10 Artists That You Need To See At Electric Zoo

After last year's Sunday cancellation due to "serious health risks," New York's Electric Zoo is back this year with more safety regulations in place to ensure that everyone has a good time and parties safe. Creators Mike Bindra and Laura De Palma are seeing to it that new security measures are in place for 2014's festival and that those in attendance have a memorable experience. “We are incredibly excited to bring Electric Zoo back to New York. Over the past five years, Electric Zoo has grown tremendously, becoming a critically acclaimed, internationally recognized music festival," said Bindra and De Palma. "The opportunity to again host Electric Zoo on Randall’s Island is a responsibility we take seriously, and we look forward to expanding our safety and security measures in order to further improve the concert experience for our fans.” This year, before being able to even activate their wristbands for entry into one of the best festival's in the nation, attendees are mandated to watch an anti-drug video that promotes safe and responsible partying. Electric Zoo has also shortened their hours of operation to lessen the time partiers spend in the sun and hopefully combating dehydration complications. Electric Zoo is known for its amazing line-ups of top tier talent, which they manage to pull off with each outing. This year is no exception, and to help you figure out who to see at the festival, we've put together a list of 10 artists that you need to check out. Instead of just highlighting the headliners (because everyone is going to see them anyways, we've decided to look at some of the lesser-known acts that you should definitely seek out if you're looking for good music. So, without further ado, here are 10 artists that you need to see at this year's Electric Zoo. Dubfire One half of the amazing techno production duo Deep Dish, Dubfire always brings out the deep and sexy tones of dark, ballsy techno. "I try to apply a punk ethos to my own music… it has to be groundbreaking, futuristic, unique and organic" he once said while describing his music. His set that aired on Ultra Music Festival's UMF TV is something I'm still listening to today. If you want some primal, heavy, excellent techno beats to move to, do not miss out on what Dubfire is going to deliver at Electric Zoo. Gesaffelstein 29 year old French hard techno producer Mike Levy, better known as Gesaffelstein, is a performance you shouldn't miss while on Randall's Island. The DJ gets his name from two places. "Gesamtkunstwerk" is the German ideal of "the total or universal artwork bringing together music, visual arts, narrative and more into a single intoxicating vision." Albert Einstein is the ultimate example of human intellect. Put them together and you've got Gesaffelstein. For some excellent hard, driving techno, make sure to catch this talented young artist. Datsik Troy Beetles, a.k.a Datsik, is one of the sickest producers in the bass/trapstep game. I have probably seen him 5-6 times now and every time I'm impressed with what he does. He'll most likely drop Bonafide Hustler at Electric Zoo ,like he does at almost every set I've ever seen, and you will no doubt love it--just like I still do. The way he works that track into his sets and keeps it alive and fresh is amazing. Also, his tune with Excision, titled Swagga, is a certified banger. If you like bass/dubstep/trapstep, catch Canadian born Datsik every chance you have. And even if you're not sure that you like that kind of music, but think you might want to try, this is the best producer/artist to check out. He very well might be your gateway into the harder side of EDM. You can thank us later. TJR Words can't express how amazing I think TJ Rozdilsky a.k.a. TJR, is. Two years ago he was the best thing since sliced bread. I saw him at a Chicago night club and he laid down one of the best sets I've ever seen. No joke. A Melbourne Bounce vibe with great song selection, excellent mixing in of his own tunes and even some live scratching that he killed it all night, the entire club was loving every single second of it. Since then, he's continued to rise in popularity and has become a bit more mainstream in his sound, but he is still one of the most exciting DJs around. If you catch him at Electric Zoo, make sure to keep an ear out for Ode To Oi and Funky Vodka. We have no doubt that you'll dig them both. Knife Party Formerly known as Pendulum, the latest project between Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen puts out some pretty amazing seizure music. At least, that's what they jokingly call their sound. What they really are are purveyors of some of the best bass music in EDM. Internet Friends, Rage Valley, Sleaze, Antidote.....I could go on and on about the impact their trailblazing songs have made on our scene. Their highly anticipated EP should be coming out soon as well, and if I was a betting girl, I'd put some money on them dropping previews ofthe new tracks at Electric Zoo. That alone is reason enough to catch their set. Swanky Tunes Russia has given the world some amazing music producers, and these two guys out of Moscow are at the top of that list. Swanky Tunes started out with techno, progressed into big room sounds, and now have a heavy electro vibe that their fans love. It's this kind of vibe makes them absolutely perfect for the festival environment; happy, energetic and just the right amount of spoken words. They know how to throw down to a large crowd and will definitely get people talking at Electric Zoo. Jack U Do we even need to explain why you should be catching this act? Diplo and Skrillex's latest project, Jack U, is all of the awesome you would imagine it would be. Those two production powerhouses came together to explode heads for the first time at this year's Ultra Music Festival, and almost broke the internet because of it. Males ages 17-24 in particular can't get enough of Jack U. If you want some energetic, multi-genre party music then you should absolutely catch this exciting new duo. I mean, it's Diplo and Skrillex, do you really need to be convinced anymore? Chase & Status These British-born production pair are one of those groups that can tackle many different genres and absolutely nail them all. Machine Gun with Pusha T is a trap/rap anthem that never leaves my playlist and Blind Faith, despite being one of their older releases, is still a favorite of mine. Huge in the UK already, it's only time before the U.S. wakes up and realizes how great their entire discography is. Maybe Electric Zoo will finally allow them the chance to break out on North American soil? UZ Diplo explains UZ best: "UZ's tunes are drunken energy sub bass and cartoon horn stabs that make my stomach feel weird and my feet shuffle." A producer that just showed up on SoundCloud a couple years ago to flip the trap game upside down, UZ lives his life shrouded in mystery, as he hides his true identity behind a gold mask and a black bandana. There's several rumors abound about his identity, but it doesn't really matter. He makes some incredible trap music. If you're into that kind of stuff, then do not miss this mystery man at Electric Zoo. Milo & Otis LA duo Milo & Otis are slaying dance floors right now with their huge trap bangers. The voice sample before the drop on their well-known single Pigeons will have you laughing out loud, but what's even more impressive is how they integrated a middle-eastern snake charmer vibe perfectly. I love it when good producers can take two totally different genres and seamlessly intertwine them like they should have been together all along. Love 2 Love U is arguably their most genius and well-constructed song. The vocals are sampled from Donna Summers' 1975 sexy disco track Love To Love You Baby. If you haven't already gotten on board with the Nu Disco genre, this Milo & Otis trap track is a perfect example as to how music from that era is still influencing producers today. So, there you have it. 10 artists that should be on your schedule at this year's Electric Zoo. Let us know what you think of our picks and leave a comment below telling us who you're looking forward to checking out.