After 40,000 steps, two missing scarves, and a shredded pair of boots, HARD Summer left us with an echo of beats in our minds and sore bodies from a weekend of dancing. It was acts including Fisher and Chris Lake as Under Construction, Disclosure, Jyoty, Hamdi, and Chase and Status which kept us on our feet, addicted to the rhythm. The festival took place August 3rd and 4th this past weekend at Sofi Stadium in Los Angeles, CA. With five stages of music, the lineup catered to audiences all across the EDM soundscape.
Shot of Jamie xx courtesy of Julian Bajsel for Insomniac Events
Day one of the festival brought a variety of sounds from Hamdi, world-renowned Jamie xx, and Cloonee, who each warmed up crowds with their unique styles within the EDM genre. Hamdi’s hit “Push” fired up the audience, Jamie xx’s classics like “KILL DEM” ignited a groove, and Cloonee’s latin-infused rhythms swayed us to dance. Unfortunately, festival-goers reported sound issues during Cloonee’s set, but that did not stop the audience from moving to the beat.
The best set of the weekend was put on by the brothers of electronic duo Disclosure at the HARD Stage. Expectations were high for a captivating show considering the duo’s reputation as one of EDM’s most highly regarded and widely popular acts. The two did not disappoint with their hit-heavy set, sprinkled with tracks both new and old, paired with a visually compelling experience. Branching off from the typical DJ setup with the artist simply propped up behind their deck, brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence stood facing each other behind two separate decks while surrounded by an array of different instruments. Throughout the set the brothers jumped from spinning decks, to jamming on bass, to slamming on drums, to wide mouthed belting into mics. Disclosure invited a band to join them on stage whose trumpets and trombones blared throughout the performance of “Tondo,” a track with African beats sampled from Cameroonian artist Eko Roosevelt. The crowd was thrown into a dancing fury while painted in rainbow light. Energy was high for other tracks “She’s Gone, Dance On,” “When a Fire Starts to Burn,” “F for You,” and “Douha (Mali Mali).” To close out the set, they asked the crowd if they could play a beat for them, which was followed by the first second of “Latch” blasted from the speakers causing the crowd to explode into a roar. A blanket of warm nostalgia was cast over the audience for the performance of this track along with their last song of the night “You and Me.”
Shot of Disclosure courtesy of Julian Bajsel for Insomniac Events
Day two started out strong with electronic trio Levity whose bass bumping tracks crackled through the energetic dancing bodies that pooled around the Purple Stage. Though the trio has only recently emerged in the EDM scene, they earned their spot as one of our favorite sets of the weekend. With the DJs dancing atop and jumping off the platform for their deck, the energy in the crowd was directly charged from the magnetic trio onstage. Energy was at its highest during their track “Flip It,” which has propelled the trio’s growth in popularity over the last year. Stand out tracks from their set included their remixes of Cage the Elephant’s “Come a Little Closer,” and alt-J’s “Breezeblocks,” which satisfied the ears of both indie and EDM lovers alike.
By far the most unifying experience of the festival was Fisher and Chris Lake’s set, jointly named as Under Construction. The two EDM legends hypnotized the immense crowds at the HARD stage with their captivating beats. Noteworthy tracks that had us jumping to the rhythm were “Take It Off,” “Summertime Blues,” “Turn Off the Lights,” and “Atmosphere.” Being one of the main attractions of the weekend, they were certain to blast away expectations of LA ravers. From Chris Lake giving Fisher a piggy-back ride in the middle of their set to the artistically crafted visuals emulating their “Under Construction” theme, the energy the DJs fueled into their performance was unforgettable. Unfortunately, sound issues were noted from both sides of the crowds, but our experience from center stage was a sonic blessing.
Adding spices of dancehall and global rhythms, Jyoty brought her groovy tracks to the Purple stage on Sunday. Well known to bring a dazzling light to her sets, she formed a special crowd and sparked a connection with her audience unlike any other act.
Shot of Chase and Status courtesy of Julian Bajsel for Insomniac Events
Another stand out set came from duo Chase and Status, who hosted a crowd at the Green Stage that emulated the highest energy of the weekend. The heat during this set was sweltering from the combination of fiery beats scorching the crowd, flames splintering the air at the front of the stage, and the mass of bodies erupting in dance. The set rang true to the duo’s drum and bass core with tracks including “Massive and Crew” and “On the Block” that vigorously stirred up the crowd. Every person in sight was giving it their all for the bass heavy track “Baddadan,” which ignited an infectious high spirit in the crowd that lingered even after the set’s conclusion.
HARD Summer did not disappoint and through the chaos of missing personal items and getting lost in the crowds, we were pleased to absorb sounds from all genres and flavors of EDM. To the strangers that turned into friends and the staff that kept the weekend running smoothly, thank you for being a part of our memorable experience. In the words of Disclosure, “She’s Gone, Dance On!”
Article by Bailey Schroerlucke and Natasha Thussu Dhar
Photos by Julian Bajsel