Some of Our Favorite Live Sets from Burning Man 2015
Article by: Laura Mason|@masonlazarusMon September 21, 2015 | 00:00 AM
For many citizens of Black Rock City, chasing down music at Burning Man is a lot of fun. You know your fave artists are there somewhere, but maybe you forgot your copy of the Rockstar Librarian's guide back in the tent. No matter. When you find what you're looking for, Black Rock City always delivers the musical cacophony you'd been craving – and the beats this year were no exception.
1. Oceanvs Orientalis: Robot Heart
Robot Heart had some type of music drifting nearly around the clock, including a lovely sunset yoga hour on Thursday that segued into a Tycho show the very same day the group played its sunrise set. But we fell for Turkish deep house musician Oceanvs Orientalist hard; he played a Monday morning sunrise set that rode the same wavelength as the cleansing, somber and/or uplifting Temple Burn the night before.
2. Tycho: Sunrise Set at The Dusty Rhino
Fest300 fave Tycho brought us ethereal, ambient tracks that snuggled perfectly between those crispy Burning Man moments where the night has gone on just long enough, or the hot sun has pushed you to your limit. Last year's Tycho sunrise set was a highlight for many BRC citizens, and word spread quickly that there'd be a repeat this year. We're hard-pressed to think of a better comedown than Tycho while taking in one of the most gorgeous sunrises you'll probably ever see, with an LED-adorned, two-story dusty rhinoceros in the foreground to boot.
3. Miyagi: High Atop Kalliope
The Kalliope art car has become a recognizable staple at festivals across the U.S. with a stage in its likeness even popping up this year at Bonnaroo to feature daytime programming and nighttime electronica. On the playa this year, the carnivalesque bus and accompanying sidecar hosted German house DJ Miyagi for a deep house set in the wee hours on Thursday.
4. The Desert Hearts Crew: On the Decks at DISTRIKT
Featuring Mikey Lion, Lee Reynolds and more, DISTRIKT was going off on Friday evening as the fun-loving crew, who created new kid on the festival block Desert Hearts, took over the playa's most popular daytime dance floor.
5. Daybreaker: The Morning Rave, BRC Edition
This DYBRKR sunrise set from FVDM honored Dan Fredinburg, a Bay Area resident and avid Burner well-known for an adventurous life who passed away in April while scaling Mount Everest as the earthquake in Nepal hit. A beautiful tribute and start to the morning.
6. Bob Moses: White Ocean
Another sunset show from another Fest300 fave, this show from Bob Moses drew a huge crowd at trance-topia White Ocean. Only at Burning Man can you hear a familiar tune while out cruising, stop to catch a glimpse of the crowd and performers, and discover it is indeed an artist you know and love (like Bob Moses!). Craning your neck as you cruise the Esplanade is always worth it.
7. David Hohme: Sunrise with Bubbles & Bass
Man, we loved sunrise sets at Burning Man this year, didn't we? Bubbles & Bass was the always-well-loved Esplanade mainstay for those who weren't ready for sleep. The champagne-and-bass-fueled party heats up as the sun rises, and this set from David Hohme matched the vibe as the bubbles flowed.
8. Thomas Jack + TRAVISWILD: Sunrise on the Janky Barge
Tropical house trailblazer Thomas Jack played on The Janky Barge – a raucously good time and one of the playa's funkiest ones – during a sunrise set that got the day moving like no one else could. An added bonus: The Barge rolled by some of our favorite art on the playa, including Hybycozo's "Deep Thought," which you can see in the background.
9. Beats Antique at Camp Question Mark
Camp Question Mark played host to a bevy of talented DJs and musicians, and some of our faves on this list are Ill Gates, TOKiMONSTA (at her first Burn ever), and Muppet Punk. They have over 120 videos for your listening pleasure, and we chose the DJ set from Beats Antique to get you going.
10. Syd Gris at Opulent Temple
Don't be mistaken; yes, "white party" is the entirety of Burning Man as you're covered in fine desert dust. But within that white party, there's another white party, and it's celebrated the blanco-bedecked masses in BRC for years. Even without a traditional sound camp from Opulent Temple this year, Syd Gris and the Bounce Crew from Santa Cruz, California brought their legendary blend of party to the Sacred Dance "White Party" for a super lively crowd on Wednesday night.
11. Pícaro at Burners Without Borders
As described by Pícaro himself, this mix is "a nice fatty sunshine mix filled with blues, latin, and swing" to give Burners Without Borders (an excellent organization doing world-changing disaster relief work: check them out here). The mix samples tunes like the classic "Fever," with traditional samba beats and many flavors of spicy, bluesy funk to groove to.
We'll have more of our favorite sets coming to you as they're posted in the coming weeks! Stay tuned for more sweet playa tunes. Found a recording for this year that you love? Let us know!
