Camp Bisco 12 Proves That A Diverse Lineup Is Key To A Well-Rounded Festival Experience

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a month since the grounds of Indian Lookout Country Club were alive and humming with the neon electricity of Camp Bisco 12. In the waning weeks of the summer, as the nights begin to cool and the days grow shorter, I like to step back and reflect on all of the EDM-influenced experiences the season afforded me.

CB12 played a key role this year; it’s the type of festival that I eagerly await for months, and one I plan the rest of my summer around. To me, Bisco’s vibe is incomparable to any other Northeastern music gathering. The CB experience isn’t based on an overabundance of overbooked headlining acts plastered across a flashy flier. It’s all about the positive vibes that transpire over three days of dancing to quality music from across the electronic spectrum. Every year they effortlessly prove that the key to a well-rounded festival experience is a diverse lineup that educates just as much as it entertains.

Once a year, I look forward to camping next to people I’ve never met for 72 hours. I enjoy learning about them, exploring their musical tastes, and sharing a brand new experience with them. Aside from being able to express myself with no fear of judgement, there isn’t anything better about Camp Bisco than being able to kick off a friendship at any moment.

It’s easy to understand why people have dedicated their time to attending Bisco since 1999. Since the festival’s inception the music industry has changed dramatically, but the curators have managed to adapt to changing trends while remaining true to their original vision. For starters, this year’s lineup saw the integration of classic jam bands and trap music producers. If you’d told me a few years ago that genres this diverse would grace the same stages at a festival I wouldn’t have believed it, but they were an integral part of the weekend at CB12.

Trap game-changers like RL Grime, Heroes x Villains, Grandtheft, and UZ fired off explosive 808’s backed by hi-hats and snare rolls while The Disco Biscuits – along with STS9, Umphrey’s Mcgee and Lotus – brought countless hours of exciting, improvisational jamtronica. That being said, if you attended Camp Bisco for the first time this year only planning on indulging in the music, you did yourself a great disservice. Many people fail to realize how much this festival has to offer.

From extensive workshops – which included yoga, gloving lessons, meditation, hooping, and more – to an entertaining game center, it wasn’t hard to keep myself entertained even when I wasn’t in the mood for music. I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Camp Bisco’s signature extracurricular event: Color Wars. This year’s schedule was flooded with activities like volleyball, basketball knockout, dance-offs, egg toss, musical chairs, and tug of war. Don’t worry if you missed out this year, there’s always next year.

The Layout

While twelfth installment of Camp Bisco saw multiple changes compared to previous years, the most notable one was the venue’s layout. The B.I.G. tent, Label Tent, and Main Stages were much closer to each other, but still far enough to prevent significant sound bleed. Instead of having to exit and re-enter the venue between the tents and the main stages to catch a set you wanted to see, you only had to walk about a hundred yards at most. This rearranging also meant the campgrounds were extended, and depending on your tent location, the walk to the venue could potentially be a long one. The Silent Disco remained in the middle of things, as did the public showers and most of the vendors. To be honest, I wasn’t a fan of all this change at first – it was only after a few hours it started to grow on me.

The Music

As is the case with any major music festival, everything at CB12 didn’t go off exactly as planned. There were several scheduling and production-related complications that moved artists to other stages and time slots or, in a few cases, canceled entire performances. These complications were due in part to the horrid weather that the Indian Lookout Country Club received in the month prior to the festival – an over-saturation of the soil lead to an overabundance of mud throughout the grounds.

Word around the festival after several early Saturday main stage acts were cancelled was that Bassnectar’s low end sound had caused the stage to sink several feet into the muddy ground; while I can neither confirm nor deny these rumors, if they’re true that’s pretty badass. Although acts like Alvin Risk and Animal Collective didn’t perform – both due to extenuating circumstances out of Camp Bisco’s control – we received a surprise live set from Thievery Corporation, which more than made up for the absences.

Overall I applaud Bisco’s coordination and response to these unpredictable scheduling incidents. Any negatives aside, this year’s lineup was absolutely stunning. My personal scheduling decisions were extremely difficult, and at the festival I found myself floating around to different stages more often than I would have liked. Below you will find my day one, two, and three highlights. Feel free to share with us your favorite sets or over all experience with us on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comment section below.

My Thursday Highlights

I official kicked off Camp Bisco 12 with Cosby Sweater, a group that features Joel Cummins of Umphrey’s McGee. All together they brought a fresh style to their performance. I was raised on rock ‘n’ roll, and jazz, so to hear the two so gracefully intertwined set day one off to a fantastic start. The soul-shredding saxophone tracks along with deep melodic progressions overtook my brain and got my feet moving. I had originally stumbled upon these guys on Soundcloud, and after hearing their unique take on Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” I knew I couldn’t miss their set.

Seven Lions was next on my must-see list and he performed during the OWSLA vs Boys Noize B.I.G. Tent takeover. His set was filled with beautiful melodies alongside deep wobbles, intertwined to perfection. Records like “Fevers”, “Still With Me”, and “Days To Come” were on my wishlist and as each entered the mix my emotions ran high. Seven Lions is one of the few artists on the circuit today continually pushing musical boundaries, especially within the dubstep genre. His passion was evident during his set and I’m really looking forward to catching him spin again soon.

Directly after Seven Lions, I was torn between seeing RL Grime and Flux Pavilion, so I decided to split their time slots. I danced elbows up at the Label tent to RL Grime’s ridiculous beats for around an hour. He played a lot of new records off of his “High Beams” EP, setting off collective gasps from the crowd every second or third new drop. This may be a bold statement, but I personally think that his set was the most entertaining trap set of the entire festival. Grime’s mixing was extremely clean, and his stage presence and energy alone had me leaning and rocking to every 808.

Once I moved my presence back to the B.I.G tent for the middle of Flux my energy was through the roof. The sun was just setting and the blissful orange sky illuminated every open section of the tent. Up until Camp Bisco 12 I had never seen Flux throw down, so needless to say I was very excited. He read the crowd perfectly, and they reacted to every tune as if it was their first time hearing it. From what I heard his set was everything I had expected, and more. Just when I thought his track selection couldn’t get any better, he continued to wow the B.I.G Tent by dropping throwbacks like “Gold Dust”.

Flux later jumped on stage with Dillon Francis who was set to close out day one alongside Boys Noize. I wasn’t very impressed with Dillon’s set; in my opinion it featured far too much trap and not nearly enough risks. From an artist whose unique take on moombahton skyrocketed him to popularity in the first place, the choices he made just felt lazy. Last year he played easily the best moombahton and dubstep infused mix I had ever heard, so this drop in quality was quite disappointing.

My Friday Highlights

Friday morning I woke up unusually late, my body thanking me for the extra rest. Festival pro-tip: get as much sleep as you can, when you can; full-weekend stamina is hard enough as it is to maintain, and while the urge to just stay up all weekend may be strong, your body will thank you when you get to catch all the music Saturday night.

The first artist I had the pleasure of checking out was Popeska, who played records off of his “Sonder” EP and properly prepared me for Clockwork’s electro house madness. First let me say this: Henry Steinway, also known as Clockwork and RL Grime, is an incredible artist. I still can’t get over how talented he his in the studio and behind the decks. Every record he played, under both monikers, was perfectly placed in the mix he was creating. When he took the stage as Clockwork on day two at five o’clock sharp, his personally crafted VIP’s and original tunes such as “Surge” and “Tremor” shook the tent.

Day two was probably my favorite day of the entire festival, mainly because of my personal schedule. After Popeska and Clockwork, I wasn’t sure it could get much better (spoiler alert: I was wrong). After interviewing Wolfgang Gartner for an official Camp Bisco artist spotlight article I was eager to hear what he had in store for CB12. His sets are known for their creativity and originality, and I expected to hear a lot of his music as well as special unreleased Kindergarten Records material. While he played a few records I was unfamiliar with, he stuck to his guns by mixing in his personal cut of Popeska’s “The New Kings”, “We Are The Night”, and his collaboration with deadmau5, “Channel 42”. There was never a dull moment. Before closing out his set he grabbed a microphone and quickly thanked the crowd, which may have been somewhat out of character but in the moment felt appropriate and classy.

From just after Wolfgang’s set to just before 9:30, my friends and I took a break to fuel up and rest our feet. Having seen Bassnectar on numerous occasions I knew we would need it. I had been hyping up this set in my head for months and months but – in true Bassnectar fashion – it turned out nothing like I expected. “Chilled-out craziness” is probably the best way I can describe it. Records like Nectar’s “Feeling Good” remix, “Voodoo”, “Upside Down” and a very heavy drum version of “Wipeout” by Surfaris fueled our journey. I’ll admit that Bassnectar didn’t throw down my favorite mix ever, but I still really enjoyed it. I just wish it were a little heavier and darker.

Trap music made a massive statement at Camp Bisco 12 and Baauer’s rowdy set added to its hype. The “Harlem Shake” makes an appearance at every festival at least two times. However there is something extra special about its creator unleashing it under a massive, full-to-bursting tent. I raged to it with arms flailing uncontrollably, and then I raged to it again as he span the track back and anticipated yet another explosive roar from the crowd. Throughout Baauer’s set I heard very few original recordings, but his mixing proved that he’s a talented DJ and I’m sure the rest will come in time.

After Destriod’s performance I couldn’t mentally or physically convince myself to see Lotus or Aeroplane, it was just to taxing on my body. Their equipment took a significant amount of time to set up and I could tell that fans were getting annoyed. Once all three armor covered members hit the stage mosh pits ensued left and right. Listen, I’ve been to my fair share of Hollywood Undead, Hawthorne Heights, Aiden, and Silverstein shows but never in my life have I been a part of such a physical crowd. I tried to dance while focusing on the jaw-dropping scene of KJ Sawka drumming on his extensive drum set while Excision and Downlink hammered away on MIDI-guitars but it was rather difficult. If you get the chance to see Destriod I highly encourage you too, however stand in the back if you don’t feel like being attacked.

