Halloween debauchery gets one more horrifying gasp tomorrow in downtown Los Angeles when the city is swarmed by electronic dance music fans attending HARD Day of the Dead. In an attempt not to compete with the many dance music festivals going on Halloween weekend, the HARD Haunted Halloween Festival has now been transformed into HARD Day of the Dead, or Dia De Los Muertos for you non-gringos. This Latin celebration is usually held on November 1st and 2nd to coincide with the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day in remembrance of those friends and family who have passed. Starting tomorrow afternoon you can expect lots of kids dressed in Day of the Dead get-ups with a lot of face paint and very little clothing. Boasting four different stages, a Ferris Wheel and even a Holy Ship, the HARD brand has really stepped up it's game after being bought by Live Nation. With a stacked line-up featuring Major Lazer, Knife Party, Tommy Trash and more we put together a list of five must see acts you can't forget about under the Los Angeles city skyline and booming beats.
See Also:
*Top Five Best and Worst Parts of Escape From Wonderland – NOS Events Center – October 27,2012
*Major Lazer – The Observatory – October 18, 2012 [with VIDEO]
*Boys Noize Talks New Album, Working With Snoop Dogg and Skrillex
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5. Baauer
Born Harry Rodrigues, Baauer has taken the EDM scene by storm as a young 23 year-old producer and DJ. Baauer made himself known in the blogosphere world through remixes for Flosstradamus and No Doubt and in essence helped make trapstyle music in high demand. Combining hip-hop with electronic elements, Baauer was picked up by Diplo's Mad Decent Record Label in less than a year of producing. Make sure to catch him playing some of his original tracks like “Harlem Shake” and “Yaow” at the Knife Party Earstorm stage at an early 7pm.
4. Gesaffelstein
French techno DJ Gesaffelstein will be closing out the Discotheque Stage with seductive mix of tech house, electronica, techno and minimal inspired sounds that are sure to go with the spooky theme of Day of the Dead. Though we are sad his Bromance Record buddy Brodinski won't be able to join him for a back to back set due to visa issues, we know Gesaffelstein will represent them both with one of the grooviest dancey sets of the evening. If you want a break from the bleepy noises on the Hard Stage and need to get away from the bass on the Moombahton Massive Stage check out Gesaffelstein and the rest of the Discotheque Stage house acts.
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3. Dillon Francis
Since stepping onto the EDM scene and creating remixes with some of the biggest names in the business the always humorous LA native Dillon Francis is taking the Moombahton Massive Stage right before Diplo. His clever blend of electro, house, dubstep and moombahton have proven to be successes on Mad Decent and Dim Mak Record Labels. Now with the first moombahton EP Something, Something, Awesome to reach the number one spot on the Beatport “Top Five Releases Chart”, Francis is making waves on Skrillex's OWSLA Record Label. Make sure not to miss his booty-shaking set as you never know which of his high profile friends will take the stage with him.
2. Maya Jane Coles
For all of the house music lovers out there you can not miss the London-based DJ and producer Maya Jane Coles. Though she's been making music for the past six years, she began gaining notoriety in the tech house and minimal house world the past couple of years after the release of her four-track EP and single “What They Say” in 2010. Today Maya is on the Sonar Festival Tour with the likes of Seth Troxler and Nic Fanciulli. It's no wonder why she won the “Best House/Garage/Deep House” track award at this years Winter Music Conference in Miami and is a must see at the Discotheque Stage this weekend.
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1. Jus†ice
The French house electronic rock band comes back to the states as part of their Live American Tour and despite their mainstream popularity has got to be the number one reason you are attending this festival. With sound issues at this years Coachella Valley Music Festival it only makes sense to try to catch them in LA this time as their tour is only making stops in major cities. Known for their electrifying live performances, visuals that will light up the sky and hard core sound Jus†ice is a definite must see at the HARD Main Stage tomorrow so you can see for yourself what Ed Banger Records is all about.
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