Festival Review: Mad Decent Block Party Ignites The First Weekend of August
I am HUGE fan of Diplo, and still dream of him doing some heavy mixes again with M.I.A. Thus, when I heard Mad Decent was coming to NYC, I felt honored to review this touring music fest. Now in its second year criss-crossing across the states, I love the idea of major electronic stars touring America under one EDM flagship. Luckily, the idea manifested into a great reality.
Mad Decent Block Party was held in MCU Park in Coney Island. If you read any of my BRIC reviews, setting is so important to the dynamic of an event. The ambiance of a party rides on the visuals of it. Thus, Mad Decent Block Party picked one of the most befitting locales for its “block party” feel: Coney Island. Amongst the crowds of rollercoaster- goers, hot-dog lovers, and beach body swimmers, were a pack of EDMers ready to cause a synthetic ruckus. It was an oddly wonderful ,perfect blend. Between wild, frenetic dancing was the “Coney Island” family food and fun to make you feel like you were the rebellious youth that had invaded the “block party”. The open space of the “beach meets theme park” elevated the slight anarchic, blazing feel the Mad Decent, an electronic music label, is driven on.
Electronic music is based on a driving sentiment of infusing your soul with a surmount of energy that could turn even the quietest person into an agent of chaos. While some may judge the most recent of music genres as noise, the Mad Decent line-up proved that it is very good noise. Moreover, the light shows that enveloped the stage, as each artist crossed to drop their beat, made everyone feel like they had been swallowed by an arcade game. In it, they were the winners as electric tricks and visuals blasted by them to some of the sickest beats EDM has to offer.
Here are Some of Festival’s Saturday Highlights:
Alison Wonderland is a fierce lady. Not only were her beats some of the best of the day, but she was so into her own set, you could not help but join her. She bopped around her mix-table as if she were ready to jump in it. Literally, she was the woman in the party that commands people to the dance floor. There is no sitting with Ms. Wonderland, and you can forget about tea. In her rabbit hole of rhythms, you better STAND UP!
I had mentioned it in my Unknown Mortal Orchestra review, but something about rain elevates a musical experience to a spiritual one. While many hid from the rain during Gryffin’s DJ set, for the brave souls, like myself, we were ready to be drenched by both the sonic and celestial offerings. While I enjoy Griffin’s music for its up-tempo capacity to ignite a listener’s dance impulse, it was the chance to “dance in the rain” that made his set so memorable. Nothing like EDM in a downpour to make you feel truly electric. Though the rain eventually interrupted his set, I soaked in the moment of rain and rhythm as a Mad Decent highlight.
