These are the opinions of the author and they do not reflect the views of WEGL 91.1 FM.
Shaky Beats, an EDM-centered music festival held at Central Park in Atlanta, Georgia, wrapped up its third installation on May 13. Electronic music enthusiasts from all over the country flocked to the event due to the festival’s electrifying headliners and its focus on showcasing a multitude of genres within the electronic community.
Herobust:
Hayden Kramer, or Herobust, is an Atlanta native who has set a precedent for what trap truly means in the Dirty South. He recently moved back to Atlanta, which made his debut at Shaky Beats even more special. Herobust’s set took place on the Piedmont Stage on Friday, which ensured a large turnout of fans who were ready to kick off the weekend. One question I had going into the set was “How much of his own music is he going to play during this set?” Many DJs use festival sets to show off their mixing skills as well as to preview music they are currently working on with other artists, but I was eager to hear more of his releases. I was far from disappointed. His set was a blend of both originals ranging as far back as 2013 while highlighting some of his well-known remixes, or “busted tracks.” Herobust also incorporated other genres of music into his set, such as rap and funk. I was pleased to hear him drop Childish Gambino’s “This is America” as well as a layering of Hero’s “Weigh Home” layered with Gambino’s “Redbone.” I had the pleasure of meeting Hayden after the set, who talked about being excited about living in Atlanta again as well as his recently-adopted dog. Overall, this was my favorite set of the weekend.
Louis the Child:
Louis the Child is a two-man group composed of Robby Hauldren and Freddy Kennett. Both of these artists are college-age, which is fun to see at music festivals. This group visited Auburn in the fall of 2017 for a fraternity party, and they have been consistently touring and releasing music for the past few years. Louis the Child has a particular sound, which made their set cohesive. This was the third time I have seen LTC at a festival, and this was one of their best sets yet. One creative aspect of their set that I liked was the visuals that their production team created. Each visual was well illustrated, and many of them had the words of the songs incorporated into them. This made the crowd that much more lively and exciting, and hearing everyone sing along as the sun set was incredible. One major highlight for me from this set was their remix to Justice’s “D.A.N.C.E.” Nostalgia set in as the crowd danced and sang each word. It will be exciting to see what Louis the Child has in store for the rest of this year.
Space Jesus:
Jasha Tull, or Space Jesus, is another artist that I’ve kept up with recently. He’s been on numerous festival lineups the past few years. He also has several sets lined up for this summer at Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Camp Bisco, Lollapalooza, and more. His set at Shaky Beats took place Friday night at the Criminal Records Stage, which was the most intimate stage at the festival. This small stage had a small visual board and was surrounded by trees, which made Space Jesus’s set even more memorable. Space Jesus works closely with the Wakaan label, which recently put out the “Convoy” compilation that features several artists from the underground bass movement. Space Jesus and Liquid Stranger collaborated on one song, “Dragonhawks,” that is featured on the compilation. I’ve been waiting for this song to come out for what feels like years, so it was fantastic to get to hear it live at Shaky Beats. Another highlight of this set was the visuals. Each visual was simple and revolved around the Space Jesus logo, but they were still interesting. I’ll be sure to see this artist again in the future.
Ookay:
This show was one that I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. Abe Laguna, or Ookay, is a electronic music artist who incorporates several genres into his sets and releases.
Abe had a a great presence on stage, and I found that this was largely due to the live production he had during his set. The colorful visuals of this set paired with all of the hits he played off of his recently-released album, “Wow! Cool Album!” made this Saturday set feel like a beach party. Ookay will be closing out EDC Las Vegas later this week as part of “The Binches” super-group where he joins Kayzo, Yultron, and Dotcom.
Excision:
I have been a fan of Excision for several years now, and I had never seen him in concert because his shows sell out quickly due to how much of a following he has. After this set, I can definitely see why. While Excision is only composed of one DJ, it is a team effort to put on what all goes into an Excision set. Each movement made by the insane visuals both in front and behind this DJ was precisely planned to fit with the rhythm of the music. Excision is known for his heavy-hitting bangers such as “Throwin’ Elbows” and “Harambe,” and hearing the crowd scream each verse of these songs was a highlight of my weekend. This set was Saturday on the Peachtree Stage, which was the largest stage at Shaky Beats. This stage was packed out with new and old Excision fans. I enjoyed this set, and I feel more inspired to see Excision in the future.
All Photo Credits: “Courtesy of aLIVE Coverage for Shaky Beats Music Festival”
