Top 11 Acts to See at Electric Forest 2017
This year, Electric Forest in Rothbury, Michigan, is trying something radically new, they’ve extended the festival to cover TWO weekends. This means Foresters get two chances to attend in one year! Which is something past attendees have dreamed and hoped for. Along with this huge announcement, Electric Forest has dropped one of the best lineups of any festival this summer. From house to dubstep to chillwave, the curators have brought a little bit of every genre to please the Forest Family. The following are a few of my top suggestions of artists to see over the weekend(s)- whether you’re going to the first, the second, or both! Let’s be real, it was very difficult to pick only 11, but I did my best to stray away from big-name headliners and expose you to lesser known artists.
REZZ – Pairing her unique sound with bass-heavy bangers, REZZ is one up-and-coming mau5trap artist that throws down at every one of her sets. Her loyal fans, otherwise known as The Cult of Rezz, are incredibly excited to finally welcome their “Space Mom” to Electric Forest. With a new EP release looming not far in the future, we should expect her to drop a number of new tunes, alongside the unreleased songs she usually plays at her shows.
Nero (Live) [First Weekend] – I wanted to pick acts that were going to be playing at both weekends, but I couldn’t help myself. If you are attending the first weekend, you cannot miss Nero’s set. I know many of us have a soft spot for their classics like Promises and Doomsday, and basically the entire Welcome Reality album. I’ve been waiting to see them for a long time, and I’m very excited to see whether they’re going to stick to their old-school dubstep roots, or bring some new-age dub to the stage.
Claude VonStroke (also known as the Dirtybird himself, The Claude Father, and the house-music-funk-master) – If you’re looking to get down and dance the night away, his set at Triploee is where you’ll want to be. His closing set at Spring Awakening last summer was one of my favorite sets of the weekend, and I expect nothing less from his sets at Electric Forest.
Big Wild – With his releases on Foreign Family Collective, and his recent Invincible EP tour, Big Wild is going to bring some great vibes to The Forest. I’ve met Jackson a number of times at his shows in Chicago. He is easily one of the most humble artists I’ve spoken to, and it shows through in the music he produces. It is impossible to not have a great time at his set, especially since he always attracts the best crowd, too
Chris Lake – He’s been gaining a lot of popularity with his releases on HOWSLA, like Operator, and his single I Want You, and his set is another must-see if you’re a house fanatic like me.
12th Planet – For the 4th year in a row, 12th planet returns to Electric Forest. The father of chopping riddim and breaking bassheads’ necks is sure to leave all of the attendees of his set in another dimension. Warning, though, his shows are not for the faint-hearted, nor for people who grind to dubstep.
Chet Porter – Another Foreign Family Collective artist, Chet Porter is sure to bring all of the feels to his set this year. His original track Stay has gotten him a lot of attention on the label, and some even say that Chet Porter is the next Porter Robinson.
Blackgummy [Second Weekend]– Another mau5trap artist, and if you’re into dark techno, he’s your guy. I’ve waited a long time to see him, and I’m excited to finally get the chance to at the second weekend. His Impact EP from 2016 was absolutely stellar, and I can’t shake the feeling that he’ll debut some new music during his set.
Ganja White Night – Armed with their heavy wobbles, the two members of GWN are ready to take on The Forest. Expect to feel the ground shaking during their set. If you like downtempo bass, you can’t miss this duo.
Stelouse – I have to be honest, I’ve been listening to his latest album for weeks. He shows so much artistic promise in it, jumping from deep house tracks to chillwave to pop electronic all in one album. Stelouse is definitely an artist you should keep a look out for in the next few months, I wouldn’t be surprised if he went on his own tour very soon!
The String Cheese Incident – Although I’m not a huge fan of them, or jam bands in general, you just can’t go to Electric Forest and NOT see at least a few minutes of an SCI set. They originally hosted Electric Forest in its opening year, back in 2011, after it was renamed from Rothbury Festival.
The first weekend sold out months ago, but tickets for the second weekend are still available here!