MYSTERYLAND USA: MEET THE CURATORS OF 2015

The sweet scent of festival season is upon us! Mysteryland USA is returning to Bethel Woods, NY at the historic Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, former site of iconic Woodstock 1969, this Memorial Day weekend. Acts like Adam Beyer, Diplo, Empire of the Sun, Lee Foss and Nicole Moudaber will be bringing the best in dance and underground (and let's not forget the real headliner, the food!). 

From eargasmic tunes to the sense of community, Mysteryland offers an enchanting look into what life should be like every day. As you begin packing your rave and camping gear for one hell of a weekend in the woods, get to know this year's must-see curators and artists.

Adam Beyer Presents DRUMCODE (Sunday, May 24)
Lineup: Adam Beyer, Nicole Moudaber, Ida Engberg, Alan Fitzpatrick, Paul Ritch, Bart Skils

Since 1996, Adam Beyer has used Drumcode as a platform to cut through the noise of the electronic music scene, with each release reaffirming the label’s mission to deliver straightforward, unpretentious dance music. As part of our ‘curating partner’ initiative for 2015, we welcome the opportunity for Adam Beyer to bring Drumcode’s vision to Mysteryland, where he will showcase the label’s unmatched supply of DJ talent and build a musical progression on his stage throughout the day and into the night.

Matthew Dear Presents SUBVERSIONS (Saturday, May 23)
Lineup: Matthew Dear, Paco Osuna, Maya Jane Coles, Matador, Anja Schneider, Ryan Elliott, Kevin Casto

With the concept of “performing with artists who inspire me by playing forward, body moving electronic music,” Matthew Dear brings his Verboten residency to Mysteryland USA. Depending on whom you ask, Matthew Dear is a DJ, a dance music producer, an experimental pop artist, and a band leader. On Saturday, May 23 Dear will present his Subversions party at the Big Top providing everyone with some necessary time-out in a world transformed and shaped by his techno vision.

The Sound of Q-Dance (Saturday, May 23)
Lineup: Frontliner, Noisecontrollers, Bass Modulators, Audiofreq, Mekanikal

Returning is Q-dance, creating exceptional experiences for a dedicated community devoted to their passion of hard electronic dance music, and making the first stop of their 2015 North America tour. With every event, Q-dance creates an everlasting memory, defining the hard standard within a legendary global movement.

Verboten (Saturday, May 23)
Lineup: Lee Burridge, Damian Lazarus, Andhim, Eric Volta, Bedouin, Stadenco

After over a decade of throwing events all over New York and beyond, Verboten has touched down in Brooklyn at their long-awaited permanent home for quality underground music. The former 10,000 sq. ft metal shop turned nightclub, sits in the heart of Williamsburg and features two rooms, with multiple skylights and futuristic, industrial accents to bring the Verboten aesthetic to life. Get ready to get weird, as the Verboten world will make its debut at Mysteryland.

Verboten Presents Flying Circus (Sunday, May 24)
Lineup: The Martinez Brothers, Audiofly, Martin Buttrich, Guti (live), Maayan Nidam, Jozif, Ashwin Khosa, Niki McNally

Audiofly’s Luca Saporito and Anthony Middleton started off their Flying Circus party “as most good things do, accidentally.” In 2008, the pair was invited to throw an event down in Miami at WMC, but with a slight challenge: They had one week to come up with a proper lineup. So, the guys hit up their DJ friends to come party, drafted up the Flying Circus moniker, and the rest they say, is history. Flash forward to 2015 and the duo have built their successful series of events into a global brand, igniting dance floors from Tulum to Ibiza, New York to Amsterdam, and everywhere in-between.

Webster Hall Presents Girls + Boys (Sunday, May 24)
Lineup: Bakermat, Klingande, Goldroom (DJ set), Bondax, Giraffage, Anna Lunoe, Sweater Beats, Mija, Nora En Pure, Alex English & Webster Hall Residents, The Unsheathed!

At the forefront of the New York City music scene since its inception in 1885, Webster Hall has become a hub for every type of music genre welcoming the likes of Madonna, The Killers, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, Adele, along with a long list of other talented artists. Fast-forward to just about six years ago when in-house party, Girls + Boys, stepped into the spotlight. Bringing the most cutting edge names in dance music to the stage, the party continues to shape the musical and nightlife landscape of NYC. Experience the venue that for over 128 years has been a focal point of culture, celebration and freedom, now held on the grounds of the longest running electronic music festival of the world: Mysteryland.

“We booked most of the stage during the one of the coldest NY winters on record. Perhaps we were dreaming of a tropical summer. Kygo and Thomas Jack both played their US debut shows to sold out crowds at Webster Hall. Klingande played to 1500 Girls & Boys last Friday. This music has struck a nerve. We also felt it was a complimentary contrast to a lot of the other stage’s themes. We feel that it captures the vibe of the summer of ’69 at the original Woodstock, free spirited beautiful music with quirky leftisms.” - Kenny Schachter (Co-President of Webster Hall)

Zeitgeist (Saturday, May 23)
Lineup: Skream, Lee Foss, Benoit & Sergio (live), Kill Frenzy, Psychemagik, Wild Dark 

Described by club Co-founder John Perez as being “diverse, fun, [with] cutting edge music,”  Zeitgeist is the popular weekly indie dance / nu-disco party at New York’s leading underground dance music nightclub Verboten. German for "spirit of the times", Zeitgeist was conceived as the pirate TV station in Verboten's fictional dystopia, beaming the newest, subversive music and video to the populace of Brooklyn and beyond.

Zeitgeist Presents French Express (Sunday, May 24)
Lineup: Moon Boots, Perseus, Agoria, Kink (live), Super Flu

In the summer of 2010, Toronto-born founder of French Express, Leon Oziel (aka Perseus), decided to take his passion for house music and discovering new artists to the next level. He turned the name of his blog into a record label, recruited talents like Moon Boots to the roster, and has been pumping out rhythmic house tunes ever since. Perseus and Moon Boots will bring the French Express musical crusade to Mysteryland this year, and they'll be joined by Zeitgeist friends: Agoria, KiNK and Super Flu to put on a Sunday show that's not to be missed.  

"Our primary goal was to book the same kind of diverse lineup of underground talent and events we like to bring to Verboten.  Along with favorite DJs Maya Jane Coles, Matt Dear, and Damian Lazarus and more, we have also programmed our best culture events.  We'll be having DJ-led deep house yoga every morning, some cool performers and artists, our amazing custom video in the Subversions tent and we're even bringing our chef to serve some killer BBQ outside the Spiegeltent." - John Perez

Words: Jordan Diaz Pics: Pearcey Proper, Joey Timmer