Preview: Mad Decent Block Party '14

 

Cheshire cheesin'. Photo Credit: Lotanna Obodozie
Cheshire cheesin’. Photo Credit: Lotanna Obodozie

Already in its sixth year, the Mad Decent Block Party has spread to an unprecedented 22 North American cities with an even bigger lineup of 58 banging artists.

What’s this “mad decent” shindig we speak of? It’s the brainchild of producer-DJ-label founder-radio host-TV host-extraordinaire Thomas Wesley Pentz, aka Diplo. What started out as a record label showcase channeling quintessential block party vibes from Philly, the MDBP has now spread across the nation into Canada and South Africa and is set to follow the likes of Holy Ship with its own Mad Decent Boat Party into The Bahamas.

This year’s DMV stop is once again at Merriweather Post Pavilion on August 1 and tickets are still available. Diplo, Dillon Francis, Sleigh Bells, Flux Pavilion, Cashmere Cat, Trippy Turtle, Wolfgang Gartner, Wave Racer, and Children Of The Night are all slated to perform to a crowd yearning for one last weekend of dancing before summer ends and heralds the beginning of the school year grind.

And there will be good music. Diplo’s much-anticipated Random White Dude Be Everywhere is being released on July 29th. This album is an anthology of his musical evolution where each chapter tracks how this one American has left his audio footprint all over the world. Besides collaborating with artists internationally and curating his long-running BBC Radio 1Xtra show, “Diplo and Friends,” Diplo has helped bring Caribbean dancehall and reggae, Latin American reggaeton and favela funk, and Internet electronica in all its synthetic glory to the ears of many who would not have heard them otherwise. Expect to #DipLow4Diplo’s mega-hits at this year’s MDBP. Another genre-spanning artist, Trippy Turtle, made waves across the blogosphere last week with his first official single, “Trippy’s Theme,” on Mad Decent’s imprint label, Jeffree’s, that has promoted other artists before they made it big, like Baauer and LIZ. Bass, courtesy of Flux Pavilion, and hip hop beats à la Children of the Night will be provided for your enjoyment.

If you revel for more than just the music, Sleigh Bells and Wave Racer have been on separate tours in Europe and will be sure to bring their high-energy sets to the mid-Atlantic. Sleigh Bells will be bringing their shred-pop sound to Merriweather while Wave Racer will turn the party up with his shimmery dance music.

Attendees, know that there will lots of PLURNT and bass to go around, so share the love and get your ticket today. You got a little under a month left before MDBP swings by the DMV with the Mad Decent crew in full force. Need a little more convincing? WRGW’s sending the same dream team that covered last year’s MDBP, Lotanna & Helen. Read more about their time here from last year: festival review and MDBP photographic madness.

Diplo riding the crowd during Major Lazer finale. Photo Credit: Lotanna Obodozie
Diplo riding the crowd during Major Lazer finale. Photo Credit: Lotanna Obodozie

Remember, Mad Decent and affiliates have helped give the world Major Lazer, trap music, twerking, and the distinctly indistinctive dance music that keeps you moving for hours on end. See you August 1st!

 

–Helen Jiang

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *