This weekend, we will be entering the Las Vegas speedway for the 20th year anniversary of Electric Daisy Carnival. Excited is a complete understatement. The lineup this year is absolutely astounding. Insomniac did an amazing job of booking legendary artists who have been making great music for an extremely long time to huge well-known main stage acts that are sure to tear it up! My goal is to check out some artists I’ve never seen before, even though my list is comprised mostly of artists I have seen. Seeing your favorite artists at a massive festival like EDC Las Vegas is completely different than seeing them elsewhere. My suggestion is to check out both your favorites and also some you’ve never heard of! Below is my list of suggestions for sets that are sure to be epic.
Cassey’s Top 10 Artists at EDC Las Vegas 2016
Aly & Fila
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
My favorite artists, Aly & Fila, are my definite #1. If you didn’t know, Fadi (Fila) only performs live from the two, so when you only see one guy on stage instead of two, that’s why. They will be on the Dreamstate stage on Sunday and will definitely play a pure trance set. Fadi is one of the most humble and appreciative people I’ve ever met. They are both truly grateful for every single one of their fans in a way like I’ve never seen before. My crew and I will be boasting Aly & Fila shirts and flags on Sunday, so if you see us, say hi! Check out their set from EDC 2012 Las Vegas, where they closed down the stage with an amazing sunrise. I was only there for the beginning of the set, but I’m glad I can recap!
Ben Nicky
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
I’m super excited to see Ben Nicky again. He will also throw down an awesome trance set, just like he did at Dreamstate SoCal. He loves to include Above & Beyond tracks in his sets, so normally it’s a mixture of feels with other trance sub-genres. He’s well known for his radio show, called Headf**k radio.
Ferry Corsten presents Gouryella
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Obviously, I can’t miss Gouryella at EDC this year. Gouryella is one of Ferry’s side-projects that he has been brought back from many years ago. I fell back in love with Ferry after his epic trance-packed set at TomorrowWorld 2014. As lame as it sounds, I actually cried multiple times. He dropped Not Coming Down (one of my favorites from a long time ago) as well as Beautiful right afterwards. He definitely won’t disappoint this time either rocking the Circuit Grounds stage, but this time as Gouryella. The thought of hearing “Anahera” live (the first track that Gouryella came back and released) gives me goosebumps. It’s going to be absolutely beautiful, and I’m sad for anyone who won’t be there to witness it. This is history in the making, and something that no one should miss out on. (P.S. I totally have goosebumps writing this!)
John O’ Callaghan
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
What else can I say about JOC? He’s an absolute legend. I believe this will be my sixth time seeing him, but I wouldn’t miss his set for anything. He is one of my favorite artists for sure. He’s playing at the 7UP stage on Friday rather than at the Dreamstate stage on Sunday. Due to this, I feel like his set will be a bit more intimate than if he were playing at Circuit Grounds, which makes it even more enticing! If you love trance like me, you definitely don’t want to miss this. It will be my first time seeing JOC at a massive festival like EDC.
Jordan Suckley
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Suckley will be playing at the 7UP stage on Friday alongside John O’Callaghan. I’m really excited to see him again. His set was also great at Dreamstate SoCal. Most likely, his set will be harder trance, so if you’re looking to get your blood pumping, then this set will definitely be for you. It’ll be a great addition to Friday night and will get the energy flowing. Suckley releases an awesome podcast / radio show called Damaged Radio on a regular basis which features tons of awesome trance.
Adam Beyer
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
To switch it up a bit, I want to check out Neon Garden on Sunday for Drumcode. Beyer is a legend in the techno scene with over 20 years of experience and will surely not disappoint any of us.
John Askew
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
To be honest, I was surprised when I heard John Askew would start playing at festivals. I had always assumed his normal absence on festival lineups was because he preferred the club setting, but I was entirely wrong. In our interview with him at Spin nightclub in March, he revealed that it was simply because he’d preferred to be with family during the nice weather months in England rather than doing big gigs. However, he’s changing that around now. He’s another artist that I have yet to see at a big event like this, and I’m super excited to have the chance to do that. He explores all sides of trance, taking preference to the ‘darker’ side. His set is one that I definitely won’t be missing out on. He was amazing at Subculture NYC last year. Check out his set to get a feel of how epic he will be at EDC!
Markus Schulz
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
I’ll be seeing Markus three times next week. First, on Wednesday at Marquee Dayclub. Second, at Dreamstate Tao as Dakota (going to be so epic!). Third, at EDC! I have no idea how many times I’ve seen Markus at this point (it’s pretty ridiculous) but I’m still going to see him another three times next week. His sets are always fun and full of energy. I’ll be reppin’ my SchulzArmy flag (as usual) in support of this amazing artist. Markus always has an amazing persona that he brings to the stage during his sets. If you’ve never seen him, then he’s definitely worth checking out. You won’t be disappointed. His 3 hour set from Afterhours.fm’s 10 year anniversary celebration was astounding.
Eric Prydz
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
What can I say? Another legend here and one that shouldn’t be missed. Prydz has been blessing our ears with awesome stuff for over 25 years. He’s a master at his craft and every set he plays is simply amazing. I can’t wait to see what tracks he will include in his EDC set this year. His set from last year was amazing.
Pan-Pot
Twitter | Facebook | Soundcloud
Add another techno Drumcode stage artist to my list — Pan-Pot! I’m super excited to get in the groove with a set from this German duo whom I’ve never heard live before. For a nice change-up, check them out on Sunday at Neon Garden.
Those are my top 10 picks, but there are so many artists on this very diverse lineup. My advice is to explore! Go on an adventure and don’t camp the main-stage. There are so many epic artists to see and who knows what you’ll fall in love with when you let your mind explore.
