Editorial
Subtronics Leads EDM Artists In Spotify Stress Relief Study
Subtronics Leads EDM Artists In Spotify Stress Relief Study as bass music appears across playlists linked to stress, anxiety, and burnout
Subtronics leads Spotify stress relief study as a new Tebra report places him at No. 1 among EDM/electronic artists in an analysis of public Spotify playlists linked to stress, anxiety, burnout, overthinking, and decompression. The study reviewed 155,626 track entries across 560 playlists, using search terms such as “anxiety,” “burnout,” “calm down,” “decompress,” “destress,” “overthinking,” and “stress relief” to examine how listeners use music during mentally heavy periods. Subtronics ranked ahead of Illenium and David Guetta in the EDM/electronic category, while the overall playlist data was led by names including Drake, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd. His placement in the playlist makes the study more interesting for electronic music because it pushes beyond the expected idea of stress-relief playlists as soft pop, acoustic tracks, ambient music, or slow background listening. Instead, it shows that some listeners are also turning to bass music when they want something more direct, intense, and separate from whatever they are dealing with.
Subtronics Leading The EDM List Says Something Specific About Why Listeners Turn To Bass Music
Subtronics ranking first among EDM/electronic artists matters because of how the Tebra study was built. The report reviewed 155,626 track entries across 560 public Spotify playlists, using search terms tied to stress relief, anxiety, burnout, calm down, decompress, destress, and overthinking. That means the finding was not based on one official playlist, one editorial placement, or one fan-made list gaining attention. It came from repeated appearances across playlists that listeners had already connected to mental pressure and emotional reset. In the EDM/electronic category, Subtronics ranked ahead of Illenium and David Guetta, which gives the top three more context because they represent different parts of dance music. Illenium is widely associated with melodic bass and emotionally direct songwriting, while David Guetta connects the category to mainstream dance, pop collaborations, and festival records. Subtronics leading that group places heavier bass music at the front of a playlist study many people might have expected to favor softer electronic sounds.
The wider study also shows that stress-related listening is not limited to one mood or one genre. Across all analyzed playlists, Drake, Taylor Swift, and The Weeknd appeared most often, while survey respondents named Linkin Park, Adele, and Taylor Swift as the artists they personally turn to for stress relief. That contrast matters because it separates public playlist behavior from direct listener responses, giving the study more depth than a simple artist ranking. In that context, Subtronics leading the EDM/electronic list does not read like a random bass music headline. It fits into a bigger pattern where listeners choose music for focus, familiarity, emotional release, or a clear mental break, even when the sound is loud or intense. For bass music fans, a Subtronics track can do that through detailed sound design, sharp rhythm changes, and low-end pressure that holds attention more directly than background music. The study does not prove that bass music lowers stress in a clinical sense, and the wording should not suggest that. What it does show is that heavier electronic music is showing up inside playlists built around stress relief, anxiety, burnout, and decompression, making Subtronics’ placement a useful window into how EDM listeners organize music around their daily state of mind.
The Science Behind Bass Music As Stress Relief, From Tempo To Drops
Bass music can make sense in stress relief listening because it gives the brain a clear sequence to follow. Dubstep and modern bass music often run around the 140 BPM range, while the drum pattern is commonly felt in half-time, closer to a 70 BPM pulse. That combination creates a slower physical groove inside a faster track, which is part of why bass music can hold attention without sounding calm. For listeners dealing with stress, that structure can matter. A Subtronics track often goes from build-up to pause, then into a heavy drop, rhythm switch, and second drop, giving the listener a series of cues that keep attention on the music. Tracks such as Amnesia, Alien Communication, and Black Ice show that pattern clearly, with sudden cuts, bass changes, and drop sections that keep the ear engaged. Music psychology research often explains listening as a form of emotion regulation, where people choose songs to shift mood, distract from stress, process emotion, or match what they are already feeling before moving through it. In that sense, bass music does not need to sound soft to serve a stress-related purpose. For some listeners, the tempo, tension, and drop structure can give overthinking something else to follow.
