Entertainment

Published on August 1st, 2012 | by Alessandra Calderin

Electric Zoo 2012 Preview: Riverside Tent (Day 3) 9/2/12

All you need to know about the artists and songs to expect at the Riverside Tent of Made Event’s Electric Zoo Festival Day 3 on September 2, 2012. This is one tent to check out, you won’t be disappointed!

Diplo

Mr. Mad Decent himself, Diplo is one of the original visionaries of the EDM world. An “Original Don” in his own rite, Diplo has been spinning since 2003 and began producing shortly thereafter. Creating a unique sound with artists like M.I.A., Santigold, DJ Switch and other genre crossing rebels, his experience crossing Caribbean beats with electro synths is unparalleled. Beyond his musical talents, he runs club and music collective Hooked on Hollerphonix with DJ Low Budget, his record label, Mad Decent as well as a non-profit called Heaps Decent. Sound life your kind of guy? Of course he does. Be sure to tweet a photo to him and #ExpressYourself!

Tracks to Know:

Express Yourself, Que Que, Demons (Diplo Remix), GO

Zeds Dead

For a heavy bass line that crawls into your soul and shakes the core of your being, track down this Canadian duo that create colossal sounds and transcend genres. Taking their name from Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead.), it adds up that their tracks are killer. Because, well, Tarantino is awesome and lots of people die in his movies. Moving on. Their versatility results in dirty beats that take center stage like “Ruckus the Jam” as well as beauty and grace that delicately cradles fragile vocals like in “You & I.” Imagine a sci-fi video game where the lead is super tough and bad ass and wrecks people, but then there’s this moment of humanity and they sort of break. That’s kind of what it’s like.

Tracks to Know:

Ruckus the Jam, Rude Boy, You & I, In the Beginning

Bart B More

For a dancey discotheque aesthetic, you going to want to grab a partner and situate yourself in prime spacious real estate for this set. The Dutchman known as Bart B More sticks to the heart of EDM with loop driven techno/house that thuds with the familiar untz untz untz we al know and love. Another label founder, the head of Secure Recordings has worked with fellow Riverside performer Diplo among others. While his sound is by far the most traditional of this line up, he’s a versatile mixer and has a knack for incorporating new sounds with his clean techno flair.

Tracks to Know:

Pari, Cascade, Paddling Out (Bart B More Remix), Bodywork, The Funky One

Benga

The British bass warrior has played an integral role in the growth of dubstep and had been making music for 15 years. Some people need to grow up to know what they want to do and some people make their first track at the age of 9. You know, whatever. He recently expressed his desire to distance himself from substep and explore other genres, a move that is clear on his latest track, “Pour Your Love.” Not to worry, though, if you’re amped to feel that wobble, there will be plenty of dub tracks to get down to at this set.

Tracks to Know:

Pour Your Love, Icon, Midnight, Smack Your Bitch Up

Congorock

Mortal Kombat fans, this is one of the DJs that gave your favorite characters themes. Here to battle Skrillex’s Reptile, Congorock gave the noble Liu Kang a track, and it’s as nasty as a battle in the Netherrealm. The Italian focuses on beats dubbed Tropical House House which is the perfect way to describe music that should be the soundtrack for Donkey Kong on acid. With a tribal bounce that merges with crunchy explosions in a brain melting way, Congorock’s set will be sure to tease your mind with killer and sometimes experimental tracks. Bottom line: if the phrase “elephant bass” intrigues you, then listen, love and let the tunes take control.

Tracks to Know:

Monolith, Ivory, Sirius, Liu Kang’s Theme

Eliot Lipp

Eliot Lipp is your ticket to Trap City, bitch (trap trap city, bitch) with a final destination in Funk Central. He’s got a wide range of interesting tracks that is like experimental jazz electro funk. It’ll be interesting to witness the live concoction that comes out of this jambalaya of sound.

Tracks to Know:

Best Friends, Beam Rider, Times Four, Rap Tight

Krewella

This Chicago based trio is kind of like the Sleigh Bells of EDM. Feminine vocals backed up by noisy boy beats. The result in both cases being awesome club ready beats that “Play Hard” with for tough girls and boys alike. A growling bass meets jumpy synths for tracks like “Feel Me” while a dub-splosion washes over during “Killin’ It.” With fast paced party jams in the bag, you just know that Krewella will bring the bass and a solid high energy set to make your last day at Zoo end in a blaze of glory.

Tracks to Know:

Killin’ It, Play Hard, Rise & Fall, Feel Me

Paper Diamond

A true man of the people, Paper Diamond doesn’t want to bother you by making you pay for his music. Instead, he offers it all up for free via his website and SoundCloud. His brand of electronic beats has a sort of cavernous quality to it that spreads out and echoes while remaining contained. Maybe I’m projecting because he’s from Colorado and like many people who are not from there I associate that state with mountains and snow, but I swear tracks like “Airlift” have a sonic kinship with the music that plays in Great Glacier section of Final Fantasy VII. Yes, I so went there. I have a feeling it’ll sounds great in a tent, but then again, I love how everything sounds in a tent.

Tracks to Know:

Can We Go Up?, Climax (Paper Diamond Remix), Airlift, Same Old Song

Zedd

The German VonderKid has won the hearts and minds of just about everyone with “Spectrum,” the song of the summer featuring transcendent vocals by Matthew Koma. With a style that becomes more defined with every track, his detailed approach to immaculate production has yielded tremendous results. It’s all about branching out and incorporating and his live set is no different. Mixing old school favorites and throwing in the right top 40 song here and there (Adele plus “Shave It” was a genius call), he creates an unpredictable onslaught of lovable tracks and mash ups that will be the icing on your day. Be sure to catch “Don’t Slam the Cinema,” the mash up of mash ups.

Tracks to Know:

Spectrum, Shave It, Shotgun, Slam the Door/Cinema

Article by: Alessandra Calderin

About the Author

Alessandra Calderin Notorious for her legendary dance offs, Alessandra lives in New York City where she writes for EDMInsider and galavants about. She prefers her EDM outdoors or in sketchy Brooklyn warehouses but will occasionally "hit da club" if you really want her to. She tweets about music, film, yoga and weird thoughts. She doesn't update her tumblr nearly as often as she should. Her spirit animal is Harley Quinn.