You know electronic dance music (EDM) has officially taken over the States’ main musical interest when DJs are bringing home Grammy’s, DeadMau5 MCs award shows, Swedish House Mafia sells-out Madison Square Garden in less than nine minutes and DJs appear at
college campuses on a bi-weekly basis, along with almost every online and print publication having editors covering the genre.
Even Forbes Magazine discussed the widespread phenomena last week, naming the top 13 DJs in the world, and interviewing a DJ daily to lead up to Ultra Music Festival, the largest electronic festival in the world.Gone are the days of EDM being an underground scene, like it was in the early ‘80s and ‘90s when ravers would congregate in basements to hear turntablists spin. EDM is officially a pop-culture phenomenon.
Whether you enjoy the beats, bass and synth that make up much of this newly appreciated genre, EDM has swept across America and the industry seems to be fully absorbing it. And lucky for us Knights, we get to experience it first hand during MiamiMusic Week, EDM’s most anticipated and exciting week of the year, in just a four-hour drive south.
A week filled with parties hosted by world-renowned DJs and record labels at beaches, rooftops and the fanciest of hotels, Miami Music Week commences on Tuesday and leads into three-days of Ultra Music Festival at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami. Celebrating its 14th year in existence, UMF has evolved over time.
Originating as simply a pure EDM festival and expanding into a 200,000 person sold-out event, boasting both emerging and top DJs and bands who represent every EDM genre and sub-genre out there — house, trance, electro, indie-rock, jamtronica, dubstep, experimental pop, new wave, breakbeat, alternative and more — Ultra continuously features an eclectic lineup, making UMF an experience that can be appreciated by EDM enthusiasts, pretentious hipsters and kids who just love to party to any beat that drops.
Scheduled to host the largest UMF to date this weekend, filled with 24 stages and more than 350 DJ/producers and bands, Ultra will stick with old headliner favorites such as David Guetta, Kaskade, and UCF favorites’ Avicii and Tiesto.
Other popular acts include Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren, and my favorites, A-Trak, Bassnectar, Pretty Lights and Big Gigantic.
Whether it’s your first or last year attending the festival, I recommend switching it up this year, broadening your horizons and checking out those “unknown” acts on the line-up … ‘cause who knows, they may be new favorites of yours by the end of the weekend.
Check back throughout the week for exclusive KnightNews.com interviews conducted at UMF.
