There’s no festival quite like Deep Tropics. Since their start, they’ve been pioneers in the festival landscape not just for delivering unforgettable music experiences, but for producing climate positive events year after year, earning the title to the Greenest Festival In North America.
This year, they’re poised for their biggest edition yet as they revealed the name of each headliner starting Monday and completing today. House and bass music fans can rejoice, as this year is fronted by Kaskade, who will perform a coveted Redux set, RL Grime, Sofi Tukker, and Peekaboo.
Additionally, Deep Tropics will host a SustainabilitySummit on August 15th, curated by Deep Culture. The Summit is a convergence bringing together industry professionals, government officials and engaged citizens across diverse sectors to connect, inspire and showcase regenerative solutions. Furthermore, there will be a Deep Culture Amphitheater Experience to kick off the second day of the festival on August 17th, featuring a transformative set curated by DJ Drez. From breathwork and yoga to meditation and dance, attendees will embark on a journey of self-discovery and connection.
“We are redefining the traditional festival model beyond entertainment. The long-term vision for Deep Tropics is to expand into a week-long conference that takes over Nashville. Think SXSW, ADE, Art Basel, Miami Music Week, but with a focus on regenerative design & wellness that is surrounded by amazing parties. The Sustainability Summit & expanded mindful activations at the festival itself serve as stepping stones toward that goal.” – Blake Atchison, co-founder of Deep Tropics)
“Picture immersive workshops, thought provoking panels, and captivating talks on regenerative agriculture, sustainable fashion, renewable energy, & holistic wellness practices. Within our event festival-goers will discover activities dedicated to rejuvenation and self-care, offering yoga, meditation, sound healing, and holistic modalities designed to replenish mind, body, and soul. Deep Tropics is more than a festival—it builds a bridge between party and purpose. It’s a vibrant expression of community, connection, and a commitment to the health of our planet through an immersive celebration of dance music culture.” – Joel Atchison, co-founder of Deep Tropics
Original Photo by Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events
It’s been a week since Escape Halloween took over the NOS Events Center for its 12th edition, and like most things Insomniac, the festival just got bigger and better. Featuring mind-blowing production, sick attention-to-detail, immersive Halloween experiences, blistering sets, immaculate vibes, and plenty of space to move and groove to; Insomniac pulled out all the stops for the largest Halloween festival on the continent.
It was our first time back at the NOS Events Center since last year’s Countdown and our first Escape since 2019! One of the things that definitely stood out is how wide open and easily accessible everything was. Insomniac has definitely taken steps to make it easier to access all of the vast NOS Events Center where their events take place. At no point at all did I deal with bottlenecks or crowd congestion.
The other thing that, of course, stands out upon entering the Escape festival grounds is just how immersive it is. With the exception of EDC, (the flagship festival) Escape has without a doubt the highest production values, the most performers, the most Easter Eggs to explore for. Escape is simply massive, and, if you ask me, is the best of Insomniac’s Southern California festivals. It certainly didn’t hurt that the weather was absolutely perfect for the weekend too.
Original Photo by Jake West for Insomniac Events
I’m not wrong when I say that this was the biggest Escape to date, they actually added a fifth stage inside the Citrus building, Wicked Woods. Crazy Town, which ostensibly serves as Downtown Escape, is a perfect meeting spot. Its location is easily accessible from all stages, and its landmarks are unmistakable. The fire organ is a sight to behold and always has a performance popping off, it’s the perfect place to sit and take in the splendor of the festival grounds. The Crazy Town fountain is also a perfect spot to reunite with your crew and figure out the next move. Oh, and of course, they’re all great photo ops too.
As far as the stages go, they were all top notch. The main stage is, of course, The Grimm, a massive cloaked skeleton with its two hands stretched out clutching two spherical stones. Again, outside of EDC, this has to be the best Insomniac stage around. The lasers got major reinforcements and the huge video panels lining the ceiling of the mega-structure helped to create an even more immersive experience. Even if you were seated on the fake grass or at the tables outside of the mega-structure, you still felt like you were immersed in the stage. Sound and video production were A+ this weekend.
Original Photo by Jamal Eid for Insomniac Events
The second stage was Feeding Grounds, also inside a mega-structure. This stage’s theme was a massive spider web. White canvas adorned the ceiling of the mega structure and instead of a disco ball, there was a massive black widow spider hanging above the stage in its place. The third stage was Sanitarium, a slightly smaller mega-structure, its rectangular video panels would play macabre and disturbing images of a mad surgeon conducting unsound experiments.
The stage that probably got the best treatment of all though was Sewer District, the Factory 93 stage. When I went to Escape in the past this was not a stage I gave much thought to. I figured let the techno snobs hang in the back. Well, techno has now permeated the mainstream and I was keen to check out a set at Sewer District. Insomniac fully leaned into shipping trailers and an underground warehouse type of vibe. The light panels were just right and the sound was pitch perfect. I talked to several headliners who said that Sewer District had some of the best sets of the weekend.
Original Photo by Marlene Sanchez for Insomniac Events
Speaking of the sets, let me tell you about them. Every single DJ absolutely brought it this weekend. Everyone’s got to go a little bit deeper, a little bit darker, especially the closers, to match that Halloween vibe, and that’s exactly what we got. Friday night really didn’t get going until I watched AFROJACK’s set at the Grimm. The Dutch legend did not disappoint, dropping a massive set that ignited the crowd. This was the set that truly set the night off as AFROJACK took full advantage of the Grimm’s production capabilities.
After that I caught a little hardstyle over at Sanitarium, then headed back to the Grimm for Above & Beyond. Much like AFROJACK’s set, the crowd packed in the stage to overflow capacity. Jono & Paavo threw down a captivating set that had the crowd enraptured. Above & Beyond always strives for “moments like these” and they certainly achieved it at Escape.
After A&B, I headed over to Feeding Grounds, which was hosted by Bassrush for the night, to have my face just melted off. ATLiens were well into their set of wonky dubstep, rap mashups and trap beats. It’s always nice to see the different vibes at different stages, but aside from the Grimm, the Basscon stage was bringing better vibes than the Bassrush stage. Zomboy followed up ATLiens and also proceeded to ignite the crowd.
Original Photo by Felicia Garcia for Insomniac Events
I proceeded back over to the Grimm, but I made a quick stop at the new stage, Wicked Woods. I’m always a sucker for an indoor stage, and Insomniac made the most of the space they were given. Setting up a mini forest behind the DJ booth as well as a circular video board, Wicked Woods was a huge come up if you happened upon it. Not too crowded, but still stellar production. I watched a little bit of K?d’s Throwback Set and I wish I had caught more.
Finally back to the Grimm, Kaskade closed the night with an incredible set that saw him lean into the REDUX sound and turn the Escape mainstage into an underground club. The lasers and stage production could not have been more on point.
We got there nice and early on Sunday. As I mentioned before I started things out at Sewer District and caught Charles D. Despite the early time slot and smaller crowd, the vibes were on point for Sewer District. I was now prepared for techno on Halloween weekend. I flitted between stages and sets checking out TOBEHONEST at Sanitarium, Ship Wrek at the Grimm, who drew a massive and rowdy crowd for such an early time slot, and Rossy at Feeding Grounds, who killed it with her blend of bass house and trap.
Original Photo by Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events
After that, it was back to the Grimm for Matroda’s massive house set. Along with the permeation of techno into the mainstream, the re-eruption of house music has to be noted too. My god, people absolutely love house music. I didn’t recognize a single song Matroda dropped, but it was still a dope set and the vibes were unmatched. Tchami came on next and dropped a set for the ages. Opening with the AC Slater x Chris Lorenzo (Fly With Us) track “Seismic”, Tchami’s mix of French house was absolutely perfect. The lasers and pyro also started taking over.
DJ Snake took the stage next and turned the Grimm into an absolute trap house. The beats were coming hard and fast with DJ Snake, and the packed crowd was more than ready for all of his hits. “Southside”, “Trust Nobody”, “Lean On” and he even dropped Knock2’s “dashstar”. A memorable set indeed.
Zedd was up next and he thrilled the crowd by opening with his “Where You Are” remix. The packed out crowd was chanting along with the lyrics. Zedd was also one of the few DJs to dress up for Halloween as he sported a Super Saiyan outfit (from Dragonball Z). Zedd dropped a masterful set consisting of his hits like “I Want You to Know” and “Stay the Night” on top of his energetic live edits and some EDM classics like Eric Prydz’s “Call on Me”.
Original Photo by Ivan Meneses for Insomniac Events
Finally, Armin van Buuren closed out the weekend. Armin perfectly blended trance and techno for the best Halloween set imaginable. Armin maintained his signature sound while seamlessly blending in some dark techno beats that were perfect for the spooky season.
It was an absolute joy to be back at Escape after three full years away, the longest drought we’ve had between Insomniac festivals. The Pandemic denied headliners festivals in 2020. I didn’t get to Escape in 2021 because there was the Fall Edition of EDC a week before. I could have gone in 2022, but I didn’t. I’m elated to have made it back in 2023. Although no announcement has been made, I would expect Escape to return for its spookiest 13th edition next year.
Original Photo by Scott Hutchinson for Insomniac Events
Fans of deadmau5 and Kaskade can finally mark their calendars for the release of Kx5, the duo’s self-titled debut album.
It’s been a fast-and-furious ride for Kx5 since the advent of the project less than a year ago. After launching the moniker in March 2022 with the release of “Escape,” the tandem of legendary electronic music producers dropped a dizzying string of singles as they teased Kx5, one of the year’s most anticipated electronic albums.
Those include stunning collaborations with Elderbrook (“When I Talk“) and The Moth & The Flame (“Alive”), the latter of which was named one of EDM.com‘s best songs of 2022. Next up is a single with fellow red-hot dance music duo SOFI TUKKER, Kx5 revealed today.
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Kaskade and deadmau5 went on to perform live as Kx5 for the first time at EDC Las Vegas before a momentous concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, where they headlined the largest single-day concert by an electronic artist ever in North America, drawing an audience of 50,000. Check out our expansive gallery from the record-breaking show here.
Kx5 is scheduled to release on March 17th. Fans can pre-save the album here.
Zouk Las Vegas has announced the 2023 DJ residencies for its flagship clubbing properties, Zouk Nightclub and Ayu Dayclub.
The powerhouse roster of artists includes some of the biggest names in EDM and hip-hop, like deadmau5, Kaskade, DJ Snake, Zedd, Jack Harlow, Tiësto, Travis Scott and more.
Known for pushing the envelope at the intersection of technology and live music in Vegas, Zouk Group, who were named EDM.com’s best event organizer of 2021, offers unparalleled clubbing experiences at both their daytime and nighttime venues.
Ayu Dayclub, an outdoor oasis inspired by the islands of Southeast Asia, is a must-visit when it comes to Vegas pool parties. Meanwhile, the innovative and jaw-dropping “Mothership” installation in Zouk Nightclub has changed the game for nightlife in Sin City.
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Check out the full list of confirmed 2023 Zouk Group residents below. For tickets and more information, head here.
Zouk Group Las Vegas DJ Residencies 2023
Audien Cash Cash Charly Jordan Cheat Codes deadmau5 Dee Jay Silver DJ Snake DJ Tay James Duke Dumont Emo Nite G-Eazy Jack Harlow Jonas Blue Kaskade Kromi Louis The Child Ludacris Madds The Martinez Brothers Nervo Sean O’Mally SLANDER Tiësto Travis Scott Zedd Zen Freeman
After Summit shockingly found out via Twitter that his own New Year’s Eve show in Sacramento was canceled due to incoming “heavy rain,” the house music star didn’t let the misfortune rain on his parade.
It wasn’t long before Summit was booked to perform at Kaskade’s third annual NYE extravaganza in San Francisco, where he’s set to perform at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on December 31st. The last-minute turn of events will see Summit take the stage for an hourlong DJ set at 10:45pm before a momentous performance by Kaskade through 2am.
But the early hours of 2023 will look even more glamorous, considering the two Chicago-born dance music superstars have confirmed a high-profile B2B set to kick off the new year.
