5 Up-and-Coming Acts to Catch at Lollapalooza

5 Up and Coming Acts to Catch at Lollapalooza

North America has paraded wave after wave of growing festival brands, but only a select few have risen beyond becoming a local annual celebration and gone on to champion a lasting legacy. The globally recognized Lollapalooza roots in its hometown of Chicago, Illinois and has since expanded to Germany, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil. First conceived by Jane’s Addiction in 1991, the festival has at heart understood the constant flux of the music industry, first thriving as a ‘touring festival,’ and since settling into its respective home cities with an eclectic array of coveted talents that appeal to tastes all across the board.

But of course, we here at Dancing Astronaut do our duty by leaning towards the electronic side of the spectrum. Beyond the big stars like Kaskade, Alesso, Kygo and NERO, we’ve plucked through the expansive line up to bring you 5 up-and-coming talents that you shouldn’t miss during your weekend at Lolla.

Cover photo by Rukes.

Siren XX

These two songbirds first entered into the dance music sphere with a spotlight on The Chainsmokers’ “Kanye,” a track they co-wrote and helped create with their own charming vocals in mind. Both soothing and sultry, these Los Angeles natives have since moved on from the cheeky chorus lines of “Kanye” to their own original “I Think I Like You.” In preparation for their new album, the two are honing in on a truly striking, harmonic sound that balances their feminine touch with a powerful punch.

Catch Siren XX on Sunday at 2:10 on the BMI Stage.

Mako

Mako came together with Steve Angello on “Children of the Wild” to showcase the duo’s versatility in both vocal and production contributions. At the helm of the track’s vocals is Alex Seaver of Mako, who delivered a gripping, raw chorus line that helped to push “Children of the Wild” beyond the typical progressive house tune. They’ve since teamed with powerhouse Madison Beer for “I Won’t Let You Walk Away,” a progressive romance story that has spurred handfuls of outstanding remixes.

Find Mako on Sunday at 2:30 on Perry’s Stage.

Slaptop

Quickly becoming a festival staple, Slaptop is pleasantly hard to box into any one genre. Pulling inspirations from all sides of house music, the San Francisco-based producer channels a heavy dose of UK garage and deep, but tosses in flairs of bass line kicks for a wide range of sounds to explore. His catalogue is proof enough to demonstrate Slaptop’s flexibility: Ranging from a remix of Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen,” to his own deep translation of Zhu’s “Faded,” then to his own uptempo rework of a mellow original “Away,” Slaptop is easily proving his worth to his receptive audiences.

Catch Slaptop on Friday at 12:00 on Perry’s Stage.

NGHTMRE

It’s no easy feat for a track to be premiered by none other than electronic music tastemaker Skrillex. After finally releasing “Street,” otherwise known as that track that had everyone wondering what that ID was during Skrillex’s Ultra Music Festival performance, NGHTMRE is rocketing to the top of people’s ‘To-Watch’ lists. Representing the heavier side of the dance music spectrum, NGHTMRE has mastered walking the precariously fine line of delivering thundering bass artillery without foregoing the complex layers of what truly makes a bass track timeless. Amongst the more mellow live acts Lollapalooza has lined up for 2015, NGHTMRE will absolutely deliver the punch of energy you’re looking for.

NGHTMRE takes the Palladia stage on Sunday at 7:45.

Mt. Eden

In the burgeoning moments of dubstep, Mt. Eden delivered the now-classic emotive original, “Sierra Leone.” Two years out from their stumble into success, the New Zealand duo have since narrowed in on a softer, but equally moving sound. Harnessing melancholic drama in their soundscapes, Mt. Eden has found the formula for their sound; teasing listeners in with cinematic build ups, the team then lead to showers of harmonic bass strikes and progression releases.

Find Mt. Eden on Saturday at 6:50 on the BMI Stage.