A bass head’s dream is coming to Long Beach, California! Insomniac’s latest festival debut, Apocalypse: Zombieland, brings some of the biggest names in bass music to the haunted Queen Mary this weekend November 24 – 25. Be sure to get there early to see these four up-and-coming bass artists to kick off Insomniac’s newest festival.
This duo comes from New Jersey and has played at festivals like WAKAAN, Home Bass, and Ubbi Dubbi. Shanghai Doom got their start in 2017 and finds their inspiration in the more sinister things in life. Their experimental, dark, and heavy music has drawn support from Excision and Liquid Stranger. They’ve released music on both WAKAAN and Cyclops Recordings. Check out some of their songs here and make sure you don’t miss them at 3 pm on the Zombieland stage: “Lightspeed,” “Coconuts,” and “Ripper.”
This Belgium dubstep OG brings his hardcore bass music to the shores of Long Beach. He has been DJing and producing since 2010. His song “Riding” with Jessica Audiffred has over 600,000 streams on Spotify. With songs on Subsidia, Never Say Die, and Disciple Round Table, you know he is going to bring the bass to start your day. Don’t miss Point.Blank at 4 pm on The Lab stage and check out these tunes to get you hyped: “Wonky” and “Drop That.”
Kick off Day 2 with this UK drum and bass artist. Phibes have been one of the top-selling D&B artists on Beatport in the past 12 months with the #1 song “Home Grown.” Their Third Dimension EP hit #1 on Beatport in October 2020 and Phibes played at festivals like Glastonbury and Boomtown. You won’t want to miss the madness this duo brings to the stage at 4 pm at the Containment Zone.
The final artist we’re highlighting on Day 2 comes from South Carolina. SuperAve draws influence from 90s hip hop and futuristic heavy bass. His passion to push the limits of bass music while paying homage to his hip-hop roots has built his reputation in the bass community. He burst onto the scene in 2019 with heaters like “STEP UP,” “RUM,” and “DAYTONS.” You’re not going to want to miss his early set at 2 pm on the Apocalypse stage.
Remember to prepare ahead of time to make it easier to get to the festival for these awesome early artists. Don’t forget to drink plenty of water, eat some tasty food, and most of all, have fun! Experience the brand new bass music festival in an amazing Insomniac location. As always remember to be nice to your fellow ravers and connect with Apocalypse: Zombieland using the links below.
Escape Halloween has been Insomniac’s Halloween festival since 2011 and is the United States’ most anticipated spooky festival. This year Insomniac once again showed why Escape rules Halloween! With a stacked lineup featuring names like Above & Beyond, Zomboy, Malaa, and Zedd, there was something for everyone’s music taste. With two days of music, the debut of five main stages, and Crazy Town, it was another wildly successful festival for ravers. Based on my personal experience, I’ve shared my scores for the production, music, and venue, plus an overall grade for the event.
The Production: 9 / 10
With every Insomniac event, the production is going to be next level. Each stage — The Grimm, Feeding Grounds, Sanitarium, Sewer District, and the brand new Wicked Woods stage — all had great visuals, lasers, ambiance, sound, and pyrotechnics.
The main stage, The Grimm, was closed out by some massive names: Kaskade on Day 1 and Armin Van Buuren on Day 2. The production at this stage was amazing as always. Featuring its signature Grim Reaper behind the DJ booth, accompanied by even more lasers than last year, amazing dancers and pyrotechnics, this stage got people hyped. Once the night got underway and the Grim Reaper started moving its arms around the artists, the crowd cheered every time. The hanging visuals that seemed like portals into another dimension had festivalgoers mesmerized. While hosting some of the biggest names of the weekend, like Slander, Zedd, and DJ Snake, the stage never got too crowded. There was room to walk around and dance without sacrificing your view or personal space. Simply put, the main stage was amazing!
Feeding Grounds was home to the bass lovers of the festival and was hosted by Bassrush on Day 1. With performances by Svdden Death, Zomboy, ATliens, Rezz, and Three Six Mafia, this stage had people headbanging, dancing, and singing all night long. It featured production that felt like we were in a hellscape surrounded by a giant spider web with two giant hanging spiders above us — and of course more lasers and pyrotechnics. If you like bass in your face, this was the place to be!
