ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
The highly anticipated, multi-weekend festival in Palm Springs is fundamentally a giant pool party. Mix in sold-out hotels, after-hours parties, and world-class electronic headliners and you get Splash House. The colorful, sun-soaked weekend event spanned the Renaissance, Saguaro, and Margaritaville hotels and festival-goers took over the pool areas and booked out the rooms to decorate their hotel balconies with their slogans, flags and streamers. Desert heat baked the valley until about 5 PM daily, when the balmy breezes and shade of the palm trees brought the temperature down to a comfortable warmth. Splash House is an unforgettable bucket list event that appeals to those even on the outskirts of the electronic and house genre fandoms.
SG Lewis
Margaritaville stage– deep house, dance, electronic
SG Lewis is a crowd favorite, his style is effortless and he’s one of those laid-back, “everyone’s best friend” type of people. The deep house and dance set was groovy, funky and lively, SG weaving in his own crowd favorites in transitions with punched-up classics. The crowd was very alive and hung on every note as the sunset performance descended into evening. Cannons in the front of the stage propelled jets of water into the pool to the beat drops, adding a special touch of wet, whimsical funk that is a hallmark of Splash House. Spurred by screams of encore, SG played well past his set time and closed out a hot Saturday in the desert with a satisfying bang.
San Holo
Margaritaville stage– trap, future bass, ambient
San Holo closed the Margaritaville stage to a packed crowd and an outpouring of applause. Casual and genuine, San Holo wore a white baseball cap and an off-white t-shirt with the confidence of a DJ who knows his fans came to hear his original production. San Holo played an eclectic mix of hip-hop including Trippie Red, Drake and a snippet of “4 Da Trap” by 645AR. San Holo’s unique and beautiful way of blending songs and genres during his live sets gave a new perspective on hit songs and what the electronic genre could be that night.
Rossy
Margaritaville stage– trap, future bass, classical components.
Before she hit the stage, Rossy announced she was “dialing back the trap” before her Splash House set. With bright pink hair, dressed in a T-shirt, and covered with tattoos, Rossy is a friendly and down-to-earth musician who spent her time off-stage wrangling her friends and breathlessly taking interviews. But when she hit the stage her energy was undeniable, a bass house, trap-infused set that felt like a celebration of summer.
Tsu Nami
Margaritaville stage– dance/ electronic
Tsu Nami is intentional with her music. Gaining the inspiration to be an asian woman in music from seeing TokiMonsta in high school, Tsu Nami is making a name for people who look like her in electronic music. Taking the stage in pink crocs with charms in her namesake and a bright pink patterned jumpsuit, Tsu Nami makes a statement, she’s here to stay. In the full embodiment of her music, Tsu Nami danced and jumped along to her set, cueing her fans to do the same. The set was a beautiful, high-impact mix of throwbacks, trap and seamless transitions that made the crowd go wild over and over again.
Life on Planets
Saguaro stage- funk, live instruments, disco
Dressed to impress and performing the same way, Life on Planets performed a mid-afternoon set for a crowd at The Saguaro that was clearly ready to get down. Rocking a bucket hat, blue jacket, and stylish shorts, the soulful artist performed with guitar in hand and a smile across his face. The audience loved every second of it, and it was clear he did too. Don’t miss a chance to see this man live.
Gorgon City
Renaissance stage- house, UK garage
Closing things out at Renaissance was none other than Gorgon City. The UK duo threw down a classic set for a packed audience as they ran through their classic collection of vocal-laced hits. We got the chance to speak with them before their set, and they noted that discovering drum & bass was one of the key moments in their lives that led to them wanting to make music a career.
Surf Mesa
Margaritaville stage- downtempo, chill, disco
While the career of Surf Mesa has mostly existed on the Internet so far, the fresh-faced producer got the chance to bring his talents to the stage with a set that he will not soon forget (and neither will the crowd). Performing right before SG Lewis is no easy thing to do, but Surf took it in stride and delivered a classic set that brought the Internet and real life together for an hour.
Yula
Margaritaville stage- future bass, live instruments
A live performance next to a pool is always a sight to see, and Yula took that to the next level with vocals, guitar, and keyboards as part of his arsenal. The young producer and performer held nothing back while many of his euphoric originals that have helped him make a name for himself. Yula might be a new name on the scene, but he’s one that the world will be hearing more about soon.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs
Renaissance stage- House, electro, UK garage
The enigmatic producer Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, often just referred to as TEED, was another highlight from Splash House Weekend Two. Performing an earlier set at Renaissance, the UK native delivered a balanced performance that helped wake the crowd up from the night before while still giving them the chance to bask in his immersive instrumentals and melodic sounds.
Vincent
Margaritaville stage- future bass, trap
Vincent had the difficult duties of performing directly before San Holo, but this was a challenge the young Canadian producer was clearly born ready for. Running through a set that included classic remixes and hooks from well-known songs, Vincent had the audience at Margaritaville going crazy from start to finish. If you don’t already know the name Vincent, we suggest you get in the loop.
