The annual Ultra Music Festival, wrapped up Miami’s Winter Music Conference, and this year it was spread among 2 days. It had a diverse line-up that was made up of some of the world’s best talent from all genres of the electronic music scene. There were a couple of problems with some of the acts that did not seem to blend in with the whole dance scene and the terrible rain on day 2 did put a damper on some performances, but the fest did have its strong parts including some great performances by DJs we all love.
Last year Ultra brought in The Killers and Hard-Fi to give a rock edge to the festival with bands that seem to have a dance audience, and it worked well, with The Killers drawing as big an audience as Paul van Dyk and Carl Cox. This year the big non-dance draw was The Cure, and it did not blend well at all. It was overly depressing and brought down the crowd and poor Fedde Le Grand had the task of bringing back the energy in a set that was cut short because The Cure went on to long. As in every rock concert it took to long for them to set up then come out and when they did the crowd was just brought to a low by their goth/emo sounds. If Ultra wanted rock bands that can be combined with our scene they could have gone with Depeche Mode or even Snow Patrol, whose songs are being remixed by everyone. One can even argue that Ultra does not need the rock acts and should just stick to DJ’s who are desperately in need of exposure in North America anyhow. There was a lot of talent in South Beach this past week not invited to the event including: Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Robbie Rivera, Axwell, and Above & Beyond, that were more deserving of a spot than Shiny Toy Guns and The Cure. North America deserves an outdoor event that maintains its focus on dance music and Ultra has to do a better job of holding this torch, I understand selling tickets is the main idea, but this can be done by just filling the bill with top electronic acts with some fresh faces like the names above.
Day 1 was highlighted by the reunited Deep Dish who do not play together as much as they used to with their solo careers taking off. The set had a more hard hitting edge than Dish fans may be used to, but “Proper Education’ definitely had the crowd rocking. They built an electro set over some banging minimal beats, which had everyone dancing with the backdrop of a Miami sunset over the clear blue ocean.
The main problem with the first day was not only The Cure, but the fact that fans had to choose between Sander Kleinenberg, who had the anthem of last years conference with “This Is Not Miami” and Tiesto, who returned to Ultra after a 1 year hiatus. Ultra should have had Sander open up for Tiesto instead of Fedde Le Grand and put The Cure on a separate stage so fans would not have to choose between the Dutch trance stars. Tiesto played one of his better sets, featuring tracks off his upcoming release “Elements of Life”. He also spun some classics, ‘Lethal industry” and “Flight 643” and a wicked mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up”.
Day 2 can be summed in three words, Fat Boy Slim; he killed the Carl Cox and friends tent. At first glance I was shocked that he was not playing the main stage or the house stage, but being inside the tent worked so well, it had the feel of a club with a big disco ball, lasers, and video screens, and everyone jumping up and down together with Norman Cook. He could have easily headlined one of the main stages, but his energy really translated well inside those friendly confines. There’s a reason he could sell 20,000 tickets in England, and he put it on display at Ultra. Forget about the music, Fat Boy throwing things around, using tape to close his own mouth, and bringing his own air horns, was what had the tent bouncing.
Other performances that kicked some ass belong to Danny Tenaglia, who brought the techno and tribal fusion to the masses and David Guetta gave the house stage crowd a lesson on why the “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties have Paris and Ibiza clubbers fighting to get in, he dropped a remix of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” which had the American crowd dancing and singing along even with the raindrops falling. One of the emerging Dutch trance stars, Sander Van Doorn, gave the main stage a taste of why his tech-trance style is fast becoming one of the top acts on the trance scene. Ibiza favorites- Erick Morillo and Roger Sanchez lost most of their crowds due to the 2 hour down pour of rain, that at first had the Sanchez crowd moving, but eventually people had to find cover. When Morillo took the main stage all the videos and lights had to be put out because of electrical problems which left him to spin in front of thousands of people in the dark, which was a throwback to the days before the technology really hit the scene, and was kind of nice.
Ultra could have survived on one day of a line-up filled with just dance acts. The addition of a second day proved to be unnecessary and the weather posed problems that no one could do anything about. Ultra Music Festival is still the premier event in North America, the Sates or Canada do not, and can not, provide a better line-up, ever. The promoters could do some good by adding acts that deserve the exposure of an event like this and leaving rock to the many outdoor festivals they already have.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Trance Takes Miami
Miami’s annual Winter Music Conference descended upon a rainy, cool South beach again this year, but the biggest difference was the amount of trance acts performing at different places through out the week. For years Miami and WMC has been considered a house event, even though Paul Van Dyk is the “God-father” of the Ultra Music Festival. Well what happened to change all this you ask, simple, the promoters had their ‘ear to the ground’, reading forums from this site and others, looking at the popular electronic dance tracks, and looking at the popularity of trance DJs on Myspace and various magazine polls. Made Events is the perfect example of this, they are one of the more interactive promoters, and always bring to New York the trance acts the fans want to see. They were the first ones to bring Sander Van Doorn to New York City, and now they have taken over the conference with their legendary parties, including the techno/minimal Sunday School for Degenerates, which after only its second year, is a must attend event.
Here is a rundown of some of this year’ best acts, venues and promoters.
Wet Grooves- They are one of the promoters that really takes part in message boards and did a great job of securing top trance acts from around the world. They hosted daytime parties at Nikki beach and The Shelbourne poolside and night time at venues such as Ink.. Some of their DJs included George Acosta, Cosmic Gate Blank & Jones, Andy Moor, Paul Oakenfold, Filo & Perry and L.A.’s own Christopher Lawrence. The problem with Wet Grooves is they focus in too much on cheesy lines like” bigger, better, wetter”, and girls with bikinis (which I am not complaining about), if some work would have went into the outdoor sound system at Nikki beach, which was a setp down from my car radio, they would have been alright.
Ultra Music Festival- 2 days instead of 1, and the return of Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, and Sasha & Digweed, who all were not part of last year’s fest, marked the return of a strong trance presence to the annual outdoor event. Ferry and Lawrence on Day 2 playing back to back was great for the trance heads, Tiesto dropped many of new tracks off of the forth coming “Elements of Life”, opening with Ten Seconds Before Sunrise, but the biggest reactions came from his older tracks “Lethal Industry” and Flight 643, a great mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and of course Joop’s “The Future”. The main problem with this set is not Tiesto it’s the fact that he was up against Sander Kleinenberg who was on the other stage playing exactly opposite Tiesto on Day 1, this makes little sense, since they share similar audiences, it would have made more sense for Sander to open up, rather than Fedde Le Grand. Day 2 was highlighted by Sander Van Doorn’s set which came after a rain drenched set by Erick Morillo, when the stage lights and video screens stopped working and Morillo was left with a sparse crowd due to torrential down pours.
Sander followed that with his typical tech-trance banging set, one of the opening tracks was “Black is The Colour” and then ripped it from there, coming before Rabbit In the Moon, and just as the rain swept way, was the perfect time for Van Doorn to get maximum exposure to a crowd who may have not been familiar with him, and he seized the opportunity bringing great energy back to Ultra’s main stage and showing why he is the new Dutch Trance star.
Made Events- If you just spent the week attending their parties, you would have walked away more than happy. The 6 hour Armin Van Buuren at pawn Shop was the highlight of their schedule, because not only was it just Armin, but the venue itself, which is simple and plain, let the clubbers and the DJ supply the vibe, and they did times a thousand. The next night Made presented Armada with Armin, Markus Shulz, and Rank 1, most of the crowd had just spent the day soaked at Ultra and yet they found the spirit to party some more. Armin’s track of the night was “Mindcircus” when club went nuts. Above & beyond at Club BED was perfect, unlike some producers, they are not afraid to drop their own hits, and when “Alone Tonight” came on everyone rushed to the stage to sing along with the most beautiful vocals. The surprise of the conference was how well Gabriel Dresden did, they are well known for their trance and house remixes, and commercial production, but their events were packed and their mixing, almost a lost art in today’s electronic world, was totally on point. They mixed trance right on top of some ringing minimal beats which had the crowds bouncing.
Club Space- The problem every year seems to be the disorganization, this year was a little better, but not by much. This event can be summed up like this, at an Apple demonstration of Logic Paul Van Dyk was the narrater, after he was done he took questions fro the audience, the last one was from a younger fan who said “Paul can you put me on the list for Space tonight”, PVD responded “ I can’ event get my wife in”! That says it all, people who went to see Kleinenberg on the terrace could not evn get upstairs.
Motion @ Karu- The flyer listed Sander Van Doorn, Above & Beyond, Blank & Jones, and a special appearance by “The King”, by now you may have heard that was the “trance-God’ himself, Tiesto, who followed his own party at Mansion with an appearance at this fantastic line-up. The venue was small and had an intimate feeling because they did not promote until way past everyone was already going to Armada at Twilo. If they had given a little more advance notice and promoted some more, this could have been one of the more exciting conference evnts. Sander spinning “Grasshopper’ and Control Freak, made the crowd move, and when “ The King” dropped by he spun some of his vocal tacks form the upcoming album.
Miami finally gave Trance the spotlight it deserves, and Sander Van Doorn and Above & Beyond really took the torch and showed why they will be moving up on the DJ polls while other DJs: Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, and Rank 1 reminded the fans why they love them in the first place.
Here is a rundown of some of this year’ best acts, venues and promoters.
Wet Grooves- They are one of the promoters that really takes part in message boards and did a great job of securing top trance acts from around the world. They hosted daytime parties at Nikki beach and The Shelbourne poolside and night time at venues such as Ink.. Some of their DJs included George Acosta, Cosmic Gate Blank & Jones, Andy Moor, Paul Oakenfold, Filo & Perry and L.A.’s own Christopher Lawrence. The problem with Wet Grooves is they focus in too much on cheesy lines like” bigger, better, wetter”, and girls with bikinis (which I am not complaining about), if some work would have went into the outdoor sound system at Nikki beach, which was a setp down from my car radio, they would have been alright.
Ultra Music Festival- 2 days instead of 1, and the return of Tiesto, Ferry Corsten, and Sasha & Digweed, who all were not part of last year’s fest, marked the return of a strong trance presence to the annual outdoor event. Ferry and Lawrence on Day 2 playing back to back was great for the trance heads, Tiesto dropped many of new tracks off of the forth coming “Elements of Life”, opening with Ten Seconds Before Sunrise, but the biggest reactions came from his older tracks “Lethal Industry” and Flight 643, a great mix of Prodigy’s “Smack My Bitch Up” and of course Joop’s “The Future”. The main problem with this set is not Tiesto it’s the fact that he was up against Sander Kleinenberg who was on the other stage playing exactly opposite Tiesto on Day 1, this makes little sense, since they share similar audiences, it would have made more sense for Sander to open up, rather than Fedde Le Grand. Day 2 was highlighted by Sander Van Doorn’s set which came after a rain drenched set by Erick Morillo, when the stage lights and video screens stopped working and Morillo was left with a sparse crowd due to torrential down pours.
Sander followed that with his typical tech-trance banging set, one of the opening tracks was “Black is The Colour” and then ripped it from there, coming before Rabbit In the Moon, and just as the rain swept way, was the perfect time for Van Doorn to get maximum exposure to a crowd who may have not been familiar with him, and he seized the opportunity bringing great energy back to Ultra’s main stage and showing why he is the new Dutch Trance star.
Made Events- If you just spent the week attending their parties, you would have walked away more than happy. The 6 hour Armin Van Buuren at pawn Shop was the highlight of their schedule, because not only was it just Armin, but the venue itself, which is simple and plain, let the clubbers and the DJ supply the vibe, and they did times a thousand. The next night Made presented Armada with Armin, Markus Shulz, and Rank 1, most of the crowd had just spent the day soaked at Ultra and yet they found the spirit to party some more. Armin’s track of the night was “Mindcircus” when club went nuts. Above & beyond at Club BED was perfect, unlike some producers, they are not afraid to drop their own hits, and when “Alone Tonight” came on everyone rushed to the stage to sing along with the most beautiful vocals. The surprise of the conference was how well Gabriel Dresden did, they are well known for their trance and house remixes, and commercial production, but their events were packed and their mixing, almost a lost art in today’s electronic world, was totally on point. They mixed trance right on top of some ringing minimal beats which had the crowds bouncing.
Club Space- The problem every year seems to be the disorganization, this year was a little better, but not by much. This event can be summed up like this, at an Apple demonstration of Logic Paul Van Dyk was the narrater, after he was done he took questions fro the audience, the last one was from a younger fan who said “Paul can you put me on the list for Space tonight”, PVD responded “ I can’ event get my wife in”! That says it all, people who went to see Kleinenberg on the terrace could not evn get upstairs.
Motion @ Karu- The flyer listed Sander Van Doorn, Above & Beyond, Blank & Jones, and a special appearance by “The King”, by now you may have heard that was the “trance-God’ himself, Tiesto, who followed his own party at Mansion with an appearance at this fantastic line-up. The venue was small and had an intimate feeling because they did not promote until way past everyone was already going to Armada at Twilo. If they had given a little more advance notice and promoted some more, this could have been one of the more exciting conference evnts. Sander spinning “Grasshopper’ and Control Freak, made the crowd move, and when “ The King” dropped by he spun some of his vocal tacks form the upcoming album.
Miami finally gave Trance the spotlight it deserves, and Sander Van Doorn and Above & Beyond really took the torch and showed why they will be moving up on the DJ polls while other DJs: Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, and Rank 1 reminded the fans why they love them in the first place.
Miami’s Ups & Downs
The 2007 edition of Miami’s Winter Music Conference was plagued by rain and cooler than usual temperatures, so much for global warming, and too many parties that had the feel of just being put together, rather than the actual months it took to plan. Disorganized lines, over aggressive security and sound systems that might be worse than my stereo did not completely ruin the conference, many DJs still brought the energy and there was plenty of great music to be heard where ever you may have went. All the negatives that can be said still do not take away from the fact that all the top names from electronic music were in one place for one week, and the parties had line-ups that were strong top to bottom.
Break-Through DJs
James Zabiela and NicFanculli- They hosted their own event together as one+one and also played sets on their own, either way they had the sounds of the conference. It has been described form everything to tech house, minimal, and acid, but what it really is, is the future of dance music. They are young and just starting to build names for themselves across the continents and in Ibiza.
Steve Porter- His eclectic mix of house grooves was unmatched at any conference event. His biggest endorsement came for Paul Van Dyk, when asked who are some of the DJs we should be hearing a lot more about, his answer was “Porter definitely has the biggest potential right now”, what more need to be said.
The Unpredictable
Fire marshals shutting down clubs because they were beyond capacity, occurred at a couple of places, most notoriously The Juicy Beach event at Nikki Beach, which was closed to any new entrances for more then 2 hours, even if you had tickets and the music also had to be stopped for a while as the inspection lasted an hour.
Rain- Pool parties, Ultra Music Fest, outdoor cafes, everyone was feeling the torture of terrible weather and this one can’t be blamed on anyone.
The Predictable
Lines, lines, everywhere, didn’t matter if you already had tickets in hand or just wanted to buy them on the spot, unless you were purchasing table service which came with a price in thousands or came to the club 2 hours early, you could expect to do a lot of waiting. Club Space was the perfect example of this, especially for PVD and Morillo.
#1 Promoter of the Conference
Made Events- If you just went to Miami to attend only their parties you would have left completely happy. No drama, great sound, lighting, and line-ups that had to be simply amazing. The Armada event at Twilo and Pawn Shop gave trance fans the music they have been missing for years at the conference, while Sunday School for Degenerates brought the week to a close with only the best minimal/techno tunes. At each event the vibe was great and things done properly. Hawtin, Howells and Loco Dice were also part of the week of just legendary fun. Made Events showed why they are taking over WMC>
Only Venue for Proper Partying
Pawn Shop-Yes it’s housed in a former pawn shop and has a plain concrete backyard, and that the fun of going here. This place is all about the clubbers and DJ bringing the vibe and energy, no theatrics from the club. The highlight of the week was Armin Van Buuren playing on top of a truck in front and back of the club.
Avoid this Place
Nikki Beach- Promoters Juicy Music and Wet Grooves brought top names to what is supposed to be the top beach club in South Beach, for a self proclaimed luxurious venue they had a sound system which can only be described as crap. The place was too packed and lacked any sensible organization.
Return of The DJs-Old Names That Ripped Up South Beach
David Guetta- Fuck Me I’m Famous at Cameo (formerly Crobar) and his performance at Ultra gave American dance fans a reason to get up and move. His tack selections are meant to bring the party on hard and that they did.
Gabriel and Dresden- House, electro, commercial, trance, they have mixed and produced it all, but there sets are a true journey starting from the build up to the middle, they drop vocals on top of minimal and then throw trance right into commercial, their mixing in from one track to the next is flawless, which is almost a lost art on the electronic scene.
Miami’s Best Performance
Fat Boy Slim- The top of the tent at Ultra Music Festival just about fell off because of everyone including Norman, bouncing up and down non-stop, I’m not sure if it was the tracks being spun or his antics on stage, but he brought the crowd with him the whole time. Easily the best show of the entire conference and sure to bring him some new fans in the USA.
And The Worst
The Cure- I was around in the 80’s and didn’t get it then and now at Ultra I still don’t get it. Yes some of their songs are popish, but who the hell wants to go to a dance event to be depressed. Leave the sadness home next time.
Best Free Party
Beatport at The Remix Hotel-With names like James Zabiela, Dubfire, and Richie Hawtin, spinning poolside, in the afternoons, this was the place to be. Inside The National Hotel; Apple presented remixing demonstartions with numerous DJs and producers, including Paul Van Dy, and other big mames like Pioneer and Microsoft set up exhibits as well, no need to pay for a WMC badge, when you got more for nothing over at The Remix.
Most Overrated Party
AM Only@ Nocturnal- Waiting for hours to get in to a place that was not even packed, is this really necessary, I don’t care how good the DJs are, there is no excuse for bull shit.
Most Underrated Party
Cielo@ The Raleigh Hotel- If you were looking for the pulse of New York and the sounds of Iberia, you should have come to this party. A nice laid back feeling mixed with the regulars of Cielo, New York’s best dance club, provided for a day of sunny, house beats by the pool.
Break-Through DJs
James Zabiela and NicFanculli- They hosted their own event together as one+one and also played sets on their own, either way they had the sounds of the conference. It has been described form everything to tech house, minimal, and acid, but what it really is, is the future of dance music. They are young and just starting to build names for themselves across the continents and in Ibiza.
Steve Porter- His eclectic mix of house grooves was unmatched at any conference event. His biggest endorsement came for Paul Van Dyk, when asked who are some of the DJs we should be hearing a lot more about, his answer was “Porter definitely has the biggest potential right now”, what more need to be said.
The Unpredictable
Fire marshals shutting down clubs because they were beyond capacity, occurred at a couple of places, most notoriously The Juicy Beach event at Nikki Beach, which was closed to any new entrances for more then 2 hours, even if you had tickets and the music also had to be stopped for a while as the inspection lasted an hour.
Rain- Pool parties, Ultra Music Fest, outdoor cafes, everyone was feeling the torture of terrible weather and this one can’t be blamed on anyone.
The Predictable
Lines, lines, everywhere, didn’t matter if you already had tickets in hand or just wanted to buy them on the spot, unless you were purchasing table service which came with a price in thousands or came to the club 2 hours early, you could expect to do a lot of waiting. Club Space was the perfect example of this, especially for PVD and Morillo.
#1 Promoter of the Conference
Made Events- If you just went to Miami to attend only their parties you would have left completely happy. No drama, great sound, lighting, and line-ups that had to be simply amazing. The Armada event at Twilo and Pawn Shop gave trance fans the music they have been missing for years at the conference, while Sunday School for Degenerates brought the week to a close with only the best minimal/techno tunes. At each event the vibe was great and things done properly. Hawtin, Howells and Loco Dice were also part of the week of just legendary fun. Made Events showed why they are taking over WMC>
Only Venue for Proper Partying
Pawn Shop-Yes it’s housed in a former pawn shop and has a plain concrete backyard, and that the fun of going here. This place is all about the clubbers and DJ bringing the vibe and energy, no theatrics from the club. The highlight of the week was Armin Van Buuren playing on top of a truck in front and back of the club.
Avoid this Place
Nikki Beach- Promoters Juicy Music and Wet Grooves brought top names to what is supposed to be the top beach club in South Beach, for a self proclaimed luxurious venue they had a sound system which can only be described as crap. The place was too packed and lacked any sensible organization.
Return of The DJs-Old Names That Ripped Up South Beach
David Guetta- Fuck Me I’m Famous at Cameo (formerly Crobar) and his performance at Ultra gave American dance fans a reason to get up and move. His tack selections are meant to bring the party on hard and that they did.
Gabriel and Dresden- House, electro, commercial, trance, they have mixed and produced it all, but there sets are a true journey starting from the build up to the middle, they drop vocals on top of minimal and then throw trance right into commercial, their mixing in from one track to the next is flawless, which is almost a lost art on the electronic scene.
Miami’s Best Performance
Fat Boy Slim- The top of the tent at Ultra Music Festival just about fell off because of everyone including Norman, bouncing up and down non-stop, I’m not sure if it was the tracks being spun or his antics on stage, but he brought the crowd with him the whole time. Easily the best show of the entire conference and sure to bring him some new fans in the USA.
And The Worst
The Cure- I was around in the 80’s and didn’t get it then and now at Ultra I still don’t get it. Yes some of their songs are popish, but who the hell wants to go to a dance event to be depressed. Leave the sadness home next time.
Best Free Party
Beatport at The Remix Hotel-With names like James Zabiela, Dubfire, and Richie Hawtin, spinning poolside, in the afternoons, this was the place to be. Inside The National Hotel; Apple presented remixing demonstartions with numerous DJs and producers, including Paul Van Dy, and other big mames like Pioneer and Microsoft set up exhibits as well, no need to pay for a WMC badge, when you got more for nothing over at The Remix.
Most Overrated Party
AM Only@ Nocturnal- Waiting for hours to get in to a place that was not even packed, is this really necessary, I don’t care how good the DJs are, there is no excuse for bull shit.
Most Underrated Party
Cielo@ The Raleigh Hotel- If you were looking for the pulse of New York and the sounds of Iberia, you should have come to this party. A nice laid back feeling mixed with the regulars of Cielo, New York’s best dance club, provided for a day of sunny, house beats by the pool.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Miami WMC Preview
Your flight is booked, hotel plans made, and sun-tan lotion ready. Before leaving for this year’s Winter Music Conference you made sure to check Ibiza-Voice.com, to see the full calendar of events, so now you know where to go and when. The only thing is your overwhelmed by the amount of parties going on, no problem, here’s of list of what you should hit and what you should avoid:
The Hits
If You Can Only Make It To One Party… - Juicy Beach@NikkiBeach.March22
Robbie Rivera, Swedish House Mafia, Bob Sinclair bring you hard hitting house. Hot Women, Buff Men, and Mojitos flowing all over the place. What else do you need!
Techno and House Collide in South Beach- Mishap@ Nocturnal March 21
Misstress Barbara, Herman Cattaneo, and Marco Carola will make this night a great substitute for all those who miss “Meganite”, which won’t be happening this year
You Are Now In A State of Trance- Made Events present Armada@ Twilo- March 24
Armin Van Buuren and Markus Schulz who host two of the best progressive/trance radio shows and are joined by trance legend Rank 1 for this Ibiza imported event.
Thou Shall Honor Thy Fathers- Ultra Music Festival@ Bicentennial Park- March 24
Legends of the electronic scene, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Paul Van Dyk, and Mauro Picotto, make Day 2 of this annual outdoor event a must hit event.
Your Mates Who Are Wankers Will be Here- Radio 1@ Surfcomber Hotel- March 23
Yes this legendary party is back, featuring Frankie Knuckles and Erick Morillo, and the great voice of Pete Tong, but it’s not free and not at Nikki Beach this time around.
Another Trance Sensation From Holland- Sander Van Doorn@ The Fifth March 21
Expect to hear a new, more edgy style by this latest Dutch DJ. His style is more electro/tech-trance than some of his predecessors. Miami’s own Edgar V opens up.
Where’s The Cutting Edge House At WMC?- Porterhouse@ The Fifth March 22
Steve Porter will be celebrating his new release, and you will get to hear some of the best underground house here in this intimate gathering joined by Eli Winkie
Last Night I Spent All My Money- Remix Hotel@ The National Hotel March 22-25
When Apple and Beatport compete for your attention, and the price is free, than you’ve come to the right place. Poolside performances by top DJs and new products on display.
House Music All Night Long- Def Mix@ Shine in The Shelborne Hotel March 22
David Morales, Hector Romero, and Satoshi Tomei will bring only the finest house tunes representing the Def Mix label, in this most impressive venue.
The Misses
Bring A Chair, or Maybe A Mattress - Paul Van Dyk@ Club Space March 2
We Love Space, PVD, and Sander Kleinenberg who will be on the terrace, but we HATE waiting and the lines for this will stretch from downtown Miami to downtown New York.
If You’re Here, You May Have Had One Too Many- DJ AM &@ Cameo March 23
The best talent from all over the world will be in South Beach for just one week, and you would go to this, why, please tell me…and he doesn’t even date Nichole anymore!
This Is Will All The Spring Breakers Will Be- Various Events@ The Clevelander
You said to us, what should we do to avoid the beer guzzling, noisy, college crowd, we told you to stay away from , we have now given you fair warning. Don’t blame us.
Tell Me Again How Much This Is, I Must Be Drunk Tiesto@ Mansion March 24
Yes the over commercialized, “God of Trance” will once again descend on Miami and bring with him a Presale price of $75 for the privilege of watching the great one spin.
It’s Official, They Are Playing Every Party- Fedde Le Grand & Benny Benassi
It seems as though every event we look at, one or both are playing. Although it may seem impossible, our sources have confirmed that in fact they have both been cloned.
The Worst Party Promotions This Year- Wet Grooves@ Various Venues March 21-23
With phrases like “bigger, better, wetter”, girls in bikinis kissing on the flyers, and Myspace vixens hosting, what could be more cheesy and otherwise ruins a strong lineup.
Beware Of The Angry Bouncers, They Beat UP DJs -AM Only@ Nocturnal March 24
This is the infamous party where the best story of last year’s WMC occurred, Techno star Richie Hawtin was assaulted by the security when he tried to enter for his own gig.
Does Anybody Care About Award’s Shows- IDMA’s@ Miami Beach Resort March 22
Whether we like it or not, the only award that matters on our scene is the winner of the annual Mix-Mag DJ poll, all others just do not mean anything to anyone.
I’m Embarrassed To Be From New York- Jonathan Peters@ Club Space March 22
Yes it will be my neighbors with JP tattoos and 5 year old Sound-Factory panties, I’m sorry, it’s not my fault they travel 3 hours by plane to see the DJ they see every Saturday.
The Hits
If You Can Only Make It To One Party… - Juicy Beach@NikkiBeach.March22
Robbie Rivera, Swedish House Mafia, Bob Sinclair bring you hard hitting house. Hot Women, Buff Men, and Mojitos flowing all over the place. What else do you need!
Techno and House Collide in South Beach- Mishap@ Nocturnal March 21
Misstress Barbara, Herman Cattaneo, and Marco Carola will make this night a great substitute for all those who miss “Meganite”, which won’t be happening this year
You Are Now In A State of Trance- Made Events present Armada@ Twilo- March 24
Armin Van Buuren and Markus Schulz who host two of the best progressive/trance radio shows and are joined by trance legend Rank 1 for this Ibiza imported event.
Thou Shall Honor Thy Fathers- Ultra Music Festival@ Bicentennial Park- March 24
Legends of the electronic scene, Carl Cox, Danny Tenaglia, Paul Van Dyk, and Mauro Picotto, make Day 2 of this annual outdoor event a must hit event.
Your Mates Who Are Wankers Will be Here- Radio 1@ Surfcomber Hotel- March 23
Yes this legendary party is back, featuring Frankie Knuckles and Erick Morillo, and the great voice of Pete Tong, but it’s not free and not at Nikki Beach this time around.
Another Trance Sensation From Holland- Sander Van Doorn@ The Fifth March 21
Expect to hear a new, more edgy style by this latest Dutch DJ. His style is more electro/tech-trance than some of his predecessors. Miami’s own Edgar V opens up.
Where’s The Cutting Edge House At WMC?- Porterhouse@ The Fifth March 22
Steve Porter will be celebrating his new release, and you will get to hear some of the best underground house here in this intimate gathering joined by Eli Winkie
Last Night I Spent All My Money- Remix Hotel@ The National Hotel March 22-25
When Apple and Beatport compete for your attention, and the price is free, than you’ve come to the right place. Poolside performances by top DJs and new products on display.
House Music All Night Long- Def Mix@ Shine in The Shelborne Hotel March 22
David Morales, Hector Romero, and Satoshi Tomei will bring only the finest house tunes representing the Def Mix label, in this most impressive venue.
The Misses
Bring A Chair, or Maybe A Mattress - Paul Van Dyk@ Club Space March 2
We Love Space, PVD, and Sander Kleinenberg who will be on the terrace, but we HATE waiting and the lines for this will stretch from downtown Miami to downtown New York.
If You’re Here, You May Have Had One Too Many- DJ AM &@ Cameo March 23
The best talent from all over the world will be in South Beach for just one week, and you would go to this, why, please tell me…and he doesn’t even date Nichole anymore!
This Is Will All The Spring Breakers Will Be- Various Events@ The Clevelander
You said to us, what should we do to avoid the beer guzzling, noisy, college crowd, we told you to stay away from , we have now given you fair warning. Don’t blame us.
Tell Me Again How Much This Is, I Must Be Drunk Tiesto@ Mansion March 24
Yes the over commercialized, “God of Trance” will once again descend on Miami and bring with him a Presale price of $75 for the privilege of watching the great one spin.
It’s Official, They Are Playing Every Party- Fedde Le Grand & Benny Benassi
It seems as though every event we look at, one or both are playing. Although it may seem impossible, our sources have confirmed that in fact they have both been cloned.
The Worst Party Promotions This Year- Wet Grooves@ Various Venues March 21-23
With phrases like “bigger, better, wetter”, girls in bikinis kissing on the flyers, and Myspace vixens hosting, what could be more cheesy and otherwise ruins a strong lineup.
Beware Of The Angry Bouncers, They Beat UP DJs -AM Only@ Nocturnal March 24
This is the infamous party where the best story of last year’s WMC occurred, Techno star Richie Hawtin was assaulted by the security when he tried to enter for his own gig.
Does Anybody Care About Award’s Shows- IDMA’s@ Miami Beach Resort March 22
Whether we like it or not, the only award that matters on our scene is the winner of the annual Mix-Mag DJ poll, all others just do not mean anything to anyone.
I’m Embarrassed To Be From New York- Jonathan Peters@ Club Space March 22
Yes it will be my neighbors with JP tattoos and 5 year old Sound-Factory panties, I’m sorry, it’s not my fault they travel 3 hours by plane to see the DJ they see every Saturday.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
GUETTA BLASTS INTO NEW YORK
If there was anybody left in bed in the city that never sleeps, then David Guetta made sure to wake them up with his world renowned house tunes. The king of Paris’s club scene came to New York City to celebrate his forthcoming release from Ultra Records, “Guetta Blaster”, available on March 20th. Club Cielo, in the trendy meatpacking district was the venue for this special night’s event.
Those of you who attend Guetta’s legendary “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties in Ibiza, Paris, Miami, or around the world, already know that the event gets everyone, and mean everyone, from the bartenders to security, up and moving with his banging beats and unmatched enthusiasm. Last year at Holland’s annual Sensation White arena festival, which is considered to be the premier trance event, Guetta blew the trance fans away with his magnetic mix of commercial and deep house hits.
The only thing you can expect from the world famous DJ/producer’s track selection at his live events is the unexpected. He drops everything from his own chart topping hits such as Love Don’t Let Me Go, to other top house hits from Fedde Le Grand’s Put Your Hand Up for Detroit, to Eric Prydz’s Proper Education, which had all dancing and singing along. As for the unpredictable, how about Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Otherside, this combination of non-stop hits and Guetta’s mixing makes for a night full of energy.
As for the CD, I listened to the advance copy; I can tell you that it is exactly what you would expect from Guetta, which is great news for all those looking for music they can dance to. It you looking for his most famous hits and some new house tunes that are sure to be heard during the upcoming WMC, you will definitely want to pick up this release. “Guetta Blaster” is all the spirit that he provides during his live sets, packaged in CD form!
Many tracks feature the soulful vocalist Chris Willis, who lent his voice to one of Guetta’s classic hits, Just A Little More Love which is on this CD. The standout track on this release, which I would expect to get major airplay, is; Open Your Eyes, where the singing of the Stereo MC’s on top of Guettas fierce production provides for a tune that is simply addicting. Following that track is Last Train where the gospel inspired voice of Miss Thing delivers the album’s deepest, dirtiest tune. The entire CD is full of songs that can all become chart toppers in Europe.
What this release is not, is part of the electro/tech movement that seems to be sweeping electronic music today. The minimal sounds that swept the UK and Ibiza the last couple of summers will not be found on “Guetta Blaster”. These tracks are meant to for you to Get Up, as the title of one of the new tracks suggest. This is not an album that will revolutionize house music, but it does take some experimental chances, and come up more than successful, as in Paul Oakenfold’s mix of The World Is Mine. When one of the hardest trance producers teams up with one of the hardest house producers, you would not expect this unbelievable mix that reminds you of the chill music found playing at Ibiza’s hottest cafés and clubs.
David Guetta has been the pioneer of the house movement in France; his newest release will give his older listeners memories of the music they have heard on the dance floors around the globe. As for his newer fans this CD will give you an excuse to turn you house into your own personal club. Overall this is a fantastic release that will provide some more notoriety for a DJ that well deserves it.
Those of you who attend Guetta’s legendary “F*ck Me I’m Famous” parties in Ibiza, Paris, Miami, or around the world, already know that the event gets everyone, and mean everyone, from the bartenders to security, up and moving with his banging beats and unmatched enthusiasm. Last year at Holland’s annual Sensation White arena festival, which is considered to be the premier trance event, Guetta blew the trance fans away with his magnetic mix of commercial and deep house hits.
The only thing you can expect from the world famous DJ/producer’s track selection at his live events is the unexpected. He drops everything from his own chart topping hits such as Love Don’t Let Me Go, to other top house hits from Fedde Le Grand’s Put Your Hand Up for Detroit, to Eric Prydz’s Proper Education, which had all dancing and singing along. As for the unpredictable, how about Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Red Hot Chili Pepper’s Otherside, this combination of non-stop hits and Guetta’s mixing makes for a night full of energy.
As for the CD, I listened to the advance copy; I can tell you that it is exactly what you would expect from Guetta, which is great news for all those looking for music they can dance to. It you looking for his most famous hits and some new house tunes that are sure to be heard during the upcoming WMC, you will definitely want to pick up this release. “Guetta Blaster” is all the spirit that he provides during his live sets, packaged in CD form!
Many tracks feature the soulful vocalist Chris Willis, who lent his voice to one of Guetta’s classic hits, Just A Little More Love which is on this CD. The standout track on this release, which I would expect to get major airplay, is; Open Your Eyes, where the singing of the Stereo MC’s on top of Guettas fierce production provides for a tune that is simply addicting. Following that track is Last Train where the gospel inspired voice of Miss Thing delivers the album’s deepest, dirtiest tune. The entire CD is full of songs that can all become chart toppers in Europe.
What this release is not, is part of the electro/tech movement that seems to be sweeping electronic music today. The minimal sounds that swept the UK and Ibiza the last couple of summers will not be found on “Guetta Blaster”. These tracks are meant to for you to Get Up, as the title of one of the new tracks suggest. This is not an album that will revolutionize house music, but it does take some experimental chances, and come up more than successful, as in Paul Oakenfold’s mix of The World Is Mine. When one of the hardest trance producers teams up with one of the hardest house producers, you would not expect this unbelievable mix that reminds you of the chill music found playing at Ibiza’s hottest cafés and clubs.
David Guetta has been the pioneer of the house movement in France; his newest release will give his older listeners memories of the music they have heard on the dance floors around the globe. As for his newer fans this CD will give you an excuse to turn you house into your own personal club. Overall this is a fantastic release that will provide some more notoriety for a DJ that well deserves it.
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