The acts that you need to be looking out for...
Hard Summer has one of the best line ups I have seen from them this year. Instead of focusing on all of the artists we know will be killing it (We see you Dillon Francis, Excision, NGHTMRE, RL Grime, Kid Cudi….you know. The headliners). Don't get me wrong, the headliners will all be awesome, but there are some brilliant new artists on the bill so don’t overlook them. Here are the acts to catch:
Whethan
Whethan hovers between electronic and pop music however, I am excited to see what he brings to a Hard Summer set. He recently had a huge hit with High featuring Dua Lipa and has been killing it in the pop world as of recently. He has a unique and fun style, a lot lighter and more uplifting rather than down and dirty like many of the billed acts. He will be a nice break from, well, breaking your neck.
Habstract
Habstract. is. house. He blasted into the scene in 2017 with his collab with Skrillex, Chicken Soup, and has not slowed down since. He has released insane amounts of music this year already with 7 releases, including one with Spinnin' Records. I expect to see everyone shuffling to his grimy and driving house style.
Hucci
It is rare to see Hucci’s name on a line-up, which is one of the main reasons I am excited to see him. Hucci is not known for his live sets, but rather his mellow vibe remixes. Hucci is also still incredibly young at 21 years old. The only place he has to go is up, so let’s see how he fairs at Hard Summer.
Dack Janiels
40 oz cult founder Dack Janiels is a bass maniac. He will be playing two sets at Hard, one Saturday and one Sunday. He has described his Day 1 set as a “classic Dack bass rampage” on twitter while proclaiming that his second set at Corona Electric beach will be more “experimental and vibey.” Both will be worth checking out, but make sure you catch at least one of his sets.
Kaivon
Kaivon is another artist I have never seen live, but I have loved every release of his. He’s got a unique and moody style that makes me put his songs on repeat, however his most recent release Run the Trap is a departure from his normal self into a darker and heavier mood. Kaivon has been featured on a couple of remix albums including Alison Wonderland and Zeds Dead, but his originals are what draw me. He is billed early in the day on Saturday, but he will be well worth the extra sunshine!
Diesel (SHAQ)
I’ll be honest, I’m less concerned about his music and more Interested in the fact that Shaq is living his BEST life. I grew up in Chicago during his prime as a basketball player, and that man had a full career. Instead of straight-up retiring, he decided “I can do whatever I want, let’s make music” and now he not only makes music and plays festivals, he is more often than not ALSO attending those festivals GA and raging. If you see Shaq, give him a fist bump and tell him he’s awesome. Hey Shaq, let’s mosh to Subtronics b2b Dirt Monkey.
Lick
Lick has caught the attention of music lovers everywhere with his dramatic style. Lick is dominating the mid-tempo scene currently with his last few releases, including collabs with Whipped Cream and Sara Skinner. His new album drops Friday of this week so I am anticipating a lot of new music and a wild show.
Blanke
A couple of weeks ago, Blanke played an explosive set at Space Yacht’s Saturday night show, putting him even higher up on the EDM community soundboard. While his releases are feelsy melodic bass, his live set throws down with the heaviest of DJs. His latest single, Incinerate, is a closer feel to his live sets. I don't know about you, but I am ready to rage for Blanke.
Black Caviar
If you haven’t seen Black Caviars music video for Coco yet, we’ll then you’re just missing out. Black Caviar shot to fame with songs like Sex Like Me and Body but they have many more gems hiding in their Spotify collection. In general, their music is just fun. You can tell these guys like to have a good time. I put them on this list because they don’t throw Cocoa Puffs into the audience during their set I will be thoroughly disappointed.
Check out their music video here for a good laugh: http://bit.ly/BCCoco
If you want to check out everyone playing hard summer this weekend, check out this playlist: