EDC Japan 2018 Review
**Guest written by Alex Russo**
After making its debut in 2017, EDC Japan returned with a loaded lineup for a weekend of fun, food, and (wet) festivities. Similar to last year’s event, Zozo Marine Stadium and Makuhari Beach transformed into every festival goers’ dream. Getting through security was swift and painless as security made things easy for everyone, which was similar to most of the experience. The Zozo Marine Stadium, normally filled with a sea of baseball fans, now set the scene for the weekend headliners to showcase their sets on the kineticFIELD stage. The venues were easily accessible, and the beach venue – the circuitGROUNDS – did not fail to impress. The circuitGROUNDS set right on the sandy beach next to the waves, presenting an open atmosphere and was my personal favorite. Other than the two main areas, there were other smaller venues that had nothing but chill vibes. The neonGARDEN stage was more secluded and meant more for an underground feel, while Boombox ARTCAR played tracks from local Japanese artists as it drove through the crowd. Everything was so close yet the vibe at every location was different.
Speaking of vibes, one of the stand out sets had to be NGHTMRE & Slander’s GUD VIBRATIONS show at the circuitGROUNDS. Seeing this group act live was a dream come true, especially in such a picturesque setting The heavy bass and trap with dope segments of drum and bass kept everyone jumping. I went to EDC solo, but the mixture of people in the crowd really had me raging, even in the rain. NGHTMRE & Slander’s set was played at the start of the epic typhoon-like waterfall that would go on for the rest of the night. Although the heavy rain was cold, it failed to destroy the spirits of the artists and crowd. There were threats to cancel some sets as the rain got heavier and the artists experienced some technical difficulties, but everyone fought through to the end. I would have quit and went home early on any other day, but this crowd kept me going. At the end of the day, I came out with a broken phone and a mild case of hypothermia, but it was all worth it. Overall, the experience was unforgettable, in many more ways than one. Just make sure to check the weather beforehand.
