It’s been per week since Escape Halloween took over the NOS Occasions Middle for its twelfth version, and like most issues Insomniac, the competition simply received greater and higher. That includes mind-blowing manufacturing, sick attention-to-detail, immersive Halloween experiences, blistering units, immaculate vibes, and loads of area to maneuver and groove to; Insomniac pulled out all of the stops for the most important Halloween competition on the continent.
It was our first time again on the NOS Occasions Middle since final 12 months’s Countdown and our first Escape since 2019! One of many issues that undoubtedly stood out is how huge open and simply accessible every part was. Insomniac has undoubtedly taken steps to make it simpler to entry the entire huge NOS Occasions Middle the place their occasions happen. At no level in any respect did I take care of bottlenecks or crowd congestion.
The opposite factor that, after all, stands out upon getting into the Escape competition grounds is simply how immersive it’s. Except EDC, (the flagship competition) Escape has undoubtedly the best manufacturing values, probably the most performers, probably the most Easter Eggs to probe for. Escape is solely huge, and, should you ask me, is the most effective of Insomniac’s Southern California festivals. It definitely didn’t harm that the climate was completely excellent for the weekend too.
I’m not fallacious once I say that this was the most important Escape to this point, they really added a fifth stage contained in the Citrus constructing, Depraved Woods. Loopy City, which ostensibly serves as Downtown Escape, is an ideal assembly spot. Its location is well accessible from all levels, and its landmarks are unmistakable. The hearth organ is a sight to behold and all the time has a efficiency popping off, it’s the proper place to sit down and take within the splendor of the competition grounds. The Loopy City fountain can be an ideal spot to reunite together with your crew and work out the following transfer. Oh, and naturally, they’re all nice photograph ops too.
So far as the levels go, they had been all prime notch. The principle stage is, after all, The Grimm, a large cloaked skeleton with its two arms stretched out clutching two spherical stones. Once more, exterior of EDC, this must be the most effective Insomniac stage round. The lasers received main reinforcements and the massive video panels lining the ceiling of the mega-structure helped to create an much more immersive expertise. Even should you had been seated on the pretend grass or on the tables exterior of the mega-structure, you continue to felt such as you had been immersed within the stage. Sound and video manufacturing had been A+ this weekend.
The second stage was Feeding Grounds, additionally inside a mega-structure. This stage’s theme was a large spider internet. White canvas adorned the ceiling of the mega construction and as an alternative of a disco ball, there was a large black widow spider hanging above the stage as an alternative. The third stage was Sanitarium, a barely smaller mega-structure, its rectangular video panels would play macabre and disturbing photos of a mad surgeon conducting unsound experiments.
The stage that most likely received the most effective therapy of all although was Sewer District, the Manufacturing unit 93 stage. Once I went to Escape prior to now this was not a stage I gave a lot thought to. I figured let the techno snobs dangle within the again. Properly, techno has now permeated the mainstream and I used to be eager to take a look at a set at Sewer District. Insomniac absolutely leaned into transport trailers and an underground warehouse sort of vibe. The sunshine panels had been excellent and the sound was pitch excellent. I talked to a number of headliners who mentioned that Sewer District had a number of the finest units of the weekend.
Talking of the units, let me inform you about them. Each single DJ completely introduced it this weekend. Everybody’s received to go a bit bit deeper, a bit bit darker, particularly the closers, to match that Halloween vibe, and that’s precisely what we received. Friday night time actually didn’t get going till I watched AFROJACK’s set on the Grimm. The Dutch legend didn’t disappoint, dropping a large set that ignited the group. This was the set that really set the night time off as AFROJACK took full benefit of the Grimm’s manufacturing capabilities.
After that I caught a bit hardstyle over at Sanitarium, then headed again to the Grimm for Above & Past. Very similar to AFROJACK’s set, the group packed within the stage to overflow capability. Jono & Paavo threw down a fascinating set that had the group enraptured. Above & Past all the time strives for “moments like these” and so they definitely achieved it at Escape.
After A&B, I headed over to Feeding Grounds, which was hosted by Bassrush for the night time, to have my face simply melted off. ATLiens had been nicely into their set of wonky dubstep, rap mashups and entice beats. It’s all the time good to see the totally different vibes at totally different levels, however except for the Grimm, the Basscon stage was bringing higher vibes than the Bassrush stage. Zomboy adopted up ATLiens and in addition proceeded to ignite the group.
I proceeded again over to the Grimm, however I made a fast cease on the new stage, Depraved Woods. I’m all the time a sucker for an indoor stage, and Insomniac made the many of the area they got. Establishing a mini forest behind the DJ sales space in addition to a round video board, Depraved Woods was an enormous come up should you occurred upon it. Not too crowded, however nonetheless stellar manufacturing. I watched a bit little bit of Okay?d’s Throwback Set and I want I had caught extra.
Lastly again to the Grimm, Kaskade closed the night time with an unimaginable set that noticed him lean into the REDUX sound and switch the Escape mainstage into an underground membership. The lasers and stage manufacturing couldn’t have been extra on level.
We received there good and early on Sunday. As I discussed earlier than I began issues out at Sewer District and caught Charles D. Regardless of the early time slot and smaller crowd, the vibes had been on level for Sewer District. I used to be now ready for techno on Halloween weekend. I flitted between levels and units testing TOBEHONEST at Sanitarium, Ship Wrek on the Grimm, who drew a large and rowdy crowd for such an early time slot, and Rossy at Feeding Grounds, who killed it along with her mix of bass home and entice.
After that, it was again to the Grimm for Matroda’s huge home set. Together with the permeation of techno into the mainstream, the re-eruption of home music must be famous too. My god, folks completely love home music. I didn’t acknowledge a single music Matroda dropped, however it was nonetheless a dope set and the vibes had been unmatched. Tchami got here on subsequent and dropped a set for the ages. Opening with the AC Slater x Chris Lorenzo (Fly With Us) observe “Seismic”, Tchami’s mixture of French home was completely excellent. The lasers and pyro additionally began taking up.
DJ Snake took the stage subsequent and turned the Grimm into an absolute entice home. The beats had been coming onerous and quick with DJ Snake, and the packed crowd was greater than prepared for all of his hits. “Southside”, “Belief No person”, “Lean On” and he even dropped Knock2’s “dashstar”. A memorable set certainly.
Zedd was up subsequent and he thrilled the group by opening together with his “The place You Are” remix. The packed out crowd was chanting together with the lyrics. Zedd was additionally one of many few DJs to decorate up for Halloween as he sported a Tremendous Saiyan outfit (from Dragonball Z). Zedd dropped a masterful set consisting of his hits like “I Need You to Know” and “Keep the Night time” on prime of his energetic dwell edits and a few EDM classics like Eric Prydz’s “Name on Me”.
Lastly, Armin van Buuren closed out the weekend. Armin completely blended trance and techno for the most effective Halloween set possible. Armin maintained his signature sound whereas seamlessly mixing in some darkish techno beats that had been excellent for the spooky season.
It was an absolute pleasure to be again at Escape after three full years away, the longest drought we’ve had between Insomniac festivals. The Pandemic denied headliners festivals in 2020. I didn’t get to Escape in 2021 as a result of there was the Fall Version of EDC per week earlier than. I might have gone in 2022, however I didn’t. I’m elated to have made it again in 2023. Though no announcement has been made, I’d count on Escape to return for its spookiest thirteenth version subsequent 12 months.
