Headstash

Electric Forest 2012: Review From A-Z

Photo Credit: Casey Flanigan

From the moment the gates opened and excitable patrons rushed through security to the inevitably groggy tearing down of tents and canopies, Electric Forest 2012 was a surreal and amazing festival that left everyone with at least a few everlasting memories.

Between the intense music, the performance art, the visual spectacles and that magical forest, the event was completely sensory overload for four days as String Cheese Incident, STS9, Bassnectar, Big Gigantic and many more rocked attendees with sets that will be talked about for months.

Since we’re all still recovering from the tremendous festival, let’s simplify things and channel our inner Bert and Ernie, going through the alphabet with the most noteworthy, talked-about and wild occurrences of Electric Forest 2012.

Check out our daily coverage from the grounds in our Electric Forest 2012 Festival Guide or click on the links below:

Day 1 Review - Conspirator, Beats Antique, EOTO, Wolfgang Gartner, Borgore
Day 2 Review - String Cheese, STS9, Quixotic, Steve Aoki, Brother's Past
Day 3 Review - String Cheese, STS9, Zoogma, Santigold
Day 4 Review - String Cheese, Bassnectar, Big Gigantic, Papadosio, Inspired Flight

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A – Aoki

Finishing things off on the Tripolee Stage on night two was world-renowned DJ Steve Aoki, who kept things light and danceable with a set full of fan-favorites and familiar covers. The highlight was his drawn out remix of Kid Kudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness,” where he prompted some genuine crowd participation.

Though he did spend a lot of time standing on his table, in front of his table or crowd surfing in a blow-up rowboat, the set was some mindless fun and a nice way to blow off some steam after a day of intense music. Deadmau5 does have a point, though – Aoki wasn’t doing too much up there on stage besides hyping the crowd. But he did that pretty well.

Photo Credit: Casey Flanigan

B – Bassnectar and Big Gigantic

With only one letter ‘B,’ you can’t really just pick one, as these electronic heavyweights played back-to-back sets to cap off day four. First up, Bassnectar rocked the crowd with drops that occurred literally every 25 seconds. Glow sticks flew by the hundreds as Lorin Ashton pounded the crowd with the most forceful bass I’ve ever heard – a true testament to the audio production of the festival.

Over on Sherwood Court, Big Gigantic closed out the festival and nearly had to be pulled off stage with a wooden hook as the audience clamored for more. They raced through popular mainstays like “Lucid Dreams” and “Sky High,” new favorites like “Nocturnal” and “It’s Goin’ Down” and remixed of Kanye West’s “Get ‘Em High” and Waka Flocka Flame’s “Hard in the Paint.”

The combination of sultry sax, accelerating drums and heavy electronic bass makes for a truly inspired and imitable dance party. Dom Lalli and Jeremy Salken kept the crowd’s energy at fever pitch despite the typical weariness of day four setting in.

You could tell the duo was really feeling the event – they’d been there since day one just bouncing around and taking in the sights.

C – “Circus”

Arguably STS9’s most beloved and beautiful song, David Murphy came on the mic and thanked the crowd profusely before ending their encore on night two with this little ditty. The crowd ate it up, dancing like wild and clutching their partner in crime closely.

They opened with it at Rothbury 2009 and closed with it in 2012. Full circle and just what the doctor ordered.

D – David Murphy

Speaking of Murph, he was certainly the MVP of STS9’s two sets despite his sometimes-goofy crowd hyping (But who can blame him? The guy beat cancer and loves being alive and playing music.)

Clutching his bass for nearly the entire second show, he dropped bombs during “Kaya” and “Inspire Strikes Back,” utilizing a more tribal and rough tone. He really took the reigns during each song and made his presence felt.

Photo Credit: Casey Flanigan

E – EOTO

Jason Hann and Michael Travis hit the stage earlier than their SCI counterparts with a night one set that featured quasi-covers of Ludacris’ “How Low (Can You Go)” and LMFAO’s “Shots.”

The all-improvisational group really stepped it up with Travis playing guitar masterfully, adding a nice melodic element to the looping dubstep. The highlight had to be a dark and brooding “In The Air Tonight.” The Phil Collins track may have come out before most in attendance were born, but the sentiment was all-too-appropriate.

F – Fireworks

Being the weekend before Fourth of July, fireworks – though explicitly not allowed into the grounds – were abundant. A somewhat welcome sight at night at the campgrounds from afar, they certainly weren’t appreciated in the wee hours of the morning or in the middle of the crowd. Leave it to the professional pyromaniacs next time.

G – Girls

Whether donning glowing LED attire or tight green dresses that hugged their curves in all the right places, the women (and men for that matter) at Electric Forest were dressed to impress.

Photo Credit: Ben Slayter

H – Hammocks

Though they were tough to grab because it seemed there was a napping patron in there 24/7, those hammocks in the middle of the forest are the perfect way to relax before, during or after a long day.

I – Inspired Flight

One of the lesser-known bands on the bill, Inspired Flight was also the sleeper performance of the weekend. Combining old-school record scratching with indie guitar and soulful lyrics, this California duo is as creative as they are innovative. It’s thoughtful and poetic and gives you the ability to rage, dance, relax or chill. One song blended classical music with Wu Tang – what else do you need to hear?

J – Jay-Z

HOV was big in the forest with Big Gigantic remixing “Dirt Off Your Shoulders” and Crizzly putting his own spin on “Niggas In Paris.” The latter rocked the tiny Wagon Wheel stage on night two until 4:00 a.m. with a nice blend of hip-hop and pop remixes.

Photo Credit: Tobin Voggesser

K – Kids

We know what you’re thinking: a really young crowd plus electronic music equals a less than desirable crowd experience. But that just wasn’t the case.

Electronic music fans get a bad reputation for being crass and inconsiderate, but most of the people at EF were well-behaved and kind. The good vibes of Sherwood Forest permeated throughout.

L – LEDs

From the Tripolee Stage to Bassnectar and STS9’s massive set up to EOTO’s Lotus flower, LED screens and 3-D mapping is the way of the future with lighting. Expect more videos and graphics in the future rather than your classic sweeping cans.

M – Michetti

Channeling Jimi Hendrix, Conspirator’s Chris Michettii’s take on “Fire” was the highlight of a raging set. The Disco Biscuits side-project turned real deal turned in one of the best performances of the weekend with electronic music from all over the board – heavy bass, ethereal synth, Asian-inspired, flowery dance, etc.

Whether it was fast or slow, Aron Magner held it down on the keys while Michetti and Marc Brownstein dueled. Michetti stood out near the end with some straight ripping guitar.

Photo Credit: Matt Urban

N – NiT GriT

Regardless of whether you love or hate dubstep – because it seems there are very few in between – everyone had to be impressed with this young gun’s production skills. Dynamic doesn’t even begin to explain how all over the place each song was.

His music should be classified as machine gun dubstep – a blistering pace with constant synth assaults as fast as the firing of a weapon. Each track must take forever to fully develop. One unmastered track had some solid string instrument work that was coupled with heavy bass, showcasing the versatility and vastness of his sound.

The set had people going wild, prompting one fan who was stomping the ground hard to exclaim, “That’s how dubstep should be!”

O – Ornate

From the fabric patterns to the costumed mimes, everything in the forest was intricately detailed. Nothing was overlooked and they obviously spared no expense.

P – Papadosio

For their day set, the livetronica quintet played a more docile and spiritual set rather than a raging one with the sun beating down on the large group of festivalgoers. The music had a nice healing quality to it and seemed to regenerate the crowd.

Photo Credit: Tobin Voggesser

Q – Quixotic

This group was bound to get this spot regardless, so it’s a good thing they happened to throw down one of the best sets of the weekend. With amazing visuals like Day-Glo painted dancers, acrobats, laser pointed gloves, masks and other accessories, this was an experience, more than merely a show.

Maybe the coolest part was that the dancers stayed in character the entire time. As they peered into the crowd (who were just inches from them on the stage), they didn’t smile, opting to remain true to the emotion and feel of the set.

The music itself would have been great enough on its own merit even if it weren’t exacerbated by the other aspects. Much like Beats Antique with an even more worldly feel. The lithe dancers and the electric violinist made for a truly surreal moment.

R – Reimaginings

It wouldn’t be right to call them merely “covers.” The Soul Rebels put a brass spin on Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Conspirator performed the aforementioned “Fire” by Hendrix and Zoogma paid homage to their Southern roots with an organic version of Three 6 Mafia’s “Stay Fly.” Creativity was abound in the forest.

S – Sherwood Forest

Not much needs to be said about the magic of the forest. There was so much going on and the lighting was just exquisite. There were jugglers, performers, stilt walkers, art exhibits and more at your fingertips. Even the pictures don’t really do it justice.

Photo Credit: Tobin Voggesser

T – The String Cheese Incident

Festival hosts played a solid three nights with bluegrass, roots rock, electronic, dub-inspired and dance tunes that could catch the ear of anyone in attendance – no matter their preferences. Standout versions of “Texas,” “Let’s Go Outside” and sit-ins from Dom Lalli, Keller Williams and Rob McCoury made this weekend one Cheeseheads will not soon forget.

U – Unofficial vendors

Slinging shirts, pins, posters and whatever else they can create, it’s nice to see artists of all kinds getting their work seen by the masses and making a living doing what they’re passionate about.

V – Vendors

Gotta show love to the official vendors, too. There were some awesome booths selling art, clothing and various trinkets. The guys from CrowdsEye were posted up near Ranch Arena, too, promoting their online scavenger hunt. Check out their website for more information on how you can enter and win tickets to Electric Forest 2013.

Photo Credit: Matt Urban

W – Womp

It is Electric Forest after all. Acts like Borgore, Wolfgang Gartner and Major Lazer brought the heavy bass day or night and had people rocking to the beat.

X – X-Ray vision

By the end of this festival, you’d been back and forth so many times through the green-lit forest, you felt like you could see through the trees.

Y – You

Electric Forest was amazing in large part because of the crowd reception. Everyone in attendance made the event even more special.

Z – Zoogma

Guitarist Brock Bowling stood out during Zoogma’s set with some amazingly versatile guitar playing. Switching from metal to funk to trance in an instant, his energy was infectious and the band fed off him all afternoon.

The organic, DJ inspired electronic music was impressive and the song construction advanced. Look for big things from these guys in the future.

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What did you think of Electric Forest 2012? Let us know in the comments below . . .