The weekend we’ve been waiting for is finally just a couple weeks away. On Thursday July 31st, the HARD team drops down on the famous Red Rocks amphitheater – featuring sets by Nero, Dillon Francis, Rudimental, Destructo, Julio Bashmore, and Samo Sound Boy. Then, just two days later, HARD returns to its home base of Los Angeles for HARD Summer 2014 – a two-day festival at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area featuring a massive lineup of some of the best DJs in the world. Headliners for HARD Summer include Jack U, A$AP Mob, Axwell, Flosstradamus, Tiesto, Disclosure, Dillon Francis, and Nero. Tickets for both events are still on sale but they are going fast! Let’s dig in to HARD Red Rocks and HARD Summer 2014 a little deeper and see why these have the potential to be the biggest parties of the Summer.
*PURCHASE HARD RED ROCKS TICKETS* | *PURCHASE HARD SUMMER TICKETS*
HARD Red Rocks – Thursday July 31 | Red Rocks Morrison, CO
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls it’s time to step right up and get in line for the second year of Hard Red Rocks. After an incredible first year Hard is back in town for a night that is quickly becoming one of the most sought after dance nights in the Denver area. After bringing us Knife Party, Diplo, Flosstradamus, Destructo, and Disclosure all in one night how could you not be forever indebted to these party throwing geniuses. This year they are back at it again bringing us some of the best well known talent and some of the most promising up and coming stars. Oh yeah… did I mention that this is taking place at Red Rocks?! If you’re not familiar with this certain mythical place I suggest that you jump over and check our show review of Skrillex Red Rocks and familiarize yourself. Now onto what you can expect from the talent that will be throwing down.
Samo Sound Boy:
First one taking the decks will be Mr. Samo Sound Boy. An LA based producer and label owner, Samo has been growing his following and his label for some time now. Known for his melodic deep house this guy’s stuff is tried and true and is known to leave you with a Body High, which just so happens to be the name of his record label. If your are into those deep melodic vibes be sure to show up early to the rocks to catch this guy’s sure to please set.
Hailing from the UK in one of the most prominent dubstep scenes you would think that Mr. Bashmore would in turn be a product of his environment. False, Julio Bashmore is in fact an up and coming deep and tech house guru. Known for his low frequency energy throughout his tracks, probably stemming from his dubstep/bass surroundings, this guy’s tunes are destined to shake the rocks. Again be sure to show up early and catch some of these deep/tech vibes.
Gary Richards himself does not need much of an introduction other then DON’T MISS THIS SET. If you are new to the deep house scene that is taking dance music by storm Destructo will be the one to educate you. If last year was any forewarning his set is sure to one of the night’s highlights. This guy does it all from producing music, to DJing, to putting on the event and you would be silly not to come out and see what all the jazz is about. His latest song Party Up has been one of this summers hottest tracks and is set to absolutely crush the rocks. I have included Party Up in the playlist below for your listening pleasure.
Next up will be the UK stars Rudimental. Bringing their live act to Red Rocks is going to be something special. Some may be opposed but I for one love live performances, epecially when the band performing has heavy roots in dance music. Rudimental is just that, combining their very connecting vocals with their uptempo beats (sometimes flirting with drum and bass) has them blowing up big time in the UK with their new album, Home. I have included two songs off the album in the playlist below, be prepared for them to take the US airwaves by storm and catch them on the 31st.
Do you have Facebook? or an Instagram? or any other kind of social media? Yeah then you have heard of this jokester. We have all seen the antics, we have all gone one deeper, we have all looked for dad and seen all the hilarity that Dillon portrays, but behind the monkey business is a producer/DJ with some real fucking talent. While he’s not acting out one of his many internet alter egos Dillon has been in the studio working hard on his debut album Money Sucks, Friends Rule. I’ve been waiting for this album for about a year now and it is set to be released any day! Be sure to catch Dillon spinning his full album and many more of his classics and be ready for a big time “Get Low Jump” Red Rocks Style.
Lastly we have Nero. The trio from the UK have been in the game quite some time now. Most known for their debut album, Welcome To Reality, and their song Promises which was remixed by Skrillex and won a Grammy, NERO have been feverously working on their second studio album that like Mr. Francis is set to be released in the coming days. If their set is to be anything like their debut single Satisfy (which is included below in the playlist) then we are in for a treat of high octane Future/Electro House.
As you can tell I am super excited for this night of friends, fun, and music. Be sure to come out and check out all of the talent and all of the new music that is set to be released so soon. Let us know if you will be there and be sure to look for the MMIBTY team taking photos and covering the event.
