Mega music festivals are now a lot like family reunions. You will always see crazy Uncle Larry, Auntie Shelley accompanied by her bratty children and that one cousin who’s always drunk. The eager anticipation and element of surprise upon the announcement of music fest lineups has evolved into the figurative aforementioned family reunion. Alas, you can expect to see artists such as Calvin Harris and Flux Pavilion grace the main stages of both EDM oriented festivals and/or massive events with an eclectic music offering.
It’s not that we don’t love ACL, EDC, Coachella, and other music fests – we are just ready for a bit of change. Rockers such as Queens of the Stone Age, Nine Inch Nails, and The Postal Service are booked at select, unpredictable festival grounds. When will concert promoters in the US dance music circuit catch on to this? The lineups aren’t good or bad, hot or cold – it’s lukewarm and underwhelming. At the end of the day, it’s all bass drops and PLUR, right? The usual suspects consistently put on a great live show. Bring over the Europeans! Here, VIBE lists ten European dance music acts we long to see added to a festival roster. ->
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NOISIA
The Dutch trio produced the soundtrack to DmC Devil May Cry. It included their signature DnB along with some house and dubstep. Intoxicating as that video game soundtrack truly is, we’re ready for a new album and a visit to the States.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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The Chemical Brothers
Why do we want TCB to headline a festival? It’s for the same reason you drink water: necessity.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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Kraftwerk
They are among the list of pioneers of the electronic based music. It behooves us to witness their glory.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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Pet Shop Boys
This British duo is slated to drop their new album, Electric, later this summer. A guest appearance at Budweiser Made in America Fest? That would be amazing.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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Nick Warren
He used to DJ for trip hoppers, Massive Attack. His prog house tracks in the Global Underground series would be particularly danceworthy live.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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The Knife
If you haven’t heard Shaking the Habitual yet, you may not fully (110%) grasp why we chose this Swedish duo. They embody the sound of the European underground dance music scene of the ‘90s – with an alcohol splashed twist.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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SBTRKT
His performance at Fader Fort during last year’s SXSW was enough to cause anyone to crave another live set. He and his recurrent collaborator, Sampha, make us realize why we love garage influenced tracks.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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Chuckie
More Dirty Dutch, please! They shouldn’t be limited to exclusive sets during Miami Music Week.[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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Mr Oizo
Anyone part of the Ed Banger crew puts on a solid show. We’d love to get in on some live Oizo action. It would be an added touch of class if he brought Flat Eric (yellow puppet) with him. Here’s why:[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]
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The Prodigy
Does this really need an explanation?[videoembed size=”full_width” alignment=”center”][/videoembed]