If American dubstep has a capital, it can be found within Ohio’s Legend Valley for one weekend every September at Lost Lands.Excision‘s flagship festival returned for its ninth edition from September 18-20, once again transforming the rural concert grounds into a prehistoric metropolis of bass, dinosaurs and tens of thousands of headbangers.
What began in 2017 as the electronic music superstar’s ambitious vision for a dubstep festival has since evolved into an annual reunion for stateside fans of the genre.Lost Lands has become the place where dubstep’s biggest stars, ascendant newcomers, diehard fans and industry figures converge each year, all within an environment built around the music with obsessive specificity.
That identity is evident before hearing a single drop.Towering dinosaur replicas loom over pathways and stages throughout Legend Valley, giving the festival a sense of place that extends far beyond some thematic banners and branding.
Dubstep overwhelmingly dominated the weekend, but Lost Lands wisely avoided making every hour sound interchangeable.Trap, drum & bass, melodic bass and other adjacent styles were strategically woven throughout the schedule, offering moments of contrast without abandoning the vintage growls tying the festival together.
Marquee mainstage sets from ILLENIUM, SLANDER and EDM.com Class of 2024 trio Levity provided some of the weekend’s most memorable moments while Wooli, Seven Lions and ATLiens drew huge sunset crowds.A deep slate of collaborative DJ sets added another layer of novelty, including Subtronics b2b LEVEL UP as Leveltronics, ALLEYCVT b2b Crankdat as ALLDAT, Eptic b2b LYNY, Sullivan King b2b Ray Volpe and INFEKT b2b Samplifire.
Scroll to continue more from edm Levity Vow to Break North American Laser Record With New ‘Octobot’ Production Drum & bass also maintained a strong presence through artists like Bou, REAPER and Hedex, another member of our C...