The Top 5 Burning Man DJs list was compiled based upon the DJ or artists’ involvement, stage performance, skill level, and number of years with the arts, socio-political/spiritual, and music experience that is Burning Man. There are many great DJs who have contributed to Burning Man each year and many have them have been left out. The views in this blog are not necessarily of Festival Zoo, but solely of the author. Honorable mentions are Syd Gris from Opulent Temple and the many great acts he has brought and hosted like Lee Coombs, Donald Glaude, myself , and too many others to be mentioned here.
#5 DJ Seva
DJ Seva may not be internationally known just yet to the EDM community, but that is about to change. If you have been on the playa for at least a couple of years or at the SF Decompression parties, you may have noticed the “Heart Deco” double-decker white bus with a big heart in the middle of “Heart” & “Deco” that has an all-seeing eye or Egyptian eye of Horus in it. This past year at Burning Man, DJ Seva was a crowd favorite with his cross-genre blends of electro house, progressive house, and tech-house. He opened the Opulent Temple “White Party” in 2010, debuted in 2009 at the Garage Mahal camp, and has been a “burner” since 2003. Seva was DJing on the Heart Deco bus the night Trojan Horse burned and it seemed like everyone was clamoring to get up on Heart Deco has it shook back and forth with not only burners, but Seva’s fierce beats. I had the pleasure of DJing both Heart Deco and Opulent Temple this past year and I have to say both were “mighty” experiences. Expect to see more of DJ Seva on the playa and future events across the Bay Area, US, and internationally.
#4 Mimosa
Mimosa (aka Tigran Mkhitaryan) is a dubstep/glitch hop/grime DJ and producer. He hails from the bay area of San Francisco and currently lives in Los Angeles, CA. His Albums are Hostilis, Flux for Life, Psychedelic Stereo, and Silver Lining. His sets on the playa in 2011 consisted of deep, boombastic bass, dubstep with old school West Coast hip hop gangsta rap samples and melodies. He had burners in a trance with his dubstep, glitch hop, and grime. I’m pretty sure this is the kid to watch in the game right now and for years to come. I’m not really a fan of dubstep as a whole, but Mimosa had me flowin’ and bobbin’ my head; throwin’ up bottles of champagne in the air with a little of Vitamin C to boot.
#3 The Crystal Method
The Crystal Method (Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland) made their debut in 2010 at Burning Man on the massive Roots Society stage ”The Tower of Babel” and they came out with a bang!!! I’d say their performance that night was historic. The Tres Familia remix of “Get Busy Child” hit me like a ton of bricks with the innovate drum patterns and subsonic bass. It was the best live DJ set I’ve heard from the duo in 13 years since I first heard them play live. Ken Jordan from The Crystal Method came back to play in 2011 and lit up the playa with sets at Osiris (pyramid) and the unforgettable high-energy, peak hour set at Opulent Temple that had dancers groovin’ and hands wavin’ in the air like it was everyone’s first burn.
#2 DJ Dan
DJ Dan is by far one of my favorite DJs and the one who is always known for bringin’ the funky, bangin’ beats to Burning Man at camps like District, Opulent Temple, and Roots Society. In 2010, he broke funky, disco-party-rockin’ tracks like Duck Sauce’s “Barbara Streisand.” His ability to rock a huge crowd is like none other. His performances at Opulent Temple, District, and the Roots Society stage have solidified him as one of the top Burning Man DJs to dance and party with on the playa.
#1 Bassnectar
Even though Bassnectar, did not make it to Burning Man this past year due to a family emergency, Bassnectar is by far the most widely-recognized Burning Man DJ. He is the top Santa Cruz/San Francisco-based artist who draws thousands upon thousands of burners and desert dwellers to Black Rock City every year with his innovative and twisted brand of dubstep and future freeform funk. When you think of Burning Man DJs, immediately the name Bassnectar comes to mind. He is the man responsible for bringing dubstep into the mainstream from the underground with his innovative style of blending hip hop, pop, and rock with dirty, wicked dubstep beats and wobble basslines.
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