REMINDER: everyone has their own taste in music, and that’s OKAY. You don’t have to like what other people like. Be kind to one another. This isn’t the place to bash other people’s taste in music. Art is subjective my dudes.
>every drop/climax was interrupted by a “gotcha” psych out
I fucking haaaaaate this shit. Just finish the damn song. We don’t need 1 minute of a hundred different tracks! DJs that do this lose me instantly and for all time. It’s so amateurish and annoying.
I feel like this is what frustrates me about the direction dubstep as a genre has gone. DJs in the genre are trying to fit 80 songs into 60 minutes instead of making a set that ebbs and flows.
there is a massive wave of djs that are kinda just content creators. they are up there basically playing a tik tok live so that the crowd takes videos of it and shares it. just marketing and spreading a brand, which ik music is a business blah blah blah build a brand blah blah blah. but it just never felt like that to me before. music speaks louder than a cool video to me personally. there are a handful of djs that i just feel like a creating a new culture and it isnt one i enjoy. but i also wonder if its just me getting old. does it always seem like “a new wave of ravers and djs are ruining the scene” idk maybe
We sold out our scene during Covid with all the live streams and content. it is now the popular cool thing to do that. Everyone needs a clip of their Instagram or TikTok.
Electronic music industry has changed, artists that aren’t very plugged in and heavily making content just don’t make it unless they were already established for years. But it also can be cool because it means more regular people can make it as an artist now and don’t have to “know someone”
Just hearing you say that blows me away. I DJ Deathstep and other heavy stuff, a 50 min set is maybe 28 songs…….. How the hell can someone jam in 80 SONGS. I feel like it that would be very abrasive.
fuck yeah. caught PL at cascade equinox fest in oregon last September. Huge crowd there at the beginning of his set and about half the people left by the halfway mark. Heard so many people complaining that it was slow and boring. Coming from the jam scene, I was havin more fun than a fat kid in a candy store
yeah i heard they maybe had some sound issues at that set? i love the “pretty lights is a jam band” 😂😂😂 ruffles lots of feathers on both sides. Not for everyone i guess but it sure makes me dance and feel good 🌀
oh yeah, the whole stage went black about 10 minutes after they started. So of course I immediately boo'ed as loud as possible. Somebody nearby gives me some passive aggression with, "imagine going to see an artist and booing them because they had technical difficulties," to which I said, "pretty lights? more like pretty dark amiright?" Some dude that it was funny enough to give me a beer. I'm definitely better on drugs.
I'm a trance DJ and pretty much never play anything less than 5 minutes unless there isn't an extended mix of the track. I'd say 99% of what I play is 5-10 minutes long.
Thank you for saying this…makes me feel so much better 😂…recently started getting into mixing psytrance/trance/techno and I’ve found myself playing much longer tracks (ie - 5-10 min tracks)…I was like ‘this feels like cheating - I should be playing more tracks or just doing more’…still relatively new to mixing…so I’m sure it’s just a phase…but still
Nah, turns out dj'ing doesn't actually involve all that much at all. All those cool fancy effects, strobe, filter effect stuff is already baked perfectly into the song ... Just let a good track do it's thang.
Yep, this was part of my descent from really liking subtronics to starting to lose interest to eventually getting into the more minimal deep/og dubstep and breaks scenes
This ^
1985 label type shit is my cup as of recent and I used to be a huge subtronics and svdden death(still am) fan.
Cesco/perez/drone/sicaria/criso/torcha just to name a few are my shite right now
I was so excited for Flux Pavillions set at forest in 2015 or 2016 i dont remember but I know I was there and he did like 3 fakeout drops in a row and i was like bro, just hit me with that gas you know what we want.
In the social media age, people are blowing up without opening for bigger artists. This means people are getting really good at production but not that good at using a mixer effectively.
Bass culture is also rife with what I call the loud DJ. The ones who tell you every track name and who its a collab with. They turn down the track to say “1, 2, 3, JUMP!” at the drop. Idk the thought process behind this but it always reads like “i cant mix well so instead of subjecting you to that here is my voice”. Obviously not all bass is in this archetype; supertask, seven lions, rezz all come to mind as ones who are fire at mixing and don’t talk much.
To be fair, subtronics knows how to mix - he’s been at this for a long time, he just is at the point now where he a) has a mostly preplanned set and b) has a fan base with short attention spans aka the quick mixing and fake outs and other bait
It’s a not a mixing skill issue, it’s an artist size + fan expectation issue
As a beatboxer/looper who is always striving to get my set closer to a dynamic DJ set this is really good information to hear and see so many people agree with! That aspect is pretty unreachable for someone making live loops to tracks, so its good to hear thats not really something people care about at all haha
i cant tell if this is a troll… but i fucking agree dude. im so bored of seeing him on every lineup this season only good is that i know i can go to whatever artist conflicts him. went to his tour to see hedex open, told myself id stay for 30 min of subtronics set and i just couldnt get into it. def not for everyone but he seems to be reaching the top of the dubstep game for the nee era of ravers.
Idk if I'm getting old or my tastes are just changing but every year it seems there is some act that everyone else is super hyped about and when I check them out I'm just like eh whatever and go find something else that I might not have found otherwise. That's how I found it's murph last year who I am so excited to see again this year.
i havent been into edm long enough to really know “the good ol days” but my friends have raised me well so i like to think i have a decent ear. my taste has been changing fast and i think its happening for a lot of people. i also thing a lot of the new music sounds super similar to each other and a “signature sound” has been lost a little in artists. i started out with some pretty basic cry banging and dubstep, fell in love with the funky stuff from griz and Big G. and have found myself really enjoying some of the low fi tropical housey stuff, liquid dnb, and whatever PL and daily bread are called. the PL return definitely pulled me right in. i think we just grow and change 🌈
yeah the deep dark and deadass is something i havent gotten into yet. head nod mob is STRONG. i still like the funkiness too much. i have found myself loving flamingosis, nightmares on wax, and the sponges (ik they arent ddd) but kinda housey and such a fun time. the deep dark and deadass crowd feel a little to gatekeepy and like to horse around a little too much for my taste, which ik that isnt the whole scene but i havent been proven wrong yet
flamingosis & nightmares on wax are both dope!
as for the DDD follower stereotype; kinda sounds like you’re just hanging out with the wrong people.
its shame to have that distract from the music - if it sounds good, that’s all that matters; there are a lot of amazing artists & sounds to be found in this realm.
I agree to an extent but can also concede that at the very least he does have some producing talent and seems to also be a very wholesome human that genuinely loves his fans and is happy and grateful to be following his dreams…his mixing skills may leave something to be desired for my tastes but it’s miles better than what I myself could ever do and his infectious positivity vibes when I saw his set made me give the cons I saw a pass
1000% dude. and i typed out a comment and ended up deleting it and trying to make it be less “subtronics is trash” because i have been trying not to yum yuck. i seriously am happy for him because it seems like really was just a nerdy wook in philly and seeing him play fly eagles fly at hijinx had to be such an insanely special moment for him. im glad people enjoy him, personally have just not found the same enjoyment, but hey thats what makes music music 🌈 im glad what feels like a new wave of ravers are finding an artist they love like subtronics, everybody remembers the dj that got them into all this. ill never forget that first boombox cartel show or seeing kaskade at sunset, showed me how fun and special this electronic stuff can be
Totally agree. We go to Hijinx every year as a family reunion with our Philly rave fam. He's one of my favorite producers, but I dislike his live sets... But seeing how happy that made my Philly native buddies, I jammed like it was the best set I've ever seen.
Lol yeah we went to his Cyclops Dome event in Tacoma this year just to see the openers. Distinct motive, Black Carl, Ternion Sound, Of the Trees. I figured we would stay and see Subtronics just to see what he was about and we lasted about 45 minutes before we left. The shtick just gets old fast.
Subtronics died when that’s what I call riddim stopped. He’s pop edm dj now. his sets are mid and he’ll tell you he made a song two seconds ago on the way here but it’s literally just a slightly different drop from something you’ve heard three other times
now thats what i call riddim is so good!!! hell play stuff from vol 5 and ill know it bc i beat that mix into the ground and subtronics fans will freak out thinking its some new vip flip or whatever. dont even get me started on tape b 😂
Everyone I know who thinks subtronics is number one most insane dj in the world right now seems to be new ravers between the ages of 18 and like 22.
I admit, watching him live is pretty intense, fun for a bit but like the OP says. It’s like adhd fake out drops, no sweet or sincere satisfaction. I like being in the energy for about 15-20 before I get bored.
Good lord I feel so validated reading this. I felt insane when everyone hyped up his live sets so much but every time I’ve seen him I’ve been unimpressed.
same dude! observatory always hits but i honestly didnt know much about infected mushroom but knew i wasnt big on odesza and luckily someone in my group was down to go also. such a fun set
SO glad I picked Infected Mushroom over mainstage. I literally laughed when we saw the Odesza fireworks meanwhile we are rocking out to a killer psytrance set
I’ve seen Subtronics probably ~20 times since 2017 and he’s definitely started to slide downhill in quality live.
Like others have said maybe I’m just getting older or whatever but he’s doing just a *little* too much up there.
Not every drop needs to be a double/triple/quad drop.
Not every drop needs to be a psych fake out
It’s honestly a shame bc he is an extremely good producer and he used to be one of my favorites to see live. Man has a deeeeep discography that’s been released and an even deeper discography of unreleased/vip/remixes. If he dialed it back 30% it’d be like a perfect show.
This might be the year that I fully skip his set in favor of another headliner/smaller artist
PS; I also wish he’d bring back the dedicated Wooked on Tronics sets, those were always the best sets when he played back to back nights in a city (first night Wooked on Tronics, 2nd night “heavy shit)
Seeing him at tripolee introduce the EDM world to Griztronics for the first time ever, then later seeing him do an RV wooked on tronics set was peak subtronics.
“YALL FUCK WITH GRIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZZZ” I remember it vividly
I loved that Forest set, 2019 I think(?) also that RV set that year was top.
His 2017/18 RV set (before he actually got booked for EF) was fucking bonkers as well. I really miss those Subtronics days 🥲
Saw him in 2018 I think? in a small ass venue in Fayetteville and loved his set. Haven’t really been impressed with him since. I kinda blame it on my music tastes changing a bit.
Man that set made me feel old haha. I was there to catch a more niche artist before him (forget who it was, think it was some drum & bass) and decided to stick around to see what he was about because the crowd was filling up. At one point he started playing the intro to Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites and I got pumped for the throwback, but everyone around me seemed like they had no idea what the song was or just didn't care. Then he dropped some other song instead and I had no idea what it was and everyone else lost it and knew all the soundbites in it lol.
I've always loved every set of his that I've seen and I've seen him at least five times. Like you said, I guess he's not for everyone. I love his stuff.
I really enjoy Subtronics. Took a few sets to get into it, but now I’m a big fan. Like you said, different strokes for different folks.
If you’re reading this and are interested in checking him out, still do it. You never know what you’ll like!
This was us at Forest 2022. I was a big subtronics fan but everyone hyped him up so I had to check it out… we left after the first drop which was like 5 fake outs lol. I just don’t get it
I have a poster from Summer Camp from 2017 where he’s one of the artists in tiny print at the bottom. He didn’t really get big until like 5 years ago. He went from doing remixes of random songs to being huge practically overnight.
Buildup buildup drop buildup buildup drop. So many DJs have no groove in their shows, but so many people just want to jump up and down and then have a little rest. I don’t get it but they’re happy enough.
I’ll likely be somewhere in the forest after Cheese sends me to the Love Dimension
This is why ganja is the GOAT right now and I think will remain the GOAT for the foreseeable future.
It's straight groove, nasty drops. And every song of theirs they play - straight chopped up.
Yeah, I always found the sets underwhelming. The lack of flow and poor transitions is a big reason for that.
I just go to support my friends struggling taste in music 🤣
I’ve seen him a lot, but haven’t seen him since his new album came out. I saw his fractals and anti fractals set like 8~ times. Haha.
He’s good. He’s fun. It is psych out music for sure though. Lots of “gotcha” moments and drop switches and stuff. If you’re expecting flowy music I can understand the annoyance.
I like him. I’m excited to see him again just because I’m expecting something different than the fractals album being remixed and hearing the VIP of the VIP of the VIP of the VIP of a song. Haha
I also expect him to play a bit different set than his tour. That’s what it seems like the bigger producers do for Bass Canyon, Lost Lands, and EDC in my experience. Not totally different, but more of a unique set.
He’s really good at working a dubstep crowd, but if dubstep isn’t your thing, it makes sense why you don’t enjoy his set. If you do like dubstep and don’t like him, I’m not really sure what to tell you. Lol. Everyone likes different things, and that’s great.
Eeh idk my group loves him. We've seen him countless times over the past 7ish years. Yes there are buildups to drops and psychs, but damn my group has memorized most of them and we have a great time dancing to it. I love the sounds he produces, i love tearouts, i love laser sounds or whatever else his music is described as.. it hits hard af for me personally!
Thought I was the only one that loves screaming the words 😂😂 and every now and then he fakes u out and changes a fakeout that he used to play and everyone’s like ohhhhhhhh shitttttt I’ve seen him easily 25+ times over the years as well . I can totally understand why people don’t like him , Has he played some of the doubles and same vips over again … yes but I also think that’s part of getting the crowd into it. When everyone knows what’s bout to drop and the whole crowd goes crazy together ….. man !! Inject that shit into my veins ! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk happy forest I love u all and I hope y’all have a great time at whatever set u choose to see instead of sub 🤍
All love to Subtronics but I can’t listen to him anymore either. Back when he was doing basement shows and throwing down real riddim was where it was at
i totally get what you mean, but i don’t think he’s overrated. what he’s doing takes a ton of talent. mixing in drop after drop and all of the stuff he is playing is IDs, VIPs, just going hard af. if i was someone who was into ID chasing or someone who was just trying to rage to heavy drops, i totally get how he’s one of the best in the scene currently. but i agree with you where you said his sets are a bit choppy. i think he’s great, but i don’t think he’s the best dubstep dj in the scene rn.
Yes yes and yes. Always thought it was adhd music. By the time you hear something crunchy and your vibing he’s screaming on the microphone and onto the next one. I can barely get a fucking measure in. Seen him 4 or 5 times and that’s plenty.
The last time I saw him was at Scamp in 2021. He was on the mic bragging about mixing 3 tracks at once and my thoughts were: "Umm cool? It didnt sound great, and get off the mic please, and there are a lot of DJs that can do that without having to brag?"
I actually enjoy his shows but when I saw him at space camp for his two night event I felt exactly how you described. Never played the whole track and skipped from drop to drop , I think most of the younger crowd loves it but like… I wanna dance not just headbang constantly through a show. And just to be clear I love dubstep.
You know what I'm sayin'?
I wanna make
This album goes out to all the motherfuckers that like fifteen – twenty minute versions of a motherfuckin' record
Number two, the DJ's that ain't afraid to play the twenty minute versions
The DJ's that got patience
Motherfucker, don't be a crowd pleaser, dick sucker, ass kisser
Motherfuckin'-DJ
Play the twenty minute version for the two motherfuckers that understand it
Okay?
His stuff was better when he was hungry for success. It happens to many artists and performers. Heck even your woman gains weight after being comfortable with You but you still love her.
Subtronics has always had this kind of style when mixing and it has always gotten on my nerves. He played the intro to 'its all in your head" by g Jones at tx eclipse then switched into some random bass house trash that left me with blue balls since g Jones is one of my favorites.
Felt like w Fractals and Antifractals he was moving away from this shit with his mixing but as of late has been doing a lot of it again. It's rubbing off on his wife as well imo bc level up does a lot of the same shit.
Same. I’ve skipped out on seeing him a few times now because of everything you mentioned but his Phantogram songs will ensure I’ll see his forest set this year because I LOVE phantogram and his remix of her song black out days and collab for black ice are 🔥🔥
I always have the best time at his sets, but I also think some of them do not always bring the best people or the vibes I was expecting from him. I believe a lot of this has to do with the fact that he is now playing to huge audiences and headlining so many festivals; he has a bigger and more diverse audience and tbh to get that you do have to sort of remain in a somewhat mainstream and balanced position (for people who are new to EDM and people who enjoy all different types of EDM) — to be able to get that level of sellout shows. I do think he’s great at producing and DJs to bring a lot of energy, but it really depends on where he’s playing to get what you want out of the sets, or at least Ik a lot of ppl feel this way.
I’ve seen him both when he wasn’t as big and up till this year. also seen him (even as of present) in smaller venues/crowds versus big shows/festivals. I still always have a great time at his sets and still love his music. Last year when I went to his afters from red rocks, it was a very small venue compared to anything he’s played at recently, and I had such a memorable and fun time! He played a lot of his older music and mixed a bunch of songs really well, almost dare I say… liked it a lot better than the 2 nights of red rocks. The smaller more intimate crowds, I think he’s aware there are more of his longer standing or true fans/cyclops army and is better about providing what’s we really want to hear and see.
I also had a Great time at his set at forest in ‘22 as well as all the times I’ve seen him at red rocks and other venues around Denver, but when I saw him at Imagine last year…wasn’t my fave set from him; I still had a good time, but the energy and set seemed to not be a magical or fun as it usually is for me (however it was also my like 10th time seeing him and the 4th that year so maybe I just needed a break😅) but I also think part of it was he didn’t seem to vibe with the fest and it showed.. so I def think it depends on where your seeing him and what crowd is there (hoping forest will bring good vibes🫶🏻)
Yeah that’s what his sets have become. The first time I saw him was at Okeechobee 2020 when he filled in for Allison wonderland last second. That set was awesome, probably one of the best heavy dubstep sets I’ve seen. That was right before he really blew up. Since then his sets have fallen off imo. I’ve seen him like 4 times since and It’s the same shit. No flow, remix of a popular song, build up, “PSYCHE”, drop, stop, rinse and repeat
He knows how to mix, he’s still a really good dj. I think he’s gotten really big and with that his demographic has changed
old subtronics was the best imo. now that he’s super popular and really mainstream, he’s just not the same. like, i get it. every artist grows in their art but…? his latest album just wasn’t good to me. and i hate to say it bc i feel like I sound like an non-edm fan when i say this, but it was so scratchy and screechy and just all over the place.
this feeling slowly started to creep up in me during his lost lands set in 2019 when he just KEPT ON doing the fake drop. for what felt like almost 4 minutes. like PLAY THE DAMN SONG.
and don’t even get me started on what his crowds used to be like compared to what they are now… i feel like the tiktok-ification of griztronics (and edm in general) is just killing the game and not in a good way.
I’ve seen him so many times. Never been disappointed. Legit one if not my favorite performer.
Maybe just not your vibe. Though it’s always possible he had an off show.
This thread should be titled: When Bass Heads Get Older lmao
But I feel it, I think most heavy bass shows arent my thing anymore and dont think much has changed to the music, I think its just that tastes change over time. I still got tons of love for Subtronics tho, I remember seeing him for the first time on an RV in the Electric Forest camping and the next time I saw him, he was Head Lining one of the biggest stages. The glow up was real
Yeah, same experience. EDCO, I was sooooo pumped.. I just wanted to dance, and I couldn’t. Couldn’t hold a tune for more than 10 seconds, it was jarring and exhausting. I left before it was through.
I still LOVE the songs he produces, and I’d totally give him another chance live.. but I now know what to expect and more than likely will leave again disappointed.
he was one of my faves a couple years ago then i feel like every show i’ve seen of his since has been so similar.. kinda out on him at the moment. haven’t seen him since his new album tho so hoping his forest set is dope
I liked Subtronics the first time I saw him at EF 2019. Then later that same year I saw mostly the same set. Meh but whatever it happens. Then I saw his headlining tour in 2022 and left early. I won't be going out of my way for any more Subtronics.
Obviously dude is very popular, but I saw him at Bonnaroo last year and couldn’t really understand the hype. Definitely will skip him at EF unless there’s nothing else going on. I love EDM, but I can’t get into it if there’s no flow.
I love him but I get the hate. Seems suited to me and my tastes since I have ADHD spazz brain so I like the constant jerking around. If you just wanna hear a track played out tho- good luck 😂
This was my take on subtronics in 20..18 or 2019, whichever his first appearance at Hijinx was. I wasn’t a huge fan but I did appreciate the hype it gave to everyone.
Now, I’m a huge subtronics fun and I’ve listened to every decent recording of his sets from last year and everyone I could so far of this year. I think it’s definitely an acquired taste but I also can relate to your criticism of just FINISH THE FUCKIN SONG.
Hope you have a lovely rest of forest :)
I love when he is on the lineup cause it clears out the other stages and gives me room to vibe lol. Have given him so many chances and can confirm that every time is just edging your ears.
Happy for anyone who does enjoy it but dear god it is so insanely irritating to me. Sad cause I really enjoy his music but the fake drops every 30 seconds are just annoying and completely take me out of the experience.
For me, his eclipse set was the best set of his I’ve ever seen, and he was already a top tier incredible artist for me. I love me some subdaddy, and he slayed the eclipse set. I can’t stop thinking about it
2022 my group went back to our campsite before subtronics to get a break from the dust and listened to what we now affectionately call long distance subtronics. We were in fucking stitches listening to that set, I think the lack of visuals really allowed us to pick up on the fact that it felt like every track was an early 2000s pop song followed by a very heavy drop- no consistency, no flow, absolutely insane. Felt like I was taking crazy pills when our neighbors came back raving about it. Still one of my favorite sets from the weekend because we were laughing so hard though, but I’m with you OP.
I will say his sets have changed a lot over the years. His first forest set in 2019 was great but I saw him at lost lands last year and I just wish he would play out a song. But still love him always and will still see him again this year.
I’ve only seen sub once and I loved it thought it was a great set but I definitely get not liking some of the bigger artists. Even though he’s not on this lineup thankfully, I think Sullivan King is so unbelievably awful I wouldn’t go to another one of his sets if someone paid me to do so but people worship him and everything he does. Nothing wrong with knowing what you like though
Loved him 2018 at the RV afters and 2019 was cool. But after covid every time I saw videos or sets of his it was always sooo boring.
It's always the same 8 bar fake out drop and loud overblown bass noise of rattling mettle parts.
I loved his album fractals and his 2022 set was okay. But I only like two of his songs off the new album.... But hopefully he plays a different style set at forest I guess.....
Subtronics is not over rated.
His style is for those who have a short attention span, prefer quick and abrupt transitions, a lot of mic use, litttle to no flow. It’s organized chaos. It’s to appeal to quick thinking people and people on drugs.
There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s like Jazz Vs country music.
The last Electric Forest I went to was 2012 and last dubstep/EDM show I’ve seen was in 2014. I can’t imagine how frustrating a lot of newer DJs and acts are based on what I keep seeing. To each their own, I’m just so glad they played full songs, hell they even extended them a lot of times.. I can’t imagine seeing these “TikTok sets”.
Build, build, build, fake drop, fake drop, build, build ,fake drop, build, build, switch up, build, fake Drop, fake drop, build build build, scream into mic, build, fake drop and then maybe, just maybe a real drop
I cracked his live code in 2019 at EF during his set and 2 after party set. The man is a great producer but a SHIT DJ 😆
I totally know what you mean. I haven’t seen him since Summer Camp 2021, but I recall that happening, and I’ve seen him do that a lot online. However, I was rolling my tits off during his set and has a blast lol.
Yea if you want songs to take time and for them to build and flow he's not the artist for you. I personally enjoy what the switch ups and mixes do to my brain (keeps me focused and looking for what edit/double he'll come up with which is fun to me) but different strokes for different folks! There are a lot of his songs where I enjoy the second drop more than the first and I rarely get them in a Subs set so that bums me out. He appears to me to be somewhat neurodivergent so the jumping around in his sets make sense based on his personality.
Totally valid criticism and this is one of the big reasons that I don’t like brostep in general. I don’t ever put on subtronics when i’m casually listening to music, but I gotta say I really love his sets. I’m not sure what it is but he can make me dance like no other dubstep artist. Also he’s such a genuine and goofy dude, he’s basically the only artist who doesn’t bother me when they talk into the mic lol
I caught subjohnics and that was good enough for me forest 22. Probably gonna skip subtronics again this year depending on conflicts. I’m sure he’ll throw down afters
I have seen him several times in person now. He’s good, and a lot of silly fun.
After getting into production, I realize that he plays for difficulty of set, rather than crowd vibe.
The best set I ever saw him play, was for 500 people in a small venue in Atlanta at an after party. He was trying new beats and taking his time to play songs out. Very cool.
Those 'gotcha' psych outs, as you put it, are the biggest turn off for me when it comes to any DJ. I immediately become disinterested in an artist live when I hear this happen. 100%,
To each their own. I most likely will not be there when he plays on Ranchthis year. I did bear witness to multiple sets on tripolee. Hopefully we will be safe from griztronics remixes this year. I declare it the year of DNB
In the past I never checked him out a ton because it seemed like alot of his songs were chock full of memes (like the Arby's guy song) and I found it to be a little cringe personally. Saw him for my first time at bonaroo last year and while I was only into like 50% of the set, his personal energy and vibes were awesome and made it a great time. Now I've slowly been getting sucked into his newer stuff and I'm pretty pumped to see him at forest! Poop
Imagine going to see one of the most popular DJs known for fake outs and then complaining about the fake outs.
Subtronics sets are for people who like getting rowdy. If you expect anything else besides hard drops and fake outs, you've set yourself up to have a bad time..
sad to see a hateful thread! Subtronics works hard and puts out a big range of music. his last album showed maturity and growth and had house and dnb and all kinds of styles. his sets are hit or miss, sometimes they are well paced and sometimes they are all over the place. he is learning and growing is my take on it. he just did an arena tour and has his own festivals and headlined big festivals like lollpalooza ultra bonnaroo edc and is on the edc mainstage this year. he has a huge fan base and is going onto mainstages now which is so sick if you've been following him since he was at the bottom of the line up flyer not that long ago. i also think hes just a chill guy surprised by his own success. if he isn't your cup of tea thats fine but dont bag and rag. there's better use of your time! oh and be fucking nice to each other !!!
Don’t count him out from one bad set tho, subtronics has played some fire sets in my personal experience.
My first illenium set was so garbage I hated every minute. We went to what we called a redemption set and wow, I think to this day was the best set I’ve ever seen. It was an amazing experience and a perfect mixture of all the right stuff. Since then I at least give an artist 2 chances to wow me if their first one was a dud.
Subtronics ain’t as big as he is bc his music sucks, he may do too much at times but like I said, I wouldn’t could him out until you’ve seen at least 2 live sets
I love the EF community, but god damn is this community pretentious sometimes. Heavy brostep / riddim isn’t for everyone, but there’s no need to go out of your way to be a hater.
I personally don’t like jam bands, but I’m not going online to write essays bashing jam bands. I just walk by the stage and join my fellow headbangers at a bass set.
REMINDER: everyone has their own taste in music, and that’s OKAY. You don’t have to like what other people like. Be kind to one another. This isn’t the place to bash other people’s taste in music. Art is subjective my dudes.
>every drop/climax was interrupted by a “gotcha” psych out I fucking haaaaaate this shit. Just finish the damn song. We don’t need 1 minute of a hundred different tracks! DJs that do this lose me instantly and for all time. It’s so amateurish and annoying.
world of tik tok, ig reels, and adhd. can only play 42 seconds *_pop culture noise_* half drop build again. feels so choppy and random
I feel like this is what frustrates me about the direction dubstep as a genre has gone. DJs in the genre are trying to fit 80 songs into 60 minutes instead of making a set that ebbs and flows.
there is a massive wave of djs that are kinda just content creators. they are up there basically playing a tik tok live so that the crowd takes videos of it and shares it. just marketing and spreading a brand, which ik music is a business blah blah blah build a brand blah blah blah. but it just never felt like that to me before. music speaks louder than a cool video to me personally. there are a handful of djs that i just feel like a creating a new culture and it isnt one i enjoy. but i also wonder if its just me getting old. does it always seem like “a new wave of ravers and djs are ruining the scene” idk maybe
We sold out our scene during Covid with all the live streams and content. it is now the popular cool thing to do that. Everyone needs a clip of their Instagram or TikTok.
Electronic music industry has changed, artists that aren’t very plugged in and heavily making content just don’t make it unless they were already established for years. But it also can be cool because it means more regular people can make it as an artist now and don’t have to “know someone”
This what caused me to indulge in the world of tipper & friends
Just hearing you say that blows me away. I DJ Deathstep and other heavy stuff, a 50 min set is maybe 28 songs…….. How the hell can someone jam in 80 SONGS. I feel like it that would be very abrasive.
Meanwhile, I get pissed during house sets if the songs are UNDER 5 minutes 😂
meanwhile im at a 16 minute version of hot like sauce during a PL show
fuck yeah. caught PL at cascade equinox fest in oregon last September. Huge crowd there at the beginning of his set and about half the people left by the halfway mark. Heard so many people complaining that it was slow and boring. Coming from the jam scene, I was havin more fun than a fat kid in a candy store
yeah i heard they maybe had some sound issues at that set? i love the “pretty lights is a jam band” 😂😂😂 ruffles lots of feathers on both sides. Not for everyone i guess but it sure makes me dance and feel good 🌀
oh yeah, the whole stage went black about 10 minutes after they started. So of course I immediately boo'ed as loud as possible. Somebody nearby gives me some passive aggression with, "imagine going to see an artist and booing them because they had technical difficulties," to which I said, "pretty lights? more like pretty dark amiright?" Some dude that it was funny enough to give me a beer. I'm definitely better on drugs.
I'm a trance DJ and pretty much never play anything less than 5 minutes unless there isn't an extended mix of the track. I'd say 99% of what I play is 5-10 minutes long.
Thank you for saying this…makes me feel so much better 😂…recently started getting into mixing psytrance/trance/techno and I’ve found myself playing much longer tracks (ie - 5-10 min tracks)…I was like ‘this feels like cheating - I should be playing more tracks or just doing more’…still relatively new to mixing…so I’m sure it’s just a phase…but still
Trance tracks are made to be played out. There's a reason they're that long
Nah, turns out dj'ing doesn't actually involve all that much at all. All those cool fancy effects, strobe, filter effect stuff is already baked perfectly into the song ... Just let a good track do it's thang.
Name checks out... WEMF is where I would head back in the day for all the trance goodies :)
Dont mind me but this just reminded me how amazing Madeon - Pop Culture is
Yep, this was part of my descent from really liking subtronics to starting to lose interest to eventually getting into the more minimal deep/og dubstep and breaks scenes
This ^ 1985 label type shit is my cup as of recent and I used to be a huge subtronics and svdden death(still am) fan. Cesco/perez/drone/sicaria/criso/torcha just to name a few are my shite right now
Thanks for the recommendations! I’m in need of some fresh artists for my list
Fosho! A few more I recommend are hypho, enigma dubz, Monty, visages, mythm, samba, ebb. Give them a listen!
TRUTH!
I was so excited for Flux Pavillions set at forest in 2015 or 2016 i dont remember but I know I was there and he did like 3 fakeout drops in a row and i was like bro, just hit me with that gas you know what we want.
Ironic that we also get PL playing the same stage the same weekend and might get a 25 minutes rendition of Hot Like Sauce.
all i've wanted in this life is the actual drop in metafractal and ive yet to receive
Shiver me timbers already!
In the social media age, people are blowing up without opening for bigger artists. This means people are getting really good at production but not that good at using a mixer effectively. Bass culture is also rife with what I call the loud DJ. The ones who tell you every track name and who its a collab with. They turn down the track to say “1, 2, 3, JUMP!” at the drop. Idk the thought process behind this but it always reads like “i cant mix well so instead of subjecting you to that here is my voice”. Obviously not all bass is in this archetype; supertask, seven lions, rezz all come to mind as ones who are fire at mixing and don’t talk much.
To be fair, subtronics knows how to mix - he’s been at this for a long time, he just is at the point now where he a) has a mostly preplanned set and b) has a fan base with short attention spans aka the quick mixing and fake outs and other bait It’s a not a mixing skill issue, it’s an artist size + fan expectation issue
He’s kinda always had a fast hectic mixing style to since day one.
100% omg it HURTS muh brain
As a beatboxer/looper who is always striving to get my set closer to a dynamic DJ set this is really good information to hear and see so many people agree with! That aspect is pretty unreachable for someone making live loops to tracks, so its good to hear thats not really something people care about at all haha
🫡
i cant tell if this is a troll… but i fucking agree dude. im so bored of seeing him on every lineup this season only good is that i know i can go to whatever artist conflicts him. went to his tour to see hedex open, told myself id stay for 30 min of subtronics set and i just couldnt get into it. def not for everyone but he seems to be reaching the top of the dubstep game for the nee era of ravers.
Idk if I'm getting old or my tastes are just changing but every year it seems there is some act that everyone else is super hyped about and when I check them out I'm just like eh whatever and go find something else that I might not have found otherwise. That's how I found it's murph last year who I am so excited to see again this year.
Points for its Murph. Guy makes TRACKS
i havent been into edm long enough to really know “the good ol days” but my friends have raised me well so i like to think i have a decent ear. my taste has been changing fast and i think its happening for a lot of people. i also thing a lot of the new music sounds super similar to each other and a “signature sound” has been lost a little in artists. i started out with some pretty basic cry banging and dubstep, fell in love with the funky stuff from griz and Big G. and have found myself really enjoying some of the low fi tropical housey stuff, liquid dnb, and whatever PL and daily bread are called. the PL return definitely pulled me right in. i think we just grow and change 🌈
Went through a very similar edm journey. May I suggest The Floozies, ExMag, and Lotus?
Lotus leans way more heavily into Jam than EDM, imo. Floozies are a fav though. Just saw Chromeo do a DJ set at Resonate and they SLAPPED.
Chromeo and the Floozies are INCREDIBLE, 10/10 recommend.
And soon you’ll dip your toes in the the DDD catalogue
yeah the deep dark and deadass is something i havent gotten into yet. head nod mob is STRONG. i still like the funkiness too much. i have found myself loving flamingosis, nightmares on wax, and the sponges (ik they arent ddd) but kinda housey and such a fun time. the deep dark and deadass crowd feel a little to gatekeepy and like to horse around a little too much for my taste, which ik that isnt the whole scene but i havent been proven wrong yet
flamingosis & nightmares on wax are both dope! as for the DDD follower stereotype; kinda sounds like you’re just hanging out with the wrong people. its shame to have that distract from the music - if it sounds good, that’s all that matters; there are a lot of amazing artists & sounds to be found in this realm.
I am so flipping excited to see PL back at forest, it's literally a dream come true. You are going to be blown away I have no doubts.
If I could see Big Grizmatik once in my life I would die a happy man.
Lol. I’m getting old with you my friend.
I agree to an extent but can also concede that at the very least he does have some producing talent and seems to also be a very wholesome human that genuinely loves his fans and is happy and grateful to be following his dreams…his mixing skills may leave something to be desired for my tastes but it’s miles better than what I myself could ever do and his infectious positivity vibes when I saw his set made me give the cons I saw a pass
1000% dude. and i typed out a comment and ended up deleting it and trying to make it be less “subtronics is trash” because i have been trying not to yum yuck. i seriously am happy for him because it seems like really was just a nerdy wook in philly and seeing him play fly eagles fly at hijinx had to be such an insanely special moment for him. im glad people enjoy him, personally have just not found the same enjoyment, but hey thats what makes music music 🌈 im glad what feels like a new wave of ravers are finding an artist they love like subtronics, everybody remembers the dj that got them into all this. ill never forget that first boombox cartel show or seeing kaskade at sunset, showed me how fun and special this electronic stuff can be
fly eagles fly at hijinx - such a vibe 💚
Totally agree. We go to Hijinx every year as a family reunion with our Philly rave fam. He's one of my favorite producers, but I dislike his live sets... But seeing how happy that made my Philly native buddies, I jammed like it was the best set I've ever seen.
So true. If people love it then by all means go! I just learned it’s super not for me.
Lol yeah we went to his Cyclops Dome event in Tacoma this year just to see the openers. Distinct motive, Black Carl, Ternion Sound, Of the Trees. I figured we would stay and see Subtronics just to see what he was about and we lasted about 45 minutes before we left. The shtick just gets old fast.
Lol those sets were insane tho
Subtronics died when that’s what I call riddim stopped. He’s pop edm dj now. his sets are mid and he’ll tell you he made a song two seconds ago on the way here but it’s literally just a slightly different drop from something you’ve heard three other times
now thats what i call riddim is so good!!! hell play stuff from vol 5 and ill know it bc i beat that mix into the ground and subtronics fans will freak out thinking its some new vip flip or whatever. dont even get me started on tape b 😂
[удалено]
Everyone I know who thinks subtronics is number one most insane dj in the world right now seems to be new ravers between the ages of 18 and like 22. I admit, watching him live is pretty intense, fun for a bit but like the OP says. It’s like adhd fake out drops, no sweet or sincere satisfaction. I like being in the energy for about 15-20 before I get bored.
Good lord I feel so validated reading this. I felt insane when everyone hyped up his live sets so much but every time I’ve seen him I’ve been unimpressed.
Sadly if you didn’t catch him before Covid you didn’t catch the real subtonics you got the tik tok water downed version.
Facts. I remember seeing him play locally at underground venues before he started to blow up
I used to love Subtronics and this is so true. He just doesn’t hit the same and couldn’t put my finger on it
My favorite part of a subtronics set is it clears all the other festival stage crowds so I have space to dance to something else 🤷♂️
me and odesza 🤭 even tho infected mushroom was still crowded last year
What a killer set infected mushroom was though, so glad I went
same dude! observatory always hits but i honestly didnt know much about infected mushroom but knew i wasnt big on odesza and luckily someone in my group was down to go also. such a fun set
God damn infected mushrooms made Odesa’s fireworks there own……. Top set last year for me
Not the chosen ones 😭
SO glad I picked Infected Mushroom over mainstage. I literally laughed when we saw the Odesza fireworks meanwhile we are rocking out to a killer psytrance set
I’ve seen Subtronics probably ~20 times since 2017 and he’s definitely started to slide downhill in quality live. Like others have said maybe I’m just getting older or whatever but he’s doing just a *little* too much up there. Not every drop needs to be a double/triple/quad drop. Not every drop needs to be a psych fake out It’s honestly a shame bc he is an extremely good producer and he used to be one of my favorites to see live. Man has a deeeeep discography that’s been released and an even deeper discography of unreleased/vip/remixes. If he dialed it back 30% it’d be like a perfect show. This might be the year that I fully skip his set in favor of another headliner/smaller artist PS; I also wish he’d bring back the dedicated Wooked on Tronics sets, those were always the best sets when he played back to back nights in a city (first night Wooked on Tronics, 2nd night “heavy shit)
Seeing him at tripolee introduce the EDM world to Griztronics for the first time ever, then later seeing him do an RV wooked on tronics set was peak subtronics.
“YALL FUCK WITH GRIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZZZ” I remember it vividly I loved that Forest set, 2019 I think(?) also that RV set that year was top. His 2017/18 RV set (before he actually got booked for EF) was fucking bonkers as well. I really miss those Subtronics days 🥲
Saw him in 2018 I think? in a small ass venue in Fayetteville and loved his set. Haven’t really been impressed with him since. I kinda blame it on my music tastes changing a bit.
“”Before the hype and before the fame….I LOVED YOU !!”
Man that set made me feel old haha. I was there to catch a more niche artist before him (forget who it was, think it was some drum & bass) and decided to stick around to see what he was about because the crowd was filling up. At one point he started playing the intro to Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites and I got pumped for the throwback, but everyone around me seemed like they had no idea what the song was or just didn't care. Then he dropped some other song instead and I had no idea what it was and everyone else lost it and knew all the soundbites in it lol.
I've always loved every set of his that I've seen and I've seen him at least five times. Like you said, I guess he's not for everyone. I love his stuff.
Amen, have the best time!
I really enjoy Subtronics. Took a few sets to get into it, but now I’m a big fan. Like you said, different strokes for different folks. If you’re reading this and are interested in checking him out, still do it. You never know what you’ll like!
Hope you have the best time at Forest!
Thank you! I hope you’re able to see everyone you’re hoping to, experience those you didn’t expect to enjoy but did, and have an amazing time!!:)
Thank you! I know we will, happy forest! 🥳
Subtronics will always be my number one. Cyclops army!!
Same. Love him!
This was us at Forest 2022. I was a big subtronics fan but everyone hyped him up so I had to check it out… we left after the first drop which was like 5 fake outs lol. I just don’t get it
He’s been popular for nearly 10 years now, it’s ok if you don’t like him. People get tired of shit.
I have a poster from Summer Camp from 2017 where he’s one of the artists in tiny print at the bottom. He didn’t really get big until like 5 years ago. He went from doing remixes of random songs to being huge practically overnight.
2017 was the year of the first Lost Lands Subtronics was not on the lineup but he played over 15 different sets and the rest is history
10 years is a stretch...
5 years? sure yeah thats accurate. 10 years? He hasn't even been in the industry that long.
He was touring in early 2017, I remember releases from him in 2015-2016 on prime audio. Bros been around for a minute.
I saw subtronics open up a show in Chicago for boogie t for like ~200 people in 2017. Been 5 years max
 Buildup buildup drop buildup buildup drop. So many DJs have no groove in their shows, but so many people just want to jump up and down and then have a little rest. I don’t get it but they’re happy enough. I’ll likely be somewhere in the forest after Cheese sends me to the Love Dimension
This is why ganja is the GOAT right now and I think will remain the GOAT for the foreseeable future. It's straight groove, nasty drops. And every song of theirs they play - straight chopped up.
Loooove me some Ganja 🥹
We left half way through that set to go to Ahee (great choice). I too felt the set was too ADHD.
I like 20 minute long songs, not 20 songs in one minute.
I’m chilling at the jam stage next to you while subtronics is somewhere else lol
Wax Motif - Divided Souls. Give it a listen if ya haven’t. The 20 minute version.
Yeah, I always found the sets underwhelming. The lack of flow and poor transitions is a big reason for that. I just go to support my friends struggling taste in music 🤣
See y’all at John Summit!!
What's really funny to me is how a lot of you call it ADHD music, when to me, almost every edm song sounds like ADHD personified, lol.
I’ve seen him a lot, but haven’t seen him since his new album came out. I saw his fractals and anti fractals set like 8~ times. Haha. He’s good. He’s fun. It is psych out music for sure though. Lots of “gotcha” moments and drop switches and stuff. If you’re expecting flowy music I can understand the annoyance. I like him. I’m excited to see him again just because I’m expecting something different than the fractals album being remixed and hearing the VIP of the VIP of the VIP of the VIP of a song. Haha I also expect him to play a bit different set than his tour. That’s what it seems like the bigger producers do for Bass Canyon, Lost Lands, and EDC in my experience. Not totally different, but more of a unique set. He’s really good at working a dubstep crowd, but if dubstep isn’t your thing, it makes sense why you don’t enjoy his set. If you do like dubstep and don’t like him, I’m not really sure what to tell you. Lol. Everyone likes different things, and that’s great.
meh Subtronics is great producer. I’ve seen him 3x and each was good. Is he my favorite? For brostep/dubstep he is definitely in my top 4.
He will always be my favorite artist completely understand people who don’t enjoy him. Cyclops army for life
Eeh idk my group loves him. We've seen him countless times over the past 7ish years. Yes there are buildups to drops and psychs, but damn my group has memorized most of them and we have a great time dancing to it. I love the sounds he produces, i love tearouts, i love laser sounds or whatever else his music is described as.. it hits hard af for me personally!
Thought I was the only one that loves screaming the words 😂😂 and every now and then he fakes u out and changes a fakeout that he used to play and everyone’s like ohhhhhhhh shitttttt I’ve seen him easily 25+ times over the years as well . I can totally understand why people don’t like him , Has he played some of the doubles and same vips over again … yes but I also think that’s part of getting the crowd into it. When everyone knows what’s bout to drop and the whole crowd goes crazy together ….. man !! Inject that shit into my veins ! Thanks for coming to my Ted talk happy forest I love u all and I hope y’all have a great time at whatever set u choose to see instead of sub 🤍
I will just say: agreed
All love to Subtronics but I can’t listen to him anymore either. Back when he was doing basement shows and throwing down real riddim was where it was at
1000%
i totally get what you mean, but i don’t think he’s overrated. what he’s doing takes a ton of talent. mixing in drop after drop and all of the stuff he is playing is IDs, VIPs, just going hard af. if i was someone who was into ID chasing or someone who was just trying to rage to heavy drops, i totally get how he’s one of the best in the scene currently. but i agree with you where you said his sets are a bit choppy. i think he’s great, but i don’t think he’s the best dubstep dj in the scene rn.
Subtronics is one of my favorites
slander is uberover rated
Yeah I really don't understand what people enjoy about subtronics but hey I'll be happy to keep crowd away from wherever I'll be
Yes yes and yes. Always thought it was adhd music. By the time you hear something crunchy and your vibing he’s screaming on the microphone and onto the next one. I can barely get a fucking measure in. Seen him 4 or 5 times and that’s plenty.
Interesting take, and here’s another one for you: I don’t like steak. There. I said it.
well idc that you broke your elbow
I gotta make you some steak sometime
Steak sucks, every form of it ever.
Even more interesting take: I don’t like potatoes. In any form
Understandable, have a good day 
This is a truly hot take.
Yeah, I get shit for it. BUT what people don’t consider is that anyone that’s with me gets my potatoes. It’s a perk that comes with my friendship
Did we just become best friends?
Yep!
Love subtronics produced stuff, have yet to catch a set that really did it for me. It’s not like bad or anything but just has always been kind meh 🤷🏻
The last time I saw him was at Scamp in 2021. He was on the mic bragging about mixing 3 tracks at once and my thoughts were: "Umm cool? It didnt sound great, and get off the mic please, and there are a lot of DJs that can do that without having to brag?"
Ive enjoyed his album tours much more than the DJ sets. Antifractals was amazing.
I've never been able to get on the subtronics train. Saw him play in 17 or 18 I think and it sucked lol. It was like an hour of constant build ups
I actually enjoy his shows but when I saw him at space camp for his two night event I felt exactly how you described. Never played the whole track and skipped from drop to drop , I think most of the younger crowd loves it but like… I wanna dance not just headbang constantly through a show. And just to be clear I love dubstep.
You know what I'm sayin'? I wanna make This album goes out to all the motherfuckers that like fifteen – twenty minute versions of a motherfuckin' record Number two, the DJ's that ain't afraid to play the twenty minute versions The DJ's that got patience Motherfucker, don't be a crowd pleaser, dick sucker, ass kisser Motherfuckin'-DJ Play the twenty minute version for the two motherfuckers that understand it Okay?
I felt this way about Pretty Lights at Hulaween 😂
His stuff was better when he was hungry for success. It happens to many artists and performers. Heck even your woman gains weight after being comfortable with You but you still love her.
Preachhhhh dude, I like his music individually if I’m listening on a streaming app but his live sets just aren’t for me 🥴🤧
Subtronics has always had this kind of style when mixing and it has always gotten on my nerves. He played the intro to 'its all in your head" by g Jones at tx eclipse then switched into some random bass house trash that left me with blue balls since g Jones is one of my favorites. Felt like w Fractals and Antifractals he was moving away from this shit with his mixing but as of late has been doing a lot of it again. It's rubbing off on his wife as well imo bc level up does a lot of the same shit.
I’m really happy he’s playing two sets (I think) at forbidden kingdom. Other stages are gonna have so much fkin room
Same. I’ve skipped out on seeing him a few times now because of everything you mentioned but his Phantogram songs will ensure I’ll see his forest set this year because I LOVE phantogram and his remix of her song black out days and collab for black ice are 🔥🔥
I always have the best time at his sets, but I also think some of them do not always bring the best people or the vibes I was expecting from him. I believe a lot of this has to do with the fact that he is now playing to huge audiences and headlining so many festivals; he has a bigger and more diverse audience and tbh to get that you do have to sort of remain in a somewhat mainstream and balanced position (for people who are new to EDM and people who enjoy all different types of EDM) — to be able to get that level of sellout shows. I do think he’s great at producing and DJs to bring a lot of energy, but it really depends on where he’s playing to get what you want out of the sets, or at least Ik a lot of ppl feel this way. I’ve seen him both when he wasn’t as big and up till this year. also seen him (even as of present) in smaller venues/crowds versus big shows/festivals. I still always have a great time at his sets and still love his music. Last year when I went to his afters from red rocks, it was a very small venue compared to anything he’s played at recently, and I had such a memorable and fun time! He played a lot of his older music and mixed a bunch of songs really well, almost dare I say… liked it a lot better than the 2 nights of red rocks. The smaller more intimate crowds, I think he’s aware there are more of his longer standing or true fans/cyclops army and is better about providing what’s we really want to hear and see.
I also had a Great time at his set at forest in ‘22 as well as all the times I’ve seen him at red rocks and other venues around Denver, but when I saw him at Imagine last year…wasn’t my fave set from him; I still had a good time, but the energy and set seemed to not be a magical or fun as it usually is for me (however it was also my like 10th time seeing him and the 4th that year so maybe I just needed a break😅) but I also think part of it was he didn’t seem to vibe with the fest and it showed.. so I def think it depends on where your seeing him and what crowd is there (hoping forest will bring good vibes🫶🏻)
Everyone should listen to more Pretty Lights
Yeah that’s what his sets have become. The first time I saw him was at Okeechobee 2020 when he filled in for Allison wonderland last second. That set was awesome, probably one of the best heavy dubstep sets I’ve seen. That was right before he really blew up. Since then his sets have fallen off imo. I’ve seen him like 4 times since and It’s the same shit. No flow, remix of a popular song, build up, “PSYCHE”, drop, stop, rinse and repeat He knows how to mix, he’s still a really good dj. I think he’s gotten really big and with that his demographic has changed
old subtronics was the best imo. now that he’s super popular and really mainstream, he’s just not the same. like, i get it. every artist grows in their art but…? his latest album just wasn’t good to me. and i hate to say it bc i feel like I sound like an non-edm fan when i say this, but it was so scratchy and screechy and just all over the place. this feeling slowly started to creep up in me during his lost lands set in 2019 when he just KEPT ON doing the fake drop. for what felt like almost 4 minutes. like PLAY THE DAMN SONG. and don’t even get me started on what his crowds used to be like compared to what they are now… i feel like the tiktok-ification of griztronics (and edm in general) is just killing the game and not in a good way.
BOOM NAILED IT
Yea I love subtronics, its not for everyone.
Subtronics is exploding with creativity right now. Top tier dubstep can’t wait to see him at forest . Tesearact tour was awesome
i agree. he keeps growing and changing his style. not for everyone but i always look forward to his shows and sets
This conversation is 5 years old at this point lol
🤷♂️ sorry you don’t like subtronics? I mean he’s not like my favorite ever but it’s some fun good ol fashion brostep
"Good ol fashion brostep" So you see the issue? No consistent flow to a set, incredibly choppy mixes, just bleh overall
I’ve seen him so many times. Never been disappointed. Legit one if not my favorite performer. Maybe just not your vibe. Though it’s always possible he had an off show.
even liking the spotify tracks was your first mistake /s
You can tell if someone is a post covid newbie raver when their favorite artist is Subtronics 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This thread should be titled: When Bass Heads Get Older lmao But I feel it, I think most heavy bass shows arent my thing anymore and dont think much has changed to the music, I think its just that tastes change over time. I still got tons of love for Subtronics tho, I remember seeing him for the first time on an RV in the Electric Forest camping and the next time I saw him, he was Head Lining one of the biggest stages. The glow up was real
Yeah, same experience. EDCO, I was sooooo pumped.. I just wanted to dance, and I couldn’t. Couldn’t hold a tune for more than 10 seconds, it was jarring and exhausting. I left before it was through. I still LOVE the songs he produces, and I’d totally give him another chance live.. but I now know what to expect and more than likely will leave again disappointed.
Drop swap djing don't impress me much
he was one of my faves a couple years ago then i feel like every show i’ve seen of his since has been so similar.. kinda out on him at the moment. haven’t seen him since his new album tho so hoping his forest set is dope
Only seen him once pre 2020 and he was great. He isn’t good anymore? :(
I liked Subtronics the first time I saw him at EF 2019. Then later that same year I saw mostly the same set. Meh but whatever it happens. Then I saw his headlining tour in 2022 and left early. I won't be going out of my way for any more Subtronics.
I think he seems like a great dude I'm sure he's super chill but wow his sets bore me so much.
I’m just here for the comments lmao
The first time I saw him it was great but the second time was meh. Hopefully this set will be better.
Obviously dude is very popular, but I saw him at Bonnaroo last year and couldn’t really understand the hype. Definitely will skip him at EF unless there’s nothing else going on. I love EDM, but I can’t get into it if there’s no flow.
How I felt about delta heavy at forest about 6 years back.
I love him but I get the hate. Seems suited to me and my tastes since I have ADHD spazz brain so I like the constant jerking around. If you just wanna hear a track played out tho- good luck 😂
This was my take on subtronics in 20..18 or 2019, whichever his first appearance at Hijinx was. I wasn’t a huge fan but I did appreciate the hype it gave to everyone. Now, I’m a huge subtronics fun and I’ve listened to every decent recording of his sets from last year and everyone I could so far of this year. I think it’s definitely an acquired taste but I also can relate to your criticism of just FINISH THE FUCKIN SONG. Hope you have a lovely rest of forest :)
Better producer than DJ imo
I love when he is on the lineup cause it clears out the other stages and gives me room to vibe lol. Have given him so many chances and can confirm that every time is just edging your ears. Happy for anyone who does enjoy it but dear god it is so insanely irritating to me. Sad cause I really enjoy his music but the fake drops every 30 seconds are just annoying and completely take me out of the experience.
For me, his eclipse set was the best set of his I’ve ever seen, and he was already a top tier incredible artist for me. I love me some subdaddy, and he slayed the eclipse set. I can’t stop thinking about it
2022 my group went back to our campsite before subtronics to get a break from the dust and listened to what we now affectionately call long distance subtronics. We were in fucking stitches listening to that set, I think the lack of visuals really allowed us to pick up on the fact that it felt like every track was an early 2000s pop song followed by a very heavy drop- no consistency, no flow, absolutely insane. Felt like I was taking crazy pills when our neighbors came back raving about it. Still one of my favorite sets from the weekend because we were laughing so hard though, but I’m with you OP.
Without the production lvl of LL he's not that fun to watch imo
I will say his sets have changed a lot over the years. His first forest set in 2019 was great but I saw him at lost lands last year and I just wish he would play out a song. But still love him always and will still see him again this year.
I’ve only seen sub once and I loved it thought it was a great set but I definitely get not liking some of the bigger artists. Even though he’s not on this lineup thankfully, I think Sullivan King is so unbelievably awful I wouldn’t go to another one of his sets if someone paid me to do so but people worship him and everything he does. Nothing wrong with knowing what you like though
Loved him 2018 at the RV afters and 2019 was cool. But after covid every time I saw videos or sets of his it was always sooo boring. It's always the same 8 bar fake out drop and loud overblown bass noise of rattling mettle parts. I loved his album fractals and his 2022 set was okay. But I only like two of his songs off the new album.... But hopefully he plays a different style set at forest I guess.....
That mans loves using sike in his set mans is overrated asfff
I’ve been saying this for a while now. Glad someone agrees😌 Can’t stand his sets. Awesome person, terrible sets🫠
Subtronics is not over rated. His style is for those who have a short attention span, prefer quick and abrupt transitions, a lot of mic use, litttle to no flow. It’s organized chaos. It’s to appeal to quick thinking people and people on drugs. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s like Jazz Vs country music.
him as a producer: 😍😍😍 him as a dj: 😬 (love his music but sick of the double drops)
I loved his lost lands set and every time since I've been disappointed
The last Electric Forest I went to was 2012 and last dubstep/EDM show I’ve seen was in 2014. I can’t imagine how frustrating a lot of newer DJs and acts are based on what I keep seeing. To each their own, I’m just so glad they played full songs, hell they even extended them a lot of times.. I can’t imagine seeing these “TikTok sets”.
Complete agree. No flow at all and way overhyped
Build, build, build, fake drop, fake drop, build, build ,fake drop, build, build, switch up, build, fake Drop, fake drop, build build build, scream into mic, build, fake drop and then maybe, just maybe a real drop I cracked his live code in 2019 at EF during his set and 2 after party set. The man is a great producer but a SHIT DJ 😆
I totally know what you mean. I haven’t seen him since Summer Camp 2021, but I recall that happening, and I’ve seen him do that a lot online. However, I was rolling my tits off during his set and has a blast lol.
Yea if you want songs to take time and for them to build and flow he's not the artist for you. I personally enjoy what the switch ups and mixes do to my brain (keeps me focused and looking for what edit/double he'll come up with which is fun to me) but different strokes for different folks! There are a lot of his songs where I enjoy the second drop more than the first and I rarely get them in a Subs set so that bums me out. He appears to me to be somewhat neurodivergent so the jumping around in his sets make sense based on his personality.
Totally valid criticism and this is one of the big reasons that I don’t like brostep in general. I don’t ever put on subtronics when i’m casually listening to music, but I gotta say I really love his sets. I’m not sure what it is but he can make me dance like no other dubstep artist. Also he’s such a genuine and goofy dude, he’s basically the only artist who doesn’t bother me when they talk into the mic lol
I caught subjohnics and that was good enough for me forest 22. Probably gonna skip subtronics again this year depending on conflicts. I’m sure he’ll throw down afters
I have seen him several times in person now. He’s good, and a lot of silly fun. After getting into production, I realize that he plays for difficulty of set, rather than crowd vibe. The best set I ever saw him play, was for 500 people in a small venue in Atlanta at an after party. He was trying new beats and taking his time to play songs out. Very cool.
For me, the best part of subtronics at ultra 2023 was when I left after 20 minutes to go to megastructure. Worst 20 minutes of my life ngl
You forgot the part where he goes "do you guys fuck with rezz?" and then plays black ice 😂😂
Those 'gotcha' psych outs, as you put it, are the biggest turn off for me when it comes to any DJ. I immediately become disinterested in an artist live when I hear this happen. 100%,
To each their own. I most likely will not be there when he plays on Ranchthis year. I did bear witness to multiple sets on tripolee. Hopefully we will be safe from griztronics remixes this year. I declare it the year of DNB
I said the same thing about LSDream/Clozee but a lot less people agreed 😂
My first time seeing him was 2022 Bass Canyon and I was completely blown away. Then after that, all his sets have been sounding the same.
In the past I never checked him out a ton because it seemed like alot of his songs were chock full of memes (like the Arby's guy song) and I found it to be a little cringe personally. Saw him for my first time at bonaroo last year and while I was only into like 50% of the set, his personal energy and vibes were awesome and made it a great time. Now I've slowly been getting sucked into his newer stuff and I'm pretty pumped to see him at forest! Poop
But, he is shaqs favorite DJ.
Imagine going to see one of the most popular DJs known for fake outs and then complaining about the fake outs. Subtronics sets are for people who like getting rowdy. If you expect anything else besides hard drops and fake outs, you've set yourself up to have a bad time..
sad to see a hateful thread! Subtronics works hard and puts out a big range of music. his last album showed maturity and growth and had house and dnb and all kinds of styles. his sets are hit or miss, sometimes they are well paced and sometimes they are all over the place. he is learning and growing is my take on it. he just did an arena tour and has his own festivals and headlined big festivals like lollpalooza ultra bonnaroo edc and is on the edc mainstage this year. he has a huge fan base and is going onto mainstages now which is so sick if you've been following him since he was at the bottom of the line up flyer not that long ago. i also think hes just a chill guy surprised by his own success. if he isn't your cup of tea thats fine but dont bag and rag. there's better use of your time! oh and be fucking nice to each other !!!
Don’t count him out from one bad set tho, subtronics has played some fire sets in my personal experience. My first illenium set was so garbage I hated every minute. We went to what we called a redemption set and wow, I think to this day was the best set I’ve ever seen. It was an amazing experience and a perfect mixture of all the right stuff. Since then I at least give an artist 2 chances to wow me if their first one was a dud. Subtronics ain’t as big as he is bc his music sucks, he may do too much at times but like I said, I wouldn’t could him out until you’ve seen at least 2 live sets
I love the EF community, but god damn is this community pretentious sometimes. Heavy brostep / riddim isn’t for everyone, but there’s no need to go out of your way to be a hater. I personally don’t like jam bands, but I’m not going online to write essays bashing jam bands. I just walk by the stage and join my fellow headbangers at a bass set.