The third and final day of Electric Zoo 2012 is hands down the hardest of the three. It’s lineup is an endless barrage of heavy electronic music – Boys Noize returns to close the weekend out with his gritty electro and techno-infused style – expect him to showcase some new tracks from the forthcoming Out Of The Black EP. Skrillex and Knife Party’s dubstep attack shares the main stage with the tried-and-true talent of electronic music legend Tiesto. The Bloody Beetroots will be throwing down their hard rock electronica while Excision, Flux Pavillion, and Doctor P ignite the Hilltop tent with the heaviest dubstep in the business. Diplo’s hip hop infused, wild-style house, Zed’s Dead melody-rich dubstep and Bart B More’s bass-heavy, acid house round out the day at the Riverside tent.

Check out our editor’s picks for Day 3 of Electric Zoo 2012 after the break.

Andrew Spada’s Picks

Boys Noize
This one is really a no brainer. Alex Ridha was responsible for the best set of the festival last year and with his new EP, Out of the Black set to be released soon there is no doubt this set will be something special. His productions are world-renowned and his mixing is flawless. There are few DJs who accomplish the level of tact and style that Boys Noize employs during a performance. The experience is almost hard to define, the way he plays with the energy in the room, slowly building it towards a massive electro explosion — it’s what dance music is meant to be like.

Peep his essential mix from 2009 to get a sense of what to expect.

Bart B More
It’s Bart B More, it’s acid house and 303s. It’s teeth rattling bass lines. It’s funky. It’s a groove you lose yourself in. It knocks the wind out of you. It leaves you coming back for more. Come to hear “Brap!” live (you know it never gets old.) Stay for “Pari” and “Traction.” If there is one non-headlining set to see this weekend, Bart’s is it.

Adventure Club
Dubstep newcomers Adventure Club burst onto the scene a little over a year ago and have been creating intricately layered, tripped out, dubstep ever since. Remixing everything from angsty emo classics like Thrice and Brand New to the bubble gum pop of Britney Spears, these two Canadians have asserted themselves as one of the true talents amidst the tidal wave of really awful dubstep. Their recent string of originals have all received critical acclaim and even if dubstep isn’t your thing these guys are still worth checking out — they aren’t quite as heavy as Rusko or mosh-pit friendly as Skrillex.

 

Jesse Grushack’s Picks

Zedd
In my opinion Zedd is one of the most underrated producers at Electric Zoo. Zedd has tons of expertly produced tracks and his latest offering, “Spectrum” has been remixed more times than you can count. Rather than fitting a mold or crafting tracks that are similar, the German producer continues to step outside the box as he tries his hand at different genres. His latest track might have been progressive house but Zedd has tracks that are hardstyle, electro, and dubstep as well. Zedd’s time should be early on Sunday which would be the perfect start to day three.

Porter Robinson
Porter joins Zedd as another OWSLA artist that I have yet to fully experience. By now everyone knows “Language” and loves it but there is a lot more to this young producer than just one incredible track. Porter is also touring with Mat Zo and Zedd, all of whom have broken down genre barriers with their inventive production styles. If you haven’t seen Porter yet, this is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss.

Knife Party
Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen have been at their new project for about a year now and have already released two EPs, both of which have catapulted this duo into the spotlight — quickly making them one of the most popular dubstep groups to date. They don’t just create noisy dubstep, rather, their productions are an amazing combination of genres infused with a heavy dose of bass. Knife Party knows what they’re doing and they do it well. If you are still on the fence about dubstep, chances are you haven’t seen Knife Party.

 

Amanda Claudio’s Picks

Skrillex

One of my greatest memories from Ultra was standing in the crowd with my friends — most of whom were not fans — and witnessing their almost immediate conversion. Skrillex’s energetic, and notoriously wobbly performances have welcomed many a nonbeliever to the dubside. Even if you think you don’t like Skrillex, he’s worth a shot.  To be famous and well-liked is one thing but to be able to change the minds of many is something else entirely.

Skrillex – Right On Time

 

Flux Pavilion & Doctor P 

Of all the dubstep performances  scheduled for Sunday this is one of my absolute can’t miss sets. As someone who is very picky about her dubstep — and can usually only handle it in small doses — it means something when I say Flux Pavilion is at the tippy top of my dub list. Hopefully they’ll drop “Haunt You,” “I Can’t Stop,” and “Sweet Shop” so we can enjoy the tracks at the proper bone rattling volume.

Flux Pavilion – Haunt You

Doctor P – Sweet Shop

 

Knife Party

If you want a high energy set make sure to fit Knife Party into your Sunday schedule, as Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen are sure to deliver just that. The duo will likely spin a mix of eclectic tracks, ranging from moombahton and dubstep to electro — something for everyone.  Furthermore being 2/3 of Pendulum is good enough reason alone for me to check them out.

Knife Party feat. Mista Jam – Sleaze

 

JR Thornton’s Picks

Diplo

What I like about Diplo is that he never stops experimenting. He always seems to be one step ahead of the curve when it comes to electronic music. He did it with dubstep, dance hall, moombahton and now bounce music. If you go see Diplo’s set you’re sure to have an awesome time as well as get the chance to experience some new and different music.

Flux Pavilion & Doctor P

This is an easy argument to make. Flux and Doctor P are two of the absolute best when it comes to dubstep. If you consider yourself to be a bass music fan, you really should not pass up the opportunity to see them perform together. Prepare yourself; the bass is going to be turned up so high that it might feel as though you’re in an earthquake.

Benga

Benga is a fantastic option and I’m really glad the organizers booked him for the event. If you want to see a real DJ set and not a headliner pressing play 14 times, then come and watch Benga. He’s a true musical pioneer and can lay claim to being one of the originators of dubstep. Benga does not make it over to the US all that much so make sure you take the opportunity to catch him while he’s here.

 

Tags: electric zoo 2012

Categories: Music