Photo Credit: Jamal Eid for Insomniac Events
Sanitarium had a different vibe each day. Day 1 was hosted by Basscon for hardstyle fans, and Day 2 was hosted by Night Trip for the house heads. The first day featured sets from Darren Styles and Lady Faith. the second day featured artists MK and Matroda B2B San Pacho. The crowd was dancing and shuffling like crazy both nights. Spookier than the other stages, this stage was darker and had lights and lasers to enhance the vibes.
Sewer District was hosted both nights by Factory93 and the techno was bumping. Blessing the stage were artists Jamie Jones B2B Loco Dice, Hot Since 82, Lily Palmer, and Green Velvet. This stage was unique and had my favorite layout of all the stages. It was open air while the others were under a tent and was surrounded by shipping containers with LED panels on them with fire blasting from the top. It was packed from open to close with techno fans vibing all night.
The newest stage at Escape was Wicked Woods. Day 1 was hosted by Lost in Dreams and had acts like ARMNHMR playing a house set and Kaivon playing a nostalgic 2010s throwback set. Day 2 was hosted Bassrush with acts like Macky Gee and Culture Shock. Hosted inside a warehouse, the bass at this stage was bumping, one could feel it in their bones. The only downside to this stage is that it got hot from the packed crown, but it still sounded great.
Each stage stood out in its own way with amazing Halloween vibes. There was no sound bleed between stages and everything was incredible. The production earned a 9 out of 10 this year.
Music: 9.5 / 10
This year’s Escape lineup was absolutely stacked. There was something for the bass heads, house heads, techno fans, and hardstyle kids. Both days had a slew of must-see acts, and from 4 pm to 2 am it was hard to find time to sit down and eat without missing an amazing artist. There were even after parties this year that featured Slander: Before Dawn and Malaa. It is hard to earn a perfect score, but Escape’s amazing music this year combined with the after parties deserves a 9.5 out of 10 score for the loads of talent across multiple different genres.
Photo Credit: Kristal Diaz for Insomniac Events
Venue: 9 / 10
NOS Event Center is the go-to venue for many California-based Insomniac events, and many ravers are quite familiar with it already. But what Insomniac does with the space is truly magical and masterful. As always, they went all out for Halloween, starting with Crazy Town and Psycho Circus, a little pocket of the festival that has fortune tellers, a lion tamer, acrobats, magicians, and singers — it really evoked the Psycho Circus theme. Not to leave out the Silent Disco which featured some notable up-and-coming artists.
On the walk into the festival, there was a cathedral with dancers and shows where one could sit and watch. There were also two secret stages that felt like walking into a haunted maze. The first was called the Poison Ivy Club. People handed out 3D glasses as you entered this club and there was a giant poison ivy plant in the middle with 3D paint everywhere. Music was bumping and drinks were flowing.
The second was called The Butcher, which had a much darker vibe. When you walked in there were dead bodies in bags hanging from the ceiling and body parts hanging all around with a butcher cutting more bodies. Listening to techno in a black-and-red-themed room was surely a Halloween vibe.
Insomniac went all out with its Psycho Circus theme this year. It was so impressive, I can’t even touch on all of it — an easy 9 out of 10!
Overall Grade: 9.5 / 10
Halloween and Escape go hand in hand for SoCal ravers and Insomniac fans around the world, and this year was no different. From incredible stages, top-of-the-line music acts, and a spooky ambiance throughout the venue, there was something to see, do, and listen to anywhere one went. The overall grade for this year’s Escape is a huge 9.5 out of 10 because it is hard to find a detail out of place. I’m already counting down the days until next year’s event! Hopefully, you’ll be there in 2024 too.
Nocturnal Wonderland returned to Glen Helen Amphitheater in 2023 for its 28th anniversary, making it the longest-running festival in North America and a staple for the California scene. This year had a stacked lineup featuring names like Seven Lions, Subtronics, Claude Vonstroke, Ghostryder (Ghastly b2b Joyryde), and Dombresky — there was truly something for everyone’s music taste. With two days of music, three days of camping with pre and afterparties, three main stages, and two hidden stages with amazing vibes, it was another wildly successful festival. Based on my personal experience, I scored the production, music, and venue, plus I gave an overall grade with a brief reasoning for the scores.
The Production: 8.5 out of 10
With every Insomniac event, the production level is going to be next level. The staple stages — Wolves’ Den, Labyrinth, and Sunken Garden — all had great visuals, fireworks, lasers and pyrotechnics. Cave of Rave was moved to a new bigger space and a new 5th stage, Camp OG Stage was added next to Labyrinth this year.
