Dancing Astronaut’s Soundtrack to Coachella 2015
Dancing Astronaut's Soundtrack to Coachella 2015
Six days, two weekends, hundreds of hours of music, one incredible year for Coachella. We spent 2 weekends out in Indio, taking in the sights and sounds of the biggest festival in the United States. From our time spent at the Do Lab, to hours spent entranced in the Yuma and Sahara tents, this year’s Coachella was undoubtedly dominated by an electronic presence. While thousands of songs blared from the stacks throughout our six days in the desert, it was these 10 that stood out as the defining songs of another April spent in Indio.
Justin Martin & Ardalan - Function
Justin Martin and Ardalan’s “Function” has become dirtybird’s unofficial anthem over the past few months. It’s near impossible to escape it’s booty-shaking bassline at festivals and Coachella was no different. From Jason Bentley’s set in the Yuma to the Not-So-Silent Disco, the hyphy collaboration was on repeat the entire weekend.
Gesaffelstein - Hellifornia
Amid Gesaffelstein’s violent techno tear on Sunday night, “Hellifornia” provided a healthy dose of halftime swagger. Taking from 2013’s Aleph, the track is the quintessential West Coast anthem thanks to its pummeling 808s and iconic ‘90s hip hop lead. With a black and white American flag waving in the background, the track rallied the entire Mojave tent into a frenzy.
Nero - The Thrill (Original & Porter Robinson Remix)
On Friday night of Coachella, Nero reminded us all why we’ve been patiently awaiting their sophomore album for nearly four years now. With a host of tracks from Between II Worlds seeing the light for the first time, new single “The Thrill” was a clear highlight of the set. Meanwhile in the Sahara Tent, Porter Robinson officially debuted his remix of “The Thrill,” putting his futuristic synth-pop feel on the single.
Caribou - I Can’t Do Without You
Caribou’s “I Can’t Do Without You” was one of last year’s biggest anthems, and from the looks of it, it may just be one of 2015’s as well. With a simple yet endlessly alluring hook, it’s the kind of song that sticks in your head for days on end. The rousing progression never fails to leave fans swooning, and in the emotional atmosphere of Caribou’s performance from the Mojave, its effect was compounded tenfold.
Barnt - Cherry Red (Tale of Us & Recondite Remix)
It’s mid-afternoon on Saturday of Coachella, but in the foggy darkness of the Yuma with Tale of Us on deck, it feels like 5am in Berlin. Despite having an earlier set time in the day, the duo held nothing back. Their penchant for cinematic techno was on full display, including this new remix of Barnt’s “Cherry Red” alongside Recondite.
Gorgon City - Imagination
Gorgon City were one of the most buzzed about sets after the opening night of the festival. With vocals, synth lines, and acoustic drums incorporated into the performance, deep house never felt so organic. While singles like “Ready For Your Love” and “Go All Night” received a wealth of crowd interaction, “Imagination” felt like the pinnacle of their Friday night set.
What So Not - Gemini feat. George Maple
Flume may no longer be a part of What So Not, but that didn’t stop the masses from coming out for WSN’s early afternoon set on Sunday. With Emoh Instead showcasing his mastery of CDJs, George Maple joined him on stage for their new single “Gemini.” Taken from What So Not’s forthcoming EP of the same name, the track fit in perfectly between offerings from TNGHT, Gesaffelstein and more.
Odesza - Say My Name
Though positioned at the same time as Gesaffelstein and J.E.S.+S., Odesza still managed to draw a sizeable crowd to the Gobi on Sunday night. With In Return fresh in the minds of fans, Odesza weaved through plenty of the album singles and unreleased originals. “Say My Name,” in particular, may have elicited the biggest response of the set, not to mention making continuous appearances elsewhere, from the Do Lab to the campgrounds.
Oliver Heldens & Sander Van Doorn - THIS
Both Oliver Heldens and Kaskade used “THIS” to their advantage during Weekend 1. The Heldens/Doorn collaboration’s tech house meets nu-deep style has always been a go-to crowd-pleaser and this year’s jaunt in the desert was no different.
Galantis - Runaway (U & I) (Kaskade Remix)
A remix that may have even overshadowed the original, Kaskade’s revamped version of Galantis’ “Runaway (U&I)” incited sing-a-longs in the record-breaking crowd. If there was goosebump worthy moment from our time spent in Indio, it was this one.