The unique sounds of American Hard Dance will be on full display at EDC Las Vegas as homegrown artists take over the wasteLAND stage.
For well over a decade, a unique take on hard dance has slowly been on the rise in the United States – but for most of its existence, it’s been a tiny bubble for extreme fans and producers that don’t fit the mold of European hard dance music. Tragically, the American style of hard dance has been rejected time and time again by purists in the genre as well as much of the global fan base. However, that hasn’t stopped American producers from pressing on and creating unique records that go against the grain and don’t fit the usual, cookie-cutter formula.
American Hard Dance artists stray away from the typical sounds that permeate the genre, fostering a loyal community along the way. Now, what was once a tiny niche has become increased representation at the biggest hard dance stage in the US at EDC Las Vegas. This was a long time coming, but it didn’t happen overnight.
Over the years, producers have twisted and tinkered with hard dance to create unexpected and unique records. Slowly but surely, this led to artists beginning to dot the lineups of festivals, while their dynamic tracks also popped up from time to time in other artists’ sets to further increase exposure. While it’s taken time for many people to catch on, and it’s still a work in progress, there’s a homegrown hard dance scene that is now seeing success and is completely different from the one in Europe.
American Hard Dance is unlike anything Europe, or the rest of the world, has ever seen.
Although it may have seemed unlikely in the beginning, America is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the worldwide hard dance scene. Take one look at artists like GRAVEDGR, who have been here since the beginning.
He took the rawstyle sound from Europe and made it into his own by creating the subgenre raw trap. From there, he’s evolved his project into the current hard techno style sweeping the States — and the world. Fast forward to this year, and he’s back once again bringing a completely different sound compared to years prior, a testament to the evolution and versatility of the American sound.
The hard dance movement is growing strong – so much so that even KAYZO couldn’t resist but to dive back into the nostalgic, distorted sounds from his early career. This time, however, he’s bringing hard dance newcomers MUST DIE! and Space Laces as Hivemind, their newly minted project that focuses on the harder styles of dance music.
And if that wasn’t enough, American Hard Dance is starting to stand its ground as a scene that looks attractive to plenty of outside audiences. Artists like MANDY, Devin Wild, and Hixxy couldn’t resist the urge to make their EDCLV debuts this year.
Getting back to the artists stateside, another person who pushed the scene to new heights is Lil Texas thanks to his own style of hardcore music: Texcore. He infiltrated the scene with his speedy, 200BPM hardcore music and vibrant personality, helping usher in a new wave of hard dance lovers along the way.
Lil Texas has leveraged his influence to help establish other artists like Yosuf and DEAD X, who also find themselves on this year’s EDCLV lineup. More recently in the genre’s evolution, Dragonfly (previously Oroto) created the ustempo subgenre which has torn down genre barriers, bridging the gap between bass and hard dance.
All of the twists, turns, ups, and downs in the scene have led to a bright spotlight on American Hard Dance at EDC Las Vegas.
In the past, American acts were few and far between on EDC’s wasteLAND stage. As they missed out year after year in favor of stale and safe lineups, local artists worked hard to go from undesirable to undeniable. Many of them now finally get to enjoy the fruits of their labor at EDC Las Vegas and many other festivals and events.
Besides the aforementioned artists, there are plenty of others to check out under the Electric Sky. Water Spirit, Levenkhan, and Omar Santana are a few who are bringing the hardcore madness to Las Vegas. Kreation and Darksiderz are sure to bring some hardstyle with a side of hard techno, while Clawz and Domina are set to deliver the neo rave bangers. Of course, we can’t forget about American standouts like DEATH CODE, who will bring a slice of Europe to EDCLV. Finally, hardstyle will be represented as Lady Faith and GEO round off this incredible lineup of homegrown talent.
Where will American Hard Dance go in the future?
The work is never done as improvements could be made with lineups, label releases, and more, but the past few years have delivered incredible memories and milestones to the American Hard Dance’s history.
2023 brought fans two two-day hard dance festivals with Basscon Wasteland and Basscon Bullseye! The American crowd is also growing more vocal about who they want to see on lineups, which can be attributed to the hard work of artists who put on great performances and deliver high-octane records.
The genre is in a prime position to succeed with all of the momentum behind it right now. More than anything, it’s important to remember its DIY and grassroots origins. Fans must not lose sight of where American Hard Dance came from as it continues to grow and develop established artists.
It’s easy to dismiss this genre because of its lower support relative to the grand scale of others in the mainstream side of the scene, but it plays a crucial role in keeping the spirit of the rave alive. With increased support for artists who craft vibrant tunes and explore different styles, along with the backing of dedicated fans who continue to flock to their shows and spread the gospel of American Hard Dance, this scene will grow into the giant it’s destined to be.
America has set the groundwork for a unique community that fans and artists themselves drive, and it’s up to them to put each other on and embrace the evolution of hard dance music. So if you’re looking to spice up your experience at EDC Las Vegas and escape the monotony for a moment, head to the wasteLAND stage and take in some infectious, homegrown beats. Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you’ll hate it, but at the very least, you’ll get a bite of something new and exciting that’s brewing in the US.
