Saturday, something very strange is about to go down at Sam Houston Race Park when Something Wicked, billed as “Texas’s first ever large-scale Halloween electronic dance music festival,” takes over the grounds, subdivided into three nebulously named areas: “Shadow Field,” “Bass Massacre” and “The Experiment.”
To help our readers — and, frankly, ourselves — get a handle on what will be going on up there, Rocks Off will be bringing you a mini-guide to Something Wicked each day between right now and Friday. Stay tuned for an interview with one of the headliners, Nero, a little later on too.
Today we tackle Bass Massacre, largely the province of dubstep, the liquefied sound with the big, big bass that tends to make people lose their minds.
DJ SINIK Time: 2 p.m.
Provenance: Houston
Key Cuts: Practitioner of “Hardstyle.” Has yet to release any tracks or remixes to the Web (that we can find), but here is an 11-minute clip of Sinik at Last Concert Cafe in July 2011.
Interesting Fact: Not to be confused with the European rapper known as the “French Eminem,” this guy says he majors in “partying” at Texas Tech.
Links: Facebook
TDBZ Time: 3 p.m.
Provenance: Houston
Key Cuts: “Manipulator,” “Moonwalk,” remixes of Fugees’ “Ready or Not” and the Specials’ “Gangsters”
Interesting Fact: Often collaborates with DJ 0045, a Houston native now living in Cyprus.
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
FEATURE CUTS Time: 4:30 p.m.
Provenance: Houston
Key Cuts: “Decisions,” remixes of Damian Marley & Skrillex’s “Make It Bun Dem” and the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby”
Interesting Fact: Former hip-hop producer; promises on Facebook that his new track, dropping soon, “may instill an urge to punch llamas… please remember to not punch them.”
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
KILLSONIK Time: 5:15 p.m.
Provenance: London
Key Cuts: “Bloodlust,” “Girly,” remixes of Calvin Harris & Example’s “We’ll Be Coming Back” and Linkin Park’s “Lost In the Echo”
Interesting Fact: Duo formerly/sometimes(?) known as Chasing Shadows, favorite of BBC1 DJ Zane Lowe.
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
ZOMBOY Time: 6:15 p.m.
Provenance: Guildford, UK
Key Cuts: “Nuclear (Hands Up),” “Vancouver Beatdown,” “Game Time”
Recent Release: The Dead Symphonic EP
Interesting Fact: Former sound engineer.
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
JACK BEATS Time: 7:15 p.m.
Provenance: London
Key Cuts: “Careless,” “Hooligans,” remixes of Flux Pavilion’s “Daydreamer,” Aloe Blacc’s “Green Lights,” and Beyonce’s “Countdown”
Recent Release: Careless (mini-album)
Interesting Fact: Prolific duo goes back and forth from originals and remixes like ping pong, but crystallized their “hybrid” style with a 2007 mix of Brooklyn DJ AC Slater’s “Jack Got Jacked”
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
MODESTEP Time: 8:15 p.m.
Provenance: London
Key Cuts: “Sunlight,” “Feel Good,” “To the Stars”
Recent Release: Show Me a Sign EP; promise a remix from their upcoming album Evolution on this 2012 highlight reel.
Interesting Fact: Modestep’s Tony Terror, who started DJing at 13, trained as a tattoo artist.
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
FLUX PAVILION Time: 9:30 p.m.
Provenance: Towcester, UK
Key Cuts: “I Can’t Stop,” “Bass Cannon,” “Super Bad” (with Doctor P)
Recent Release: “Jah No Partial,” collaboration with Major Lazer
Interesting Fact: Arguably dubstep’s first pop star (sorry, Skrillex), his status was secured when Jay-Z and Kanye West sampled “I Can’t Stop” to make Watch the Throne‘s “Who Gon’ Stop Me
Links: Facebook, Soundcloud
Something Wicked begins at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sam Houston Race Park, 7575 N. Sam Houston Pkwy. W. See the festival’s Web site for anything you could possibly want to know.
Follow Rocks Off on Facebook and on Twitter at @HPRocksOff.
This article appears in Oct 18-24, 2012.
