MP3 TAKES: Lost Lands 2023 Was a Prehistoric Dubstep Paradise [Review]

Often referred to as the Dubstep Disneyland or Dubstep Super Bowl, Lost Lands Music Festival delivers big sound and an even bigger experience. Jeff Abel, also known as Excision, and his team deliver thoughtful improvements and event curation that somehow become better and better every year. The immersive experience, top-tier production, and caring atmosphere Lost Lands consistently provides makes it one of the best festivals in the United States.

Let’s dive into four reasons why Lost Lands hit it out of the park this year through MP3 MAG’s event review series: MP3 TAKES.

The Pedestrian Bridge 

The Lost Lands pedestrian bridge is still the most satisfying thing ever, imo pic.twitter.com/lCuhTPVFfT

— Raverade  (@raverade) September 22, 2023

The resounding feedback from festival-goers this year is that Excision listens to his fans. After many complaints through the years about backed-up traffic (pedestrians and cars) between the festival entrance and campgrounds, his team decided to do something about it. A massive and sturdy bridge was built over the road to connect campers to the festival without having to stop and wait 15-30 minutes for a crossing guard’s signal. 

Sure, the crowd still got congested during peak entrance and exit times but people were able to flow back and forth much smoother and safer than in previous years. The top of the bridge also had cameras, and security guards were present during peak times.

Secret Side Quests

New and welcomed additions this year were the hidden rooms and secret sets curious explorers got to discover throughout the festival grounds. In one room, eagle-eyed dancers found an ancient cave complete with a dancing caveman who entertained the small crowd inside. 

Plus, many people stumbled upon a door with security guards standing outside and a beaming red light above it. On the other side was a small tented stage with surprise sets from artists like Excision, Sullivan King, Dion Timmer, and Wooli. However, many fans didn’t get to experience the secret performances due to large lines and a required password to get inside. 

New and Improved Stage Designs 

The main stage, called the Prehistoric Stage, wowed festival-goers with its refreshed and creative design. The massive display featured its signature tribal pattern with two light-up pterodactyls facing each other. In between the dinosaurs was a triangle with a third eye that beamed lasers through it. Speaking of lasers, if fans didn’t think it was possible to add more, then the production team replied with, “Watch this.” The Wompy Woods stage also featured bigger screens and made the DJ booth easier to see than last year. 

The newly designed Wompy Woods stage had all the 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/W7WpkQfqRl

— Lost Lands Festival (@lost_lands) September 25, 2023

2023 brought in new stages loyal Lost Lands fans have never seen before including the Grove Stage which featured Silent Disco and the Artifact stage. 

Stunning B2Bs and Expanding Genres

The Thursday pre-party indeed felt like a giant party both on and off the main stage thanks to the Mega B2B2B2B2B2B that closed out the night. The mystery set included Excision, Lyny, Samplifire, Yookie, HOL!, Subtronics, and more.

READ: LYNY — Tapping into Intuition, Creating Sounds from Scratch and a ‘Thank You’ Note to Skrillex

Witnessed a secret Dion x excision x wooli x Sullivan king x samplifire x emorfik b5b set with probably less than 200 people in a tent at Lost lands. WILD 🤯 pic.twitter.com/RsTyFSO8zT

— Jaime🦋 (@jayramirezzz) September 24, 2023

Thursday’s pre-party wasn’t the only jaw-dropping B2B performance. After wowing experimental bass lovers with the first-ever Excision Detox B2B Liquid Stranger set at Thunderdome in February 2023, the star duo graced fans with another go-around to close out Lost Lands this year. Heavy-hitting performances were also given by Borgore B2B Level Up, Excision B2B Dion Timmer, Funtcase B2B Phaseone, Virtual Riot B2B Barely Alive, and more.

Lastly, if it was said three years ago Lost Lands booked house music producers, many people would’ve laughed. However, the famously heavy bass music festival wasn’t joking when it expanded its genres for 2023. Well-known house DJs including Wax Motif, Dombresky, and Nostalgix graced Legend Valley with their presence this year to help sprinkle in some variety of sound. 

Thank You, Lost Lands Music Festival 2023

In closing, Lost Lands delivered a blissful experience complete with mind-melting sounds and a safe environment to have fun with friends. The ever-growing dinosaur playground has a loyal fanbase who will continue coming back for more thanks to the surprises and improvements offered inside. We’ll see you next year, Lost Lands Fam.