At Houston's Day for Night , sound and light, art and music brilliantly intersect to form a festival like no other. This lineup is so strong, you and your five senses won't have any choice but to embrace crossing into new sensual landscapes. In just two short years, the fest has become a top contender for "most interesting visual festival" in the US, especially now with the noteworthy absence of Seattle’s Decibel Festival . Day for Night's lineup boasts today's top innovators in sound and light, and there's no lack of rich experiences available through this cross-pollination. Until December 10, 2016, Fest300 has your chance to win 2 free tickets to this audiovisual spectacular, taking place December 17-18, 2016, in venues across Houston, Texas.

SOUND

 

A quick glance at the lineup is all the evidence you need to see Day for Night's thoughtful curation. A lineup like this is the definition of eclectic, and just one more reason this is more than your average festival. For one thing, Irish electronic producer Aphex Twin will make his first US appearance in eight years. In what's sure to be an incredible show, his presence is a huge draw for many in the festival's older-leaning Houston crowd. 

Expect everything from noise-rock ( Lightning Bolt ) to 90s rock mainstays ( The Jesus and Mary Chain, Blonde Redhead, Butthole Surfers ) to sets from film composers ( John Carpenter ), to Win Butler’s DJ Windows 98 project (he's the lead singer of Arcade Fire ). P.S, we're willing to bet the Butthole Surfers' set will launch with their 2001 hit, "Dracula from Houston." Just watch. Additional electronic music duos, composers and producers run the gamut from electronic stars of today ODESZA, ambient electronica maestros Tycho, Ariel Pink, progressive house superstar Kaskade, Nick Murphy (aka Chet Faker), Björk Digital, (a five-room digital experience and DJ set), Oneohtrix Point Never, Arca, S U R V I V E, Matmos, SG Lewis, SOPHIE, Tobacco, and more.

Need a break from the brain-melting electronica and want some saucy hip-hop? Travi$ Scott , Run the Jewels, RZA feat. Stone Mecca, Mykki Blanco and Clams Casino have you covered. Peek beyond the confounding equipment stacks onstage to the slate of genre-bending bands, starting with funk-and-bass wunderkinds Kamasi Washington and Thundercat (both of whom toured with last year's inaugural festival headliner Kendrick Lamar ). Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Blood Orange, Little Dragon, Rami and Bachar Khalife , country-centric Chelsea Wolfe and Marcel,  indie rock stars Banks, Squarepusher, Lower Dens, Liars, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats will be there to round out your five senses. 

 

A wonderful thing about electronic music is the unique bridge it builds directly to emotional experiences. Often, there are no lyrics or epic guitar solos grabbing your attention – you’re instead invited to reflect on how it’s made, how you’re experiencing it, and how it makes you feel. Using modern tools to facilitate broad emotional experiences/adventures, Day for Night’s visual creators will blend spine-tingling sounds with trippy visual mediums. These enterprising artists are sure to upend your senses, and deliver a transcendent sensual experience through bright sonic shapes and appealing visual distortions.

Björk Digital is the festival's visual centerpiece, and will span five rooms in Houston's historic Barbara Jordan Post Office. The immersive digital exhibition, currently housed in the UK's Somerset House, is geared towards virtual reality (VR) installations, and sure to push boundaries, Björk-style. The visionary Icelandic singer "believes that by offering a private theatrical experience, VR provides a unique way to connect with her audiences."