Relive EDC New York 2014

New York is the next stop for EDC, and we can’t wait to return to the Big Apple.

In anticipation of the festival, which is going down at MetLife Stadium May 23–24, we present the best of EDC New York 2014, as experienced through the music we heard, the sights we saw and, of course, the people we met.

Musical Memories

EDC New York 2014 Live Set: Carl Cox & Loco Dice
What do you get when two underground titans test your techno threshold through a tantalizing tag-team set? If you closed out your Saturday night at EDC New York 2014 with Carl Cox & Friends, then you already know the answer. Cox and Loco Dice brought their special back-to-back set (a tradition at Carl Cox’s The Revolution Recruits closing party at Space in Ibiza) to the neonGARDEN stage. Now we bring you their live set, because something this rare deserves to be heard again and again.

EDC New York 2014 Live Set: Martin Garrix
Dutch wunderkind Martin Garrix played our kineticFIELD stage as the sun set over the first day of EDC New York 2014. With the Owl in motion behind him, pyrotechnics blazing, costumed performers flanking the stage, and thousands of kandi-clad Headliners packed in front, Garrix dropped a monster set featuring loads of hits—including, of course, his own smash single, “Animals.”

Headliner Spotlight

Meet 21-year-old Headliner José Jara, who’d been raving for just a few months but has been a fan of the music since the age of 14. We met José on the dancefloor last year, standing tall among a sea of 45,000 people.

Is this your first time at EDC?
Yes, it is—and my first festival ever.

What made you want to make EDC your first festival experience?
All the pictures and videos that I’ve seen—I was in shock watching them, and I wanted to experience all this first-hand.

What do you think?
I’ve got to say that this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me—probably one of the best things I’ve ever seen.

What makes this so special and meaningful to you?
I work as a store manager for Domino’s—I was actually the general manager when I was 20 years old—and the stress of working like 90 hours in a week got me headed down the wrong road. As of today, I’ve been sober for four months and three days.

Congratulations.
Thank you very much. Listening to EDM—the vocals, the beats, how the music can actually get into the soul and uplift your spirits—it gives me chills. I saw this quote that said, “Music is my drug, and the DJ is my supplier.” I love that. I know some people come to festivals wanting to do drugs and stuff, but this music is all you need to get you through the night. Look around: This is beautiful.

Is there one artist that resonates with you more than anyone else?
My all-time favorite DJ is Tiësto. And the twins, Nervo. I saw Nervo in Philly and was bawling my eyes out. Their song “Hold On” was a huge deal for me. I also really love hardstyle. Headhunterz is probably my third favorite DJ. I can’t wait to see them again; there’s so much energy in their set. I saw them on my 21st birthday in D.C., and it was insane.

Are you from New York?
No. I was actually born in Ecuador, South America. My family moved here when I was eight years old, to find a better life. Right now we’re living in Middletown but have lived in three different places. I lived in a small, one-mile town with less than 10,000 people, called Kingsburg, but then hurricane Sandy happened, and we lost our entire house—everything. After that, we moved into my aunt’s house in Lincroft for 14 months. A few weeks before Christmas, we got our apartment in Middletown.

If you think about EDC 20 years from now, what do you think it’ll be like? What do you hope for?
I hope the people with bad vibes and drugs stay away. I don’t have a problem with what people want to do, but here at events like this, you just end up ruining it for everyone else. I hope things are more like they are right now—but three times the size. This is not the peak of EDM music; I feel like we are at the bottom of the mountain, and we’re on our way to the highest point. We still have years to go. It’s only going to get bigger.

Photo Throwback

Check this photo gallery from EDC New York 2014, and see the incredible art, the whimsical performers, and the crowd of high-energy attendees that were all a part of last year’s event!

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