We’re coming into the home stretch guys. Just 11 more days until this glorious event and if you haven’t gotten your ticket yet or haven’t been reading my posts then get up off your lazy ass and do something about it. This will be one hell of a party and it’s really one of the last big EDM events that is actually held in LA so for something local it doesn’t get much better than Hard Summer. This week I’m finally getting to the heaviest hitters of the event; The bad boys playing the main stage; The people you either know everything about or nothing about. I’m gonna make sure that if you guys don’t know them that after this you will. With Skrillex, Nero (LIVE), The Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set), Squarepusher, A-Trak, Smims & Belle, and Jason Bentley all gracing this stage with their presence I’m sure you will be at this stage at one point throughout the weekend.
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Skrillex
Let me just start by saying I really hope that you know who Skrillex is, and if you don’t then you maybe reading the wrong music blog. That is not to say he is my personal favorite artist but if you in this day and age of EDM you should at least be aware of him. At the age of 24 he has already been nominate for 5 Grammy’s and won 3; played in the post-hardcore band From First To Last; released 4 EP’s; traveled the world touring; and worked with some of the biggest names in the name in the game in addition to being signed to Mau5trap Recordings. All of this and he still manages to remain humble as witnessed by many and as you might be able to tell through some of the in-depth interviews he has done. I have to give it to the kid he works tirelessly for what he wants and love him or hate him he’s here to stay. This Dubstep King will probably have one of the larger crowds at Hard Summer and if dubstep is your thing and if you haven’t seen him you should at least check him out once; you know to see what all the hype is about!
Connect with Skrillex
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Nero (Live)
Nero is made up Joe Ray and Dan Stephens, two DJ’s producers who come from London, England. They have been in the game for a while and have vacillated between the sounds of dubstep and drum n’ bass while at the same time maintaining a sound that is uniquely their own. They have dropped an essential mix, produced a full-length album, and dropped remix after remix gaining them a spot in the higher reaches of dubstep. For the last year or so they have been playing a live show which involves them using drums and guitar when needed along with Alana joining them for live vocals. I haven’t seen them DJ, but I’ve heard good things so this can only be a huge step-up in terms of showmanship. This will definitely not be something to miss if you haven’t seen them at all or have only seen them DJ.
Connect with Nero
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Bloody Beetroots (DJ Set)
Formed in 2006, The Bloody Beetroots, an Italian electro-house and dance punk duo have been touring as their latest incarnation of the group, Death Crew 77. Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 is different because it included 3 Beetroots, plus vocals from Dennis Lyxzen for the Church of Noise Tour, and drums and guitar. Hard Summer has finally brought them back to play except they’re having them DJ. When I started listening to EDM these guys were on repeat for me so the fact that I haven’t seen their DJ set is a bit of shame, and to say I’m excited to see what they can do versus their Death Crew 77 performance, which I saw at least twice already, is a bit of an understatement. These guys have been touring non-stop and have continued to stick to their roots as far as the unique sound that they created and I hope that their DJ set is a twist on the tunes they have been producing since the beginning with some other quality tracks thrown in. I would say definitely expect a lot of heavy-hitting electro, some dark techno, and maybe some straight up bangers for good measure.
Connect with The Bloody Beetroots
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Squarepusher
Squarepusher, who’s real name is Tom Jenkinson, is an English producer/DJ. His music tends to fall into the genres of drum n’ bass and acid but this doesn’t really begin to describe the sound that he has created especially if you take a look at what he’s put together with his newest album and the visual experience that is meant to go along with it. He released his first album in 1996 titled Feed Me Weird Things and since then has released a new album or EP practically every year since. His newest album Ufabulum is a musical journey and takes you further into the sound he has created by having an accompanying LED experience that is like nothing else; very high-tech and yet so visually simple. To get a better idea of the music he makes/plays, the show you should be expecting, and a little bit about him check out the Creator’s Project video below.
Connect with Squarepusher
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A-Trak
A-Trak was originally scheduled to play in the Fool’s Gold Clubhouse but that got changed several weeks back. For this reason I have already done a little blurb about him so if you didn’t see that go the following link to check back on the first week of this Hard Summer Countdown and check it out….Hard Summer Countdown – Week 1 of 8
Connect with A-Trak
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Smims & Belle
Their is not much info to be found on the internet concerning these guys. Regardless the internet is still abuzz regarding their remix of Lana Del Rey’s track “Blue Jeans”. What I do know is that this is a side project between Mark Foster and Isom Innis who are part of an up and coming band that I’m sure you’ve heard of, Foster The People.
Connect with Smims & Belle
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Jason Bentley
You may not know who Jason Bentley is but you definitely should. The man has been a tastemaker in the world of Dance music for the 10-15 years. He is the host of the radio show “Metropolis” on KCRW (part of NPR) and “Afterhours” on KROQ, a rock giant in LA area radio. He has DJ’ed with the likes of Bowie and Underworld and is an A&R executive for Madonna’s Maverick Records. To say he has huge influence barely covers it because he literally does it all and more. In addition, Jason has recently stormed the recording studio to remix Seal, The Flaming Lips, Gus Gus, Meat Beat Manifesto, and The Robert Randolph Band. He is currently working on original music as well, and developing a DJ compilation series for release later this year. He’s a busy man but somebody has to do it and he seems to be the right man for the job as his love for the music is seen clearly by the amount of work he’s putting in and his efforts to push for artists to be recognized and heard among all the crap that is available on the radio. Go check out this tastemaker as I’m sure he will put together something special for LA.
Connect with Jason Bentley
