Following the recent announcement of this semester’s WILD openers, Associate Editor Noah Jodice and Senior Cadenza Editor Mark Matousek share their reactions:

Choo Jackson

Choo Jackson, a former member of the group Phresh Muney, has been consistently putting out easy-listening rap since at least 2010. Jackson is now associated with Mac Miller through Mac’s REMember Music label and previously toured with Miller on the Space Migration Tour. He certainly fits in well with the Miller vibe: spacey beats that could only trip out high schoolers experiencing their first contact with drugs.

Jackson’s music isn’t bad; it’s just not anything that hasn’t been heard before. His first solo mixtape, 2011’s “Beer Flavored Pizza,” sounds like the title implies. If his flow doesn’t necessarily excite, it’s still better than your high school friend who took up rapping after hearing Miller’s “Best Day Ever.” Jackson’s videos and music, such as the recent release “Lights On,” have all the trappings of high production value that come with being part of a successful rapper’s crew. Still, Jackson might be stretching for something better, even if it’s unclear what that something is.

As for his status as a WILD opener, Jackson should get the job done. Despite his stoner rap vibes, his songs still maintain a high level of energy that is important for getting the crowd on their feet. Last year’s “Marbles” has a laid-back California synth sound that should get WILD attendees swaying along to the groove. He doesn’t yet have any hits for the crowd to sing along to, but Jackson is still young and finding his way through songwriting. His strong association with Miller will draw in no outside fans, but should be exciting for those who follow Miller’s musical endeavors closely.

—Noah Jodice

Botnek

Forged from the fires of small-town Canada, electronic duo Botnek (comprised of Gordon Huntley and Eric Muse) first gained recognition via a remix of Felix Cartel’s “Skeleton,” which placed first in a contest run by Dim Mak Records in 2009. From there, the duo has followed the traditional electronic dance music distribution template, releasing two EPs, a handful of singles and a flurry of remixes, supplanting these releases with a heavy slate of touring

Musically, the duo is largely indistinguishable from the rest of the Ultra crowd, putting the slightest of twists on the staccato synths, synthetic handclaps and goofy vocal interjections found within the traditional build-drop-build-drop structure. That being said, the festival-ready, EDM sound does have its virtues. Oriented around movement above all else, the high-energy DJ set is a live art, relying just as heavily on the composition of its crowd as the music itself. If the audience is marked by a distinct lack of inhibition, this kind of ecstatic blare can work towards a communal transcendence. When the crowd’s more reserved, awkwardness abounds. For Botnek’s part, its proclivity toward a substantive bottom end lends its work a physicality that should play to its favor when attempting to rouse a crowd largely unfamiliar with its music.

—Mark Matousek