We are so stoked to be heading back to Miami Music Week and Ultra Music Festival this year for Ultra’s 20th Anniversary! We know you’re all wondering what we’ll be up to, so we whipped up a preview on the festival, the Miami Music Week events we’ll be attending, and some artists we’ll be checking out (and that you should too)!
Why Ultra Miami
A lot of the time, festivals have similar lineups with the same touring artists year after year. The reason you pick one festival over another is because you know outside of the music, there’s so much more to the experience. Each festival strives to have its own unique vibe that appeals to fest-goers and makes it different from the rest.
Miami is home to a huge and international EDM scene and lifestyle, making it the perfect location for one of the largest EDM festivals in the world. Ultra really owns this and is proud of it, and it’s not hard to see why if you know anything about the fest’s beginnings in 1999 (hint: it was unprecedented and TINY). It’s incredible to see how massive the fest has grown over the past two decades—the energy, layout, production, and everything else that goes into it is over-the-top and strategically planned.
What makes Ultra even more special is the weeklong celebration of dance music it’s a part of, called Miami Music Week. The sheer amount of artists and events and amazing music all packed into six days (Tuesday, March 20th to Sunday, March 25th) is insane. Plenty of people coming to Miami for the festivities aren’t even going to Ultra—there are so many other things going on besides the fest!
Ultra was our first major music festival outside of Chicago that we actually traveled to. Looking back on pictures and videos and remembering our time there in 2016, we feel the same rush of emotions we felt when we were there. Ultra will always be associated with some of our happiest memories, where we saw and experienced things that went beyond our expectations. We can’t wait to be back!
Miami Music Week Events
DJ Mag Pool Sessions @ Surfcomber
Wednesday, March 21st
Our first event of MMW will involve hanging out with The Black Madonna, Claptone, and other artists we’ve never seen live before. We can’t imagine kicking off our trip in a better way than spending the day poolside, dancing to groovy house tunes. We’ve heard great things about the DJ Mag pool party, so keep up with our Instagram story for a peep at all the action!!
Must-see Artist
CamelPhat
A remix of CamelPhat’s song “Cola” was turned into a Snapchat filter, for Pete’s sake. This song was the soundtrack of Casey’s Eurotrip this past summer, and she quickly became obsessed. This duo has been crushing the house music scene, with three #1 spots on the charts run by Beatport. They’re sure to keep you dancing to their set, from start to finish. We can’t wait to finally see them live!
Here’s that CamelPhat song we’re in love with:
Check them out if you like: MK, Green Velvet, Hot Since 82.
Confession Miami @ Treehouse
Saturday, March 24th
This lineup sums up Claudia’s favorite kind of house music, so getting tickets to this event was a must. Confession is one of our favorite labels, and there’s no better Ultra afterparty than the label’s showcase happening on Saturday night post-Day 2 of Ultra. We’re also looking forward to checking out Treehouse, the nightclub the event will be taking place at.
Must-see Artist
Dillon Nathaniel
If grimey house music with bass turns you on, Dillon Nathaniel is your guy. He started a new subgenre movement he calls “warehouse bass,” and his music nails the concept. He recently began playing sets using only his original music, so he’s definitely one to watch out for in 2018.
Listen to his “warehouse bass” VIP edit of his track “Resonate”:
https://soundcloud.com/dillonnathaniel/dillon-nathaniel-resonate-warehouse-bass-vip-edit-1
Check him out if you like: Malaa, AC Slater, Drezo.
Some other MMW events we’ll be at include Chocolate Puma & Special Guests @ Doheny Room on Wednesday, March 21st; Psycho Disco Showcase on Thursday, March 22nd;
Corona Electric Beach Party w/ Chris Lake, Mija + More on Friday, March 23 (before the fest, of course).
*Sidenote, all three of these events are free with RSVP!
Ultra Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary
It’s the 20th anniversary of Ultra, so you know it’s going to be the ultimate party. Since our first time at Ultra was in 2016, we’ll be back with a comparison of our experiences. Stay tuned! We know Ultra has some hidden treats to celebrate two decades of the fest.
Must-see Artists at Ultra
Vini Vici
Ever since time-traveling to another dimension at their Tomorrowland Belgium set over the summer, we knew we’d be back for another set from the pair—it was only a matter of time (pun intended). They’re psychedelic trance. Experience their music live and you’ll understand why.
Listen to their latest, “Adhana”:
Check them out if you like: Armin van Buuren, Astrix, racing BPMs.
Virtual Self
If you’re a Porter Robinson fan then you are definitely familiar with his side project, Virtual Self. Robinson describes the sound to be reminiscent of his dark and blurry memories of electronic music on the internet, drawing inspiration from the late 90’s and early 2000’s rave scene. You can expect nostalgic sounds from throwback electronic genres, mixed with signature Porter Robinson vibes. As an artist, Robinson is always breaking new boundaries and giving his fans music that is flowing with emotion, unlike many of the mainstream artists these days. Virtual Self is definitely something you (and your soul) are going to want to experience.
One of his most popular tracks on the Virtual Self EP, “Ghost Voices”:
Check him out if you like: Porter Robinson (lol) and neotrance.
Moksi
This pair is a straight-up party! Claudia insisted Casey and the squad check out their set at Tomorrowland, promising it would be a good time. Their set turned out to be one of our favorites at the fest, and we can’t wait to get down to their unique electro/future/bass house again! We guarantee you won’t be able to stand still for even a second during their set.
Here’s a groovy tune from the duo:
Check them out if you like: Joyryde, Sikdope, Jauz.
Some Other Expectations
Although those are some of the artists we’re without-a-doubt catching in Miami, we’ve got our eyes on a few of our favorites as well.
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- Tchami x Malaa. These legends have gotten so huge over the past year (probably due to us promoting them hardcore ever since we discovered Malaa). We caught them on their No Redemption Tour in Chicago this past December, but we’re intrigued about the performance they’ll be bringing to Ultra’s Live Stage. Ski masks, on.
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- JOYRYDE. We’ve been huge fans for a minute now, but it’s also been a minute since he’s released any new music, which makes us wonder what he’s been up to. We’re predicting a bunch of new IDs in his set at Ultra, hopefully followed by their releases. Either way, we know we can count on him to throw us a party!
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- Oliver Heldens. Forever one of our favorites, there’s no way we’re missing his set. We’re hoping to hear classics like “Koala” and “Can’t Stop Playing – Oliver Heldens & Gregor Salto Remix” (Claudia’s all-time favorite song), but we’re also excited about the twists he’ll throw in there. Fingers crossed he drops Malaa’s “Notorious” like he did at Electric Forest!
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- Ghastly. Who’s more hype live than this guy?? Although we sometimes get the feeling the fun he has before and during his set causes some rough transitions, no one cares because they’re all too busy raging face. He also always has the best closing message to the crowd after he’s done performing. You should have heard the one after his last Holy Ship set this year.
Follow the Party
Be sure to follow us on Instagram where you can stay up-to-date on our time in Miami! When we return home we will be back with our reviews and inside scoop of our MMW and Ultra experience!
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