The biggest issue last year was the sound bleed between stages, which was much improved this year, even with the addition of the 5th stage. Insomniac did not sacrifice sound quality, as you were able to hear the music from all angles of the stage. The only true sound bleeding issue was between Wolves’ Den and Sunken Garden, which seemed almost inevitable with them being right next to each other. However, it was not nearly as bad as last year, so kudos to Insomniac for remedying that.
The main stage, Wolves’ Den, was closed out by Seven Lions and Gryffin on Day 1, and Alison Wonderland and Subtronics, on Day 2. The production at this stage was next level. The visuals were crisp and spectacular, the lasers were beaming, and pyrotechnics and fireworks lit up the stage. Despite hosting some of the biggest names of the weekend and having no VIP area, the stage did not feel too crowded. There was space throughout the crowd to dance, sing, and headbang. With the moving of the Cave of Rave to the opposite corner of the venue, there was minimal sound bleeding, and the sound bleed from Sunken Garden was down as well. The main stage Wolves’ Den did not disappoint!
Labyrinth was home to the bassheads for the festival once again with acts like Black Tiger Sex Machine, Wooli, Phaseone, and Eptic. This stage sat on top of a hill and had a plethora of lasers, fireworks, and pyrotechnics to keep people headbanging from 3 pm to midnight. Insomniac also amped up the bass and the lasers this year, giving festivalgoers maximum hype to keep moshing and headbanging throughout every set.
The Sunken Garden was where attendees went to get groovy and catch a house vibe. Featuring most of the house sets for the weekend from Claude Vonstroke and Biscits to Dombresky and Black V Neck, the crowd there was dancing and shuffling like crazy. The design of this stage, like last year, was probably my favorite setup and the most unique. Last year there was the issue of sound bleeding, especially on the left side near Wolves’ Den, but this year, however, the sound bleeding was minimal in the stage area. Kudos again to the Insomniac team for fixing the issue from last year.
Tucked away in the back of the venue was the Cave of Rave. This awesome hidden gem of the festival was bumping music all day long for those lucky enough to find it. This year it was moved to the back left of the festival instead of directly next to Wolves’ Den. This helped not only the sound quality at both stages but it allowed the Cave of Rave to have a bigger space. It gave European vibes with hanging greenery everywhere and music to keep people dancing and vibing.
The 5th and newest stage was the Camp OG Stage. This stage was up the hill next to food vendors in the back of the festival near Labyrinth. This newest stage was surrounded by awesome sculptures and was perfect for those wanting to grab a bite to eat while listening to music. It was a throwback to the rave culture of the 90s and featured an underground lineup.
Credit: Insomniac Events // Ivan Meneses
Music: 8.5 out of 10
This year’s Nocturnal Wonderland, like every year, was stacked with talent. There was something for the bass heads like myself, house heads, and everyone in between. Both days had a slew of must-see acts, and from 3 pm to midnight it was hard to find time to sit down and eat without missing a set. It is hard for me to give a perfect score, but Nocturnal earns an 8.5 for being loaded with talent from multiple genres.
Venue: 7 out of 10
I personally love Glen Helen Regional Park, it is one of my favorites in Southern California. It has beautiful scenery, the venue itself is easy to navigate, not too large, and it’s comfy to sit when needed. From what I saw and heard, the camping also looked lit and there wasn’t much negativity coming from the campers. Parking, however, was an ordeal just like last year. One has to walk about a mile to the venue which is something Insomniac cannot do anything about due to the setup of the venue.
Walking into the venue was easy, but walking out of the venue was difficult since it was congested due to everyone leaving at the same time. From the exit all the way to the parking lot, the crowds made the walk seem like an eternity. The worst part, however, was trying to leave — Day 1 it took me two hours to leave the parking lot. I even saw people napping in their cars waiting for the traffic to die down before trying to leave. This was the same issue as last year, which needs to be fixed. I’m not sure if Insomniac needs to add parking attendants to direct traffic, but something needs to change.
Due to the parking situation and the sound bleeding, the venue only gets a 7 rating.
Overall Grade: 8 out of 10
Vibes, music, and production were at an all-time high this year at Nocturnal Wonderland. As a raver’s favorite, and the longest-running festival in North America, it rarely disappoints, and this year was no different. With top talent at every stage, top-of-the-line stage design, and one of the best venues in SoCal, it is hard to go wrong. Nocturnal is an event that my fellow ravers and I look forward to every year. I am already looking forward to the 29th anniversary next year to see what Insomniac has in store for what is sure to be another epic weekend. See you there!
