A Saturday on Treasure Island has no comparison. There’s the Golden Gate. There’s the city skyline. Purple mountain’s majesty to your rear. The freshest, most relevant dance music soundtracking your day and night. There’s another day of buzzworthy music to follow. Heaven can’t be far off.
There’s really no need to question any of the acts in this superbly curated festival, but we’re happy to explain why the names on the top of the bill are where they are. Here’s the deal:
Girl Talk
Greg Gillis returns to Treasure Island Music Festival having solidified his place as one of the most reliably fun dance DJs on the planet. It’s really no stretch to say he’s the most successful mashup artist the world has ever seen; his five hook-collage albums have all been wildly celebrated, liberally distributed and shared across these here interwebs, and he’s probably pumped more fist than any other living being. He’s basically a one-stop shop for your party’s dance mix. Just call up his name on Spotify and you’re set for the night. Or stay for the closing act at T.I. and let him turn your night into something obnoxiously fun.
Porter Robinson
DJ wunderkind Porter Robinson has risen to the fore of the international electro scene and he’s not even old enough to buy a drink at one of his own shows. The 20-year-old Chapel Hill, N.C. native has, among others, caught the eye of señor Skrillex, who signed Robinson to his OWSLA label last year. He’s a breath of fresh air to EDM purists, who are looking for a savior not named Skrillex or Deadmau5 to introduce their beloved brand of music to the mainstream. His build-ups are longer and longer and …wait for it….more satisfying. Same goes for his breakdowns. In brevitus, it’s less science, more art. Go figure.
SBTRKT
Who or what SBTRKT is is missing the point, at least in his opinion. The London-based producer/DJ is all about the music, and would prefer his identity not distract from the music. We know his name — Aaron Jerome — but he gives little fuel to the media fire. Those who write about such things seem to be intrigued, and some have called him this decade’s Timbaland, lofty but not inappropriate words.
Tycho
It’s about damn time this San Francisco sound and mood manipulator got a stage like this to stand on. Scott Hansen, aka Tycho, has been earning kudos for years ‘round these parts. He still exists happily under the radar, where his sonic permutations are free to explore uncharted territory. His 2011 album Dive deserves the attention of anyone in search of forward-thinking electronic music born and bred locally.
The Presets
Here’s what you need to know about The Presets: They’re Aussies. There’s two of ‘em. They sound like the Faint. Sometimes they play techno, sometimes rock, sometimes pop, sometimes electro, but it’s always pretty damn fun. Not certain they deserved this type of billing at the festival, but they’ll get hips shaking. That’s pretty much it.
To see Sunday's seven best acts at this year's Treasure Island Music Festival, click here.
