Flux Pavilion & Doctor P at Electric Zoo 2012: 5 tracks you need to know

As someone who is very picky about her dubstep, and can for the most part only handle it in small doses, seeing Flux Pavilion and Doctor P was a risky move fueled mainly by curiosity. Although the Circus labelmates often produce and perform together, they are at their core separate entities. My preference is for Flux but having heard good things about their collaborative sets, I chose to skip Knife Party in favor of the dub duo. I found the set enjoyable, but I also learned that their shows are certainly not for the faint of heart. The crowd is rowdy, their dance moves spastic, and the bass so hard that even with ear plugs in it rattles your bones to their core.

My typical complaint about festivals is that I wish I had more time with each DJ but in this case the opposite was true. I likely wouldn’t survive a headlining show, so the shorter length of their performance was a better fit for dubstep weakling like me.

1. Emalkay – Flesh & Bone (Dismantle Remix)

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When you say ‘dubstep’ to a dance music fan, it’s likely their brain will skip to Skrillex or Rusko, but in the dubstep community, 19-year-old Dismantle is gaining steam. His remix of “Flesh & Bone” features more of the reggae influences at the root of the “dub” aesthetic. This track fit nicely into Flux & Doctor P’s set. Nothing gets people moving like dancehall and as a huge fan of reggae, the track stood out.

2. Freestylers – Frozen (Cookie Monsta Remix)

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Cookie Monsta — who I  became a fan of after hearing “Bubble Trouble” — was invited to join Circus records by Flux Pavilion personally, so I knew there was a good chance we would hear some of his productions. When the vocals boomed through the speakers an eerie vibe was cast over the tent but as soon as the bass dropped the head banging vibe was restored. If you’re a budding dubstep fan, you need to check out Cookie Monsta.

3. Flux Pavilion feat. Childish Gambino – ID

I thought I recognized Childish Gambino’s voice during Flux & Doctor P’s performance but the combination seemed too out of place to be legitimate — Flux, however, has indicated otherwise. The title of his collaboration with the rapper and Community actor is still unknown but Flux has confirmed that it is part of a new 8-track EP coming out in November.

4. Plan B – Love Goes Down (Doctor P Remix)

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For many dubstep fans Doctor P’s 2010 remix of “Love Goes Down” is considered a classic and that was quickly proved when the duo dropped it at Zoo. The energy in Hilltop Arena accelerated and so did the speed of the crowd’s flailing body parts. “Love Goes Down” employs elements from a variety of genres so even if you’re not a fan of dubstep, this track is worth checking out.

5. DJ Fresh feat. Ce’Cile – Gold Dust (Flux Pavilion Remix)

I couldn’t imagine a better way to close this set than with Flux’s remix of “Gold Dust.” This is one of those tracks best described with a simple “WOW.”

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