After three reschedules, revelers will once again be able to gather under the Electric Sky for west coast festival juggernaut Insomniac’s 25th Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) October 22nd-24th. 

One of the greatest things about EDC is that there's something for everyone. Spread out over eight genre-rich stages, countless art cars, and side stages, the EDC line-up stratifies dance music representing artists from every possible corner of the culture. We've broken down some of the house acts that should be on your must-see list.




Claptone

Claptone has been active since 2012 and steadily gaining popularity since. I use the pronoun “they” not to be politically correct, but because until a couple of years ago, Claptone was believed to be one man. It turns out its two people. Both enigmatic artists don the iconic golden beak of the medieval plague doctor, black shirt, and white gloves. Which has often led me to think: What happens when they get picked up from the hotel or airport? Do they wear the getup the whole time? Looks aside, Claptone has consistently pumped out funky, chunky house and tech house for nearly a decade and has landed on the top 10's of some of the largest acts in the industry. 

Follow Claptone on Instagram | Spotify


Dom Dolla

Dominic Matheson—aka Australian DJ and producer Dom Dolla—has been busy over the last couple of years earning nominations and awards for his releases. His trademark sound can be heard on dance floor hits like "Take It," "Pump the Brakes," and 2019's Justin Martin sampling "San Frandisco." EDC is just one of the stops on his cross-country tour of the US, but his set at EDC on one of the largest stages CircuitGROUNDS is sure to be packed full of IDs. 


Follow Dom Dolla on Instagram | Spotify




J. Worra

J. Worra is the new kid on the block, but already making huge waves. Hailed as DJ Mag’s 2019 Breakthrough Music Producer of the Year she’s released on tastemaker labels such as Dirtybird, Club Sweat, Techne, Realm Records, and more. She's also become a sought-after remixer putting her spin on tracks by GRiZ, Gryffin, Gorgon City, Aluna George, Kaskade, and Deadmau5. She's a previously hidden treasure and you'll want to see this young master at work.

Follow J. Worra on Instagram | Spotify


Bijou

Bijou is recognized as one of the leaders of the G-house movement in America. By infusing the timeless styles of hip hop and classic house, BIJOU satisfies the craving for the thumping funk of house and the club-ready swag of hip hop. His production style is live enough for the underground and mean enough to hold down any main stage.

Follow Bijou on Instagram | Spotify


Oliver Heldens

Oliver Heldens is one of the very few performers who use their actual name. At the ripe old age of 26, he is regarded as a pioneer of future house, and one of the first to push it mainstream. Oliver Heldens burst onto the scene in 2013 (at age 18) with “Gecko.” It was picked up by none other than Tiësto, who later released it to Warner Brothers, and it peaked at #1 on the UK Top 40 charts. While most 18-year-olds are skipping school and drinking 40’s, Helden's was jet-setting and pumping out chart-topping hits. He has consistently released award-winning tracks and done remixes for Dua Lipa, The Chainsmokers, Katy Perry, Calvin Harris, David Guetta, and more.

Follow Oliver Heldens on Instagram | Spotify


Black V Neck

After making music together for years, Miami natives Ian and Julian decided to form Black V Neck in 2017. These titans of weird and wonky house hit the ground running after being signed to Shiba San’s label Basement Leak and subsequently to Dirtybird. This duo keeps their schedule fully booked throughout the year dropping bouncy tech house around the way. You will want to see why they are so in demand right now.

Follow Black V Neck on Instagram | Spotify




Cut Snake

Cut Snake has an interesting story. They started as two surfers from Australia who traveled the globe and became fixated on tech house. After working together for a while, they parted ways to go solo. Leigh Sedly kept the Cut Snake moniker, and Paul Fisher continued producing as Fisher (yes, THAT Fisher). Cut Snake is known for a massive stage presence at shows and destroying dancefloors.

Follow Cut Snake on Instagram | Spotify

	

Duke Dumont

Okay, so Duke Dumont may be a household name with multiple Grammy Award nominations, but that doesn't mean he should be overlooked. He was mentored by former Major Lazer member Switch and came up writing remixes for pop stars. However the release of mammoth house stompers like "Need U(100%)" and "Won't Look Back" solidified his place as a bonafide star. His sets are a solid mix of big room beats, heart-stopping vocals, and bouncy basslines for a perfect combination fitting for one of the world’s largest stages.