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Check out the official schedule and set times for Kaskade’s NYE show below. Tickets are still available here.
After headlining one of the most significant concerts in electronic music history, it seems Kx5 are determined to take the genre to places it’s never been.
Not even a mid-show generator fire could stop Kaskade and deadmau5 from engrossing fans at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, where they performed for a DJ set for the ages. The show was ultimately record-breaking in scale, taking the distinction for the largest single-day concert by an electronic artist ever in North America after drawing an audience of 50,000 and netting $3.7 million.
But the numbers were only part of the story. Kx5’s show was a particularly special moment for EDM.
Kaksade and deadmau5 performing as Kx5 at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum on December 10th, 2022.
Their set began in cinematic fashion with a mix of “Arrakeen” from Hans Zimmer’s Dune soundtrack, which led straight into their stunning debut single, “Escape.” From there, eye-popping visuals and columns of fire blitzed the crowd as Kaskade and deadmau5 rinsed their many hits, like “Beneath With Me,” as well as a bevy of new IDs. Glittering drones periodically spelled out the names of these tracks in the sky.
About halfway through the show, a generator fire suddenly cut the power and left us a bit perplexed. Despite this setback, which caused a near half-hour delay, spirits remained high. At one point, nearly everyone in the crowd flipped on their phone flashlights and waved them in the air in a particularly surreal moment.
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Thankfully the power was restored, and after a few signature cheeky comments from deadmau5, Kx5 ran roughshod through their full set, past the original cutoff time. As a grand finale, they reprised “Escape” with a live performance by Hayla and a dramatic fireworks display.
So what’s next for Kx5? Their debut album, which is expected to release in early 2023. In the meantime, look inside the historic L.A. Coliseum show below.
After the release of Kx5‘s latest stunning single, the hype surrounding deadmau5 and Kaskade‘s collaborative debut album is bubbling over.
“When I Talk” is the fifth single to drop ahead of the album, which is expected to release in early 2023. It’s a haunting house record produced in collaboration with Elderbrook, whose feathery vocals are as aching as ever.
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and beatsmith stuns with his spellbinding topline, which explores the difficulties of breaking the binds of a loved one who builds emotional walls.
“[“When I Talk”] is about barriers. Shutting people out and dealing with that,” Elderbrook said in a statement. “The song means a lot to me, I’m so happy to have it coming out finally and to be part of the project.”
Check out the official “When I Talk” music video, created by Rising Agency, below and stream the new single here.
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“When I Talk” track arrives ahead of a momentous December 10th headlining performance at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Limited tickets are available here.
Kaskade and deadmau5 recently appeared on DJ Spider’s “The 20 Podcast” for a rare joint interview to discuss the best way to learn how to produce music and the definition of a “bad DJ set,” among other topics. You can watch the full episode below.
The concrete has hardly dried from the conclusion of pool season in Las Vegas, but Resorts World’s 2023 plans are already off to a strong start.
The Las Vegas Strip newcomer has wasted no time courting the world’s most popular artists over the last two years—and now another notable name joins their ranks. Kaskade has been revealed as the latest high-profile DJ to ink a residency at Resorts World’s Ayu Dayclub and Zouk Nightclub beginning in 2023.
The Chicago native and influential dance music producer has achieved another banner year by all accounts. Perhaps most notably, he joined forces with fellow Resorts World resident deadmau5 to form Kx5, and the two have been steadily marching towards the release of a hotly anticipated debut album.
Kaskade performing at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Keiki Lani Knudsen/Insomniac
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“Kaskade is a household name in the electronic music world and ignited the Vegas nightlife scene many know and love,” Ronn Nicolli, Resorts World Las Vegas Chief Marketing Officer, said in a statement shared with EDM.com. “We truly cannot wait for what he will bring to Zouk and AYU in 2023.”
Resorts World’s formidable lineup of DJ residents includes Zedd, Tiësto, Louis The Child, SLANDER and many more. Kaskade’s first show on the property is at Zouk Nightclub on January 6th, 2023. Tickets are on sale now.
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