I’ve only been home from Miami a day, and I’m already feeling the withdrawals. I suppose it comes with the territory, living in a state where the air hurts your face. (Why am I living in a state where the air hurts my face?) Miami is not just one of the most amazing cities on the planet, it is also home to one of the most robust Electronic Dance Music scenes in the U.S. Boasting numerous clubs to suit every fancy, turning your dancing nights into days, pool parties, yacht parties, warehouse parties, beach parties… you name it, Miami’s got it.
Arguably the largest Electronic Dance Music week in the states is held yearly during Spring Break when the heat is on, and the dance floor vibes are strong. Kicking the week off with Winter Music Conference, Miami Music Week has something for everyone. Whatever style of music you are craving, you are sure to find your groove there. I’m stoked to attend my very first Winter Music Conference. Due to scheduling conflicts, I had never been able to allot the time to witness the industry professionals discussing what they do best in person. Ultra defined the U.S. market for Electronic Dance Music festivals and the Winter Music Conference gave birth to the scene we know today. Celebrating their 35th anniversary is going to be one hell of an event. Don’t miss it.
Celebrating 35 Years, WMC returns with Cutting-Edge programming featuring speakers from Avant Gardner, Beatport, Beatsource, C3 Management, Complex Magazine, Disco Donnie Presents, IO Music Academy, Little Empire Management, Mercy Agency, Nervous Records, Next Music, Pandora, Paradigm, Paxahau, Rakastella, Revealed Recordings, SAE, SBE, Scratch DJ Academy, SoStereo, SoundCloud, Ultra Music, University of Miami Frost School of Music, UTA, Versa, Viberate, YouTube and more TBA.
WMC will also feature artists including Barbara Tucker, Carl Craig, Josh Wink, Roger Sanchez, Tommie Sunshine, Sydney Blu and more TBA.
Key Speakers include YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen, Ultra Music Founder Patrick Moxey, GRAMMY-nominated duo Sofi Tukker, Rakastella Founder Becks Lange, Paradigm’s Emma Hoser, Little Empire’s Stephanie LaFera and more TBA.
-Winter Music Conference
The cherry on top of an entire week of stellar music culminates with Ultra Music Festival. If you haven’t been, allow this Ultra veteran to explain what you are about to witness. Ultra’s flagship festival is a sight to behold, regardless of your festing status. It was my first major Electronic Dance Music festival, and I had dreamt of the moment for over 15 years before I was blessed enough to walk through the gates of Bayfront Park. The minute you get past the sweltering and crowded line (prepare for three to four hours GA folks) you are welcomed with a view of LED mastery, unlike any festival you have ever seen. The Megastructure itself is reason enough to lose yourself for hours (pun intended) and you haven’t even made your way to the iconic Mainstage. This year, Ultra’s Resistance brand has taken over all three days for #Technostructure led by the Oh Yes man himself, Carl Cox.
If Techno isn’t your style of choice, no worries. Ultra is literally an Electronic Dance Music connoisseurs paradise. With so many stages to choose from, you can’t go wrong. This year’s live stage will be absolutely awe-inspiring announcing Flume (with or without eating his dessert of choice), the dark prince of Techno, Gesaffelstein, the return of Major Lazer, and Zedd bringing his Orbit setup. With the announcement of Phase Two looming ahead in February, take note of Phase One below and start planning your Ultra trip now. We’ll see you at Ultra’s return to Bayfront, or as Ultranauts lovingly refer to it, #Baefront.
*Featured Image of Ultra Music Festival Via Ultra*
