to take it all in.

I had survived HARD Summer. As I joined the mass exodus of exhausted fans still buzzing from the festival’s finale, I realized I had seen every set I wanted to see from the lengthy weekend lineup, while also turning myself onto some brand new sounds I had previously never heard before.

Known for their ultra-diverse roster each year, HARD had me at hello, and now the waiting game begins with anticipation soaring high for next year’s big event.

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HARD Summer 2014 Delivers Their Best Lineup to Date

David Klemow — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:35:16 +0000

LA-born party powerhouse HARD is back with their 2014 summer edition, and this year the festival is announcing what could be their biggest roster to date. Known for delivering an eclectic, genre-blending lineup in each of its major events across the country, HARD Summer always sets the bar, and this year, the bar is set higher than ever. The lineup has been tantalizingly slow to release, building tension as each early announcement randomly appeared on hardsummer.com over the last few weeks. Wave Racer, Cashmere Cat, Seth Troxler and DJ Snake lead the way, but with today’s announcement, the flood gates are open.

HARD came through with their full lineup announcement for the August 2nd and 3rd festival, at it’s new location, and the two-day roster is boasting what should be the biggest party of this festival season. Headlining bouts by dance music royalty tag-team Jack U, Nero, Mad Decent don Dillon Francis, and Disclosure are set to make waves, along with HARD newcomers Tiesto and former Swedish House frontman Axwell set to make stellar HARD debuts as well.

The genre bending fashion that HARD lives for comes through in full effect with performances by everyone from the likes of A-Trak to What So Not, Dirty Bird Player Justin Martin to Bro Safari, back to young gun Martin Garrix and so many more in between.

Spanning the entire electronic spectrum, leaving no taste left unsatisfied, the summer festival of the year is here. From Kill The Noise to J.Philip, Brodinski to Kry Wolf, A$AP Mob to Clockwork and back, HARD knows no bounds. Check out the official trailer below and get your tickets to HARD here.

As always, check back right here to Just Noise To Me for updates! And go ‘LIKE’ our Facebook page, ya dingus!

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HARD Red Rocks 2014 with Dillon Francis, Nero, & More!

Sam — Tue, 08 Apr 2014 16:43:42 +0000

In 2013, party planner extrodinaire Gary Richards (Destructo) took HARD Presents… to Morrison, Colorado for a one-night spectacular at one of the most famous venues in the whole world: Red Rocks.

After a sold-out event last year, HARD Red Rocks 2014 is set for July 31st and will include world-class acts like Nero, Dillon Francis, and Rudimental (Live), with supporting acts including Destructo, Julio Bashmore, and Samo Sound Boy.

Tickets for HARD Red Rocks 2014 go on sale this Friday, April 11th at 10:00AM MT online at Live Nation or by phone at 800-745-3000

Advanced tickets will be sold at $55 for general admission, and day of for $60. VIP tickets are going for $100 and include VIP Soundboard Seating and a limited edition poster.

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HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Review

Zak — Tue, 12 Nov 2013 18:51:15 +0000

For a child, Halloween means prancing around in a costume, giddy giggling with friends, and bountiful bags of sweets. Push the clock forward a few years, subtract the sugar and add a medley of killer EDM artists, dazzling lights and chest-rattling bass, and you’ve got HARD Day of the Dead. Really, it’s not all that different.

Gary Richards’ (AKA Destructo)’s renowned EDM festival returned with a bang this fall, bringing with it a devastating lineup, improved security procedures, and much more, making it one of the most enjoyable and powerful HARD experiences to date.

Following HARD Summer, it seemed nearly impossible that Live Nation Entertainment could compose a rivaling set of DJs and artists for Day of the Dead, but the return of veterans to the scene such as Skrillex, Nero, Zeds Dead, Calvin Harris, and many others brought the same jaw-clenching intensity that we’ve all grown to expect from the festival.

While the big names dominated the later time slots of the weekend, some of the biggest surprises and most impressive performances took place before the sunset. Lesser known artists such as David Heartbreak, Solidisco, and GTA provided a refreshing variety of sounds, including head-banging drops, groovy beats, and in-your-face-style trap, respectively.

Getting to the venue early in the day isn’t a priority for most, but those who made the effort this year were treated with stellar performances from the newcomers of the scene. Them Jeans, Dusky, and a first-ever performance by Phuture Doom ensured that everyone was dancing from their first steps into the park.

While all the performers definitely proved themselves worthy of playing under the HARD logo, the buzz on everyone’s lips was the monumental finishing set by the iconic A-lister Deadmau5.

New tracks, unexpected remixes of old ones, and soulful piano breaks made the mau5 the must-see set of the night that left many leaving the festival in tears (despite his sound cutting out, which he justified by announcing “I meant to do that, I’m like…the 12^th best in the world at this…”).

The music aside, Day of the Dead 2013 was the most neatly put together and least problematic HARD Presents… event to date. Long gone were the winding barricades that left event-goers in a riot-like frenzy last year, as well as the nonrefillable $5 waters that quickly emptied everyone’s wallets.

Instead, a more succinct and speedy trip through security put guests in the festival within minutes, and several water-refilling stations kept them hydrated through the day and into the night (although they did seem to have a tendency to break down during peak hours).

Gary Richards and Live Nation Entertainment really pulled it together this year for HARD Day of the Dead, putting together one of the hottest lineups around, fixing issues with previous events, and keeping legions of sweaty dancers safe and hydrated. As the L.A. Historic Park returns to its normal state, we’ll all be marking our calendars in anticipation for the next one.

Photos via official JNTM photographer and contributor Quinn TurtleGravy Tucker

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HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Set Times Released

Sam — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 20:29:00 +0000

With less than two weeks to go, Destructo aka Gary Richards has released the official HARD Day of the Dead 2013 set times. As always, there are some real tough decisions to make with this year’s show. That’s just how it goes with any festival.

One thing that sets this festival apart from any other Halloween-themed EDM festival, or any HARD Presents… festival is the fact that this one actually showcases some otherwise hard-to-see and lesser known acts. Artists like Them Jeans, Tokimonsta, Henry Krinkle, and Thee Mike B are just some of the artists that are, unfortunately, most likely under most people’s radars this fall.

This increase in lesser-known artists could also create a problem for the festival as a whole, as most attendees will choose to start arriving later in the evening to see the more popular artists (like Skrillex), creating a massive line and an increase in waiting time. Last year, this resulting in complete chaos as concert-goers began literally throwing barricades and trampling over people to get in faster. There was also an incident involving an angry mob tipping over a golf cart on it’s way to deliver more water.

Either way, we’ve taken the time to map out some must-see acts, scheduling surprises, and acts to pass:

HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Must-See Acts

Phuture Doom: This will be Phuture Doom’s first live set EVER. No one knows anything about these guys, so it would be a huge opportunity for anyone to get to see the group in the flesh. We predict they’ll play their audio book “Phuturism: The Book of Nightfall” for the most part…

Gaslamp Killer: By far one of the most unique artists on the lineup this year, Gaslamp Killer is a must see for multiple reasons. This guy brings an energy to the stage most DJs probably think is a little much. To fans, however, Gaslamp Killer is one of the funnest performers to take the stage anytime, anyplace. Plus, he was the star of the HARD Day of the Dead trailer!

Them Jeans: With his high energy and incredible mixing abilities, Los Angeles based producer Them Jeans is on our list a must-see at this year’s Hard Day of the Dead. With multiple remixes of artists like Bloc Party, The XX, and Rihanna, you’ll definitely want to catch this artist on the rise before he gets to high!

Baauer b2b RL Grime: Two of the biggest names in trap music right now, Baauer and RL Grime return to LA State Historic Park but this time as a team. This pairing is going to be one of the coolest sets of the entire weekend for seemingly obvious reasons.

Deadmau5: What might seem as an obvious choice, Deadmau5 is our absolutely must-see artist of the entire festival. Playing his first live show in quite sometime, the mau5 will no doubt return with some incredible visuals and will most likely be debuting some of the tracks he’s been previewing online.

HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Scheduling Surprises

Nero // Boys Noize // Zeds Dead: It’s totally understandable that the main stage would be the hardest (no pun intended) to schedule, but you would think that the minds behind the program would think to at least spread out these acts across a few different stages. The most unfortunate thing is that this stage is going to packed for the entire night, though with good reason.

Paper Diamond // Pretty Lights: This is more of a pleasant surprise, mainly because most attendees will want to see both Pretty Lights and Deadmau5, which would not have been possible if the order had been switched. This could be unfortunate for Paper Diamond, but with such a killer set at this year’s HARD Summer, it’s possible he’ll still have a packed crowd at the HARDer stage.

Cirez D // Bloody Beetroots: Bloody Beetroots not headlining the night? This might be another switch up created so people can see Skrillex.

HARD Day of the Dead 2013 Acts to Pass

Skrillex: Unless you haven’t seen Skrillex at any show, festival, tour, or anywhere else, there’s really no point in seeing him again. Yes, he’s been putting out some new remixes and collaborations, but seriously? Another HARD event with Skrillex as a headliner? Go to Lunice! Go see Master at Work! Skrillex is a great DJ and a fantastic producer, but you can spend your time

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HARD Day of the Dead Stages Announced

Sam — Wed, 09 Oct 2013 00:37:19 +0000

HARD has just released the stages for this year’s Day of the Dead taking place at the LA Sate Historic Park, November 2nd – 3rd.

From the looks of it, HARD has set up the stages pretty much the exact same as last year’s event, with the addition of the Underground stage which was birthed from this year’s HARD Summer.

As always there will have to be some pretty tough decisions made by concert goers, as the stages are all pretty equally stacked, depending on what type of genre you’re more interested in.

Check back soon for set times and more!

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