HARD Summer 2012: Five acts you shouldn’t miss
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HARD Summer kicks off today L.A. State Historic Park, and with lots going on, Buzz Bands LA contributor Jonathan Buchanan shares the five acts he absolutely, positively does not want to miss:
Amtrac is Morehead, Ky.’s Caleb Cornett. Released last September, his debut full length LP, Came Along, is a gripping blend of chillwave and electro-funk. A few minutes on his Soundcloud page, and Amtrac’s skills as a remixer become obvious. His reworkings of “Birds of Paradise” by Chromatics and Lamb’s “Butterfly Effect” have been prominent summer DJ tracks, and part of the reason why his live shows consistently draw thousands across the country. (5:10 p.m. Saturday in the Discotheque tent)
John Talabot is an enigmatic, young producer from Barcelona, whose music comes drenched in sexual tension, as heard during recent collaborations with Pional. Their track “Destiny” embodies Talabot’s inescapably danceable blend of spaced-out synths, layered African drums, and impeccably selected samples. (6:40 p.m. in the Discotheque tent)
||| Stream: “Destiny (featuring Pional)”
Fans of the Peter Sellers masterpiece will immediately gravitate towards Crazy B, DJ Pone, DJ Need, and Little Mike, the Parisian DJ foursome known as Birdy Nam Nam. Their savage and spooky electro-house sets are an exhilarating in-person experience, further amplifying their music’s relentless energy. A major coup for the decorated band of electro-house producers and DJs came recently as their live show caught the attention of Skrillex, who remixed their track “Goin’ In,” featured on Birdy Nam Nam’s “Jaded Future” EP, and released on Skrillex’s OWSLA label. (7:45 p.m. Saturday on the OWSLA stage)
DJ Booth and Chameleonic comprise the duo Jokers of the Scene, a pair of Canadian DJs probably best known for their besetting remix of “Asia” by Salem. Masters of the fragile balance of “techno/synth/noise,” Jokers of the Scene didn’t exactly establish a signature sound upon the release of their J0T5 EP this past January, instead opting for an intergalactic melange of “ambient synth excursions, vintage sci-fi soundtracks, and experimental techno.” Cemented as legendary figures of Ottawa’s party scene, it’ll be interesting to see how Jokers of the Scene incorporate material from the J0T5 EP into their blistering sets. They also recently got their mitts on Shout Out Out Out Out’s “Wayward Highway.” (5:40 p.m. Friday on the Harder stage)
Bootsy Collins and the Funk Unity Band
HARD founder Gary Richards can’t wait for the music and pageantry of funk pioneer Bootsy Collins. After playing bass for James Brown, Bootsy met up with George Clinton and Funkadelic and furthered his legacy as an icon of funk, worthy of enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Funk Unity Band backs the sequin-studded Collins as he plays the hits, as well as recent material from his latest LP, 2011’s “Tha Funk Capitol Of The World.” (midnight Friday in the Discotheque tent)
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