EXCISION STUNTS NEW VISUALS & DUBSTEP ARTISTS COME ALIVE AT FORBIDDEN KINGDOM 2020
Forbidden Kingdom Music Festival brought dubstep fans from practically everywhere to sunny Boca Raton, Florida, vowing to deliver an unforgettable weekend. After a widely successful first year and many promises for its 2020 edition, we arrived on site with pretty high expectations. Needless to say, since executing multiple major expansions and booking some of the most esteemed artists in the industry, the festival made history.
The iconic dragon situated above the Forbidden Stage which acted as the main stage this year has become a staple. The mythical creature returned since it was first erected at the birth of the festival in 2019. Everyone in the EDM world can recognize that massive dragon in any photo, whether they’ve attended the festival or not.
Although it was hard to be in two places at once (and trust me, we wanted to be), the festival kept the stages in close proximity while still providing ample space for the large crowd it brought. There was definitely some running back and forth, but the wonderful lack of congestion made the festival extremely easy to navigate. So yes, I was satisfied when I could easily catch both Rezz and Bear Grillz who closed out the festival on Saturday. Crowd control is always an important consideration when it comes to organizing a festival of this capacity, and Forbidden Kingdom’s efforts did not go unnoticed.
Changes in 2020
One of the biggest changes to Forbidden Kingdom this year was the physical expansion. Anyone who has been to Sunset Cove Amphitheater knows that this beautiful venue only has one stage. It was hard to imagine how not just one but two more stages in addition to a silent disco might find space. However, the festival stretched beyond the scope of the amphitheater and into the surrounding park in order to accommodate to the expansion. The surrounding lake made for a picturesque setting, especially when the sun was setting.
The addition of live painters, art installations, and food trucks helped foster the festival atmosphere we were truly craving from Forbidden Kingdom this year. Not to mention, the inclusion of art and clothing vendors brought all different avenues of festival culture to Boca Raton. If attendees desired to relax or take a break from the music, these little shops were the perfect spot to browse and wind down for a bit.
Speaking of relaxing, did we mention the yoga workshops? The festival scheduled various instructors to teach multiple yoga classes both Saturday and Sunday. It’s the little things like this that transformed Forbidden Kingdom into a totally new and unique environment.
Weekend Highlights
Forbidden Kingdom holds a special place in the hearts of its attendees, especially those who came both years. However, it’s pretty clear that the artists love this place just as much as the fans do. Both days saw unforgettable performances by all of the biggest names in dubstep. With tons of unreleased music, surprise guests, and overall high energy levels, the artists gave us something truly remarkable.
Wooli
Wooli’s Sunday performance at the Forbidden Stage was every bit emotional and tear-jerking yet vicious and hard-hitting. However, the crowd wasn’t ready for when he brought Sullivan King who performed the day before out on stage with him. The two premiered their vibrant new collab “Don’t Forget Me” before it would be released on Monstercat.
@wooli x @SullivanKing
‘Don’t forget Me’New music @FKMusicFest pic.twitter.com/NdL0E3VDpG
— Captain Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew ♥️♠️ (@gxxdups) February 19, 2020
TVBOO TVLKS
If you didn’t know Mitch Draper aka TVBOO does standup comedy as well as make trippy bass music, now you do. Although he performed a ridiculous set on Sunday, he also had a time slot later in the day on the Village Stage where he showcased his comedy skills. TVBOO TVLKS are uploaded to Twitter on Thursday’s, but being able to watch this performance live is quite the treat.
Liquid Stranger
Liquid Stranger stopped through Boca to play on the Forbidden Stage in the midst of his Ascension Tour, and we couldn’t be any more grateful. As always, he delivered a high energy set packed with original music. Every moment was even more unpredictable as the last, keeping fans on their toes until the very end. Having Wakaan represented at the festival by none other than label boss Liquid Stranger was a bold move that we applaud. Plus, nothing could beat that unreleased “Vultures” by Chee opener.
the don of Wakaan @LiquidStranger opening his @FKMusicFest set with some unreleased @wtfischee #vultures ? pic.twitter.com/kQMvlDfQRR
— wubaholics (@wubaholics) February 18, 2020
Excision
Between delivering both a “Detox” set and a regular set at the Forbidden Stage, Excision lived up to his reputation of causing absolute mayhem. Closing out the festival on Sunday night, the artist showcased his brand new experience The Evolution, which has replaced The Paradox. The stunning audiovisual experience came equipped with entirely new visuals as well as tons of unreleased originals. Excision’s new Robo Kitty visual was definitely a hit with the crowd.
Unreleased @Excision with brand new “The Evolution” visuals goes way too hard ?? @FKMusicFest pic.twitter.com/eDtXyGtZMV
— Exron Music (@exron_music) February 19, 2020
Jantsen
Festival-goers made sure to get inside the gates early enough on Sunday to catch Jantsen’s set at the Cyberian Stage. As expected, the artist delivered some of the dirtiest wubs of the entire weekend. The crowd absolutely lost it during every drop, despite the Florida heat beating down that day. Again, the abundance of unreleased music are what really made this set stand out.
Keep that $hit nasttty @jantsenmusic pic.twitter.com/MibWWtBpbu
— Nat? (@KellettNatalie) February 18, 2020
Calcium
Performing Saturday on the Cyberian Stage, Calcium might’ve taken the cake for stirring up the best mosh pits. He played out all of his bangers, including “FWYS” which by the way, had the number one crowd reaction of the weekend. Talk about setting the bar.
Ok but @FKMusicFest was a FUCKING VIBE!!!!
The crowd going off for FWYS by @calciumdubs and @_stefiiiii enjoying herself.
I need day 2 pic.twitter.com/MT7JmCYxOA
— Terminally Dead From FK (@TerVelUSA) February 16, 2020
Sullivan King
Sullivan King is always a treat to watch perform, as he isn’t shy with his electric guitar. His dubstep elements blended with hardcore metal brought an unfathomable energy to the crowd. The artist even called for an all female mosh pit, noting it would be the first time he tries this at a festival. The pit created a level playing field for lady headbangers to get crazy. Overall, the highlight of his set had to be when he played out his new collab with Svdden Death.
@SullivanKing dropping his unreleased track with @svddendeathdub ? @FKMusicFest pic.twitter.com/k5YQdo91nn
— Exron Music (@exron_music) February 17, 2020
Ashley
I've been a part of the dance music scene for nearly a decade and with Exron for more than half of that time. My first event was Diplo's Mad Decent but these days you'll find me at Club Space or the Brooklyn Mirage. Some of my top artists are G Jones, Tipper, Of The Trees, and CharlestheFirst. My favorite genres are techno, experimental bass, and ambient but I'll get down to anything with a beat!
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