The divergence into the Sky Realm began with an exotic glow and energy as we stepped inside the festival grounds. We were met with heavy bass, magnificent production, and the unique feel of each soul brought to The Phoenix Raceway to celebrate the end of the 2023 year. The Beatbox playground stage was put to the test with the unique sound of Arizona-based artist, Dennett. He had us hooked as he played a set of primarily original music, while also combining some of the hottest sounds of the internet with heavy dubstep in his Re-Colour series of remixes. This stage was going off all weekend and was a great representation of Arizona-based talent including Avitas, Electric Polar Bears, and Yewz.
From there we made our way to the Royal Ballroom and were immediately blown away by the sound quality and unique stage production. Angled LED walls, revolving strobes, and perched dancers elevated the experience of the sets at this stage. To make things better, we arrived during INZO for an absolutely mind-blowing experience. His set rattled everyone’s brains with his sparkly sounds, jaw-dropping switch-ups, and perfectly synced lasers. Another spectacular performance came at the main stage with SaidTheSky, as he lit the sky up with his melodic tunes while the crowd sang their hearts out into the Sky Realm.
Day two was an epic day of electronic sound that could compete with any festival lineup, but two artists stuck out as something extra special. Marauda’s pulsating bass and dark sounds stained the Royal Ballroom with red. The lasers and massive sound left our bodies rattled in despair as our souls went into the control of Marauda. Green Velvet stole the night away with the house vibrations and thrills of his classy music. There’s nothing like a dark stage and deep basslines to get your body grooving.
Night two brought us an unforgettable performance when Slander and Illenium shared the stage at midnight to ring in the New Year, premiering a fresh new collaboration together. Together they brought a combination of heavy headbanging dubstep with deeply emotional and melodic tracks that had the entire crowd singing along and experiencing ups and downs like a roller-coaster. Love and magic were in the air as the balloons dropped and the confetti sprayed out, ringing in the new year under the Sky Realm.
Decadence Arizona has proven itself yet again to be an awe-inspiring way to celebrate New Year’s, and one of our favorite traditions. Relentless Beats seems to top themselves by making each year better, which has us looking forward to the high-caliber lineup and experience that Decadence ‘24 will surely bring upon us.
Written by Sean Jarvis with photos by Maurizio Romero
