Tickets
This weekend marks the 17th annual Voodoo Music & Arts Experience, taking place each year on or near Halloween weekend at New Orleans’ City Park. Voodoo is known for combining the incredibly diverse culture, history and mystique of New Orleans with modern art installations, amusements and eclectic lineups of the very best of the rock, rap, indie, metal, and dance genres, among many more. This year’s lineup is particularly dance heavy, and is concentrated with enough variety from several of the different sub-genres to please all ranges of fans. With that said, here are EDMTunes’ top five dance artists you won’t want to miss at Voodoo 2015.
Jack U
The year of Jack U rolls on. It seems that the consensus among the dance music community is that the duo of Skrillex and Diplo have won 2015. First came the album, then the legendary debut performance at Ultra, and more recently, they won the MTV EMA for ‘Best Collaboration‘ for their production of ‘Where Are U Now‘ featuring Justin Bieber. Taking the stage at 8:30 on Le Plur stage on Voodoo’s first night, the duo will take you on an early evening rollercoaster ride perfectly suited to help you carry your energy deep into the New Orleans night as Halloween approaches.
Jauz
While everyone seems to be focusing on the meteoric rise to fame of 19-year-old Martin Garrix, we have another youngster in our midst experiencing a similar rise, but without the mainstream appeal of Garrix. Jauz is 21-year-old Sam Vogel, and has already been recognized by some of the heaviest hitters in the industry—including the two fellas mentioned above—who will perform on the same stage just a few hours after he does. Jauz’s summer breakout hit ‘Rock the Party‘ was seemingly played by every DJ on all of the biggest festival stages around the world, and he has already been recruited by Knife Party to be a part of the official remix package for their unreleased upcoming single ‘Plur Police.’
Duke Dumont
When you think of a music festival on Halloween night, Duke Dumont’s music is not the first thing that will come to mind. However, that’s exactly what you will find on Le Plur stage at 9:05pm on October 31st. The English producer behind hits such as ‘I Got U’ and the more recent ‘Ocean Drive’ will provide some downtempo variety versus some of the heavier dance acts that are found on day one.
Steve Angello
The former member of Swedish House Mafia was a late but welcome addition to the Voodoo lineup. Nowhere else on the lineup will you find the uplifting variety of progressive house that Angello delivers flawlessly every time he hits the decks. Unfortunately, his set time overlaps with the next guy on our list, but considering the reputation and experience Angello carries with him, he should have no problem gathering one of the biggest crowds of the weekend.
ZHU
While ZHU’s identity was revealed long ago, the Californian artist still has an aura of mystery. Having just released his six-song Genesis Series, ZHU’s set at Voodoo will undoubtedly feature a ton of brand new music. ZHU is doing something very different than most producers out there, and it should make for a very interesting and unpredictable set.
Honorable Mentions: Eric Prydz & Deadmau5
Eric Prydz fans would strongly argue that 2015 was in fact Prydz’ year, not Jack U’s. Having released 3 huge EPs as well as signing on with Beats 1 for his own radio show, Prydz has kept, if not strengthened, his reputation as one of the most consistent producers around.
Deadmau5 needs no introduction. The Canadian producer will close out this year’s festival, presumably bringing with him his ‘Dome’ stage setup that he has been using at festivals since its debut this summer at The Governor’s Ball in New York.
