5 Must-See Artists at Beyond Wonderland 2012
By Scott Butterworth
Music is in the air this month as March is the official start of festival season! Austin has South By Southwest, Miami has Ultra and Winter Music Conference, and Los Angeles Electronic Dance Music (EDM) promoter Insomniac brings us it's third installment of Beyond Wonderland to Southern California. Insomniac has made a name for itself throughout the world for curating some of the most successful and sought out festivals by audiences and artists equally, right in our own back yard. This time they get a little help, as three current national/international tours converge on the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino this Saturday, each curating one of the festivals five stages.
Armin Van Buuren's "A State Of Trance 550":
Armin Van Buuren; Gareth Emery; Arty, Aly & Fila, etc.
- Celebrating the 550th episode of his A State Of Trance worldwide radio show, Armin curate a stage of Trance music's freshest talent.
"Hospitality Tour":
Netsky, High Contrast, Camo & Krooked
- UK Drum & Bass label, Hospital Records, brings its top talent across the pond to take over the festivals Drum & Bass/Dubstep/Bass stage
GOLDWILLDiscooker 12"
Dessous
Berlin & Schwerin-based nu-breeds-de-jour Goldwill cook up a rather special release as Dessous teeters ever closer to its 100th release. Discooker is comprised of 3 original tracks on vinyl. Sauntering off into the night, "Nachtzug" delivers a tripped-out, jazzy jam that skips between off-kilter house and laid-back disco edit stations. A freaky, warbling synth tone becomes the main destination as skipping beats and warm, coal-fired beats pump throughout.
Listen to "Nachtzug" here:
PHONIQUE VS. TIGERSKIN
Longdrink EP 12"
Ladies & Gentlemen
Phonique and Tigerskin explore their passionate, freaky and funky sides on their Longdrink EP. Phonique throws us two hot ones with "Sandman" and "Longdrink." The former skips through tripping, tool-y and percussive territories while the latter goes all-out with a rolling bass and hedonistic synth passages. Tigerskin's "Loop Back In Time" grows from a rolling drum array into a disco-fueled killer, while "Tony's Riff" is a jazz-based jam with super-funky drums fused with deep house and cutting-edge techno.
Listen to "Tony's Riff" here:
