Sonic Springs Sound Guide

The Sonic Springs 2026 lineup is broad, but it does not read like an attempt to collect every kind of electronic subgenre out there. 

It is well-crafted musical curation that will definitely make you dance. And that’s truly the sweet spot. When you are ready for a vibe change: it’s just around the corner.

Justin Martin leads the bill, joined by DEF3, Hatiras, SOOHAN, Vekked, Simbasōl, and Mixwell, followed by a deep regional undercard. 

Use the chart below to choose your starting route through the lineup that matches the kind of day you want at Fishers’ Paradise.

Quick listener map

Justin Martin and the house route

Justin Martin is the clearest entry point if you want house music that takes you on a journey. His sets can stay playful and physical without rushing every transition. His music is widely celebrated by critics and fans as “melodic and tough,” blending heavy, sound-system-rattling basslines with deep emotional textures. As a co-founder of the iconic San Francisco label Dirtybird Records and head of his imprint What To Do, his sound bridges the gap between peak-time club energy and headphones-on listening.

Hatiras brings a different kind of house authority. His career runs through the turn-of-the-century club record “Spaced Invader,” the Spacedisco label and current releases such as “Hypnotized.” Put him beside Simbasōl and Miss Mackie and the house side of Sonic Springs looks like a party that’s ready to rock.

Global rhythm

SOOHAN is the route for listeners who want familiar club tracks rearranged through rhythms and samples drawn from a much wider field. His official bio describes a mix of global dance music, 808s and basslines; in practice, that means the dance floor can change cultural reference points without losing dancing momentum.

Jamaha, Arkaya, Snakecharmer and Dani make sense around that same vibe, even when their individual approaches differ. Sonic Springs can feel most open-ended here. This lane is not a single genre label but a willingness to let percussion, bass and unexpected source material redirect your expectations on the dance floor.

Bass with voice

DEF3 (Danny Fernandez) is a Western Canadian Music Award-winning emcee, producer, and DJ who seamlessly bridges the gap between raw hip-hop and bass-heavy electronic music. Originally a pioneer of Saskatchewan’s modern regional rap and backpacker scene, the Vancouver-based artist has evolved into a prominent festival fixture.  A useful hinge inside this lineup for sure, opening up straight four-on-the-floor to rhythm and vocal performance. 

Vekked brings the sharpest technical credential on the poster: seven World DJ Championship titles and a career built around turntablism. The appeal is not the statistic by itself. It is the possibility of hearing selection, timing and physical technique become the point of the set. Mixwell, Kidd Lee and Cacâoboy extend that side of the lineup through bass pressure, scratches and quick stylistic turns.

Melody, accessibility and the softer edge

Luciana, Astrl Trvlr, Re:Seter, DÂNTE and Matty Ryce give the program places to breathe. They should not be treated as a separate “chill” category. Their value is structural: a camping festival needs changes in density, especially when listeners are moving between daytime wellness sessions, the river and late-night music.

Those shifts are part of the listening plan. A softer or more melodic set in the afternoon can make the heavier stretch later feel earned. The best schedule is not a list of the most intense names; it is a sequence with contrast.

The founder's ear

Astrl Trvlr is the project of founder Drez Slezak, a Costa Rica-born DJ and electronic music producer currently based in Ottawa, Canada, and whose public work connects ambient music, Latin American influence and psychedelic bass.

Founder-performers can become shorthand for an event’s taste. And at Sonic Springs, it helps explain why dance music, inward focus and ecstatic-practice settings sit next to one another. This style of curation is what makes an event earn the moniker of ‘transformational music festival’.

The wellness side strengthens that connection. The official program identifies Katt Brooks as a co-founder of Sonic Springs and Sonic Yoga, so the music-to-wellness bridge appears in the festival’s leadership and its timetable. 

How to plan

Start with one anchor in each direction: Justin Martin for house, DEF3 or Vekked for technical and bass energy, SOOHAN for rhythmic collage, and Luciana or Astrl Trvlr for a slower turn. Use those anchors to test unfamiliar names rather than trying to rank the whole lineup before you arrive.

When Sonic Springs publishes 2026 set times, use the official programming schedule to refine your plan.

Use the official ticket page for current admission and payment-plan details. Ticket tiers can change; so check in frequently.

See you on the dance floor!