Beyond Wonderland: 10 Must-See Acts

With TomorrowWorld on the east coast happening this weekend, us over here in the west are getting stoked for another great festival: Insomniac's Beyond Wonderland Bay Area. Taking place at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, and spanning over two days, the 2nd annual event is taking the bay down the rabbit hole with an experience that includes state-of-the-art production, costume-clad performers, art installations and of course a lineup that's stacked beyond all reason.

We at EPIC are truly excited to embark on our journey to Beyond - but first, we wanted to share with you our top ten must-see list. These are the artists who've touched our souls with their music in the past, artists who are working to go outside of the box to please the masses, and the artists who bring something special to the table, seeking to leave a unique mark on the world.

10. W&W

W&W helped to open Beyond Wonderland Bay Area 2012, and are now making their return in a slightly different state, as headliners. Trance prodigies W&W have come in a full circle from just one year ago, exemplifying their diverse sound through numerous shows including EDC and their Mainstage Radio Show. These DJs are a must see as they combine trance with heavy bass that leaves you wanting more.

9. Luminox

David Lopez, aka TRVP lord Luminox has already produced a different kind of trap music. His remix of Bingo Player's 'Rattle' and the original track "I Run This" were staples in our trap-influenced music library for a long time. Taking a break from producing, David mainly performed shows and really reached out to his fans in the process. We love that. Luminox closed out the first night of EDC Las Vegas 2013 on the Basspod, and let's just say he really put on a great sunrise show and had the entire crowd choking on dust, still dancing nonetheless.

8. Arty

21-year-old Russian native, Arty, has fans screaming 'No Arty No Party'. And when you see Arty on the mainstage at Beyond Wonderland, that is exactly what you receive. With some of the biggest festival hits such as 'Around the World' and 'Rebound' it is a sure fact that Arty will make you party. His fresh beats mixed with songs done with some of the biggest artists leave this rookie as a must see.

7. K Theory

Bay Area natives K Theory are making an appearance at Beyond Wonderland, opening up the Queen's Domain stage on Sunday. Martinelli Kings, K Theory consists of two DJ/producers and frontman, Malcolm, who raps live over their sick beats. Don't miss these guys on Sunday, they're a real crowd-goer and will have you dancing and jumping all over.

6. Calvin Harris

Despite his little mishap with a fan in Vegas a few weeks ago, we still love Calvin, his songs and most of all his DJ sets. He lit up the Kinetic Field at EDC 2013, and we can't wait to catch some of his set at HARD Day of the Dead in November. Being the highest paid DJ in the world, Calvin continues to make music; recently releasing two songs on his Soundcloud including a remix of an Empire of the Sun track. And let's not forget everyone's summer anthem, Calvin's remix of 'Eat Sleep Rave Repeat' by Fatboy Slim.

5. Cosmic Gate

Cosmic Gate has been one of the most successful partnerships as they have continued to travel around the world sharing their sounds. Seeing Cosmic Gate at this years Electric Daisy Carnival was a memory of a lifetime. Their unique and flawless lyrical melodies bring you closer to the inner trance in you. Make sure to check out 'Be Your Sound' by Cosmic Gate ft Emma Hewitt to get a preview or their euphoric sounds.

5. Hardwell

While it's still unclear if the leaked DJ Mag top 3 was false or not, the EDM massive's would agree that Hardwell is reaching for the stars. At the young age of 24, the award winning DJ, producer, musician and label manager has had his fair share of helping to mold the current state of EDM. Mixing a special blend of electro house and dutch music, Hardwell has a certain kind of funk that keeps your body move through out the entire set. His headlining set at Beyond Wonderland on Saturday night is definitely something you don't want to miss.

4. Worthy

Part of the Dirtybird team, Worthy blew our minds with an insane deep/tech/booty house set at Northern Nights Music Festival in Humbolt County this summer. His flawless mixing and undeniable energy is what puts him on our list of must-sees. If you catch him this weekend, be prepared to dance your butt off to his booty-bounce vibes and perfect track selection. He's definitely Worthy of being on this list.

3. Zeds Dead

With the extinction of true dubstep becoming more real, Canadian duo DC and Hooks, better known as Zeds Dead have always stuck to their roots. Producing some of the darkest, most intriguing bass music and simply being two of the best DJs to ever walk the earth, Zeds Dead will always remain on our must-see list. We just can't wait to see how they pump up Northern Cali again with their jungle-infused music and rage-ready sets.

2. Damian Lazarus

Just performing a killer set at Nocturnal Wonderland this past weekend, Damian Lazarus is surely one of the artists who brings something different to the table. He's the owner of Crosstown Rebels, a record label who personifies each of its artists to be apart of the underground movement, steering away from anything mainstream and popular. Taken from his website, "Damian Lazarus is a believer in giving people something exciting, unusual and idiosyncratic. He lives life to the limit, always rebelling, always moving forward: that's Damian Lazarus."

1. Headhunterz

We had the privilege of enjoying Headhunterz as the sun rose up over the Las Vegas Motor Speedway at EDC 2013. His heavy bass and upbeat sounds has Headhunterz in the lead for one of the best hardstyle DJs of our time. One thing that we've found most fascinating about the hardstyle DJ, is what he does off the turn tables. In 2011, Headhunterz donated all of the earnings of his album 'Sacrifice' to Dance 4 life, a charity raising awareness for HIV and AIDS.

Well, that's it for our countdown. We hope to see your faces this weekend at Beyond Wonderland Bay Area, come down the rabbit hole with us and let's have a magical time!