Coachella 2014 is a Gold Mine for Deep House fans
- soundsofasteria
- Apr 8, 2014
- 5 min read
Author: Em Schade
Photo Credit: www.coachella.com
After the announcement of this year's Coachella lineup, the reaction from a significant part of dance music fans in my social network has been less than ecstatic. This notion is somewhat understandable due to the massive hype surrounding the Winter Music Conference and Ultra Music Festival that took place in Miami last weekend; at first glance, there are less mainstream DJs on the roster this year than in 2013 (Eric Prydz AND Cirez D? Dying now.) and 2012 (I don't think anyone has forgotten that epic Kaskade set). However, for my fellow fans of deep house--arguably the grooviest and one of the most veteran genres of dance music--Coachella 2014 is an absolute gold mine.
For those of you who are a little bitter about not being able to check out the Underground Story stage at Ultra (home to Link Miami Rebels), Coachella is serving up some of our favorite deep house acts and then some. If going deep isn't your thing, you've still got headliners like Zedd, Calvin Harris, Krewella, Alesso, Skrillex and Gareth Emery to satisfy your cravings in every other genre of EDM. I have left the incredibly obvious ones out of this list, because I know you’re going to see them anyways. Coachella is arguably the trendiest of American festivals, and their taste in DJs normally fits the same mold. Don't overlook the smaller fonted acts, for they are the future super-talent (or highly underappreciated European gods) of the year to come. Check out my don't miss picks and prepare your legs for the weekend workout.
1. Solomun
Since its founding in 2006, Solomun has been a heavyweight member of Hamburg, Germany based house label Diynamic. His career really kicked off in 2011 with remixes of Noir & Haze's “Around” and “Corporate Butcher” by Tiefschwarz, both of which experienced significant popularity among underground enthusiasts. Just a year later, Solomun was crowned as Mix Mag's 2012 DJ of the Year, solidifying his place in dance music culture. While he is a king of Ibiza and has taken festivals abroad by storm on a regular basis, Solomun recently returned to the Winter Music Conference with a headlining spot at the Underground Story stage and a Diynamic Showcase at Space with some members of his crew. His sound is dark, bouncy and intense--perfect for the nightclub-esque tents of Coachella, and the sheer fact that I never hear of him playing anywhere on the west coast adds even more of an anticipation factor to his performance. His BPM festival set and his remix of Tiga's "All Night Dancing" are two of my favorites:
http://www.mixcloud.com/Route12/solomun-the-bpm-festival-2014-diynamic-showcase-09-01-14/
2. Hot Since 82
Talk about a guy who's coming in hot (pun intended) to the techno and deep house circuit this year: a Mix Mag cover spot, his own party with Hector during WMC and the honor of playing with legends Deep Dish at their Ice Palace reunion show. The British DJ's name has been steadily popping up at the best festivals and clubs that techno has to offer, such as the BPM Festival, Avalon Hollywood, Igloofest, Paradiso and Do Not Since on the Furniture, and now he's getting knee-deep in Coachella. His 2013 year mix is a go-to:
3. Gareth Emery
If you want to see grown men (or me) cry, just play "Concrete Angel." Emery is always a reliable and uplifting act, with his trance/progressive bangers and emotional vocals. This year, not only does he stand as the only trance DJ at Coachella, but he is also riding the first wave of his new artist album, Drive. I am so obsessed with Drive that I listened to it three times through in one sitting. “U” is already a staple on Electric Area and BPM, and tracks like “Lights and Thunder” with Krewella (what a genius collab, seriously) are bound to become so very soon. Gareth’s Coachella set is bound to be filled with new materials and old favorites alike:
All right, whether it's from fame or infamy, the young Garrix needs no introduction to EDM fanatics. While "Animals" may be teetering toward the realm where "Levels" lives for many people, Martin Garrix surprisingly nailed main stage slots at major festivals such as Ultra, EDC New York, Lollapalooza and Coachella. He is about to explode into the spotlight this festival season with few large-scale shows under his belt and a lot of scrutiny from industry critics. However, he already has a solid Ultra performance, several notable collabs with the likes of Afrojack and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and the support of one Mr. Tijs Verwest to back him up. His Ultra set was aggressive and minimally vocal, and the crowd at least seemed to embrace the sound. Love it or leave it, you're not done hearing "Animals" yet, but here's to hoping that Garrix continues to up the ante with more catchy and energetic tracks:
(sidebar-- "nataliajustiniano"'s comments are reason enough to listen to this track, and she might actually have a point)
5. Dixon
You only have to listen to the first five minutes of his 2013 Essential Mix to know Dixon is awesome. "I really do hate it when people film with their phones in the club...for me the whole point of going out is to disconnect from the real world and enjoy that very moment, so be there instead of trying to record it."
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Besides being true to dance music culture, he runs one of Germany's hottest house labels, Innervisions, of whose roster includes Ame, Tokyo Black Star, Marcus Worgull, Stefan Goldmann, and Chateau Flight. His deep, spacey, underground house sound is another favorite in European clubs, and for good reason. Edgy vocals such as those in "Where We At" take the listener anywhere they want to be. Even though he is one of the last tiers of the Coachella headliners on one of his uncommon trips to the United States, my bet is that he'll deliver a set worthy of Ibiza-style grooving:
6. Duck Sauce
When scene veterans Armand van Helden and A-trak joined forces to form the eclectic disco duo Duck Sauce, they achieved "Barbara Streisand" fame and a coveted place as the opener for Swedish House Mafia at their epic first Madison Square Garden show in 2011. I haven't heard much more from them since then, but this year they have been releasing tracks true to their unique sound, such as the old-school influenced "Party in Me." You can't help but dance to this stuff; it's the perfect feel-good music and should be a crowd-pleaser at summer festivals--although it's more of a daytime sound, in my opinion. Better yet, they have a sense of humor -- look at their latest playlist entitled "Duck Droppings":
https://soundcloud.com/ducksaucenyc/party-in-me
https://soundcloud.com/ducksaucenyc/radio-stereo-radio-edit-1
That being said, I have a strange feeling that I'll be entering the Yuma and/or Safari tents mid-afternoon and stumbling out after the closing act each day. What desert sun...?
Happy raving, Coachellers!
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