The producers of HARD Haunted Mansion, HARD Summer Fest and HARD New Years are doing it again. This time, they will be pulling together another legendary multi-act bill featuring top DJs, electronic, hip-hop and trance artists on the cryptic date of Friday, March 13. Known for epic parties featuring non-stop dancing and specialized electronic sets, HARD 13 will be a continuation of the same rave phenomenon. Hosted at the legendary Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles (nearly adjacent to the USC campus), HARD 13 promises to continue the lucky streak, despite its unlucky date.
Considering the event is co-sponsored by Boyz Noise records, it is no surprise that the 24-year-old DJ will be performing at HARD 13. German-born and raised, Boyz Noise belies his stage name as he truly is only one boy who can make a whole lot of noise via his spinning and production skills. Known for his work on songs ranging from Feist to Marilyn Manson, his live show is known for its unique and unexpected unpredictability.
Boyz Noise will share the stage with Diplo, a Phillidelphia-based DJ originally discovered by M.I.A. in a bar in London. After their chance meeting, Diplo went on to tour with M.I.A. as her DJ, and then record the highly regarded "Piracy Funds Terrorism Volume 1" together. Recently, he has been recognized for his collaborative work with artists like Santogold, Spank Rock and Amanda Blank. Diplo's set promises to showcase quite a bit of balle funk, a genre of dance music found originally in Brazil.
Other notable performers include Erol Alkan, LA Riots and Destructo. Erol Alkan is a London-based DJ made famous by his trendy nightclub, Trash, which saw performances by artists like Peaches, Bloc Party and LCD Soundsystem. Los Angeles' own LA Riots is a team of two local DJs dedicated to pumping out club hits, with great success so far. With over 20 years of combined experience in the electronic music scene, the duo remixes artists such as Chromeo, VHS or Beta and Photek.
The work of these artists (and many others) will rage through the night; though doors open at 8 p.m., HARD's last scheduled set begins at 3 a.m. The outdoor stages face each other, offering pure rave-like madness that is growing to be so popular in Los Angeles. Tickets are currently $40, but may raise to $50 depending on how quickly tickets sell. Given the past events' widespread success on the rave scene (their Oct. 2008 Halloween show sold out), interested parties should get their tickets while they last. And for $125, VIP service including an open bar and line-free entry is available.
