Vancouver, BC.’s flagship electronic New Year’s Eve event, Contact Music Festival, is making a comeback after a two-year hiatus. It is the largest indoor music festival in Canada, bringing over 35,000 together to ring in the New Year, on Dec 29-30. Across two stages and extensive production by Blueprint Events, we can’t wait to celebrate its triumphant return.
With a stacked lineup, the artists this year are a great grouping for everyone to enjoy. Check out tickets to Contact Music Festival 2022 on their website, and read below for the full DMNW artist guide.
Day 1: December 29
4B
Looking for a trap set to let loose to? You’re in luck, because 4B is locked and loaded. He’s already spent over a decade in the scene, picking up support from dance music titans like Skrillex, Diplo, and DJ Snake.
If you’re something of a festival veteran yourself, you may remember the 2015 glory days when his track Pop Dat swept the nation. It continues to be a hit today, proving trap’s lengthy shelf life. Relive the glory days with 4B and get ready for a blast of a set.
Above & Beyond
Few artists have had as long-lasting an impact in the dance music scene as Above & Beyond. For over two decades, the trance/progressive house group has been releasing music and have since accumulated an international following of hundreds of thousands. Their two labels, Anjunabeats and the deep-house Anjunadeep have put some of the most recognizable names on the map, including Jason Ross, Lane 8, and even Seven Lions. In addition to their labels, they also host a weekly radio mix show, Group Therapy. At each 50-episode milestone, the show is celebrated with a live curated festival event. The PNW hosted 250 in 2019, and most recently, Los Angeles hosted ABGT 500.
Above & Beyond are frequently visiting the PNW, and have performed at the Gorge Amphitheater a handful of times. Their Weekender festival event in 2022 was the last time they’ve been through the area, although they recently teased another summer Gorge event in 2023. Grab your friends and enjoy an uplifting set surrounded by fans who will no doubt be singing at the top of their lungs to every song.
Huxley Anne
Showcasing a fantastic combination of dubstep, electronica, and trap, Huxley Anne is the perfect kind of weird for Northwest bass fans. Delivering a wide variety of bass tunes, the Los Angeles-based artist began her journey on the West Coast working in the sound department for a touring company. Now, she’s utilizing her jazz-fan roots to great effect and continues to debut performances at some of the best venues around.
James Hype
If there’s a house music DJ who’s been taking the world by storm, it just might be James Hype. Originally from England, Hype hit the pavement running with some of his R&B and rap remixes like Hotline Bling. From there, he’s played some shows at some of the biggest club scenes in Ibiza, Las Vegas, and more. If you have a friend in your group at Contact who is still on the fence of EDM but likes the hottest hits (or if you do), take them to see James Hype. You won’t regret it!
Level Up
Dubstep artist Level Up is taking off, and for good reason. In 2020 she played over 20 drive-in events, and has become a regular face on some major festival lineups. Sonya Broner has been steadily releasing on the Zeds Dead-run Deadbeats label, and continues to make heads turn with her sets packed of mashups and riddim-soaked takes on dubstep classics. Listening to Level Up live is a blast whether you’ve been a dubstep fan for a decade or for a day.
Madam Lola
A Vancouver, B.C.-based icon, Madam Lola is bound to present a show that you won’t forget. She was originally born in Iran, and began her music career after moving to Istanbul as a refugee. While in Turkey she quickly gained traction as a one-woman show, rooting in techno and melodic house genres but is careful to not limit herself to a genre. In 2015, she moved to Vancouver and has only continued to grow in popular. Madam Lola is regarded as a Vancouver LGBTQ icon, and performs regularly at Pride events. She’s also performed alongside artists like Fisher, Franky Wah, Shiba San and more.
Madeon (DJ Set)
Hugo Pierre Leclercq, better known as Madeon, is a well-known icon in the dance music community. Hailing from France and currently based in Los Angeles, Madeon began producing music when he was just 11. Sparing no time in launching a widely-successful career, he gained international recognition after a viral YouTube clip where he performed Pop Culture, a mashup of 39 songs mixed together live. In 2015, he released his first full-length album, Adventure, and more recently released his second, Good Faith, in 2019.
Both projects received massive accolades, and Madeon created an immersive visual experience for the Good Faith tour. This set will be a DJ set and feature less of the visual experience curated for the Good Faith Live tour, but is still guaranteed to dazzle. His flavor of electro-pop and house is untouchable: since age 11 he has forged his own path to success through creative and deeply layered melodies.
Matroda
Some people are destined to be musical artists, and Croatian-raised Matroda is one of them. His classical training in violins, drums, and keyboard lends itself well to his talent now as a producer. He’s sold out shows across the world and picked up a base of adoring fans along the way.
Catch a vibe, listen to some certified house anthems, and have a blast at Matroda.
Seb-C
Another Vancouver, B.C. native, Seb-C dominates the club scene across three residency slots at Celebrities, Bar None, and Pierre’s nightclubs in B.C. His blend of hip-hop and EDM attracts fans from across genres, and has supported some of the biggest EDM names, including The Chainsmokers, TIESTO, Benny Benassi, and more. Additionally, Seb-C won the 2017 Paradiso DJ competition.
