Skrillex and Diplo make Ultra debut of Jack U: Five tracks you need to know
Jack U makes their festival debut: Five tracks you need to know
After Diplo had the Main Stage crowd twerking on Friday, the American star was joined by close friend and fellow producer Skrillex as they hopped on the decks for their Ultra debut as Jack U. Though both headliners in their own right, combined the two acted more as a duo than DJs playing back-to-back; while one superstar took to the CDJs to bring in the next track, the other served as a hype man. With jump-ropers spinning, crowds screaming and both OWSLA and Mad Decent tunes bumping, just a few songs into the set one thing was for sure – Diplo and Skrillex were simply having fun, and that’s what Jack U is all about. Traversing genres and digging deep, recent classics and unheard tracks roared through Bayfront Park from the Main Stage, and while Skrillex-heavy, the set broadcast the best of both producers. Here are the five tracks you need to know from Jack U’s set.
Must Die - ID
Coming onto the stage with force, the two introduced themselves as Jack U and only dropped a few tracks before diving into an unheard production. Also played out by Dillon Francis, it is reasonable, as the track’s tag insists, that the production comes from the Mad Decent or OWSLA camps. While confusion still surrounds the actual title and producer, the label doesn’t matter; a combination of big room sound and precise growls compliment the typical synth-stab style well. The audience’s reaction was clear – however this track is identified, it will surely be a hit.
Update: Sonny has clarified the song’s artist – Must Die. The track is forthcoming on OWSLA.
Wiwek & Gregor Salto - On Your Mark (Original Mix)
Immediately after the unheard track, Diplo & Skrillex changed the pace with “Cry Just a Little,” a Bingo Players favorite, paying their respects to Paul Bäumer, who passed on this year. After paying homage, the mood picked back up with the bongo-inspired drop of Wiwek & Gregor Salto’s “On Your Mark.” Continuing the big room trend, the crowd roared with excitement. Diplo & Skrillex had begun to draw the crowd in with a mainstream-friendly sound, but a change of pace lay just around the corner.
Skrillex & Wolfgang Gartner - Devil’s Den (VIP)
One of the more exciting three-track stretches of the weekend came to a close as Skrillex took his turn on the decks to give a nod to the hardcore Sonny fans. While “Devil’s Den” has remained a regular in rotation for the OWSLA founder, the elusive “variation in production” is seen as one of the holy grails of Skrillex’s shows, and for good reason; the second drop slammed the set into full-force dubstep, satisfying the salivating Skrillex fans as the crowd broke into a slower, more aggressive groove.
TrollPhace & Juju - Vengeance Like a B0:55 (Original Mix)
In Skrillex’s recent AMA on Reddit, he plugged a few upcoming dubstep artists as his favorites. TrollPhace, one of those artists, got the nod from the Jack U duo to join them on stage to play out his “Vengeance Like a B0:55,” an aggressive dub-heavy track that begins with a soft build and has a playful vocal drop before its full ambitiousness rears its head. The crowd let out a roar with the drop, as they knew it was once again time to break into a half step and get their heads bobbing. Deep into the set and Jack U were still pulling out surprises and enjoying themselves during their festival debut.
Skrillex feat. Niki & The Dove - Ease My Mind (GTA Bootleg)
As the special duo’s set came to a close, Skrillex went to a popular track, “Ease My Mind,” off his recent debut album Recess. While the song began in its typical form, it took a sharp turn as the Middle Eastern-inspired rugged synth was replaced by a sharp stab complements of GTA. As a closer, the drop ripped through the crowd and blew away those that believed they knew what would come next, as the duo did for a full hour. And the most unexpected track of the set? The encore. Africa by Toto. How’s that for fun?