NOS Events Center was transformed this weekend into the imaginative carnival playhouse that is Audiotistic; chock full of titillating, neoteric music, elaborate performers and astounding light shows. The 11-hour non-stop party brought in a decent amount of people, though offered a mellower, laid-back feel as compared to its Insomniac counterparts. Nonetheless, the event brought together an impressive lineup of fresh DJs, all of which played strong sets that ultimately made for an awesome night of electronica.
At 3 p.m. on Saturday the gates were opened to the nocturnal nirvana, and the festival grounds became spotted with vibrant festival goers, swathed in spirit hoodies and furry boots. As attendees entered the venue they were immediately hit with I&I Soundsystem’s bombastic tunes, reverberating from “Destiny,” the L.A.-based, fully-restored ice cream truck adorned with turntables, amps, and speakers.
Escalating pulses for the rest of the fest, Bingo Players blasted hard beats for an early evening set. Playing party-worthy compositions like “Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll,” the duo set off what would be the most packed stage of the night. Next, Chris Lake, Scottish house DJ/producer brought a packed house with his distinct Euro-style, vocals-infused dance electronica that undoubtedly brought the merrymaking to its full potential.
Later, at The Boombox stage, AC Slater regaled the crowd with his drum and bass blends combined with upbeat sirens and layered sounds. His strategic beat building had the crowd hypnotized, swaying with the rhythms and shaking to the thumps. Unique in his mixes is an apparent jungle, booty-shaking sensation that offered an irresistibly provocative, dance-invoking aura.
Back at Treble Frequency, Porter Robinson played trance-sounding tunes combined with hard electronica, remixing songs like techno favorite Angel on My Shoulder and Kanye West’s Stronger, along with a number of other mainstream hits, giving them a deeper, darker feel. Elsewhere Lazaro Casanova impressed with his raw, incredibly refreshing instrumental house music, offering a unique, novel approach to the genre.
With an undeniably stand out performance, Flux Pavillion and Doctor P. brought intricately mixed beats to Treble Frequency, fusing everything from techno to dubstep for an irresistible arrangement. The duo killed it with their incredibly sophisticated, complex sounds, driving the constantly growing crowd wild with Cracks Begin to Show, Hold Me Close, and Love Goes Down. Imparting a jazzy impression with the introduction of a trumpet, the pair channeled transitions into electronica uniting the two genres flawlessly. The two were remarkable in their first performance on a Southern California stage, offering a little bit of everything for an immaculate set.
Next, Diplo, featured his new album with dance-thumping electronica. Known for producing unbeatably hot tracks for Santigold, M.I.A., Kid Cudi, and Beyoncé, he showed off his mix master skills, annihilating the audience with an outstanding performance. Following Diplo, Crystal Castles seduced the crowd with their psychedelic hard bass-imbued techno. The pair imparted delicate, varied sounds--scattered, but seamlessly blended offering an intoxicating listening experience.
At the Boombox, Craze mixed an extraordinarily fun blend of techno-ed out old school hip hop joints, instilling a dark, underground basement thrash feel; while Datsik bumped a compelling dubstep set at Bass Frequency. With deep, deliciously overwhelming bass lines, and an intriguing blend of characteristic reverberant drum patterns and futuristic electronic elements, Datsik stands as a noteworthy figure in dubstep.
Closing out the night, Wolfgang Gartner, renowned deep electro house DJ/producer, banged out something fierce in a relentless takeover with wild electro thumpers, driving viewers into raging dance fits. His unrivaled beat recipe is what has shot him to the top as an electro reigning king, and was undoubtedly the perfect closing set to this year’s Audiotistic.
See it on the Independent.