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.

Mad Decent Block Party 2014 Lineup

Saturday, July 26th // Revolution Live // Ft. Lauderdale, FL (tickets)

Action Bronson – Dillon Francis – DJ Snake – Flosstradamus – Flume – What So Not – Zeds Dead + more TBA

Sunday, July 27th // Masquerade Music Park // Atlanta, GA (tickets)

Action Bronson – Dillon Francis – DJ Snake – Flosstradamus – Flume – What So Not – Zeds Dead + more TBA

Friday, August 1st // Merriweather Post Pavilion // Washington, D.C. (tickets)

Dan Deacon – Dillon Francis – Diplo – Fulx Pavilion – Sleigh Bells – Trippy Turtle – Wave Racer + more TBA

Saturday, August 2nd // Scope Plaza // Norfolk, VA (tickets)

Cashmere Cat – Flosstradamus – Flux Pavilion – Sleigh Bells – Trippy Turtle – Wave Racer – Wolfgang Gartner + More TBA

Friday, August 8th // Festival Pier @ Penn’s Landing // Philadelphia, PA (tickets)

Chance the Rapper – Dillon Francis – Diplo – Dirty South Joe – DJ Sega – DJ Snake _ Flosstradamus – Swizzymack

Saturday, August 9th // MCU Park @ Coney Island // Brooklyn, NY (tickets)

Dillon Francis – Diplo – DJ Snake – Flosstradamus – Grandtheft – Walshy Fire + More TBA

Sunday, August 10th // Blue Hills Bank Pavillion // Boston, MA (tickets)

Chance the Rapper – Diplo – DJ Snake – Flosstradamus – Lunice – Walshy Fire – Wave Racer + More TBA

Friday, August 15th // Fort York Garrison Commons // Toronto, ON (tickets)

Chance the Rapper – Diplo – Flosstradamus – Keys N Krates – Zeds Dead + More TBA

Saturday, August 16th // Meadow Brook Music Festival // Detroit, MI (tickets)

Dillon Francis – Diplo – Keys N Krates + More TBA

Sunday, August 17th // Encore Beach Club // Las Vegas, NV (tickets)

Diplo – Grandtheft – Paper Diamond – Paul Devro + More TBA

Friday, August 22nd // Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater // Denver, CO (tickets)

Outkast – Djemba Djemba – Flosstradamus – GRiZ – LIZ – Mr. Carmack – Run The Jewels + More TBA

Saturday, August 23rd // 12th Avenue North // Nashville, TN (tickets)

Big Gigantic – Diplo – GRiZ – Zeds Dead + More TBA

Friday, August 29th // Mardi Gras World // New Orleans, LA (tickets)

A$AP Ferg – Dillon Francis – Flosstradamus – RL Grime + More TBA

Saturday, August 30th // Whitewater Amphitheater // New Braunfels, TX (tickets)

Dillon Francis – LIZ – Toy Selectah and Freinds – Zeds Dead + More TBA

Sunday, August 31st // Club Zouk Outside Lot // Dallas, TX (tickets)

Bro Safari – Bunji Garlin – Dillon Francis – Jack U – Jillionaire – Toy Selectah and Friends + More TBA

Friday, September 5th // Shaw Millennium Park // Calgary, AB (tickets)

Dillon Francis – Flosstradamus – RJD2 – Smalltown DJS – Zeds Dead + More TBA

Friday, September 12th // Rawhide // Phoenix, AZ (tickets)

Big Gigantic – Cashmere Cat – Diplo – Zeds Dead + More TBA

Saturday, September 13tth // LA Center Studios // Los Angeles, CA (tickets)

Diplo + More TBA

Sunday, September 14th // LED // San Diego, CA (tickets)

Cashmere Cat – Diplo – Kaytranada – Zeds Dead + More TBA

Friday, September 19th // Greek Theatre — UC Berkely // Berkely, CA (tickets)

Diplo + More TBA

Saturday, September 20th // Cuthbert Amphitheater // Eugene, OR (tickets)

Big Gigantic – Dillon Francis – Diplo – Flosstradamus – GRiZ – Kaytranada – STRFKR – Zeds Dead

Sunday, September 21st // PNE Amphitheatre // Vancouver, BC (tickets)

Bear Mountain – Dillon Francis – Diplo – Flosstradamus – Fatboy Slim – STRFKR + More TBA

Check back right here for updates coming soon! 

The post Mad Decent Block Party 2014 Lineup & City Lineups appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

First up we have Falcons‘ Diplo and Friends Mix. 

This mix is riddled with fierce underground trap cuts, sensual love trap jams, some club heaters, and even a mashup of Ginuine‘s classic R&B babymaker “Pony” and Waka Flocka Flame‘s gutter anthem “Hard in the Paint”. I didn’t even know that was physically possible. Don’t lie, neither did you!

This mix is an example of Falcons’ wicked versatility. His unwavering genre-masher approach will undoubtedly get him tons of recognition this year. Shouts to this LA beat wizard for being able to fuse such a wide variety of styles without sounding like he has no idea what he’s doing.The second mix that really rubbed me right was Druid Cloak‘s guest mix for Live for the Funk (LFTF).

The mix was released in conjunction with LA-based beat collective, Team Supreme. With the growing popularity of members like Ta-ku, DJ Hoodboi, Djemba Djemba, and Trippy Turtle, it goes without saying that the motley crew is reshaping the underground electronic scene and are on their way to conquering popular airwaves.

