Escape Psycho Circus: The Festival You Must Attend

If you're a raver it's essential to add Insomniac’s Escape: Psycho Circus competition to your bucket record. Escape: Psycho Circus is North America’s largest Halloween occasion and largest competition in Southern California with 125,000 ravers in 2 days. Apart from this 12 months’s unbelievable lineup, the scary costumed performers and the sights make this competition a should attend.

The Music

[Event Review] The Spine-Chilling Nights of Escape Psycho Circus 2018
Keiki-Lani Knudsen for Insomniac Events

This 12 months’s lineup included third consecutive 12 months #1 DJ of the world Martin Garrix, west coast favourite Kaskade, Diplo, Eric Prydz, KSHMR, Galantis, Seven Lions, Excision, Yellow Claw and plenty of different unbelievable acts. Unfortunately, the magic mike of EDM, Salvatore Ganacci needed to cancel his efficiency because of household points which bummed out lots of people. A set that stood out was Martin Garrix’s who gave the viewers an hour of his repertoire of all of his music and a few unbelievable new IDs.

A second set that stood out was KSHMR, as he completely smashed the Ghouls Graveyard. He performed the tracks we’ve all come to count on equivalent to Secrets, Jammu, and Festival Of Lights. He additionally dropped his new observe Magic, which is anticipated to be launched this Friday, November 2. It was actually was fairly superior to get a sneak peek of that.

This evaluate wouldn’t be full if I didn’t embody Eric Prydz, as he’s one of many fundamental causes I attended the two-day occasion. Whether he’s performing as Pryda, Cirez D, or Eric Prydz, these in attendance are all the time in for a deal with. Escape on Saturday night time was no completely different. This was my first time seeing the Swedish Legend, and I couldn’t have had a greater expertise. Prydz performed on the Ghouls’ Graveyard, which technically isn’t the principle stage. When you take into accounts that Slaughterhouse consisted of a mixture of 731 video tiles, 450 lights, and 16 lasers, whereas graveyard had 326 lights and 26 lasers, we will’t assist however suppose the stage was arrange only for Eric. The man is understood for his laser exhibits, and this was one hell of a laser present.

The Stages

[Event Review] The Spine-Chilling Nights of Escape Psycho Circus 2018
Tony Nungaray for Insomniac Events

The Slaughterhouse (fundamental stage), Chopping Block, Ghoul’s Graveyard, and Factory 93’s Cannibals’ Tea Party are Escape’s phases. Usually, you will see the highest tier headliners within the theatrical themed Slaughterhouse. The DJ sales space is located within the mouth of an enormous clown with LED eyes and between circus cages on the perimeters. This theatrical stage has change into an icon in Insomniac’s massive number of stage designs.

Ghoul’s Graveyard additionally consisted of a few of the high tier headliners equivalent to Eric Prydz and KSHMR, in addition to curating Friday’s Bassrush with acts equivalent to GTA, JOYRYDE, and Excision. Ghoul’s consists of a theatrical combine with LED panels throughout. The graveyard-themed stage is for positive a enjoyable time yearly.

Located smack dab in the course of Escape, Chopping Block was one of many extra eclectic phases. The lineup was curated by Basscon on Friday, and Audiotistic on Saturday.  This noticed acts like Angerfist, Digital Punk & Junkie Kid take the stage on Friday. Saturday noticed simply pretty much as good of a lineup, as Zeds Dead, Snakehips, and Quix destroyed the Block. We even obtained a particular A-Trak B2B YehMe2 set as nicely.

Factory 93

Factory 93’s Cannibals’ Tea Party debuted at this 12 months’s Escape, and we couldn’t have been happier about that. This stage was set exterior, in comparison with Factory 93’s typical warehouse-esque phases and setups. This in fact was paired with the promotions signature minimal sound. The sounds of the underground have been alive and nicely Friday and Saturday nights, as Cannibal’s Tea Party blasted House & Techno all night time lengthy.

Friday night time noticed Anna take the stage adopted by Loco Dice & then Joseph Capriati. Friday night time closed off with a B2b set from Jamie Jones and Joseph Capriati.  Saturday night time performed out in a similar way, with A Dubfire B2B Tiga Set halfway by way of the night time, adopted by Dirty Bird Honcho Claude VonStroke. After Claude, Green Velvet took the stage, solely to play a second set, simply this time it was a B2B with Claude for a particular ‘Get Real’ set.

The Asylum

[Event Review] The Spine-Chilling Nights of Escape Psycho Circus 2018
Tony Nungaray for Insomniac Events

Apart from the music, the main target level of this competition is the Wonderland Asylum. It is Insomniac’s personal home of horrors. Being my second 12 months getting into by way of the maze, it's honest to say that it's the most horrific maze I've accomplished. Each 12 months Insomniac goes above and past and add further rooms or performers to vary it up for again to again attendees (equivalent to myself) which is a large plus. What differentiates this maze to different ones is that it solely doesn't deal with leap scares, quite on the psychological horror. Furthermore, being in a straitjacket and in a masks takes this expertise to a different stage. This asylum is a should do when you attend this competition even in case you are frightened of haunted homes.

[Event Review] The Spine-Chilling Nights of Escape Psycho Circus 2018
Marc Van Der Aa for Insomniac Events

The Overall Experience

The general vibe at Escape is nothing in need of “PLUR”. Everyone takes care of one another, and in case you are ever in a tricky state of affairs Insomniac’s Ground Control will provide help to out. Entering by way of the gates you permit all of your worries behind and revel in this distinctive world of costumed ravers who wish to have the very best time of their lives. This being my fourth 12 months going to Escape, I hold having fun with it an increasing number of annually. With the large crowd that attends yearly, Insomniac may wish to take into account making the principle stage an open-air stage. All in all, this can be a pilgrimage each raver should make. Insomniac go above and past with particulars, the lineup, and the general expertise.

 


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