While strolling round Lost Lands and listening to from the pageant’s ravers, one factor was loud and clear: it has turn into unrecognizable in the greatest approach.
New and improved Lost Lands pageant grounds
It was astounding to see what Lost Lands’ organizers have executed with the pageant grounds yr after yr. As somebody who attended the first three years of Lost Lands and has not been again since the onset of COVID-19, the occasion was practically unrecognizable.
It was instantly made obvious from the second you step off the road and stroll to the entrance gate. Before formally coming into the grounds, attendees stroll by way of a hall speckled with life-sized dinosaurs, dinosaur eggs you’ll be able to climb into, flowing waterfalls, volcanos that gentle up at evening and extra. It all served as an interactive photograph op for buddies, {couples} and pageant squads to fulfill up and make recollections.
A bunch of followers taking a image collectively at the entrance of Lost Lands.
DiVisuals
From yr one to now, this space has expanded dramatically. Instead of getting in an oftentimes lengthy line to take a image in entrance of the dinosaur welcoming committee, there at the moment are sufficient photograph ops to service 20 teams directly. While not solely serving as a good approach to seize a reminiscence with a liked one, strolling by way of this space helps you neglect about the freeway behind you and step again in time.
Beside the Lost Lands grounds and levels, there have been additionally enhancements made to the campgrounds and Village Marketplace areas.
The important pageant grounds and campgrounds are separated by a nation highway. When exiting the pageant and crossing the road into the campgrounds, you are taken to the Village Marketplace part of Lost Lands. This is a giant round zone surrounded by dozens of distributors promoting garments, jewellery, souvenirs, tenting provides and all differing types of meals.
In the heart of this space is a area for actions and programming, a chapel made of dinosaur bones and a giant stage for native and pre-occasion performances. In earlier iterations, this campground stage was extremely modest. But now it has been fitted with manufacturing that rivals many live performance excursions.
The Prehistoric Evolution
If you recognize something about Excision, you recognize he at all times brings it relating to stage manufacturing. While each single yr of Lost Lands had unimaginable stage manufacturing, they actually outdid themselves this time.
Walking into Legend Valley, you are first greeted by the pageant’s signature stage, The Prehistoric Evolution. Constructed out of fake stone that appears prefer it was hauled off an Indiana Jones set, the towering stage is guarded by Lost Lands’ largest dinosaur.
Some highlights from The Prehistoric Evolution embrace SVDDEN DEATH’s dramatic, bone-crushing efficiency, Excision’s annual two-hour welcome set, LSDREAM’s colourful set, the Lost Lands debut of Knife Party, Subtronics’ headlining efficiency that attracted practically the total pageant and an eerie, atmospheric look by REZZ.
Also featured was the first artist to take the decks on the important stage this yr, SWARM, TroyBoi, DJ Diesel, MARAUDA and plenty of extra. Closing out the Prehistoric Evolution was—of course—the man behind the mayhem, Excision, with assist from Sullivan King for a particular B2B efficiency on Sunday evening.
The Wompy Woods
The second of the two “main stages,” Wompy Woods was the most modified since the final time I explored the pageant grounds. Rather than being surrounded by bushes and pillars of gentle on either side, the stage space has been opened and walkways have been added as much as assist the circulate of individuals transferring from the aforementioned stage to this one. This made it a lot simpler to maneuver from the two important levels for many who wish to catch a little bit of two artists enjoying at the identical time.
Aside from being simpler to traverse, the area felt far more open with further room to unfold out and revel in the music. The stage itself featured dino-sized LED shows that had been crystal clear from the very again of the space.
Seeing as it’s the Wompy Woods, the left facet of the stage was lined by bushes with colourful lights shining on them. Not solely did it serve to immerse attendees on this area, however it additionally served as a chill-out zone for followers seeking to lie again or sit whereas they soak up the music.
Featured on this stage was one of the most influential dubstep producers to ever roam the earth, Rusko; Ray Volpe, the thoughts behind one of the pageant’s most performed tracks, “Laserbeam”; the drum & bass legend Dieselboy; a uncommon bass pageant look from Madeon and the melodic bass titan, ILLENIUM.
Fans had been additionally handled to units from Black Tiger Sex Machine, Virtual Riot, Kompany, Vampa, REAPER, Said The Sky, LEVEL UP, Boogie T, Eptic, Jessica Audiffred and extra. On Sunday, Excision took the stage for a fan-favourite “Detox Set” whereby he performed the weirdest and wonkiest music he might get his fingers on whereas the solar set on the closing day.
Smaller, extra intimate levels
A welcome shock to somebody who took a yr off, the Forest and Subsidia levels supplied a place for followers to take pleasure in a multi-style choice of large names and rising stars in a extra intimate method.
The Forest Stage ran from the early afternoon till the pageant closed down every of the three nights. With giant slanted panels, this shiny stage lit up the secluded space amidst the bushes.
