5 Must-Watch Sets At CRSSD Festival Next Month

San Diego’s CRSSD Festival is poised to reclaim its scenic waterfront setting at Waterfront Park on the weekend of September 26-27, bringing together an extensive array of electronic music artists across three distinctive stages. Known for its unique blend of coastal ambiance and cutting-edge dance music, CRSSD continues to attract a broad spectrum of festivalgoers eager to experience its signature fusion of sun, sea breeze, and sound.

The festival’s layout features three stages, each offering a distinct atmosphere to cater to diverse musical tastes. Ocean View, an open-air venue overlooking the water, is reserved for headline acts that draw the largest crowds. The City Steps stage, designed as an amphitheater with tiered seating, focuses on more intense, club-oriented performances, while the Palms stage provides an intimate setting amid palm trees, hosting underground and experimental artists.

Among the standout performers returning to CRSSD is Pedro Maia, better known as Mochakk. Originating from Sorocaba, São Paulo, Mochakk’s trajectory from teenage hip-hop producer to internationally recognized house music figure has been rapid and impressive. Influenced by a blend of jazz, funk, disco, and Brazilian bass, his dynamic sets defy simple categorization, merging classic house rhythms with hip-hop, techno, and Latin beats. Following his breakthrough year in 2022—marked by viral dance clips and the acclaimed “Locomotiva Ibiza 2099” EP series—Mochakk is set to headline the Ocean View stage on Saturday night, underscoring his rising prominence within the global house community.

In stark contrast, Berlin-based horsegiirL presents a theatrical and genre-defying approach to dance music. Wearing a chestnut horse head mask and performing under the alias Stella Stallion, she fuses happy hardcore, Eurodance, and hyperpop into energetic, crowd-engaging sets. Her rapid ascent began with a 2022 performance at HÖR Berlin and a subsequent Boiler Room appearance that propelled her to viral fame. Tracks like “My Barn, My Rules” and “Pegasus” have amassed millions of streams, and she has since secured deals with Live From Earth and RCA. Her presence at CRSSD offers an opportunity to witness an artist who blends playful performance art with serious DJ craft.

For aficionados of hardware-driven techno, the Italian duo 999999999 stands out as purveyors of raw, uncompromising electronic music. Formed in 2016, they reject laptops and pre-programmed sets in favor of live improvisation on drum machines, synths, and sequencers. Their 2018 acid techno release “300000003” solidified their status within the underground scene. Beyond festival stages, they maintain their influence through their label NineTimesNine and exclusive 9×9 Invites events across Europe. Their City Steps performance on Sunday promises an intense, kinetic experience where spontaneity and technical mastery converge.

Helena Hauff, hailing from Hamburg, epitomizes analogue purity in electronic music production and DJing. Renowned for recording albums in single takes using only analogue gear, she has carved out a niche defined by acid house, EBM, and industrial textures. Her accolades include being the first woman to receive BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix of the Year in 2017. Both her albums “Discreet Desires” and “Qualm” reveal a dark and gritty sound, matched by her vinyl-centric DJ sets that demand active engagement from the dancefloor. Her Sunday set at City Steps is anticipated to be a testament to her uncompromising artistic vision.

London-based Ahadadream (Ahad Elley) brings a culturally rich and percussive flavor to the CRSSD lineup. Migrating from Pakistan at age 13, Elley has melded UK club rhythms with influences from South Asian and African diasporic music, creating a distinctive sound embraced by major artists such as Fred again.. and Peggy Gou. Beyond his own productions, he is instrumental in promoting South Asian talent through his label More Time Records and events No ID and Dialled In. Having performed at prestigious venues like Glastonbury and Fabric, his Saturday City Steps performance promises a set characterized by rhythmic inventiveness and cultural fusion.

This year’s CRSSD Festival exemplifies the evolving landscape of electronic music, showcasing a spectrum from mainstream house to avant-garde techno and boundary-pushing hybrid styles. The festival’s carefully curated stages facilitate an immersive experience that highlights both established names and emergent talents, each contributing to the event’s reputation as a vital fixture in the international festival circuit.

As attendees plan their schedules amid the sprawling lineup, these highlighted artists represent a cross-section of CRSSD’s diverse programming. From the oceanfront grandeur of Mochakk’s headline show to the underground intensity of 999999999 and Helena Hauff, and the genre-bending performances of horsegiirL and Ahadadream, CRSSD promises a weekend rich in sonic exploration and scenic enjoyment. The festival’s integration of environment and electronic music continues to set it apart, creating moments where the setting amplifies the sound and vice versa, ensuring CRSSD remains a must-visit for lovers of the genre.