International Artist Series: Meet Kaaze
April 3, 2024
April 3, 2024
Louis the Child's Musical Journey: A Tale of Old vs New
As we have been receiving transmissions from the Phoenix Sector of Extraterrestrial Communication about the lights third return, it has now shared with us the first phase of its lineup. Phoenix Lights will be delivering the most diverse lineup Arizona has seen yet, and it’s just getting started.
In April of 2017, the first group of artists that we have joining us are Above and Beyond, Alesso, Tiesto, STS9, Vince Staples, ZHU, Keys N Krates, Illenium, Oliver Heldens, Pete Tong, Thomas Jack, Coyu, Ekali, Ganja White Night, Grum, Hucci, Josh Wink, The Knocks, Pig & Dan, Robotti vs Sirus Hood, Shaun Frank, Tokimonsta, & Unlike Pluto.
Known for their production, remix work, and DJ performances and one of the most successful trance acts of the 2000’s and 2010’s is none other than Above and Beyond. The trio based in London, England stands out amongst other trance acts with their undeniable ability to give you goosbumps, even if you’re not the biggest trance fan.
Thing Called Love – Above & Beyond [Group Therapy album]
Above and Beyond has the ability to connect with anyone in the crowd due to their raw talent when it comes to making music. If you thought you didn’t like trance, there’s a chance they might just change your mind.
Connect With Above and Beyond: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Alessandro Lindblad, more commonly known as Alesso, was a DJ and dance music producer from Stockholm, Sweden. As one of the biggest mainstream dj’s in the scene, Alesso specializes in progressive house and is known for his infectious tracks like ‘Heroes,’ and ‘Cool.’
Alesso has been living in Los Angeles for some time now, and its summer ambiance seems to have rubbed off on his music. With his energy and experience, Alesso knows how to throw a party, and one you won’t want to miss.
Connect With Alesso: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Tiesto, also a huge mainstream name, will be joining us delivering his big room sounds and legendary tracks. Tiesto began as a trance artist in 1997, and as the preference of his fanbase changed over the years, transitioned into a more pop influenced big room sound.
As one of the biggest dj’s around for the longest, Tiesto has shown his great love for what he does through his numerous blowout tracks, and the smile on his face when on stage. Tiesto can dominate any main stage he steps foot on, and that’s exactly what he will do here in Az.
Connect With Tiesto: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Over the past decade since electro-rock group STS9 formed in Atlanta, they seen a meteoric rise to the forefront of the scene. Pushing boundaries is all in a day’s work for STS9. They truly do it all from headlining stages at some of the biggest and best festivals, to selling out shows around the country in opera houses and amphitheatres, to performing with Jay-Z in arenas, to running their own record label, 1320 Records, to raising significant amounts of money towards funding for their activism efforts including $150,000 this past year to The Make it Right Foundation.
STS9 spoke to Thump in an interview about how they created their sound saying: “We were doing stuff that I don’t think others were, we were challenging ourselves,” Velmer says with a smile. “Now it’s all coming back, it’s super underground again It’s fucking nuts to us.”
Connect With STS9: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Vincent Staples, better known as Vince Staples, is an American rapper from Long Beach, California. Staples os one of the first of the hip-hop artists that has joined us at festivals. He is part of the hip hop trio Cutthroat Boyz, alongside fellow Californian rappers A$ton Matthews and Joey Fatts.
Vince Staples plays a role in Flume’s ‘Smoke and Retribution,’ worked with rap icons like Action Bronson, Mac Miller and Earl Sweatshirt, and serves as one of contemporary rap’s most compelling storytellers.
Connect With Vince Staples: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
You probably know of ZHU from his moody 2014 blowout track, Faded, or “Moves Like Ms. Jackson,” a dance track made up of a medley of OutKast songs. Steve Zhu was once a fraternity member, and now he specializes in bringing mainstream levels of attention to the fast-emerging stateside deep house trend.
ZHU’s idendity remained unknown until “Faded” was nominated for a Grammy in 2014. He then shared in an interview with LA Times his name, a little bit of background, and that he serves as the main vocalist in his tracks. He shared: “Being able to have everyone focus back on music is the first step. But the second is to have influence and have people care.”
Connect With ZHU: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Turntablist JR Flo, keyboardist David Matisse, and drummer Adam Tune formed the electronic trio Keys N Krates in Toronto, Ontario in 2008. While combining a wide range of inspirations from early house music to a strain of Southern U.S. rap production, Keys N Krates deliver a unique raw trap sound and the best thing about them, they perform it as a live band.
The trio shared on their website… “We always trade roles from song to song,” explains Jr. Flo. “It’s not uncommon for Matisse to flip a sample, or for me to write a melody, or for Tune to chime in on the mixing of a track. It’s not the fastest way of working, but everyone has a say in everything.” Keys N Krates truly maintain a unique sound consisting of banging bass, hip-hop, house and UK bass music a put on an extremely entertaining show to say the least.
Connect With Keys N Krates: Website | Twitter | Facebook
For those of you who love those deep house vibes and to get your shuffle on, the king of both those things will be making an appearance. Dutch producer/dj who grabbed the attention of Tiesto in 2013 with his single ‘Gecko.’ Since then Heldens has taken over the deep house scene and began his radio seried ‘Heeldeep Radio.’
Heldens is known for his famous shuffling video’s, and occasionally hopping off stage and doing a little footwork with his fans. Heldens has continuously showed a love for his fans on his social media accounts as well as koala’s.
Connect With Oliver Heldens: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Thomas Jack is an Australian DJ and producer who refers to his summery, laid-back dance tracks as “tropical house.” Inspired by deep house as well as acoustic rock and jam bands, his tracks heavily feature live instruments, particularly saxophone, flute, piano, and guitar, and generally have a relaxed, sunny, uplifting feel.
Thomas Jack is one of the first tropical house acts to perform at one of our festivals, and I don’t know about you but I’m excited to experience some tropical vibes at Phoenix Lights.
Connect With Thomas Jack: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Named after war of Iván Ramos, Coyu is one of the most talented djs in the European music scene. Coyu is a multifaced artist as he dj’s, produces music and owner of Atypical Farm and Suara.
Coyu continues to surprise his fans with his releases on labels like Diynamic Music, Great Music, Saved, 2020 Vision and many more. He has made his mark on Suara music by helping it to become one of the most prominent labels in the world of techno and house music. The label’s resounding success has been proved by the fact it has reached #1 on both, Beatport and Resident Advisor.
Connect With Coyu: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Up next is Ekali, a Vancouver born and raised DJ with a knack for adding musical color to the world around him. His sounds are unique, with an effervescent blend of chilled out music to songs consisting of fresh bass and futuristic sounds.
When he isn’t touring, Ekali spends his time at the Red Bull Academy for Music in Tokyo, Japan, where I’m sure he has garnered inspiration for his projects to come.
Connect With Ekali: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Ganja White Night is another duo creating a soundthat differs from the rest, and this one is hard to put into words. Producing homemade and organic dubstep influenced music, they focus on a dialogue between bass and mighty melodic lines.
After experimenting with hip-hop and drum n bass, Ganja White Night grew inspired by dubstep, when they began creating ‘bass wobbling’ while staying away from the cliches. They also impliment machines, laptops, midi master keyboards, all kinds of regulators, samplers, sequencers, processing effects and ipads into their live performances, now that’s somethin’ else.
Connect With Ganja White Night: Website | Twitter | Facebook
One of the most successful producers to emerge from the disco-house scene in the 2000’s, Grum first rose to fame in 2008 with his hit single ‘Heartbeats’ before releasing a string of successful singles and remixes over the coming months and years.
Radio DJs as diverse as Annie Nightingale and Jaymo & Andy George have played his tracks, and a host of acts like Lady GaGa, Friendly Fires and Passion Pit have called on his remixing services. Grum has played everywhere from Bestival to Barcelona’s Razzmatazz and now Phoenix is lucky to have him.
Connect With Grum: Website | Twitter | Facebook
One of the biggest trap gods out there, 20 year old Hucci is also booked to perform at Phoenix Lights, and I think many trap lovers are giddy about this one.
His tracks are raw, dark, and definitely require subs in order to get the full effect. Instead of just throwing in hip hop samples and hoping they work, Hucci’s samples are carefully picked, meticulously cut, and perfectly placed within his simple and deep beats.
Connect With Hucci: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Embracing a diligent work ethic, a spiritual mindset & a self-taught mastery of dancefloor devastation using little more than a pair of turntables, Josh Wink has worked hard since 1990 to become one of the world’s most in demand purveyors of experimental, electronic, danceable music.
Wink has his hands full with djing, remixing, producing, and owning a record label. If you’re a fan of techno house, you’ll want to check him out.
Connect With Josh Wink: Wesbite | Twitter | Facebook
The Knocks is an electronic music duo consisting of Ben “B-Roc” Ruttner and James “JPatt” Patterson. They are known for their own releases on labels such as Kitsuné, Big Beat Records, Neon Gold and Atlantic Records and for their remixes featured on HypeMachine, Beatport, and various DJs’ set lists.
They are also known for their singles “Classic”, featuring POWERS, “I Wish (My Taylor Swift)” which was collaborated with Matthew Koma and “Kiss The Sky”, featuring Wyclef Jean. Their debut album, 55, was released on March 4, 2016.
Connect With The Knocks: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Another techno act joining us is Pig & Dan. In 1999 Igor met Dan on a flight to Spain and began a partnership that has now risen to a point of recognition worldwide.
Their mixture of influences has given them a sound, which is easily recognizable and seems to be loved by the masses. Pig&Dan are all about the Music, pushing that musical envelope by having a recognisable sound without boundaries, plus are renowned for supplying the crowd with a unique smiley faced experience to remember.
Connect With Pig & Dan: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Introducing an exciting back to back joinging the party, is Robotti vs Sirus Hood. To pinpoint Sacha Robotti’s sound isn’t easy, although one can clearly recognize his signature in everything he creates. His music could be described as meandering between the dirty bassheavy plains of electronic dance music and its’ futuristic shores. It is funky, has an experimental edge, uses a palette of rich sounds and tells a story with layers upon layers of depth and emotion.
Connect With Robotti: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Sirus Hood is a French artist who grew up in Paris. From the age of 10 years old when older friends would pass him mixtapes recorded in underground clubs of the time, he imagined an amazing world, dark but with flashing colours.
His music is influenced widely from classic New York House to the 80s’ Chicago Hip House movement from warehouse / loft parties to the whole Balearic sounds of Ibiza.
Connect With Sirus Hood: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Shaun Frank started collaborating in the electronic dance community in 2012, working on releases with artists such as Arty, Nicky Romero, Dyro, Glenn Morrison, Lush & Simon, 3LAU, Carl Nunes and Marien Baker. In just a short period of time these collaborations skyrocketed into the charts, leading to more requests for Shaun to participate in projects for Dim Mak, Armada, EMI Music, Universal, Parlophone and many more.
Several of his tracks have already reached top 40 positions on Beatport. Shaun’s biggest track is still going strong: the single “Unbreakable” which he recorded with Spanish DJ/producer Marien Baker is still trending on Electronic and radio charts around the world.
Connect With Shaun Frank: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Tokimonsta takes her name from “Toki,” the Korean word for rabbit, and the hyperbolic hip-hop term “monsta.” Similarly, Tokimonsta makes beats that are beastly enough in scope to compete with big hitters like Flying Lotus and Daedelus.
Also known as Jennifer Lee, Tokimonsta is known for her unique take on indie electronic/r&b/dance music. Her classical upbringing and eclectic music taste has allowed her to create vast textural soundscapes, and she was named #1 DJ in Los Angeles in 2010. Catch her set at Phoenix Lights to find out why.
Connect With Tokimonsta: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Unlike Pluto began playing the piano at the age of 5, and experimented with just about every instrument as he grew up. He then began digging deeper into the genre pool starting with rock to screamo to pop and most recently, electronic/dance music.
Unlike Pluto is a new comer to the scene but that doesn’t stop him from attracting a massive fan base worldwide. After being included in Billboard’s “Dance artists to watch”, 2016 began prominently for Unlike Pluto, and one can only imagine what else he has in store.
Connect With Unlike Pluto: Twitter | Facebook | SoundCloud
Up next a very exciting addition to the list of our phase one artists, is Illenium. There are melodic bass producers, and then there’s Illenium. He reigns as king of melodic bass/dubstep as his approach to the genre simply stands out amongst the rest.
The Denver based producer has stolen the hearts of many with his immersive and emotional tracks. This will be his second appearance at Phoenix Lights Festival!
Connect With Illenium: Website | Twitter | Facebook
There are few individuals in the world of dance music who can claim the kind of influence Pete Tong has had over the last twenty years. As the voice of Radio 1’s prestigious dance programming, Pete has held a commanding presence over the industry for more than two decades.
His unique position has earned him a reputation as the global ambassador of dance music. With an unparalleled ear for new talent, Tong has become the leading tastemaker of the electronic generation. While he’s known publicly as Pete Tong the DJ, behind the scenes, he’s an industry icon.
Connect With Pete Tong: Website | Twitter | Facebook
Get your tickets to Phoenix Lights now at PhoenixLightsFest.com