The physical side of bass music is also where the science becomes useful for this article. In a 2022 Current Biology study titled Undetectable very-low frequency sound increases dancing at a live concert, researchers added very-low-frequency bass during a live electronic music performance, switched those frequencies on and off, and measured audience movement through motion capture. The crowd moved 11.8% more when the added bass frequencies were present, even though participants could not consciously detect when those frequencies were being used. This does not prove that a Subtronics track clinically lowers stress, but it does give the article a stronger scientific link between bass music and physical response. When a track builds tension, cuts briefly before the drop, then returns with a heavier bass pattern, the body has a rhythm to respond to, which can make the experience feel more active than quiet stress-relief music. In the context of Tebra’s playlist study, Subtronics ranking ahead of Illenium and David Guetta suggests that some listeners are adding heavier electronic tracks to stress relief playlists because they want music that gives them focus, movement, and a stronger break from mental fatigue.
Subtronics’ Discography Gives The Bass Music Finding More Range
Subtronics ranking first in the EDM/electronic category makes more sense when his catalog is viewed beyond one or two heavy tracks. Before TESSERACT, his discography already included projects such as Cyclops Army, Wooked on Tronics, Scream Saver, and String Theory, which helped establish his place in modern dubstep through strange edits, sharp bass patterns, and tracks made for crowd response. FRACTALS then gave that sound a full album format, with tracks such as O.P.U.S., Spacetime with NEVVE, Cabin Fever, Open Your Mind (Anthology 999), Gassed Up with Flowdan, Gummy Worm with Boogie T, and Cyclops Rocks. These records matter to the stress relief discussion because they do not all work the same way. Some lean into heavier, more chaotic drops, some use vocals as an entry point, and others focus on groove, bass phrasing, or quick production details instead of a straightforward melodic release.
His later album work adds more context because Subtronics has kept expanding the range of his bass music across full-length projects. TESSERACT was released in 2024 with 16 tracks, including Cottage Gore, Only Star You See with Caitlyn Scarlett, Amnesia, Afternoon Coffee (Slide) with Ronzo, Parabola Paradox (Slap It) with Kwengface, Alien Communication, and Asteroid with Excision. Fibonacci followed in 2025 as an 18-song project on Cyclops Recordings, with tracks such as Oblivion, Mothclaws, Brass Danger, Stratosphere, Lock In with Wooli, Brain Squeak, Final Breath with A Little Sound, Infinity with Grabbitz, Anxious, Nothing Between, and Got Away. That wider catalog gives the Tebra finding a more specific musical reason. Subtronics is not appearing in this conversation through one familiar single or one festival drop. His music gives bass listeners several entry points, from vocal-led tracks and album cuts to heavier dubstep records, which helps explain why his name could appear across playlists tied to stress relief, anxiety, burnout, and decompression.
What Subtronics, Illenium, And David Guetta Show About Electronic Dance Music’s Place In Stress Relief Listening
The rest of the EDM/electronic ranking also helps explain why this finding matters beyond Subtronics alone. Illenium appearing second makes sense because his music is already close to emotional release, with melodic bass, vocal-focused records, and festival tracks that listeners often connect to personal memories or difficult periods. David Guetta appearing third points to a different kind of familiarity, where mainstream dance records, pop collaborations, and festival hooks become part of how listeners return to songs they already know. Together, the top three show that electronic dance music is not being used in one fixed way on stress relief playlists. Some listeners turn to melodic bass for emotional catharsis, some return to familiar dance records for comfort, and others choose heavier bass music when they want something more physical and direct.
hat is what makes the Subtronics ranking a useful marker for where stress-relief listening may be going next. The Tebra study does not turn bass music into a clinical solution, and it should not be framed that way. What it does show is that listeners are building stress-related playlists with more range than the usual idea of calm music suggests. As electronic dance music continues across festivals, streaming habits, workout playlists, gaming culture, and everyday headphone listening, stress relief may become less tied to one sound and more tied to what a listener needs at the time. For some, that may still be a soft song or a familiar vocal. For others, it may be a Subtronics track with enough tempo, bass, and movement to give their attention somewhere else to go. That shift gives bass music a more serious place in the discussion, not as therapy, but as one way electronic music listeners are using sound to reset, decompress, and work through stress.
EDC Las Vegas 2026 celebrates its 30th anniversary with its most stacked lineup ever, spanning seven stages under the Electric Sky at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The 30th anniversary of EDC Las Vegas features the most stacked lineup in the festival’s history. This milestone edition celebrates the kineticJOURNEY theme with rare back-to-back sets, fresh talent, and iconic legacy acts. Among the highlights are the EDC Las Vegas 2026 Must-See Acts, drawing attention from fans worldwide.
