HARD Summer 2013: The Highest Highs Of The Weekend Fest
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People generally don't use the terms "music festival" and "rave" interchangably, for while a rave is ostensibly a music festival, the word implies a different state of being and a different musical expectation. And of course, not all music festivals are raves, though the increasing number of EDM acts on popular festival lineups is bringing that high energy, touchy feely rave atmosphere to the music mainstream.
That rave festival feel was in full swing during both days of HARD Summer, as big-name artists bumped their tunes alongside smaller (in name but not at all in sound) artists. Here's this editor's roundup of the weekend's highest points:
DAY ONE
These British bros' (no really, they're brothers) debut album "Settle" was a hit with critics and listeners alike. It's almost impossible not to wiggle and shoulder shuffle when that one line kicks in during "White Noise" (a song that's a better AlunaGeorge song than any standalone AlunaGeorge song). Disclosure's music is of a much chiller variety than most of the stuff that's blasting on the radio, and the combination of that chillness and a brilliantly controlled production made for a stellar set.
Skrillex and Boys Noize are both kings of the HARD circuit (they both headlined their own day-closing sets at last year's festival). Put these boys together though, and holy crap, together they transcend the things that listeners might not like about the artists on their own. When the stage curtain felt, the crowd whooped as it greeted two of the movement's most visible, most charismatic faces. There's a reason why the HARD Summer teaser was centered around this power duo.
Do you like bass? Do you like dancing? Do you like feeling like your skin's peeling off of your body (obviously, not in a literal way)? If you answered "Yes" to all three questions, Hudson Mohawke and Lunice have the perfect act for you. The bass during this set was booming enough to knock trees down, and Mohawke's (real name Ross Birchard) stage shyness contrasted adorably with Lunice's (his actual real name) enthusiastic hype man antics.
Flux Pavilion's real name is Joshua Steele, and that last name makes sense when you look at the man in action. That man has a "Zoolander"-esque ability to contort his face, and he uses it to his full ability as he plays through his set. He brings so much energy and enthusiasm to his set that even if you—though this is extremely unlikely—are "meh" about his tunes, you'd be pumped just to be at his show.
I was just passing through the Underground tent when I heard some crazy stuff coming off of the stage. I had previously only associated Alex Metric with some pretty neat remixes, but hearing the man play live was kind of amazing. Not a huge name... yet.
DAY TWO
Is there any electronica frontwoman as mysteriously charismatic and amazing as Alice Glass? Perhaps there are ladies who are equally as cool, but there are very few artists who commit as fully to the idea that a show should be a fully physical experience. Glass hurls herself into the crowd while unleashing her roughly hewn vocals, while Ethan Kath chills from the stage, providing the distorted, demented soundscape into which the crowd hurls itself.
Acts cancel their festival sets all the time; it's just a part of the business that stuff happens. But generally that "stuff" isn't just a cover for a continuous, by now habitual flakiness... I digress, and perhaps the reason behind Azealia Banks' last minute cancellation really was valid. (Edit: It was. Sorry for doubting, Ms. Banks, hey, there's precedent.) Whatever the case, Clockwork picked up the slack for Banks' no show, and not only filled the time, but filled it well, playing a clever mix of popular tunes from a variety of genres.
Oh man. There was a lot of dust at HARD Summer, but the dirtiest thing about the festival was Flosstradamus's set. While it was curious that DJs J2K and Autobot were playing in our hood instead of over at Lolla (as they're a Chicago-based duo), the L.A. crowd embraced the shit out of the duo. DJs telling the crowd to twerk? Okay. DJs telling the crowd to jerk? Okay. It was a free for all on the dance floor, and the crowd was clamoring for more the entire time.
This Frenchman is one smooth operator. First of all, he dresses like a G. Second of all, he plays a set that isn't as hit-me-over-the-head intense as other acts, but still packs a helluva wallop when the drops do hit. Third of all, he is totally absorbed in his mix when he's on the stage, and while it's cool for artists to hype up the crowd during the show, it can be painful when there's no substance behind the talk. That will never be a problem for this dude.
I mean, of course. This is a man with a Tumblr devoted to Photoshopping his head onto cats. Sure, he could be a little awkward on stage (such as when he called all the women in the crowd to get on peoples' shoulders... yeah, good luck with that), but he seems like the kind of guy who'd spend hours online messaging his friends memes so watching him play a stage like HARD is a little like, "Oh look, you've come so far! Good for you!" but in a totally sincere way.
Read more of NT's music festival coverage here.
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