A self-described maker of “spirit club” computer music, Druid Cloak‘s sound is difficult to define. Combining machine-gun drum patterns and club-style vocal samples, as well as crunchy pop synths and trappy 808 combos, the mystic producer sure knows how to cook up an eclectic concoction that will either have you getting buck or induce a hallucinatory out-of-body experience resulting in ego death. Either way, you’re sure to have a good time.

The third and final mix for this week’s feature is another Diplo and Friends exclusive brought to you by none other than Wave Racer.

Make no mistake, Wave Racer has established himself as one of many pioneers of the Australian club music scene. Taking root in the illustrious Jersey club scene, Australian club is characterized by it’s excessive use of autotuned R&B samples over dreamy Nintendo-synths and aquatic samples.

The Australian barista-turned-DJ has been all over the internet killing it alongside his contemporaries Cashmere Cat, Trippy Turtle, and Ryan Hemsworth. Much like the fellas from Team Supreme, this new wave (lawl) of club DJs are wedging their way deep into the EDM limelight.

Not only are they creating unique subcultures amidst the underground, but I would go so far as to say they’re helping to redefine popular EDM as a whole. Not unlike the way performance enhancing substances redefined popular sports.

(TurtleTip: Don’t be that guy who takes steroids in college. Whether it’s for athletic purposes or you “just do it for the chicks”, you will inevitably enter ridicule-induced ‘roid rage, unleashing your inner beast and slaying thousands of innocent civilians with only your oversized trapezius. Save us all the heartache and suffering.)

That about does it for this week’s installment of TurtleGravy Tuesday. Be sure to show your support by downloading the featured mixes as well as the countless others that didn’t quite make the cut!

Stay PLURsty, ya cuties! ^_^

This week’s honorable mentions:

Troy Kurtz’s Perfect Driver Podcast via Gotta Dance Dirty (deep house/tech house)

Addison Groove’s In Session Mix via Mixmag (booty tech/footwork/breaks)

Autograf’s Gotta Dance Dirty Guest Mix (garage/house)

Peace Makah’s Art of War Mix (breakbeat/drum’n’bass)

KwikFiks’ THUMP Canada Gues Mix (deep house/garage)

The post TurtleGravy Tuesday: Falcons x Druid Cloak x Wave Racer 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.

My SoundCloud stream was graced with the Drippy Dolphin’s first release: a high-energy B-Mo/Jersey Club remix/mashup of Britney Spears’ “Oops I Did it Again,” and the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” appropriately titled “♡-Oooops-♡”

Drippy Dolphin – ♡-Oooops-♡

[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/135822560″ params=”color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true” width=”100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The track is impressive, to say the least. Awesome sample-chopping? Check. Great combination of Baltimore and Jersey Club beats? Definitely. A totally unique sound that will spark evolution into EDM? Possibly!

The release begs the question, “who is Drippy Dolphin?” If I had to guess I’d say the answer was pretty obvious. It’s just Trippy Turtle making another mysterious Jersey Club account in order to release more effeminate tunes. “♡-Oooops-♡”  uses the same water drop sample that Trippy Turtle does, and the names sound way too similar… It could be a totally different person… but my guess is that this is another RL Grime/Clockwork scenario.

Another question I have regarding the release of this track is the “FoFoFadi” tag. Again, just going out on a limb here, but I’d say the tag is in reference to a new label or possibly an attempt at a new genre that combines the Baltimore and Jersey Club styles.

For more on Drippy Dolphin, follow him/her/whoever on Facebook, Twitter, and SoundCloud.

The post Who is Drippy Dolphin? appeared first on Just Noise To Me.

DJ Hoodboi is at the forefront of the rising Jersey Club movement, putting out numerous R&B-heavy club remixes and originals over the past year. This mix perfectly embodies the East Coast EDM craze, including tracks almost exclusively from other Jersey crusaders. Among them are DJ Sliink, DJ Uniique, DJ Tray, and the ever-elusive Trippy Turtle.

Instead of flaunting his presence all over the social mediaverse, Hoodboi opts for donning a mask and allowing his syncopated rhythms to speak for themselves. There’s plenty of speculation as to who exactly this dude is, but no conclusive evidence has surfaced.

His contribution to Nest HQ does raise some questions. For example: who knew A$AP Ferg‘s beloved trap battle cry, Work, would fit so smoothly over a soothing club melody? And what better way to end a mix than with Hoodboi’s own collaborative remix of Sucka by August Alsina ft. Lloyd? The track was reworked earlier this year alongside previously mentioned co-conspirators DJ Sliink and Trippy Turtle. It’s already been featured in essentially every notable Jersey Club mix to hit Soundcloud and will inevitably become a festival favorite this season.

This is a mix for converting all those cynical peeps, reluctant to submit to the new wave of bass music. Like your friend who swears trap music will be the coolest shit for all eternity… the same kid who thought dubstep would be the coolest shit for all eternity… You get it.

(TurtleTip: As much as we all love trap music [seriously, it rules] EDM is a hyperdynamic culture. In layman’s terms, things change. Don’t get too caught up with current trends, be brave enough to start your own.)

Basically, what I’m saying is be like DJ Hoodboi. Except, now that I said that, DJ Hoodboi sucks and you should be thinking about what’s cool in 2015. Otherwise you’re just a poseur… Lol jk.

Seriously though, DON’T forget to check out more from DJ Hoodboi on his Soundcloud and support the fresh new talent mentioned above!

Keep it PLURsty everybody!

NestHQ Soundcloud

The post TurtleGravy Tuesday: DJ Hoodboi Nest HQ Minimix appeared first on Just Noise To Me.