Favourite Artists Heard at Lightning in a Bottle

Lightning in a Bottle provided an experience for attendees that was about more than music. However, the musical lineup was one that can not be overlooked. An array of talented musicians played at this year’s LIB, and headliners of the event included Chet Faker, Grimes, Big Gigantic, Cashmere Cat, Jamie XX, Four Tet and Tokimonsta. The festival saw an eclectic mix of electronic music, from dubstep to techno to deep house to tribal house. There was a little bit of something for everyone.

Here are my favourite LIB acts, listed in chronological order.

Mija

Mija, Mija, Mi hija… Maybe it’s because I have been wanting to see this lady perform since I first heard her B2B sunrise set with Skrillex at Bonnaroo in 2014, but Mija did not disappoint with her set at LIB. She threw down an incredible performance, slaying her 80-minutes on the Thunder Stage and proving to us all her prowess as a DJ. She kept the crowd jumping and dancing the whole time, giving the chills to everyone who was there dropping their dirtiest dubstep dance moves. The highlight of her set came at the end though, when she crawled out into the crowd to share a cigarette with her fans. Thank you Mija, for being so good at what you do, and for sharing that moment with us all.

William Close and the Earth Harp Collective

William Close and the Earth Harp Collective was one of the most unique musical experiences of the weekend. This was my first experience with the Earth Harp which was set up stage left, midway to the back, with the shimmery strings of the harp extending to the top of the front of the stage. The best way to experience the show was to set up under the California stars, grab a seat on the ground and cross your legs to feel the reverberations of the harp through the earth. William Close used his Earth Harp to do a powerful cover of Mozart’s Summer Overture, one that literally gave me goosebumps, before closing out his set with a guest appearance by David Satori of Beats Antique.

Autograf

Autograf appeared to be teasing the crowd with a slow, sensual start to their set… Until they announced that the slow start was really just their soundcheck and it was time to get down! The trio revealed their individual talents through a 90-minute set to a crowd who refused to stop dancing despite the sun’s beating rays. Set up on stage with drums, a keyboard and a mixer to perform live covers of classic dubstep hits, classic house hits, and their own hits, their energetic set was happy and eclectic, and they definitely left their autograph on LIB.

Jamie XX

Oh my God… Did Jamie XX ever kill it! Opening with the song Crystallized by his musical group The XX (can you grace us with a new album yet? Please?) before mixing into one of the most melodic sets of the weekend, Jamie XX took us on a house journey unlike any other. Nothing but a shadow on the stage amidst a constant, mysterious cloud of smoke and lights, the talented producer did not look up once from his set, and barely even noticed when a naked man tried to charge his stage. He just continued to do his thing, keeping the crowd moving and grooving until 2:00 a.m.

HÄANA

If you don’t know who HÄANA is, you need to discover her. She was one of the most talented individuals I came across all weekend. Dressed in a black and gold dress, with a gold cage headpiece, HÄANA sings live, mixes live, and plays the violin live. Her nordic inspired tunes, combined with her ethereal voice and the twang of her violin create a uniquely magical sound. The beauty of her music is something that should not be overlooked and is something that everyone needs to experience at least once.

Lee Burridge Mixing Into Four Tet

Lee Burridge and Four Tet are musical geniuses, each in their own rights, so it was with complete joy that I saw on the schedule Lee Burridge playing the three-hour sunset slot at The Woogie Stage as a precursor to Four Tet’s set there. The legends did not play B2B, or with one another, but Lee Burridge transitioned his three-hour techno set perfectly as the sun went down (amidst cheers) and The Woogie came to light, into an introduction for Four Tet. Lee Burridge’s dynamic three-hour mix kept us dancing and shuffling the night away until, unknowingly, we were listening to Four Tet who took us on a two-hour journey through his unique, artistic beats. Sunday was a phenomenal day of techno at the Woogie Stage, with some of the best sets of the weekend.

Chet Faker

Chet Faker’s energy throughout his closing set at the Lightning Stage was infectious. He could be seen running around the stage, with his black coat flying behind him like a cape. At one point he was belting out his tunes from half way up the scaffolding. The talented musician took a completely different route from his DJ set at the Temple Stage, playing with a four-piece band to play songs old and new. He effortlessly weaved old songs like Drop the Game into new songs like The Trouble With Us, into some of his classics like Gold and his cover of No Diggity. To finish the night, Chet Faker left us with one of the most mind-blowing, stunning visuals of the weekend when he climbed up onto a slightly raised platform to play the piano with a white backdrop, creating a dynamic silhouette of a man and his piano.