Follow Duke Dumont on Instagram | Spotify


Lee Foss

Lee Foss brings a special blend of tech house, synth-heavy techno, and deep house. He has an astute ability to transition seamlessly between sub-genres raising and lowering the energy of the dancefloor as needed. He's proved his curation skills are expert level as well, the incredible catalog he's built at his label Repopulate Mars includes work from John Summit, Shiba San, CID, Martin Ikin, Dillon Nathaniel, and Cloonee. Lee Foss is a true tastemaker. 

Follow Lee Foss on Instagram | Spotify


VNSSA

VNSSA is another Dirtybird standout who has steadily carved a name for herself over the last couple of years. Her live sets cover all genres of house and techno, although don’t be surprised to hear some classic disco or booty breaks. VNSSA is a dynamic and wide-ranging producer who's unafraid to experiment and get a little weird. All in the service of rocking dancefloors. 

Follow VNSSA on Instagram | Spotify

















Add These 10 House Artists to your EDC Vegas Schedule

United States

Black V Neck

Ian and Julian of Black V Neck are working hard to represent the best of Miami. The duo met in college, both played French Horn in the marching band. After discussing music and discovering that they each liked to produce, a friendship was born and the rest was history. Growing up in a house mecca like Miami, it would be easy for anyone to fall in love with the culture. When your family is involved with the scene, it makes it even easier.

“We were both born and raised in Miami," Julian says. "My father was a DJ and he came from France to Miami to open up a night club in 1990. That’s when nightlife here was really kicking off. It slowly became the mecca of house music for America. America’s Ibiza. You got the beach during the day, then you can go to the club until 10am the next day. You grow up around the culture of house music and it feels normal and it feels like a way of life. It’s such a hub for South Americans and Europeans here. We’re both half Cuban and the Latin culture here loves to party. You work hard during the day and you party hard at night… On top of that, the gay scene in Miami Beach is influential. The gay scene has always been into the coolest music and the newest clubs. Always at the forefront.” 

Black V Neck for Repopulate Mars

Black V Neck Live at the Repopulate Mars Jumpin’ Jam Fest

After falling in love with electronic music, Ian and Julian gave their best efforts to get any possible opportunity to play. For Ian, his first time performing was at a frat party. He set up his Traktor and speakers and played for six hours straight. For Julian, he was able to score a residency as a local club. He burned CDs to play on CDJ1000s and honed his skills every night.

Breaking through as up-and-coming DJs is always a challenge. For Ian and Julian, they had the good fortune of meeting Shiba San right after he moved to Miami. 

“We asked him to invite us to the studio so we could watch how he operated. He eventually signed one of our first records which helped us get out there. We sent so many tracks out over the years to labels without hearing anything back. You just have to know that it takes time and it’s a process.” 

Despite getting the record signed, there was still a tremendous amount of work to be done. They kept pushing and were eventually able to score their first gig, booked by their now frequent collaborator, ERNESTO. 

“ERNESTO hosted a party every week at Coyu Taco in Miami. We met him at one of those parties and he eventually booked us, he was the first one to book us to play anything anywhere. There were probably 15 people in the total but the next time the room was full so he really helped break down the door for us.” 

Ian and Julian kept pushing until 2019 when a true breakthrough occurred. Their EP titled, "Mouth Music" was accepted to the iconic Dirtybird records. It was emblematic of the strange world of electronic music and the struggle of artists trying to be heard.

“I actually hated the record when we finished it," says Ian. "It was at the bottom of our promo. We found the vocals on Splice, there were so many variations." 

"I just had a concept about layering these vocals that were similar but slightly unique," Julian adds. "Ian came in and reworked the bassline. We made it and thought, what do we do with this? Julian put it in a batch of records we sent to Dirtybird. It was the 5th out of 5 we sent, and that’s the one they took. They asked for a B-side and same thing, they picked the last one. It’s always the ones you least expect that VonStroke is gonna take.” 