My Saturday Highlights

Day three of Camp Bisco 12 rolled around way quicker than I’d have liked. I felt like I had just begun my adventure, but I was prepared to make the best of what was left. This year I was traveling with a bunch of C.B. newbies and surprisingly their energy was thriving. We started out dancing under the B.I.G. Tent while Audrey Napoleon dropped bomb after bomb. She definitely put on one of the cooler early afternoon sets, throwing down hard despite the heat. After hitting the boutiques – which featured plenty of interesting products – and grabbing some lunch, we posted up back under the B.I.G. Tent in preparation for HeroBust followed by Heroes & Villains.

HeroBust played records off of his “Throw That” EP along with a flurry of personal edits. I was really feeling his stage presence; his energy complimented the records he was mixing and he kept the crowd’s attention effortlessly for a full hour. Heroes & Villains vied with RL Grime for my favorite trap flavored performance of the weekend. With very little action on the stage, they let the music speak for itself. We heard everything from their “LRAD” and “Bugatti” remix to their brand new cut of Mt Eden’s “Airwalker” – easily my current favorite record. Their productions are crisp and translated very well on a world-class sound system. This was my first time watching the duo throw down and it won’t be my last.

The hardest discussion I had to make all festival was whether to see Congorock or Zeds Dead. I flipped a coin, which resulted in me hitting the Main Stage versus the B.I.G. tent. Although I wasn’t all that close to the stage, Zeds Dead’s sounds still echoed forcibly through the crowd. Their edited, “meow” version of “Ratchet” was a fan favorite along side their remix of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”. An hour and fifteen minute time slot wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy me. My fellow writer Deanna Krolowitz best expressed the feeling of solidarity that I experienced amongst the crowd, “When they ended their set with ‘By Your Side’ I swear it was only me and the beautiful bass washing over me.”

Toward the end of the evening my schedule read; Crizzly, Gramatik, Dirtyphonics, Tommy Trash, Madeon. I had spent most of my day under the B.I.G. Tent and I wasn’t planning on going anywhere else. When Crizzly took the decks he broke the vibe down to support his hard-hitting hip-hop beats and whopping bass. His set reminded me of his “Back 2 Da Streets” mixtape. It consisted of his “F*ckin Problems”, “Thift Shop“, and “Chain Hang Low” remixes. His timeslot didn’t wow or surprise me in any way, but he put on a quality show so I can’t complain.

Gramatik followed up with funky sounds that were supported by white smoke and epic lasers. Hearing his remix of Bassnectar’s “Dubuasca” was the highlight of my night. I was really feeling worn out at around eleven o’clock, so I chose to groove to the nasty drum and bass waves of Dirtyphonics from a seated position to the side of the stage. Charly, Thomas, Pitchin, and Pho put on a very memorable live performance. They pulled out records from their “Irreverence” album and broke them down in style.

It wasn’t long before Tommy Trash graced the mixer. I supported myself with the barricade at the front of the stage. It was late, people were tired, and the tent wasn’t as packed as I had expected. Trash’s beats sent electronic pluses throughout my body, which was the only thing keeping me awake. After two days of raging I could barely stand – in hindsight I probably should have placed more focus on pacing myself.

Tommy didn’t share my exhaustion in the slightest, throwing down banger after banger with perfect selection. He even played a brand new record that he had produced on the car ride to the festival. It was the perfect opener and set the tone for the rest of the night. Tracks like “Monkey See Monkey Do” and “Sunrise” soundtracked our journey. His more emotional stuff like “Ladi Dadi” and “Reload” invoked gigantic, moving sing-a-longs. When Tommy Trash walked off Madeon almost instantly took over.

He wasted no time hammering away on his Novation Launchpads. I must have heard at least seventy records by the end of his mix, mostly live edits. His skills both on stage and in the studio are unparalleled. It’s extremely comforting knowing that he’s still amongst the upcoming generation of electronic talent. At such a young age he’s already made a massive impact on our culture, and I couldn’t have asked for a better artist to close out my Camp Bisco 12 experience. At the end of his set he took the microphone and thanked everyone for being a part of the craziest show he’d ever played.

My Conclusion

Camp Bisco has such a meaningful history; in my opinion, it can’t be compared to any other festival. The culture, the vibe, and the experience is extremely unique and specific to the people who create it every year. This is surely a festival every electronic music fans needs to try out at least once. One time is all it takes to fall in love with its stunning atmosphere. With twelve years in the books, the curators of Camp have proven that a quality festival experience is more than a lineup staked with EDM’s heaviest hitters.