The Votes Are In!
2023 Readers' Choice is back, bigger and better than ever!
View Winners → 
Home /
PREVIEW: HARD DAY OF THE DEAD, 11/2 & 11/3
Yes, Halloween might be on the 31st, but what we’re really excited about is HARD’s dance music festival-incarnation of Dia de los Muertos. HARD Day of the Dead comes to LA’s State Historic Park this weekend, Nov. 2nd and 3rd, and we’re all for honoring the deceased with a dance orgy of epic proportion. Alongside obvious headliners like Skrillex and Deadmau5, there’s a first-rate lineup of DJs taking reign of the decks. From dubstep-turned-disco act Skream, to LA’s own beatsmith TOKiMONSTA, we’ve picked out our sets to catch below.
SATURDAY
Dusky [2:45-4:15pm, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque Stage]
London-based musicians Alfie Granger-Howell and Nick Harriman are the duo who make up Dusky, a producer/DJ team whose hit “Careless” currently holds the #1 spot on Beatport. The coveted #1 spot is a huge feat considering the fact that it’s usually reserved for the type of banger you’d hear at an EDC mainstage set, yet Dusky’s ‘Careless’ leans more closely to a deep and soulful brand of house.
Salva: [4:15pm-5:15pm, Harder Stage]
Frite Nite owner and Chicago native, Paul Salva knows a thing or to about working an audience and igniting the turnt up flame. Most known and recognized for his remix of Kanye West’s ‘Mercy,’ which garnered mass radio attention, Salva’s craft showcases heavy dips, house motifs, funk and tsunami waves of bass. Alongside Shlohmo, Jerome LoL and Groundislava as one of the foundations of record label Friends of Friends, this set will be unforgettably unique.
TOKiMONSTA [4:15-5:15pm, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque Stage]
The monster is back with a newly released project, “Half Shadows,” where she explores some new sonic territories but still remains the chilled hip-hop flavors that we know and love. The LA producer is set to take you on a multi-genre journey filled with her own brand of bangers — from disco to electro-pop to hip-hop, this girl’s going to to throw it all down.
Maya Jane Coles [7:15-8:30pm, Underground Stage]
This house queen hails from the UK, spinning smooth and penetrating bass-heavy beats with a quiet finesse on the decks. Ranked #10 on Resident Advisor’s top 100 DJs, Maya’s deep and tech house sets have hypnotized crowds from Ibiza to Coachella’s Yuma tent last year.
Kavinsky [7:30-8:30pm, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque Stage]
Frenchman Vincent Belorgey’s productions reminisce on that one awesome 1980s signature that we hate to love: that synth-heavy electro-pop that littered 80’s film soundtracks. Though he’s only been making music since the early 2000’s, Kavinsky’s tracks sound like they are decades-old, and just as refined.
Justin Martin [8:30-9:45pm, Underground Stage]
Justin Martin is one of those producers/DJs who manages to capture the elusive combination of dance-worthy tunes with emotional depth. Catch him at the Underground Stage for a set that’s sure to be full of low end-heavy house with a disco bounce and sub-tropic vibes.
Lunice [11:00pm-12:00am, Underground Stage]
Don’t break your neck when you see this cat, the Montreal producer and one-half of trap-hip-hop-glitch-whatever-
Cirez D [10:45pm-12:00am, HARDER Stage]
If you’re not seeing the legendary Lunice or grooving to Masters at Work over at the RBMA Discotheque Stage, head to the HARDER stage for a rare appearance of progressive house maestro Eric Prydz spinning dark techno under the Cirez D moniker. It’s kind of masochistic, but we can’t wait to hear the master of anxiety-inducing progressive build-ups to get our hearts thumping.
SUNDAY
Maribou State [2:30pm-3:30pm, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque Stage]
To borrow from the Guardian’s description of the duo, this UK pair are like the downtempo equivalent of Disclosure, except with a little more depth. While their tunes still have hints of a dance floor sensibility, their productions have an emotional complexity that Disclosure’s lack. You’ll find their songs are soulful and touch on jazz with bits of melancholy. We’re curious to see how their sound will play out at a festival such as HARD’s Day of the Dead.
J Paul Getto [4:00-5:30pm, Underground Stage]
This Chicago producer is probably one of the most slept on producers in house music. We started noticing J Paul Getto on soundcloud for his undeniably groovy tunes, but it’s this reworking of the instrumental from the hip-hop classic ’93 Til Infinity’ that really solidified J Paul Getto’s status in our eyes. Their translation of the jazzy warmth of the original into a bonafide house beat was simply genius.
Cut Copy [5:55-6:55pm, HARD Stage]
This Aussie duo has mastered the art of making incredibly catchy synth-pop with hits like “Hearts on Fire” or “Lights and Music.” Their appearance at HARD should include some tracks from their forthcoming album Free Your Mind. Catch them at the mainstage for some euphoric dance-heavy magic.
Skream [7:30pm-9:00pm, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque Stage]
If the name is familiar, it’s because Skream is one part of the UK dubstep-popularizing trio, Magnetic Man. Publicly announcing his departure from the genre, Skream is now focusing his efforts on a decidedly more cheerful genre: disco. His appearance on the RBMA Discotheque Stage may be one of the first times Skream has played a major stateside festival under this new direction, so his set should be well worth checking out.
Amine Edge & Dance [8:30-10:00pm, Underground Stage]
If you’ve never heard of G-house, now’s the time to get familiar. Amine Edge & Dance are a duo out of France who are pioneers in this genre, pumping out beats that are heavily influenced by the sounds and funky basslines of 80’s hip-house.
Duke Dumont [9:00-10:30pm, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque Stage]
With one of HARD Summer’s best sets, Duke Dumont has quickly gained a heavy following in the last few months in Los Angeles. His sonic confections, smooth melodies and perfect transitions have a mesmerizing quality, which keeps you hooked on each beat as if it was the last one for the night. We hope they’ll have the lights dimmed down low and the mood just right for what’s sure to be a massive set.
Paper Diamond: [Sunday 11/3 10:45-12pm, Harder Stage]
With Paper Diamond closing out the Harder Stage, you can expect a slew of surprises: new releases, collaborations and visuals. Under Pretty Lights Music and an EP off Mad Decent, Alex Botwin has found himself escapading all over the globe with his destructively diverse repertoire at festivals and shows. With versatility under his belt, you can expect big revelations during his set.
Giorgio Moroder ft. Chris Cox [10:30pm-12:00am, Red Bull Music Academy Discotheque]
He might be old enough to be your grandpa, but the guy is homies with Daft Punk and commands the respect of many electronic musicians alike. One of the most prolific acts on Day of the Dead’s lineup, Moroder is an Academy Award-winning composer, a recognized songwriter/producer worldwide, an artist, designer, filmmaker, entrepreneur and overall disco OG. This man does it all and has been crafting a musical evolution for nearly 50 years. Prepare your mind to be swept away by this genius in the Red Bull Discotheque Stage.
Tickets for HARD Day of the Dead can be purchased here.
