Electric Zoo ’13 Artist Spotlight: Laurent Garnier
Laurent Garnier is arguably the biggest dance music heavyweight set to grace the stages of Electric Zoo next weekend. Make no mistake -- he might not sell tickets like Tiesto or make fans scream like Sebastian Ingrosso, but in terms of longevity and significance, Laurent Garnier's career is quite honestly second to none on EZoo's lineup. Garnier is, of course, French but made a name for himself in the early heyday of house music in the UK -- joining Haçienda resident Mike Pickering under the pseudonym DJ Pedro right as Detroit techno and Chicago house began to creep onto foreign shores.
Electric Zoo ’13 Artist Spotlight: Claude VonStroke
Since the first Electric Zoo in 2009, Claude VonStroke has maintained quite the presence at the festival -- snagging a booking in three of its five runs. His bouncy brand of booty house has captured revelers for years, but he now has the potential to act as a catalyst for the successful entrance of mainstream EDM aficionados into the soulful world of the underground. In previous years, Sunday School hasn't had much appeal outside of its established audience but, as EDM has gained traction, its also brought increased visibility to the underground.
Electric Zoo ’13 Artist Spotlight: Dixon
For those New Yorkers more inclined to visit Randall's Island for the Sunday School Groove side of things, the name Dixon is inevitably a name on everyone's tongue this Electric Zoo. Storied in his international DJ sets but a rarity with his US appearances, the Innervisions label head, producer, remixer, and highly reputable DJ (number three on last year's Resident Advisor poll) will make his mark right before hometown hero Danny Tenaglia on the first evening of the Zoo. In his DJ sets, his draw is in the perfect balance he strikes between driving leads and thoughtful melodies and rhythms -- curating a dance floor that has the potential to make its patrons both waggish and contemplative. If you scan the Internet for any hint of Dixon's biography, you'll be left with a simple phrase in the DJ's native tongue -- "Es muss nicht immer so weiter gehen," or rather, "It does not go on forever" -- a understated nod to the ethos of the DJ's earthly mindfulness, a mindfulness which he confronts behind the decks.
Electric Zoo ’13 Artist Spotlight: Oliver bring West coast cool to New York’s hottest festival
Los Angeles-based duo Oliver have managed to encapsulate all of the dirty, sexy cool of LA's dance music scene and bottle it for easy consumption. Creators of the pervasive "MYB" off their Mechanical EP, Oliver's Fool's Gold debut quickly established them as two of the tightest groove technicians in modern dance music. Whether creating mixes with a casual strut, or going full throttle into the French electro heyday, Oliver are as daring behind the decks as their catalog would suggest.