The Undercards: Acts to catch at HARD Day of the Dead

Posted on Oct 31, 2013 in Events, Festival, Preview

This weekend, thousands of partygoers decked out in creative, revealing costumes and half-painted skull faces will be making their way to the Los Angeles Downtown Historic Park for HARD Day of the Dead, which this year takes place two days, as founder Gary Richards treats us to double the dose of dance music. With the line-up announced just days after HARD’s last major event, HARD Summer, we have been waiting months for this weekend to arrive, but not before becoming inundated with work and responsibilities from new jobs and classes. So many unfamiliar artists on this completely stacked line-up, and not nearly enough time to check them all out…

Yes, we may have bought our tickets for the bigger names on the flyer, from Eric Prydz to deadmau5, and Giorgio Moroder to Skrillex, among others who have earned their way to attain headliner status; but many years, some find themselves absolutely clueless when it comes to the bottom-line acts, and those playing the earliest slots of the day. We at ICGYH can most certainly give you house, but we can also offer you the finest in techno, deep house, and booty bass; think of us as a floating device to help you wade through the unknown depths of dance music. And with as many conflicts as there are, we hope that we can help make your decisions a little easier. Here are our suggestions for some lesser-known acts that you should definitely check out this year at HARD DOTD.

 

SATURDAY

Sanfuentes
When: 1 – 2:15pm
Where: Underground stage

If you were blown away by Daniel Avery at HARD Summer back in August, then there’s a very good chance you’ll dig Sanfuentes. Sanfuentes is a core member of the Cómeme label, half of the Surtek Collective of BNR, and has produced for Matias Aguayo. He has his own brand of “machine funk,” a mixture of house, techno, and that delicious acid lick that makes everything just a little weird. Perfect for Halloween-time ventures.

 

Dusky
When: 2:45 – 4:15pm
Where: Discotheque

By now, even if you aren’t a fan, the only way you have not possibly heard anything about Dusky is if you’ve been living under a rock (alright, I guess homework’s a worthy excuse). The UK duo recently made news headlines when their single “Careless” knocked Hardwell off his throne at the top of the Beatport 100 chart. Their blend of house, garage, and techno and penchant for deepened R&B vocals has helped take them from the depths of the underground into the spotlight, as they enter the last leg of their US tour.

 

Claptone
When: 3:30 – 3:45pm
Where: Underground stage

Claptone is one of those artists whose music translates to electronic genres across the board, with support coming everywhere from A-Trak to DJ Sneak to Soul Clap to DJ Hell. He’s released on the exclusive German label, Exploited, and has hit many a high on the Beatport charts with his creamy brand of deep house. The perfect music to get you started for a day of increasingly hard, sweaty dancing by slowing easing you into a groove to get you stretched out… don’t want you straining any muscles before sunset, now.

 

Salva
When: 4:15 – 5:15pm
Where: HARDER stage

Friends of Friends key figure and Frite Nite label owner Paul Salva aka Salva has been acquiring major cred in both electronica and rap for his music. He can do house and funk, but also churn out some mean-muggin’ trap worthy of a remix for Kanye West, which got him some major airplay on LA’s most popular rap radio station, POWER 106. Most recently, he completed a remix for Sage the Gemini and Iamsu!’s “Gas Pedal,” which goes OFF. I have a feeling he’ll be erring more on the rap-fueled, bass-tastic side of his music preferences for his set at DOTD, which gives fans the opportunity to either lazily nod along to the beat, or twerk it out.

 

Masters At Work
When: 10:15 – 11:45pm
Where: Discotheque

I’m going make a pretty strong statement here: you can’t call yourself a fan of dance music if you don’t know the history behind it. Regardless of whether you like it or listen to it, you have to know where it’s been to know where it is now, and where it’s going later. Enter Masters At Work, who are essentially the OGs of house music. The men behind this project are the legendary “Little” Louie Vega and Kenny Dope, who together make up one of the few veteran acts this year. With remixes for Earth Wind & Fire, Madonna, Donna Summer, Michael Jackson, and Jamiroquai under their belts, they have more than earned their headliner slot this year.

 

SUNDAY

Maribou State
When: 2:30 – 3:30pm
Where: Discotheque

Liam Ivory and Chris Davids make up the duo that is Maribou State, a live act hailing from the UK that, given the short time the two have actually been producing together, is fast gaining fans of their ethereal, emotive take on bass music. Their sound is most appropriate for mellow thinking sessions on the floor of your bedroom than for the dance-floor, and more often than not utilizes chopped vocals to create a pensive mood for their listeners. Their Truths EP just came out on Southern Fried Records, and it has just a hint of house and jazz that will make it prime for sitting in the shade with some lemonade.

 

Henry Krinkle
When: 2:00 – 3:00pm
Where: HARD stage
Describing his own music as a new sound “blossoming somewhere between the swamps and polo fields of South Florida,” Henry Krinkle’s put his krinkly touch on everyone from Le Youth, Cyril Hahn, and even Drake with his “lush haus,” which leaves your ears feeling full without being irritated.

 

Cyril Hahn B2B Ryan Hemsworth
When: 3:00 – 4:10 pm
Where: HARD stage

Producers Cyril Hahn and Ryan Hemsworth team up to bring some smooth swag back to Los Angeles. The two have been touring across the US for the fall, swathing audiences in their bass-filled, hip-hop-influenced beats. Both are celebrating the release of recent EPs: Hahn’s Perfect Form and Hemsworth’s Guilt Trips have been making the blog rounds since previews hit the web.

J Paul Getto
When: 4:00 – 5:30pm
Where: Underground stage

J Paul Getto is your purveyor of funk for the weekend, with his style sample-heavy disco house that is bound to get all bodies grooving on the dancefloor. If you’re a fan of Duck Sauce and dancing, Getto is your man. He’s affiliated with a group of world-class names, including Armand Van Helten, Todd Terry, and DJ Sneak, and has remixed the likes of Louis La Roche, Duck Sauce, Treasure Fingers, and Joey Negro. Diddy even gave him props for his remix of Nas’ “The Don.”

 

Tensnake
When: 6:00 – 7:30pm
Where: Discotheque

The German Tensnake will be making his HARD debut this weekend after few appearances in LA within the last few years. His disco-sprinkled house is always a delight to dance to, along with deeper beats that keep your body on cruise control. His single “Coma Cat” lights dance-floors on fire, and his most recent work, “See Right Through,” got a call-out from Pete Tong as an Essential New Tune. Really excited to see more of Tensnake, as he is one of many to rep the underground at a festival bent on digging deeper.

 

We hope you’ll be joining us this weekend at Day of the Dead! Single day tickets for Sunday are sold out, with limited quantities available for Saturday and 2-day passes, so make sure you don’t wait until the absolute last second!

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