Odesza | by Joe Del Tufo for WXPN | deltufophotography.com
Beats and Bass: Three artists not to miss at the inaugural Hijinx Fest
This weekend, Philadelphia plays host to Hijinx Fest at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The inaugural edition of the two-day indoor festival will feature fourteen performers spanning various genres of music, including electronic dance music and rap. The festival has been incredibly well curated, with no competing stages, so musicians won’t need to compete for ears and eyes.
While the entire lineup promises plenty of beats and bass, three artists – Bassnectar, Flatbush Zombies, and Odesza are sure to draw much of the excitement. Other anticipated performances during the festival include rapper Denzel Curry, producer and DJ RL Grime, DJ and producer Xie, electronic producer and DJ GRiZ, bass music DJ and producer Whipped Cream, and Big Gigantic.
Bassnectar, originally from the San Francisco Bay area, is a legend in the electronic music scene. He has been making music since 1996 and released his debut album in 2001. He started out by playing house shows in San Francisco, but got his break at Burning Man, playing up to seven sets a night. From there, he started playing bigger festivals such as Bonnaroo, Coachella, and Lollapalooza. Bassnectar took a break from touring to start hosting his own events and playing at festivals. In 2019 he is going to host his own festival called Deja Voom. He is very influential in the EDM scene and definitely a must see artist at Hijinx.
Unlike Bassnectar and most of the artists on the Hijinx lineup, Flatbush Zombies is a rap group from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, and includes rappers Meechy Darko, Zombie Juice, and Erick Arc Elliott. The group formed in 2010 after Elliott brought his the friends together, and in 2012 they released their first mixtape D.R.U.G.S. (Death and Reincarnation Under God’s Supervision), which brought the group a lot of attention. After the release of another mixtape and an EP, they released their debut album, 3001: A Laced Odyssey. Debuting at number ten on the US Billboard 200 chart, the album was a big success, and showcased the Zombies’ deft raps and lyrics, with one foot in old school hip-hop and another pushing the genre forward.
The Seattle, Washington duo Odesza includes Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight. Since their debut, they’ve been influential in evolving electronic music with brass sections, drum lines, their combination of soaring synth lines and super melodies, and numerous collaborations with a diverse group of singers including Leon Bridges, Regina Spektor, The Chamanas, Shy Girls, Zyra, and many others.
This music festival promises to be an exciting event. Doors open each day at 5pm and set times start at 5:30pm. Go here for tickets and more information.