Countdown 2016 | Infinity Stage Playlist

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Insomniac’s Countdown 2016 is less than a week away from bringing in the new year at the NOS Event Center in San Bernadino, California. California is seeing many New Year’s events ranging in size in both NorCal and SoCal. There are some really big events like LED’s OMFG NYE in San Diego and SnowGlobe in Northern California. For those who don’t feel like venturing far out of the city, there are also smaller shows in Los Angeles and San Diego. Among all of these shows, Insomniac’s Countdown boasts a huge lineup that is expanding the celebration to a two-day affair with three stacked stages. Some of the biggest names in electronic dance music such as Diplo, Zedd and Steve Aoki will make this event better than ever. In preparation of the music to come, the EDM Identity team is curating a playlist for each stage to familiarize fans with the talent at each stage.

Tickets for Countdown 2016 are still available here, with 1-day tickets at $99/$119 + fees for Friday/Saturday and $199 + fees for a 2-day pass. The two-day pass is definitely worth it: New Year’s Eve is clearly the more favored day, but both days have incredible lineups across all stages.

Countdown 2016 – Infinity Stage Rundown

Each stage highlights its own realm in the EDM scene, and all are respectable in their own rights. However, the stage I’ll be spending the most time at is unmistakably the Infinity Stage. I was mostly at this stage during last year’s event for an awesome party with some of the most fun DJs. TJR, Alison Wonderland, Trippy Turtle, What So Not, Kayoh, and Oliver Heldens each brought a perfect vibe for dancing the last hours of 2015. This year, the Infinity Stage lineup is just as incredible, and is shaping up to look like a Mad Decent takeover. Catch Baauer, Anna Lunoe, Grandtheft, NGHTMRE, Troyboi, and of course papa Diplo himself.

Countdown 2015 — Photo Credit: Insomniac Events

Get Hyped for The Infinity Stage!

The amount of booty-shaking bass and smiles you’re going to experience at the Infinity Stage is sure to step Countdown 2016 up to the next level once again. The most exceptional thing about the acts performing on this stage is their lack of fear to push boundaries in music. These tastemakers will be playing anything from Soulja Boy to Moombahton to Trap. Expect some absolutely killer mixing from Baauer, Diplo (especially if you’ve only seen him with Jack Ü and/or Major Lazer), A-Trak, REZZ, and Kill the Noise, just to name a few. Insomniac’s Discovery Project selection will be promising, remembering the success of last year’s pick, Kayoh (he’s playing back to back on the Resolution Stage this year!).

In the playlist below, the flow of tracks will take a course through the vast range of sounds that this year’s talent has to offer. It starts with the less-intense, ambient tracks of Electric Mantis and Bondax, but soon jumps into the world of huge epic sounds, courtesy of NGHTMRE, Grandtheft, RL Grime and 4B. The playlist finishes up with a mix that Electric Mantis did for Too Future, and will give you a taste of what to expect from him since he’s a lesser-known name on the list.

Stream the “Countdown 2016: Infinity Stage Playlist” on Soundcloud:

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Infinity Stage Midnight Countdown Prediction:

DIPLO.

I’m pretty damn confident in calling this one, and I’d absolutely love to count down the final moments of the year with him behind the decks. It was highly likely to me the minute I scanned his name on the initial lineup. Now that the lineup has broken into day then stage splits, it seems even more likely than ever. It just makes sense to have the biggest mogul and virtuoso in the dance music scene bring in 2017: He’s a bigger name than ever after continuing to seriously nurture Mad Decent in 2012, around the time that “Harlem Shake” blew up. He does lots for the direction of electronic music, as one of the biggest collaborators currently in the game. Both on his BBC Radio show, “Diplo and Friends,” and through his label, Diplo’s recruiting amazing new talent year round while he balances touring everywhere. The impact of his presence is even felt in less-fortunate areas around the globe. Most recently, this past Wednesday, he headlined for “LA Gives Back,” a charity event which raised $50k for housing-assistance organizations. A charitable soul with elite DJ skills and a brand that has grown to become an EDM powerhouse of culture and taste-making — isn’t it only fair to let us bring in 2017 with this “random white dude”?

Seeing Diplo perform as part of Major Lazer or Jack Ü at a festival is always high energy and loads of fun, no doubt. However, it doesn’t quite compare to the raw knack for DJing that you’ll notice when he performs under his solo name. Keep in mind, he’s been DJing for nearly 20 years and has incorporated dozens of different styles of music throughout his career. He knows how to throw an awesome party, make a crowd feel great, and play out a set that fuses some top 40 hits with underground slappers and throwbacks from my early 2000’s youth era. His set at countdown will get you in touch with the best of Miami bass, house, pop, and trap, if not even more. Just a couple of months ago, to celebrate the release of a new EP by King Henry, he played a back to back set with Bonobo that proved Diplo’s true versatility. If you’re not already convinced that Diplo’s set will feel virtually limitless, get to the Infinity Stage a bit before midnight, and I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised.