See Also: - Global Dance Festival 2012 Survival Guide - Colorado's dance scene was Global before EDM became mainstream - Show us your best rage face and win a pair of tickets to GDF - 50 Most Memorable People at Global Dance Festival - People of Global Dance Festival 2011
This year's Global Dance Festival at Red Rocks will deliver over fifty acts -- all of which are at the top of their game right now -- spread out over three days. Since sorting through them all is a rather daunting task, we've done the heavy lifting for you. Below you'll find the twenty must-see acts, listed by time and organized by day. Pick your picks, and have fun. And if you don't already have your tickets, be sure to send us your best rage face for a chance to win a pair for all three days.
ProJect Aspect, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Global NRG Stage On the strength of Time Capsule, his new album on the 1320 Records imprint, ProJect Aspect has been gaining more and more fans. This is the fastest rising producer coming out of Denver right now, and his appearance at Global should be memorable, as ProJect Aspect will be dropping some new music during his set. Fingers crossed for "Tina Turnon" off the latest album, which hits harder than a 'roided out linebacker during the playoffs.
Krewella, 9:30-10:30 p.m., Global Bass Stage Krewella has been getting national airplay, and is finding itself in the spotlight rather quickly. The sexy vocalist duo is the hot thing right now, but don't take our word for it, get to the main stage and find out for yourself. They are killing it in the mainstream, so it will be nice to find out what the real, pure and knowledgeable Colorado fans of electronic music think.
Unlimited Gravity, 11:30-12:30 p.m., Global NRG Stage You've probably already heard Unlimited Gravity (aka Ronnie Weberg). His remix of Awolnation's "Sail" is being used in Red Bull commercials all over the world, but that's barely the tip of the iceberg. His remixes are merely hors d'oeuvres compared to his original productions, which blow those happy-go-lucky remixes out of the water. Don't miss this set.
3LAU, 11:30-12:30 p.m., Global Bass Stage If you missed this set at the Larimer Lounge a few months back, you blew it. Lucky for you, you have another chance to catch 3LAU (pronounce the "3" as a "b"), who has been making huge waves in the electro scene. His music fast, hard and you will be getting down in earnest like you're getting paid.
Knife Party, 11-12:30 p.m., GlobalDanceMusic.Com Stage Headlining in a prime spot on the main stage at Red Rocks is huge, but starting an entire new side project right off the successful career of Pendulum is even bigger. Some say that all Knife Party does is make a noise and repeat it, but others, especially those who like to party hard and get down to loud bass music, love it. You won't want to miss this set because it will be a party.
Human Agency, 11:30 p.m. - 1:00 a.m., Global NRG Stage When this jam-a-tronic trio takes the stage, your body will know it. Mixing organic instruments with live synthesizers, Human Agency brings you the next evolution of music. While DJs are obviously the main attraction at GDF, this group's incorporation of live instrumentation will offer a nice contrast at this festival full of mixers and CDJ-2000s.
Felix Cartal, 12:30-2 a.m., Global Bass Stage This is simple. Do you like to dance? Don't miss this set. Done.
Joman, 5-6:30 p.m., GlobalDanceMusic.com Stage Playing under the moniker Joman, Joseph Mancuso has yet to fail. Issuing his own tracks on the Velcro City Records label, Joman has also been signed to Ultra Music's record label, which, as anyone knows, is huge.
Mord Fustang, 7:30-8:30 p.m., GlobalDanceMusic.com Stage This eastern European drops it hard. He's already played in Denver a few times, notably at Club Vinyl, where he threw down the hardest set that a Wasted Wednesday had ever seen. It's going to blow you away, and you will definitely take notes on your smart phone to download his tracks later. Just make sure you remember to do so.
Dave Audé, 11:30-12:30 a.m., Global Bass Stage Since Global Dance Festival will be Dave Audé's second stop in Denver this year, you can bet he's going to deliver a set that will blow minds. Playing on the top stage is a change of pace, but that doesn't mean his set will not be equally as mind blowing as last year. Walking around Red Rocks for this event is huge in terms of festival enjoyment, and finding yourself in front of this man will solidify that mantra.
Wolfgang Gartner, 11:15-12:30 p.m., GlobalDanceMusic.com Stage This Grammy nominated producer makes music that you didn't know you loved. He's a lot like Skrillex, minus the mainstream-friendly sound, but with the same kind of mainstream appeal. He's that artist that makes beats for other artists that take the credit. Gartner complextro beats are mixed and muddled with other genres. His sound is like house music, but even better.
Nutelli, 12:30-2 a.m., Global NRG Stage Nothing beats the best of house music, the kind of music that you aren't just waiting on a drop, but also waiting on the next mix so you can continue the groove. Added bonus: Nutelli is playing at Bar Standard on Friday night, so if you can't make it to Global Dance Festival, you still have a chance to catch one of our top picks.
Above and Beyond, 12:30-2 a.m., GlobalDanceMusic.com Stage This is the headliner -- it's heavy. It's what you came for on Saturday, and what you will be talking about on Sunday morning.
Ishe, 6-7 p.m., Sub.mission Stage Upon dropping a new album on the Play Me Records imprint, one that was co-produced with Dirt Monkey (also playing at GDF in the hour preceding this set), Ishe has hit the ground running with plans to not only take over the dubstep scene, but to show the world why Denver should be considered ground zero for dubstep.
Figure, 7-8 p.m., Sub.mission Stage We love real dubstep, and Figure delivers consistently on this premise with deep, grimy grooves that reach the apex of the dubstep mountain. Figure's smashers (it's like a banger, but even better) are frequent and he never fails when it's time to deliver. Find him on the mainstage following Ishe's set.
Adventure Club, 8-9 p.m., Sub.mission Stage This Montreal based duo came out swinging when they played Cervantes this past February, and their hype has only built exponentially since then. They don't have a name like Adventure Club because they don't explore all realms of music; they have that name because they produce a party that can only be found whilst getting lost. Adventure Club plays on the Sub.mission stage, which also happens to be the mainstage, so odds are you'll already be staring at their location. Enjoy it.
12th Planet, 9-10 p.m., Global Bass Stage From residencies in LA to an opening slot with Skrillex, 12th Planet (aka John Dadzie) has set the pace for dubstep producers in terms of how it should be done from the ground up. He's also procured himself a quarterly residency at Beta Nightclub, which also happens to be the number one club in North America.
Zeds Dead, 10-11 p.m., Sub.mission Stage Zeds Dead has toured all year, and the year before that, satiating those who love big drops and deep, danceable jams. With the help of Cinesthetics production crew, Zeds Dead's renown continues to grown even larger, especially online, where its fan base is rabid. Listen for "You and I" and a bunch of other eargasmic tracks that will magnetically draw your hips to the set of hips grinding the hardest and closest to you.
Rumblejunkie, Sunday July 22, 10:30-11:30 p.m., Global NRG Stage Wes Waldo is a force to be reckoned with. When we spoke with him at the five year Sub.Mission anniversary, he gave us some of the best knowledge of local dubstep than anyone, ever. His sets never follow a format, and that means it's never something you can prepare for. When you see him on GDF this year, you'll know it's Denver's finest choice in dubstep, and your feet will thank you.
Excision, 11:15-12:30 a.m., Sub.mission Stage If you missed Excision at the Ogden Theatre, then your hearing is still probably mostly intact. This raucously loud producer creates an experience like none other, comparable only to one thousand chain saws starting up in unison just as a train full of explosives crashes into the bomb factory. Expect to hear "X-Rated," and that's when shit will get very real.
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