November 24, 2015

We wish we could catch all the acts playing this weekend at Stereosonic – but here are eight that you won’t want to miss. See you this weekend, Sydney!

Find all the timetables and crucial info here:

MAJOR LAZER

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqeW9_5kURI

We love Major Lazer, and even more ever since we got gelato with Jillionaire. ‘Lean On’ is this summer’s definitive anthem – maybe tied with ‘Good Times’ by Jamie XX and ‘Sorry’ by Justin Bieber – and has also become Spotify’s most streamed song of all time. GOAT status achieved! Their live show features plenty of colour, plenty of ass-shaking, and electronic anthems with the zesty Caribbean flavour that makes it impossible to stand still. ‘Night Slugs’ also features Pusha T – Need we say more? Grab ‘Peace Is The Mission’ ASAP if you haven’t already.

DUKE DUMONT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDxJlW6cxRk

Following in the footsteps of Disclosure and the ilk, Duke Dumont is another producer taking pop-friendly deep house to the big stages. The video for ‘Won’t Look Back’ is one of our favourites in recent memory, while this year has been all about ‘Ocean Drive’. With its smooth sing-a-long hook, ‘Ocean Drive’ is refined dancefloor beauty and sitting right at Number. 1 of the ARIA Club Charts – competing with our good pal/fellow Stereosonic performer/Sydney dance legend Beni. The Australian love for ‘Ocean Drive’ is very real: It’s been certified Gold and local gal Alison Wonderland has delivered her own horn-heavy remix.

DJ SNAKE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85zQwAx2mws

A feature artist on the aforementioned ‘Lean On’, the rambunctious Frenchman will be back after dominating Stereosonic in 2014 – just take a look at his action-packed recap video that features the likes of Diplo and Skrillex, while you can also see the glorious reaction when he drops Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ to an arena filled with sweaty dancefloor addicts. Preapre for lots of bass, while we’re hoping that he drops the French Montana/Juicy J/2 Chainz remix of 2014’s definitive club anthem, ‘Turn Down For What’.

DIPLO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFRyNEldHns

Cool story alert: One of my first big interviews was with Diplo back in 2012 when he was on tour with Stereosonic. We talked about how great Rick Ross and Waka Flocka Flame are, and it was very enjoyable. Now, he’s back on the road with the mega-festival once again – both as a part of Major Lazer and as a solo artist. As the head honcho of Mad Decent, Diplo’s sets reflect the ethos of the label with a mixture of rap bangers and exciting sounds emerging from the more niche and danceable corners of electronica. He has also crowd surfed in a giant bubble in the past, so there’s that.

CLEAN BANDIT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-M1AtrxztU

Clean Bandit single ‘Rather Be’ has soundtracked a bunch of advertisements, and it’s easy to see why: Pure pop happiness that will probably make you smile like an idiot. The ascension of the group has been rapid: Since releasing their debut single back in 2012, the group have gone on to win a Grammy Award for ‘Best Dance Recording’ in 2015. With live instrumentation and classical elements thrown into the mix, this is going to be pretty surprising for a lot of Stereosonic punters who didn’t expect to see a violin being played onstage.

PATRICK TOPPING

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdAAVJZXoYM

Don’t be fooled: While big room caterers and stadium-fillers might grab many of the headlines at a festival like Stereosonic, every year offers a diverse lineup for the electronic realm and something for the more underground fans, too. You can definitely spend an entire day at The Woods Stage, where Patrick Topping will be getting things heated with all things house and techno with the likes of Claptone. He’s just released another collaboration with Chicago legend Green Velvet, so fingers crossed for the massive tunes to get a whirl this weekend.

BENI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtgWL8DX6bc

A late local addition to the lineup, former Riot In Belgium madman Beni has been hitting the club circuit hard as of late – curating every Wednesday night at Bondi staple El Topo, while he also recently played at Chinese Laundry’s 18th birthday celebrations for a rowdy reunion with his Bang Gang brethren. Now, his single ‘Another You’ is doing the rounds just in time for Stereosonic, where he’ll be joining fellow locals including Set Mo, A-Tonez and Ember.