Get ready to go HARD with Mochakk, Jyoty, and Channel Tres

Are you ready to go HARD next weekend? Taking place this year on Aug 3rd and 4th at Hollywood Park in Los Angeles, HARD Summer Music Festival dishes a summer refreshment of EDM with hot new DJs and producer legends alike. The festival provides a vibrant setting to celebrate sounds that have moved the world to dance. This piece will be highlighting some trailblazers in the electronic space, including men and women of color who are creating sonic waves that remain unheard. Here’s why I look forward to seeing Mochakk, Jyoty, Channel Tres, and many more at the upcoming festival and take a listen to a curated playlist for performances here.

Pedro Maia, better known as Mochakk, is a Brazil-based DJ-producer and one of the headliners for HARD Summer Festival. Mochakk (pronounced Mo-shak) is known globally for his deep house record “Da Fonk (feat. Joni)”, signed by the iconic Nervous Records. His sets marry together his cultural background, hip-hop inspirations, and house music. At a young age, Mochakk exuded creativity and a true love for artistic expression; from helping his fashion designer mother with sketches to skating and B-boying, Mochakk found his rhythm and visual style, which he claims to be a “big messy mix” (Electronic Beats Interview). Believing that fashion was his calling, Mochakk attended fashion school for a semester before departing for music school, as he decided to pour his life into music instead. As a result of this life-altering decision, we have been given a discography of house hits and energy-packed DJ sets, including recent releases Jealous and his remix of Express Yourself. I eagerly anticipate seeing Mochakk frolic on Saturday, August 3rd at the Pink stage as he moves masses with rhythms of global flavor.

Jyoty Singh, known on stage simply as Jyoty, is a South Asian London-based DJ whose first name means divine light in Hindi; this detail is reflected in the special light she brings to her mixes. From working the door at UK clubs to performing a viral set at Boiler Room London, Jyoty has exemplified how hard work and determination pay off. Tastefully merging dancehall, UK garage, and baile funk genres, Jyoty has a special gift for matching her audience’s energy and using her vibrant personality to keep her crowds entertained — if you need proof, check out her set for Boiler Room London. Jyoty is no stranger to main stages after recently performing at Glastonbury UK, and it will be a pleasure to see her sharing her magic at HARD on Sunday, August 4th at the Purple Stage.

Sheldon Young, also known as Channel Tres, is a Compton-native producer who has uniquely crafted a sound that blends hip-hop, rap, house, and funk, defying boundaries in the rap world. Channel Tres takes storytelling beyond lyrics and uses his production skills to paint soundscapes of emotions. Check out his hits “Topdown” and “We Hungry (feat. Estelle)” off his new album Head Rush (2024) to experience his nuanced style. He will be performing Saturday, August 3rd on the Purple stage.

Many other talented female-identifying and POC DJ producers are performing at HARD Summer. HARD will be joined by deep house legend Kerri Chandler, Brazilian tech house DJ Carola, Parisian house DJ Chloe Caillet, LA native DJ Bianca Oblivion, HoneyLuv, and more. Check out the highlights playlist here to hear some of their sounds and prepare to dance along at HARD next weekend.

Photo Sources: Dancing Astronaut, Mixmag, NPR

Article by: Natasha Dhar