By Zayrha Arambula
HARD Summer is less than three weeks away and you’ve likely heard over one hundred times how stacked the lineup is. There have also been great improvements to the festival and production itself (so I've heard) since last year thanks to the incredible Insomniac’s support. But HARD is known for delivering its filthy, but diverse and eclectic lineups every year. As a basshead, I’m so stoked to see as many dubstep and future bass artists as possible. I'm especially hyped to see Kaivon, Alison Wonderland, Kayzo, and Excision B2B NGHTMRE. There’s no way I’m missing them and they should all be must-see sets for you too.
If you haven’t heard Kaivon’s name yet, I strongly suggest you look him up right now and listen to all his songs. I call him the melodic, future bass prince yet he’s trying a heavier style with his most recent single. He’s already released three bangers this year alone; “Anything,” “May We Meet Again,” and “Run the Trap.” The first two are super mesmerizing with emotional vocals while he switches gears in Run the Trap with an unexpected filthy bass. It will be my first time watching him live but I heard his sets are the perfect combination of melodic and heavy. Kaivon hasn’t been around for long but he’s on a roll this year and you definitely wanna see him.
Alison Wonderlandis a MUST SEE, especially if you’ve never seen her before. I’ve seen her four times and she never disappoints. Her stage presence and energy are infectious and I love seeing her passion come alive while she performs AND sings. Her God is a Woman intro and crazy buildups and drops always leave her crowd in an excited frenzy. She also likes to play the cello during her sets and it’s hard to describe how uplifting it sounds in person so go check her out!
Kayzois currently one of those few EDM artists that is taking the scene by storm and pushing boundaries in the musical sphere. Not only did he close out the Sahara Tent at Coachella this spring but he is quite literally fusing punk/alternative rock and EDM together and his high energy shows reflect it. His recent collabs with Of Mice and Men and Blessthefall showcase this intense crossover with screaming vocals followed by heavy drops. You don’t wanna miss Kayzo and that high BPM fix that his sets come with.
Last but certainly not least,Excision B2B NGHTMRE is guaranteed to be one of the most legendary sets you’ll see all weekend. Both iconic dubstep artists had their first B2B last year at Bass Canyon and I heard nothing but amazing things. NGHTMRE always throws down and he has plenty of experience in killing B2Bs with duo Slander. And after seeing Excision on tour and at festivals, I can attest to his shows being unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. His insane visual production and aggressive bass and wubs alone should be enough to convince you.
Other notable names you definitely should check out are DROELOE, Dack Janiels, Herobust, Graves, GRAVEDGR, and those amazing B2Bs: Flosstradamus B2B 4B and Subtronics b2b Dirt Monkey. And of course, don’t you dare forget to take a break from all the bass and watch the hip-hop legend himself, Kid Cudi.