5 Must-See Acts at Countdown NYE 2017

The past 12 months have come and gone faster than many of us could have ever imagined. But if you’re anything like us, which we know you definitely are, you’re looking forward to a brighter New Year, rather than lamenting the end of 2017. And since we’re on the same vibes, you’re probably also counting down the days till we kick off the New Year at Countdown NYE 2017, our annual New Year’s Eve bash, which returns to SoCal Saturday, December 30, and Sunday, December 31, at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA.

Our 4th annual New Year’s Eve festival is going down as one of our biggest events of 2017 and one of the largest New Year’s dance music festivals in America. We’re talking inspiring art, beautiful décor, interactive activities, confetti showers, and more than 40 of the top acts in electronic music today, across three glorious stages. (PS: If you haven’t done so already, stream our official Countdown NYE 2017 playlist.)

Over the last few weeks, we’ve spent countless hours combing through SoundCloud and Spotify to put together the ultimate musical guide, featuring some of the hottest acts on the lineup, for your upcoming Countdown weekend. You can trust our ears, of course, but we encourage you to explore the many sounds at Countdown, so roam around in search of new tunes and artists.

For now, here are the five must-see acts at Countdown NYE 2017.

JAI WOLF

Saturday, December 30 @ Infinity Stage

From: NYC
For fans of: What so Not, Illenium, San Holo
Can’t-miss factor: Epic soundscapes of tear-inducing, feels-driven electronics
411: Sajeeb Saha, the man behind Jai Wolf, produces the exact type of evocative beats to perfectly soundtrack the official countdown this New Year’s Eve. His music pulls at the heartstrings and takes listeners through a rainbow of emotions while weaving together blissful sonic dreams. Saha broke through the international electronic world via his masterful Kindred Spirits EP, a powerful collection of ethereal, vocal-based cinematic gems. The EP’s breakthrough track, “Indian Summer,” quickly became Saha’s calling card and earned him a bona fide hit in the festival circuit. Today, the track counts more than 16 million streams on SoundCloud alone. Since its release in November 2016, Kindred Spirits has amassed over 100 million streams, and its tracks have been featured on TV shows like American Idol, The Mindy Project, Riverdale, and How to Get Away With Murder. This past November, Saha celebrated the one-year anniversary of Kindred Spirits with a remix EP featuring reworks of the originals from fellow promising up-and-comers like Hotel Garuda, Robotaki, Vindata, and others.
Follow Jai Wolf on Facebook | Twitter

BORN DIRTY

Saturday, December 30 @ Infinity Stage

From: London
For fans of: Billy Kenny, Chris Lake, AC Slater
Can’t-miss factor: Bouncy house-party vibes
411: Fans of Insomniac Records and our offshoot imprint IN / ROTATION are already familiar with London house-head Born Dirty. His infectious, bouncy beats have been filling the halls here at Insomniac HQ since he debuted on IN / ROTATION with “High,” alongside Cassius and JAW, back in April. Two months later, he returned with the dirty cut “Jammy Dodger,” one of the standout tracks on Insomniac Records’ EDC Las Vegas 2017 compilation. Born Dirty touts the type of flexible production chops that resonate on dancefloors around the world. It’s the main reason why every single tastemaker imprint in dance music has been eating up his tunes, including Confession, Fool’s Gold, OWSLA, Night Bass, Dirtybird, and more. Word on the street is, he’s got more heat coming on Insomniac Records for early 2018—so make sure you catch his set at Countdown for an exclusive sneak peek.
Follow Born Dirty on Facebook | Twitter

KAI WACHI

Sunday, December 31 @ Continuum Stage

From: Boise, ID
For fans of: 12th Planet, Excision, Skrillex
Can’t-miss factor: Dark and dirty bass in your face
411: “Live fast, die young” is the motto driving Kai Wachi’s aggressive bass sound. And while we don’t condone it as a lifestyle choice, it makes tons of sense from a musical standpoint. For proof, stream his recently released Die Young EP below. It’s a fast-paced journey through every flavor of bass: dubstep (“GTFU”), trap (“Cutthroats”), hip-hop (“LUVSICK”), glitch (“No Games”), and future hybrid beats (“Kismet”). Kai Wachi exploded onto the bass scene in 2012 from the faraway land of Boise, ID. Since then, he’s built a growing arsenal of bass bombs alongside the reputable Kannibalen crew. He hit the scene in full force in 2016 with his breakthrough single “RI$E,” his $KULL TEAM EP, and his mega-single “Demons.” He then kicked off 2017 as direct support on Black Tiger Sex Machine’s US tour. His set at Countdown will be the cherry on top of this hallmark year.
Follow Kai Wachi on Facebook | Twitter

KAYOH

Sunday, December 31 @ Infinity Stage

From: Baltimore, MD
For fans of: Porter Robinson, deadmau5, Flume
Can’t-miss factor: Future beats with nasty melodic bass treats
411: Kayoh is coming full-circle at this year’s Countdown. Headliners first fell in love with the newcomer when he joined the Discovery Project family at Countdown back in 2015. Since then, his star has continued to rise: Today, he counts official remixes and bootlegs for Anna Lunoe and fellow Countdown artists deadmau5 and Alison Wonderland—as well as collaborations with Gammer and Discovery Project alumnus Convex—among his accomplishments. This past August, Kayoh returned to the Insomniac family with his Elements EP for IN / ROTATION, where he fully flexed his future-leaning beat-making skills over melodic bass beauties. We’re going all-in on Kayoh: He’s guaranteed to be one of the breakout stars of 2018. Catch the rookie in action at Countdown before he makes the leap to the mainstage.
Follow Kayoh on Facebook | Twitter

DEVAULT

Sunday, December 31 @ Resolution Stage

From: Orange County, CA
For fans of: Cashmere Cat, Kaytranada, Autograf
Can’t-miss factor: Dark, emotive pop and vibrant remixes
411: While you may not recognize the name DEVAULT straight away, the dude is making serious strides toward global domination. This Orange County up-and-comer is the sonic secret weapon for today’s alternative pop stars. Already, he’s been tapped for official remixes for AlunaGeorge, Kehlani and Rihanna, the latter of whom he helped top the Billboard Dance charts with her hit single, “Sex With Me.” To date, he counts more than 10 million total streams on Spotify alone. His music obsessions stem from his early exposure to iconic artists, from Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan all the way through to his current idols, like A$AP Rocky—which explains his creative identity: “dark emotion and vibrant energy in perfect sequence,” per his official bio. Artistically, he aims to blend the worlds of fashion, film, and music into one hodgepodge of modern-day culture, a feat that comes to life via the imagery on his Instagram page. This past September, he released the impassioned single “Don’t You Want To,” featuring vocalist Ayelle, on Zeds Dead’s Deadbeats imprint. He’s upping the ante in 2018 with official and unofficial remixes of DJ Snake, Depeche Mode, and New Order, as well as a pair of debut EPs featuring the likes of Bipolar Sunshine, Allan Kingdom, and more. Keep your eyes and ears on this one.
Follow DEVAULT on Facebook | Twitter

Countdown NYE 2017 is an 18+ event taking place Saturday, December 30, and Sunday, December 31, at NOS Events Center in San Bernardino, CA. Tickets are on sale now. For more information, visit the official website.

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