On this stage, attendees discovered some wobbly, experimental bass, and it was the house for drum & bass followers at this yr’s Lost Lands. The Widdler, phonon, Papa Khan, Nurko and Tisoki lead the cost on the first evening whereas evening two featured a loaded arsenal of drum & bass and past from Pendulum, The Upbeats, FuntCase, IMANU, Modestep, Downlink and extra.
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The closing evening of the pageant was bass home-heavy and showcased Dr. Fresch, Habstrakt, Sikdope and plenty of extra.
The Forest Stage at Lost Lands.
DiVisuals
In a personal, considerably secluded space on a hill not removed from the Forest Stage was the Subsidia Stage, a area for artists featured on Excision’s very personal label. Here, attendees might take a look at music from Hairitage, Tape B, LICK, CYCLOPS and BLVK SHEEP, together with the artists featured on Excision’s Bass Music Initiative: ZIZI, JVZMIN, Vastive, Dani Demand, RZRKT, Green Matter, The Arcturians and MIKESH!FT. ZINGARA and A Hundred Drums had been featured on different levels.
When exploring Legend Valley it was exhausting to overlook the Asteroid, a set of domes that got here alive as the solar went down every day. Giant plumes of fireplace shot from the high, cultivating a second of pleasure and far-appreciated heat throughout the chilly occasion. Packed in tight, pageant-goers had been capable of rise up shut and private with Shlump, Grabbitz, YOOK!E, SoDown and others late into the evening.
The Asteroid Stage at Lost Lands.
Lost Lands
The closing stage, Raptor Valley, was just for the bravest Lost Lands attendees. This stage undoubtedly not the place for shiny, uplifting sounds and cheerful melodies.
Here, you discovered a assortment of artists difficult one another to see how exhausting they might throw down. HEKLER, GRAVEDGR, Lil Texas, Darksiderz, MUERTE, SIPPY and Codd Dubz all introduced their distinctive sounds to the stage, which solely opened previous 11pm. At Raptor Valley, INFEKT provided one of the most talked about moments of the pageant when he had properly over a dozen individuals on stage with him as he threw down a ruthless set.
City-shaking bass
Like the earlier festivals, this yr’s Lost Lands had sufficient bass to take down a full-grown mammoth.
Everything you’ve got heard about the sound at this occasion is true. When I received off the freeway a few miles from the venue and stopped at a purple gentle, the bass from Lost Lands was rattling my automotive a lot I used to be capable of hear it over my radio. Mind you, I used to be far sufficient away that I used to be not even capable of see the venue at this level.
When talking with attendees native to the very small city of Thornville, Ohio, the house of Lost Lands, they shared tales of the group getting collectively to embrace the giant occasion. In the space surrounding the venue, you noticed individuals gathering of their yards to have a couple drinks and have enjoyable. It was clear that members of the group had embraced the fest after disapproval in years previous.
The Most Immersive Lost Lands to Date
Excision and his crew have curated an occasion that feels extra like an journey than a music pageant. The greatest takeaway I gathered from my time at Lost Lands 2022 was simply how immersive it has turn into.
It felt as if Excision and his ilk rigorously combed each inch of the grounds and strategically activated the model all over the place they might. Instead of guidelines written on a poster board, stones stating the code of the headbangers are positioned all through the pageant, reminding you to take care of your self and people round you.
It’s little touches like this that basically go a good distance that will help you droop actuality and settle for that you just’re again in time.
Hosting the Forest and Subsidia levels was the Forsaken Forest. This was a giant space wealthy with bushes outfitted with LEDs and lasers pointing at the treetops to create a labyrinth of gentle and sound. In this space, puzzle guides wearing safari gear would welcome you to the area and introduce you to a quest you would full to earn a secret reward.
Without giving an excessive amount of away, this was a scavenger hunt of types that invited you to discover the grounds to search for particular symbols that wanted to be entered in the Forsaken Forest. It inspired attendees to work along with their squad and people round them to determine the thriller surrounding the stunning area.
In addition to the Forsaken Forest, rumors of secret rooms in the pageant grounds started to unfold. These ended up being true.
There had been a number of hidden reveals for followers to come upon. Knowing nothing of these areas, I discovered myself standing in entrance of a robotic fortune teller and a few different confused attendees had been invited into a room with shrines devoted to a religious bass creature and their devotees.
I’ll cease there in case it returns subsequent yr, however I encourage everybody to essentially get to know the grounds and go on an journey in-between your favourite artists. And similar to the relaxation of this idyllic bass music paradise, you by no means know what you would possibly discover.
Follow Lost Lands:
Website: lostlandsfestival.com
Facebook: fb.com/LostLandsMusicCompetition
Twitter: twitter.com/lost_lands
Instagram: instagram.com/lostlandsfestival
Follow Excision:
Facebook: fb.com/Excision
Twitter: twitter.com/excision
Instagram: instagram.com/excision
Spotify: spoti.fi/3lLJ5jl
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