Electric Forest, a festival that takes place in a tree-laden oasis (AKA the woods of Michigan), finally revealed its initial lineup. When I peeped the bill, I nearly had to run to the thrift shop next door to purchase myself a pair of unsoiled vintage undies. Here's why: For someone like me, this festival has it all, from iconic jam bands like the String Cheese Incident and STS9 to festival kingpins like Steve Angello and Zedd. But what gets my butterflies flapping the most is the house and techno talent booked to appear this year. Get familiar with the acts the THUMP team is amped to check out, and we'll see all of you lovely darlings in the forest.
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BOOKA SHADE, LIVE AND DIRECT
Even if Booka Shade doesn't ring a bell for you, you're probably familiar with the German duo's work. They founded the iconic record label Get Physical with M.A.N.D.Y. and were responsible for famous club anthems like "Body Language" and "In White Rooms." While Arno and Walter often throw down quality DJ sets, their live sets are always a real treat.DIRTYBIRD RECORDS IN THE HOUSE
San Francisco booty bass outpost Dirtybird has been on an unstoppable tear for the past year. The label has a fully stacked roster of talent responsible for cranking out a slew of smashing club releases, plus a hotly anticipated Dirtybird BBQ compilation on the way. The participants so far include label co-founder Justin Martin, Polish export Catz and Dogz, and the booty-bumpin' heartthrob J.Phlip. We're hoping that the crew takes over the festival's "Deep In The Forest" stage, which is set far in the woods and plays home to the deep, grooving vibes. Something tells us that label honcho Claude Von Stroke will join the rest of his fam when the second phase of the lineup gets dropped.ALL ABOARD THE FRENCH EXPRESS
American label French Express has kept up a streaky stream of the most soothing and body-moving deep house jammies. Made up of "protectors of the feel good" Jonas Rathsman, Moon Boots, Isaac Tichauer, and Perseus, these guys have a effortless knack for crafting euphoric, airy sing-along jams that just put a goofy smile on your face. If you're not up on this crew's beats, get with it, and while you're at it check this little video we filmed of the guys hanging out and eating pizza in a Brooklyn pool hall.
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LET THE CHILDREN TECHNO!
Hippies like techno, right? Electric Forest seems to think so. We were a bit surprised when we noticed the addition of a few harder-hitting artists on the bill. But if the rest of the lineup is any indication, the festival organizers know what they are doing. Detroit native Jimmy Edgar will show up to drop some of his edgy beats, icon Lee Burridge will provide a selection of psychedelic tech-house, and one of the godfathers of techno himself, Kevin Saunderson, is scheduled to crank out a b2b with his son Dantiez.SOUL CLAP IS FOR THE HIPPIES AND THE HOUSE HEADS
If there's one DJ duo that has a sound that appeals to both house heads and dirty rotten hippies, it's Boston-based party starters Soul Clap. Take part in one of their legendary DJ sets and you'll hear everything from deep house jawns to drugged out Burning Man-esque beats and of course a gentle dose of soul and funk. We already have a feeling this will be one of the best received sets of the weekend. Good call, E Forest.Check out our recap of last year's Electric Forest and be sure to pick up your tickets to the festival here!David hopes to see you all in the forest. Don't let him down. @DLGarber
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San Francisco booty bass outpost Dirtybird has been on an unstoppable tear for the past year. The label has a fully stacked roster of talent responsible for cranking out a slew of smashing club releases, plus a hotly anticipated Dirtybird BBQ compilation on the way. The participants so far include label co-founder Justin Martin, Polish export Catz and Dogz, and the booty-bumpin' heartthrob J.Phlip. We're hoping that the crew takes over the festival's "Deep In The Forest" stage, which is set far in the woods and plays home to the deep, grooving vibes. Something tells us that label honcho Claude Von Stroke will join the rest of his fam when the second phase of the lineup gets dropped.ALL ABOARD THE FRENCH EXPRESS
American label French Express has kept up a streaky stream of the most soothing and body-moving deep house jammies. Made up of "protectors of the feel good" Jonas Rathsman, Moon Boots, Isaac Tichauer, and Perseus, these guys have a effortless knack for crafting euphoric, airy sing-along jams that just put a goofy smile on your face. If you're not up on this crew's beats, get with it, and while you're at it check this little video we filmed of the guys hanging out and eating pizza in a Brooklyn pool hall.LET THE CHILDREN TECHNO!
If there's one DJ duo that has a sound that appeals to both house heads and dirty rotten hippies, it's Boston-based party starters Soul Clap. Take part in one of their legendary DJ sets and you'll hear everything from deep house jawns to drugged out Burning Man-esque beats and of course a gentle dose of soul and funk. We already have a feeling this will be one of the best received sets of the weekend. Good call, E Forest.Check out our recap of last year's Electric Forest and be sure to pick up your tickets to the festival here!David hopes to see you all in the forest. Don't let him down. @DLGarber