New stage designs and unique label takeovers will offer a reimagined experience under the Electric Sky. Let’s dive into the three must-see acts at every major stage, making sure not to miss the EDC Las Vegas 2026 Must-See Acts throughout the weekend.
kinetic FIELD: The Heart of the Festival
As the festival’s epicenter, kineticFIELD hosts the weekend’s most popular acts. Expect a high-energy atmosphere as these legends return to the mainstage.
• Laidback Luke b2b Chuckie (Friday): This first ever back to back brings back the golden era of Big Room and Dirty Dutch. Expect “fat” drops and high-octane energy.
• Hardwell (Saturday): Marking his first U.S. festival appearance outside of Miami in years, Hardwell’s return to EDC is a decade in the making.
• GRiZ b2b Wooli (Sunday): Bass takes over the mainstage as these titans collide. GRiZ brings the funk, while Wooli provides the heavy vibrations.
circuit GROUNDS: Immersive Innovation
Moving from the mainstage, circuitGROUNDS presents rising stars to a massive, 360-degree sensory experience fueled by LED walls and hundreds of lasers.
• Levity (Friday): After their viral 2022 Electric Forest set, this trio has taken the scene by storm. Their debut on this massive stage is a career milestone long overdue.
• RØZ (Saturday): Hailing from Mexico, this duo delivers a future house sound that feels entirely new. They are a prime example of the fresh talent that Insomniac is championing this year.
• Peggy Gou b2b Ki/Ki (Saturday): Two global powerhouses join forces for a rare techno and house crossover that will likely be the weekend’s most talked-about set.
cosmic MEADOW: The Grand Entrance
As you enter the speedway, you are immediately engulfed by the beauty of cosmicMEADOW. This stage acts as a second mainstage, often hosting live acts and eclectic sounds.
• MPH (Friday): Leading the UK Bass and Garage charge, MPH is essential for anyone looking for groovy, high-speed rhythms.
• DJ Gigola b2b MCR-T (Saturday): This duo brings an edgy, high-BPM energy that perfectly suits the “HARD Records curated night.
• Nico Moreno b2b Holy Priest (Sunday): Closing the festival with industrial sounds, these two will ensure you leave the speedway with your ears ringing and your heart racing.
quantum VALLEY: A Trance Sanctuary
For those seeking a more melodic journey, quantumVALLEY embodies the spirit of the early rave days. Furthermore, EDC Las Vegas 2026 Must-See Acts at quantumVALLEY will provide unforgettable trance moments.
• Gareth Emery (Friday): A true master of the genre. Emery seamlessly blends old-school trance melodies with modern production.
• Mathame (Saturday): This duo brings a cinematic melodic techno flare to the stage, offering a dark yet beautiful sonic landscape.
• Cassian (Sunday): Known for his crisp production and emotional builds. Cassian is the perfect bridge between progressive house and trance.
neon GARDEN: The Techno Warehouse
For the techno heads, neonGARDEN is mandatory. This year, the stage is driven by deep grooves and relentless, fast-hitting beats.
• Adriatique (Friday): These Swiss masters excel at long-form, hypnotic journeys that will keep you locked into the groove for hours.
• Josh Baker b2b Kettama b2b Prospa (Saturday): A massive UK-centered takeover that promises to bring raw house and rave energy to the stage.
• Klangkuenstler (Sunday): If you want hard, uncompromising shranz, Klangkuenstler is the undisputed king of sunday night.
bass POD: The Basshead’s Paradise
If you’re a basshead, you’ll likely spend your weekend at the newly redesigned bassPOD. With dubstep’s growing popularity, this stage feels like the “new” mainstage and is home to some truly EDC Las Vegas 2026 Must-See Acts.
• Adventure Club’s Throwback Set (Friday): Revisit the melodic dubstep roots that defined an entire generation of ravers.
• Doctor P b2b Flux Pavilion b2b Funtcase (Saturday): The Circus Records legends unite for a historic trio set that is pure bass nostalgia.
• Eazybaked (Sunday): Representing the “weird” side of bass music, their sound design is as experimental as it is heavy.
waste land: The No Mads Land
Whether you crave hard techno, frenchcore, or hardstyle, wasteland remains your high-BPM guilty pleasure.
• Kuko (Friday): Representing the Unreal Germany takeover on Day 1 of EDC. Kuko delivers industrial techno with euphoric, Shranz-inspired melodies.
• Audiofreq b2b Code Black b2b Toneshifterz (Saturday): These hardstyle icons combine their energy for what will surely be the most amped set of the weekend.
• DJ Isaac (Sunday): A true pioneer of hardstyle. Isaac’s sets are a masterclass in the history and future of hard dance.
Honorable Mentions:
• stereoBLOOM: Don’t miss Bolo’s sunrise set or the heavy house grooves of Chris Lorenzo b2b Bullet Tooth.
• bionicJUNGLE: For underground vibes, check out Tiga or the melodic house of HAAi b2b Luke Alessi.
If these artists standout on your radar, be sure to check them out with the official EDC 2026 playlist below! Above all, remember that EDC Las Vegas 2026 Must-See Acts offer experiences you won’t soon forget.
Red Bull Midsummer Announces Global 28-Hour Event as seven cities connect across Tokyo, Mumbai, Vienna, Berlin, London, New York, and Los Angeles on June 20
Red Bull Midsummer is a global electronic music event series coming to Los Angeles and New York City on June 20 as part of a synchronized 28-hour event connecting Tokyo, Mumbai, Vienna, Berlin, London, New York, and Los Angeles across three continents. The concept follows the sun from Asia to Europe and into the U.S., with real-time broadcast feeds linking each host city as the day moves through different time zones. For its U.S. debut, Red Bull Midsummer will split its focus between The Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles and Sunset Park Rooftop in Brooklyn, pairing global names with local artists, collectives, and daytime community activities. The wider event also points to a larger shift in how electronic music events are being presented, where city identity, live broadcast, and global scheduling can turn one date into a shared music experience across several scenes without making every stop feel the same.
How Red Bull Midsummer Connects Seven Cities Across One 28-Hour Event
The main idea behind Red Bull Midsummer comes from how the event uses June 20 as more than a shared date. The series follows the movement of daylight from Tokyo to Los Angeles, connecting Tokyo, Mumbai, Vienna, Berlin, London, New York, and Los Angeles across a synchronized 28-hour event. That structure gives the concept a clear global route: Asia opens the day, Europe carries the middle stretch, and the U.S. closes the event from the East Coast to the West Coast. Instead of presenting seven separate parties under one name, Red Bull Midsummer places each city inside the same timeline, with every location joining the event as its own time zone enters the day.
The city selection also gives the event more range than a standard global lineup announcement. Tokyo opens the route with Vegyn, whose work connects electronic production with left-field club music and wider music culture, while Mumbai brings in Arjun Vagale, a key name in India’s techno scene. The European section moves through Vienna, where FISHER gives the event a larger festival-facing draw, before continuing into Berlin with DJ Seinfeld, linking the project to one of electronic music’s most recognized club cities. London adds Jyoty, whose profile crosses radio, DJ culture, and global dance music, before the event reaches the U.S. with two different coastal identities.
That U.S. stretch is where the global concept becomes more specific. New York brings the event to Sunset Park Rooftop in Brooklyn with a lineup connected to club history, Black electronic music, and contemporary dance floors, including Juan Atkins, Andre Power, BAMBII, UNIIQU3 B2B Shekdash, and Black Rave Culture. Los Angeles closes the route at The Roosevelt Hotel, where TOKiMONSTA, Austin Millz, Noodles, Pangea Sound, Baile World, and STRAWBRY & Friends place the final stop closer to a West Coast daytime event format. The real-time broadcast feed is what brings these parts together, giving each city a live link to the others as the event moves through the day. For Red Bull Midsummer, the format turns the summer solstice into a city-to-city electronic music sequence, with local scenes connected through one continuous global event.
Los Angeles And New York Bring Two Different U.S. Scenes Into Red Bull Midsummer
For its U.S. debut, Red Bull Midsummer separates Los Angeles and New York through two different event formats. The Los Angeles edition begins before the main DJ schedule, with Long Distance World leading a morning community run before The 9AM Banger opens the music program at The Hollywood Roosevelt. From there, the lineup moves through heds, STRAWBRY & Friends, Pangea Sound, Baile World, Noodles, Austin Millz, and TOKiMONSTA, giving the Los Angeles stop a daytime arc that starts with movement, continues through local collectives, and ends with one of the city’s most recognized electronic artists.
