What you need to know from Electric Zoo Day Two
What you need to know from Day Two of Electric Zoo 2014
Six stages and over 140 acts graced Randall’s Island over Labor Day Weekend 2014, drawing in thousands of dance music enthusiasts from across the US. As New York’s premiere electronic music festival, Electric Zoo kept its word by giving fans the ultimate festival experience. From rare performances from the likes of Jack U, Madeon and Gesaffelstein to the introduction of the touring Sunday School Grove stage, the Made Event-backed event has proven its resilience in an era in which bouncing back to the forefront is of utmost importance. Over the course of three days, we witnessed both newcomers and pioneers of the burgeoning scene. Day two remained overcast for much of the day, but attendees paid little notice to the less-than-ideal weather. This is what you need to know about Electric Zoo Day Two.
Ansolo substitutes for Thomas Newson, packing out Mainstage West
As a last minute replacement for Thomas Newson, Ansolo took to the big kids’ stage to strut his stuff as Main Stage West’s first set of the day. Ansolo has taken a different approach in showcasing his talents than his peers; while electronic artists often flood the market with material, Ansolo has let loose only his finest productions. Dedicated fans bottlenecked through the strict security for a chance to see the young New York-based artist, and were rewarded when they made it through. Keeping steady pace within the progressive house genre, Ansolo impressed with fresh productions and high energy mixing. The producer’s skill speaks for itself, and his talents don’t end within musical boundaries. Did we mention that Ansolo is award winning actor Ansel Elgort?
Oliver Heldens shows Electric Zoo the true meaning of deep house
On Saturday, the main stage got a little bit deeper. Oliver Heldens stepped up to bat on the festival’s centrally located stage early in the day, and despite the overcast skies brought a crowd that had been bombarded by big room for hours on a deep house journey. Playing out the finest from the likes of Duke Dumont and The Prodigy, Heldens successfully exposed the Electric Zoo crowd to an alternate selection from the usual main stage festival set. Fans approached the performance with an open mind, and by the time Heldens closed his set with recent Spinnin’ release “Koala,” the electro fans had been converted.
Sunday School Grove hits capacity as Pete Tong enters the stage
The Sunday School stage is intimate and exciting, and Pete Tong rocked the house midway through the second day of Electric Zoo. With an iconic voice and supreme song selection, the English DJ managed to halt the flow of fans in and out of the stage as security held up the entry line. As one of the few managing to reach capacity at a festival stage, Pete’s set marked an exciting moment on Randall’s Island where diehard music fans united and experienced one of electronic music’s finest lead a musical adventure.
Kill The Noise excites and inspires, bringing in one of the heaviest sets of the evening
Whether he’s working on originals with long time friend Sonny Moore or releasing chilled out trap remixes with the likes of Flux Pavilion, Kill The Noise sits comfortably atop the bass scene, garnishing respect from every corner of the music industry. As expected, a horde arrived at the Hilltop Arena for the dubstep monster’s set, and he certainly did not disappoint. Kill The Noise supplied a healthy portion of unreleased works from himself, Tommy Trash and Feed Me, and hit on the latest goodies to release, including Henry Fong’s “Terror Squad” bootleg. For an hour, the Hilltop Arena turned into a dubstep dungeon, an abyss in a house-saturated land.
With an onslaught of too many top-notch headliners, animals are left to pick and choose their loyalty
As night fell upon Electric Zoo, the energy of the festival kicked up a notch. Attendance climbed high as crowds grew noticeably larger at all stages, and the talent that would perform got increasingly impressive and exciting. While true of all festivals, Electric Zoo’s evening headlining slot lineup forced an especially difficult choice on its attendees. With Knife Party and Madeon preparing to release studio albums, their sets came with a guarantee of fresh productions. Yet, with Armin Van Buuren at the helm of a main stage, Paul Van Dyk rocking an intimate Beatport Riverside, and dance legend Danny Tenaglia spinning a set that is far too short for his taste, the 5-way conflict caused the best kind of headache for all Electric Zoo animals.
Categories: Features