Since that track, Black V Neck has blown up. A regular act on festival lineups across America, they are honing their style and finding their groove. They just released a track with Afrojack, and are getting massive support from DJ Snake and Malaa on their new single, "Si Tu Sabe."

“We aren’t going to be limited by one kind of sound. We will make club bangers, but we want to be diverse and eclectic while fitting into our brand. You can expect more music from us that’s different, but we still will keep making club hits, we love that too.... We make house music. If you think it’s underground, it’s underground. Whatever you want to think, we make house music, We don’t do techno, we don’t do dubstep. At the end of the day we do house music.” 

Ian and Julian of Black V Neck are working hard to represent the best of Miami. The duo met in college, both played French Horn in the marching band. After discussing music and discovering that they each liked to produce, a friendship was born and the rest was history. Growing up in a house mecca like Miami, it would be easy for anyone to fall in love with the culture. When your family is involved with the scene, it makes it even easier.

“We were both born and raised in Miami," Julian says. "My father was a DJ and he came from France to Miami to open up a night club in 1990. That’s when nightlife here was really kicking off. It slowly became the mecca of house music for America. America’s Ibiza. You got the beach during the day, then you can go to the club until 10am the next day. You grow up around the culture of house music and it feels normal and it feels like a way of life. It’s such a hub for South Americans and Europeans here. We’re both half Cuban and the Latin culture here loves to party. You work hard during the day and you party hard at night… On top of that, the gay scene in Miami Beach is influential. The gay scene has always been into the coolest music and the newest clubs. Always at the forefront.” 

After falling in love with electronic music, Ian and Julian gave their best efforts to get any possible opportunity to play. For Ian, his first time performing was at a frat party. He set up his Traktor and speakers and played for six hours straight. For Julian, he was able to score a residency as a local club. He burned CDs to play on CDJ1000s and honed his skills every night.

Breaking through as up-and-coming DJs is always a challenge. For Ian and Julian, they had the good fortune of meeting Shiba San right after he moved to Miami. 

“We asked him to invite us to the studio so we could watch how he operated. He eventually signed one of our first records which helped us get out there. We sent so many tracks out over the years to labels without hearing anything back. You just have to know that it takes time and it’s a process.” 

Despite getting the record signed, there was still a tremendous amount of work to be done. They kept pushing and were eventually able to score their first gig, booked by their now frequent collaborator, ERNESTO. 

“ERNESTO hosted a party every week at Coyu Taco in Miami. We met him at one of those parties and he eventually booked us, he was the first one to book us to play anything anywhere. There were probably 15 people in the total but the next time the room was full so he really helped break down the door for us.” 

Ian and Julian kept pushing until 2019 when a true breakthrough occurred. Their EP titled, "Mouth Music" was accepted to the iconic Dirtybird records. It was emblematic of the strange world of electronic music and the struggle of artists trying to be heard.

“I actually hated the record when we finished it," says Ian. "It was at the bottom of our promo. We found the vocals on Splice, there were so many variations." 

"I just had a concept about layering these vocals that were similar but slightly unique," Julian adds. "Ian came in and reworked the bassline. We made it and thought, what do we do with this? Julian put it in a batch of records we sent to Dirtybird. It was the 5th out of 5 we sent, and that’s the one they took. They asked for a B-side and same thing, they picked the last one. It’s always the ones you least expect that VonStroke is gonna take.” 

Since that track, Black V Neck has blown up. A regular act on festival lineups across America, they are honing their style and finding their groove. They just released a track with Afrojack, and are getting massive support from DJ Snake and Malaa on their new single, "Si Tu Sabe."

“We aren’t going to be limited by one kind of sound. We will make club bangers, but we want to be diverse and eclectic while fitting into our brand. You can expect more music from us that’s different, but we still will keep making club hits, we love that too.... We make house music. If you think it’s underground, it’s underground. Whatever you want to think, we make house music, We don’t do techno, we don’t do dubstep. At the end of the day we do house music.” 

Black V Neck

Articles

Derek Southworth