New York gives the U.S. debut a different foundation at Sunset Park Rooftop in Brooklyn, where the event runs from 10 AM to 1 AM EST with a lineup tied more directly to club history, Black electronic music, and current East Coast dance music. Juan Atkins, credited in the press release as the originator of Detroit techno, appears alongside Andre Power, Anastazja, BAMBII, UNIIQU3 B2B Shekdash, Black Rave Culture, Ayanna Heaven, PLYR1, and Tim Fields, making the Brooklyn date feel less like a simple rooftop day party and more like a wider club culture program. The press release also notes movement classes from The Ness and The Fit In, which adds another layer to the New York schedule before the event moves into its later hours. Together, the two U.S. editions give Red Bull Midsummer a clearer split: Los Angeles frames the day through outdoor social energy and local creative groups, while New York ties the format to dance music history, community movement, and a longer night-time run.
Why Red Bull Midsummer Fits Into The History Of Daytime Dance Music
Red Bull Midsummer also connects to a longer history of daytime electronic music, from early acid house gatherings to Ibiza’s open-air culture. That reference matters because the event is not only using seven cities to make the announcement feel bigger. Daytime dance music has always worked differently from late-night club programming, especially when open-air settings, sunlight, movement, and social gatherings become part of how people experience the music. By choosing June 20, Red Bull Midsummer ties that history to the summer solstice, using the longest stretch of daylight as the frame for a global electronic music event.
That context also explains why the U.S. editions include more than DJ sets. Los Angeles starts the day with Long Distance World before The 9AM Banger, while New York adds movement classes from The Ness and The Fit In alongside its rooftop lineup. These details keep the event connected to dance music culture without making it feel like a normal club schedule moved earlier in the day. Across the full route, Red Bull Midsummer takes the day-party idea more literally, following daylight across continents while each city contributes its own artists, setting, crowd, and local music references. The result is a format that connects club history, outdoor music culture, and city identity through one shared date.
Red Bull Midsummer Ticket Details And Event Information
Red Bull Midsummer takes place on June 20, 2026, connecting Tokyo, Mumbai, Vienna, Berlin, London, New York, and Los Angeles through a synchronized 28-hour global event.
Tickets for Red Bull Midsummer New York City go on sale May 7 at 12 PM ET. The New York edition takes place at Sunset Park Rooftop from 10 AM to 1 AM EST.
Tickets for Red Bull Midsummer Los Angeles go on sale May 7 at 10 AM PT. The Los Angeles edition takes place at The Roosevelt Hotel from 10 AM to 10 PM PST.
More information on the full global event is available at Redbull.com/Midsummer, with updates from @redbullmusic. For its U.S. debut, Red Bull Midsummer gives Los Angeles and New York two different roles inside the same global event: Los Angeles closes the route with a West Coast daytime schedule, while New York brings the Brooklyn stop into club history, rooftop culture, and community movement.
This Friday, May 8, dance music titan Kaskade and techno powerhouse Layton Giordani release their highly anticipated collaboration, “Meet Again.” The collaboration has been designated as the official anthem for EDC 2026. The track also serves as the lead single for Kaskade’s forthcoming album, Origin //.
Pre-Save/ Out Now: insom.co/meetagain
A New Era For Kaskade
The release arrives at a pivotal moment in Kaskade’s staggered career. Fresh off a monumental return to the Coachella desert last month, the veteran producer used the stage to debut a reimagined live concept and tease nine unreleased tracks from the new album, Origin //. “Meet Again” stands as the cornerstone of this new sonic chapter.
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Ascent for Layton Giordani
For Layton Giordani, “Meet Again” symbolizes a meteoric rise and transition from the underground to the mainstage. Since dominating the charts in 2024 with the Green Velvet & Adam Beyer collaboration “Party All The Time,” Giordani has become a formidable force in the techno scene. This collaboration marks his definitive transition into the global spotlight, merging his raw club energy with Kaskade’s legendary melodic background.
“When Layton Giordani and I started building ‘Meet Again,’ we knew we needed a voice that could match that intensity that his NYC DNA brings, as well as the Kaskade of it all,” says Kaskade. “Enter Natalie Jane. She’s a powerhouse… The three of us together elevate ‘Meet Again’ to a place we wouldn’t be able to go alone.
Sound of The Summer
“Meet Again” sits at a unique crossroads of festival culture. By pairing Kaskade’s signature emotional depth with Giordani’s driving techno foundations—and anchored by a soaring vocal performance from Natalie Jane—the track encapsulates the current spirit of melodic techno and progressive house energy.
As the official anthem for EDC 2026, the production is engineered for the massive scale of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It captures the core ethos of the carnival, unity and love, while maintaining a sophisticated edge that ensures it will be a staple in club sets and festival mainstages alike.
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