Subtronics
Subtronics is a household name that almost all dubstep fans can probably recognize. The last few years paved the way for his massive success in 2022: he steadily released forward-thinking EPs and some of the most highly-anticipated collaborations with artists, including Zeds Dead, GRiZ, and REZZ. His debut album in 2022, FRACTALS, ranked fourth in Billboard’s Dance/Electronic chart. The accompanying tour had 50+ stops throughout the United States, and commenced in our very own Seattle. Dive into some weird, bone-rattling bass and have a chuckle at Subtronics’ many meme samples.
Wax Motif
Aussie Wax Motif, also known as Danny Chien, has displayed his diverse background with releases on genre-bending imprints such as Dim Mak, Mad Decent, Fools Gold, and more. Curator of House of Wax Radio, and a G-House fan-favorite, Wax Motif returns to the PNW yet again after numerous tour stops, a Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge performance, and a Paradiso 2017 slot.
Day 2: December 30
Blossom
Blossom is quickly becoming a regular name across festival lineups, and for good reasons. Raised in Phoenix, she is a classically trained musician who began at the age of two. Her interest in music continued to expand past orchestra, and she dove into electronic music production.
Blossom’s brand of electronic music pairs well with artists like Dr. Fresch and Nostalgix: a blend of bass, house, and anything in between.
Cedric Gervais
Cedric Gervais is a French DJ, producer, and actor. He’s been in the dance music scene for well over two decades, DJ’ing around clubs in both Paris and in Miami, where he still lives. Although his two full-length albums were released in 2006 and 2011, Gervais stays at the forefront of club music thanks to his heavy-hitting pop music remixes.
His remix of Lana Del Ray’s Summertime Sadness won a Grammy in 2013, well-deserved since it is an absolute anthem. He’s since followed up with a remix of Miley Cyrus’s Adore You, and even a remix for ODESZA’s Say My Name. Need we say anymore if you’ve been itching to sing your heart out to a familiar favorite?
Dombresky
Hailing from France, house artist Dombresky is also coming to the Gorge. He’s been producing music for over a decade now, finding his way into the mainstream level after an official remix of A-Trak’s We All Fall Down in 2015. Since then, he’s found his way in with Tchami, a fellow Frenchman. Together, they released Freakin‘ on Tchami’s Confessions label, which Dombresky further went on to release a host of singles and remixes.
Eli Brown
Groove with world renowned (and self-taught) house artist Eli Brown at Cotnact this year. He’s perfectly engineered to take over the house scene, with commanding beats and energy that feels both frenetic and controlled at the same time. Brown takes a stab at dark house music that can fill clubs and warehouses, and he delivers every single time throughout his expansive discography.
Loud Luxury
Formed in Ontario, Canada, Los Angeles-based duo Andrew Fedyk and Joe Depace had their Armada Music debut release in the fall of 2017. They’ll likely play that Armada release, Body, which now boasts more than 17 million plays on SoundCloud. Since their beginnings, the duo has taken off as a pop- and dance-heavy act. You won’t leave their set without enjoying yourself.
Reezy
Also based in Vancouver, B.C., Reezy is becoming a key player in the local house scene. He’s opened for artists like JOYRYDE, AC Slater, and Matroda, all of which Reezy’s sound is complementary to. The upbeat, rolling basslines ooze from his music, while he toys with recognizable vocal hooks. He also just released a guest mix for Contact Festival on the event’s SoundCloud, so listen below to get a feel for him yourself.
Steph Tsunami
Rounding out the lineup as another Vancouver local, Steph Tsunami specializes in a laundry list of genres too long to completely write out. Her most recognizable sound is house and trap, but she’ll take you on a ride of upbeat music across the gamut of electronic music.
SVDDEN DEATH
Getting busy and staying busy as events continue to open back up, SVDDEN DEATH has been leveling up his career. The Los Angeles-based artist played three times in the PNW last year, at 45 East in Portland in July, Bass Canyon in August, and Beyond Wonderland at the Gorge. We can’t wait to see what he has in store, especially after enjoying his sets during the Insomniac live stream series in 2020 and 2021. Flip the script and get wild with some demonic bass music before soaking up all the feels with your friends celebrating the New Year.
The Chainsmokers
The Chainsmokers, also known as Alex Pall and Drew Taggart, successfully made the jump to the mainstream from big room house, and are among the true superstars of EDM. They’ve performed at major festivals all over the world, worked with the biggest names in music, headlined several tours, and will likely be among the most attended sets at Contact.
Westend
There’s no shortage on this lineup of tech house, but Westend will make sure that you can’t miss out. Tyler Morris, also known as Westend, pairs methodical production with driving basslines in a masterful way. In 2021, he released a track with CID, and ranked as the tenth best selling tech house artist in 2021 on Beatport. Get up and dance with Westend to ring in the New Year celebration.
ZEKE BEATS
ZEKE BEATS is a favorite for a number of reasons. He’s competed internationally in vinyl scratching competitions, taking home fourth in the world. His talent at scratching pans up to his talent in producing and mixing, and makes for a phenomenal sound and an even more enjoyable live performance. Typically, the bass artist will scratch live during his sets, and perform insane mashups and original tracks alike. It makes for a unique experience, and shows just how creative an electronic music artist can be.
This won’t be ZEKE BEATS’s first time in the PNW, either. Although he’s from Australia, he now lives in Portland, Oregon. He’s also a staple on the festival circuit, and has performed at Shambhala and Bass Canyon, in addition to touring the local clubs in Portland and Seattle.
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