HARD SUMMER – Saturday August 2 & Sunday August 3 | Whittier Narrows Recreation Area Los Angeles
Los Angeles is the home of HARD Presents, one of my favorite promotions groups in the dance music world. They’re responsible for Holy Ship which is unlike any music experience you’ll ever have in your life. They cultivate and curate some of the best names in dance music, often ones that go against the mainstream vibe, but always ones who 100% throw down. Led by the “HARDFather” Gary Richards, aka Destructo, HARD has been throwing epic parties for years. Because of HARD Summer, the HARD team is responsible for LA’s largest electronic dance music festival. This year the festival will be at the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, allowing for more stages, more artists, and more fans dancing their hearts out over two days.
Speaking on a personal level, I’m particularly excited for HARD Summer 2014 for a few reasons:
- I love Los Angeles. The weather is always great, it’s the epicenter of the music world, and there’s a certain vibe there you can’t get anywhere else in the states.
- This will be my first time attending this music festival. I’ve been to a lot of music festivals in my life and any time I can cross a new one off the list I’m very happy. It gives me the opportunity for a new experience and a new perspective, allowing me to break out of any bubble I’ve previously been inside.
- HARD acts as a well-oiled machine. The company has tried and true methods for throwing parties, from the logistics at hand, to the talent selected, to the types of fans it attracts. There’s nothing worse than going to a first-year festival and leaving many aspects to be desired. This is not something I’m concerned with at all.
- The change in location to a larger, greener space. Pictures I’ve seen from years past make the previous location look a little dirty – Whittier Narrows looks more lush and full of grass. Plus who could say no to a larger space that allows for more stages?
- Uh… have you seen the lineup??
Let’s be real, #5 is the reason we’re all here. Music is my passion, it’s the reason I co-founded this blog, and it’s the main driver in deciding where I spend my free time. I go to music festivals to have fun and to be with my friends, but the largest reason I attend them is to hear awesome music. Some people may have started migrating away from large music festivals for one reason or another, but it’s the only time you can experience so many different genres and live sets in one place from one experience.
Here are the top-5 acts I’m excited to see at HARD Summer 2014:
- Sharam Jey – Say it with me now: G-House. G-House, G-House, G-House. If you aren’t familiar with the German producer and DJ then I suggest you read THIS POST that I wrote on him. Sharam Jey has rocketed himself to the top of the Ghetto House world, alongside guys like Amine Edge & Dance, Shiba San, Kolombo, Destructo, and plenty more. This will be my first time seeing Sharam Jey live and if his set is anything like his productions and mixes, we’re all in for a treat.
- Tiga vs. Audion – Any time a back-to-back set is listed in a lineup I’m immediately intrigued. That’s what was so cool about OWSLA’s Good Times Miami Music Week 2014 party – it was primarily stacked with B2B sets. Tiga & Audion are responsible for one of the biggest dance floor bombs of recent years with their track “Let’s Go Dancing“, a song with an infectious hook and one that’s been remixed by many different artists including Adam Beyer, Maya Jane Coles, and Eats Everything. If you’re into the deeper and darker side of House music, this will be a set to go check out.
- Sharooz – I have my favorite artists who I will always make sure to go see, but there’s something that I love about checking out new artists at a music festival. Sharooz is definitely not a “new” artist – he’s not one of those young guys who have risen to massive popularity in the past couple years, but he is someone who has been coasting and doing his thing in London for nearly a decade. A couple things about Sharooz have made him stand out to me. First, THIS VIDEO is pretty incredible, it shows him making an Acid House beat in the studio using a Roland 303 and 909. Second, I love his song “Hysteresis” which I’ve actually seen A-Trak drop several times. Very interested to see what Sharooz brings live!
- Claptone – They’re just too good, some of the best Deep House producers out there. I saw Claptone at Boston’s Good Life Bar many months ago and it was such a great time. The vibes Claptone put out are fantastic and they have a production style that helps them stand out from their Deep House counterparts. Plus, not many other producers have sampled both Wu Tang Clan and Dr. Dre in quite the way these German guys have. Sure, I’ve already seen Claptone, but I HIGHLY recommend people stop by to check the masked crusaders out.
- Axwell – Yup, I said it. He’s probably the headliner I’m most excited about, next to Jack U. But the thing about Jack U is I know what to expect out of them. Their set will be dope and it will range from Trap to Dubstep to Electro-House and more. But Axwell? He’s coming off a supergroup break-up and is back into driving the car solo. Axwell is my favorite of the Swedish House Mafia and I think his record label (Axtone), his productions, and his live sets are always top notch. I am desperately craving some high-level Swedish House music and I know Axwell can deliver. I just worry that he might try to bring back the “Don’t You Worry Child” and “Save The World” anthems that would make me turn and run to another stage.
Folks – the lineup for HARD Summer is stacked. I could probably have made a top-20 list and still have missed some artists. I’m absolutely looking forward to this festival and I can’t wait to share my experience with friends and readers alike. Let us know if you’re going to be there and what your thoughts are!