CRSSD Festival returns to the San Diego waterfront next month. We caught up with Rex The Dog, Azzecca, Narciss, Mathame and Skream for some gear guidance.
CRSSD Festival in San Diego is the premier festival destination for house and techno fans on the West Coast. For British visitors, it’s the perfect chance to swap the muddy fields for palm trees without compromising on a blistering lineup. It’s good vibes, craft beers, and epic sunsets—with a background of electronic music.
Based at the Waterfront Park in San Diego CRSSD Festival runs over two days: Sat, 28 Sept 2024 – Sun, 29 Sept 2024. Buy tickets from the CRSSD Festival website.
Rex The Dog
What is your all-time favorite bit of kit, and why?
I’ve been using a Eurorack format Modular Synth for a few years, and it’s become my main instrument. It’s a wooden box with a whole bunch of different modules; for instance, a filter from Intellijel, another filter from Serge Modular, oscillators from Make Noise, and even some modules I’ve built myself. It’s like a musical hot rod that you reconfigure using cables.
The sequencer lines on my recent tune ‘Change This Pain For Ecstasy’ are all made using the Modular Synth. I love the flexibility and rawness of the sound. I even take a stripped-back version of it with me on the road for live shows.
What can we expect from your set at CRSSD Festival this year?
Lots of electronic raw synth sounds and some party chaos!
I’ve been using a Eurorack format Modular Synth for a few years
Azzecca
What is your all-time favorite bit of kit, and why?
Anyone who listens to my music should be able to tell that I love acid and any type of resonant synth. Using an original 303 is just too time-consuming because I like the flexibility of MIDI. My favorite 303 emulator is Arturia Acid V because it has the most intuitive interface, especially the sequencer, for quickly dialing in acid patterns that I’m happy with. The onboard effects are sick, too, so the sounds are pretty much ready to go out of the box (especially all of the distortion modes).
What can we expect from your set at CRSSD Festival this year?
My sound has slightly evolved since the last time I played in San Diego, and I’ve definitely gone down a deeper more psychedelic, cosmic route. Attendees can expect a dynamic set with moments ranging from energetic and euphoric to dark and psychedelic. Of course, I’ll be showcasing quite a few of my own originals and unreleased bits.
Narciss
What is your all-time favorite bit of kit, and why?
I could give a cheeky answer like “My HeAdPhOnEs,” but to be honest, it’s hard to argue for anything but my Roland TR-909 here.
From the first moment of plugging it in and hearing that iconic hi-hat and mid-tom cut through my speakers until now, no other piece of equipment has shaped my sound as much and stood the test of time as much. It grows with me, and every time I use it, it puts a smile on my face.
What can we expect from your set at CRSSD Festival this year?
The return of Balearic house.
Roland TR-909 here. No other piece of equipment has shaped my sound as much...it puts a smile on my face.
Mathame
What is your all-time favorite bit of kit, and why?
In the realm of music production, we are surrounded by an array of tools and technologies, each offering its own unique capabilities. Synthesizers, drum machines, controllers, and even AI lately —while each is powerful, they are ultimately replaceable and interchangeable. What we consider indispensable today may be easily supplanted by tomorrow’s innovations.
Yet, one element remains strictly needed: our opposable thumbs. This seemingly simple feature is what allows us to engage with all this technological equipment. It enables us to turn a knob with precision, press a pad with the exact force required, or manipulate a fader to shape sound in real-time.
In a world where nearly everything can be replicated or substituted, the opposable thumb is the one constant. It is the very foundation of our ability to create, the origin of every gesture that brings music to life.
What can we expect from your set at CRSSD Festival this year?
At CRSSD Festival, this reflection will manifest in a set that seamlessly merges the most authentic human capabilities with the latest technology, emotion, and violence with the opposable thumb as the silent yet essential protagonist..!
What we consider indispensable today may be easily supplanted by tomorrow's innovations
Skream
What is your all-time favorite bit of kit, and why?
One piece of production gear that I can’t live without is XFER’s Cthulhu. It’s not just a powerful chord and arpeggio tool; it’s a creative powerhouse that opens up a world of harmonic possibilities.
While working on Chester’s groove, particularly on the stabs, I used Cthulhu to generate some really intricate chord progressions. I first programmed a set of custom chords, then played with the arpeggiator to create a syncopated rhythm that added a lot of depth to the track.
I even layered two instances of Cthulhu: one providing a rich, jazzy chord structure and the other delivering a more minimal, percussive stab.
Cthulhu is indispensable for my production process because it allows me to quickly experiment with different chord voicings and rhythms without getting bogged down in the technicalities.
What can we expect from your set at CRSSD Festival this year?
You can expect a proper vibe! I’m bringing a bunch of fresh tunes that’ll keep everyone moving. It’s all about keeping the energy high and the dance floor bouncing. Gonna be a wicked time—can’t wait to bring it to CRSSD!”
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Based at the Waterfront Park in San Diego CRSSD Festival runs over two days: Sat, 28 Sept 2024 – Sun, 29 Sept 2024.
Buy tickets from the CRSSD Festival website.