A daily guide for electronica lovers, dance enthusiasts and the curious.
Deciding on what to do or where to go is rarely a difficult task in Miami, unless of course, it’s Miami Music Week (or Art Basel). For those of you that have ever lived in the 3-0-5 surely you’ll understand as there’s never a shortage of interesting and diverse events to choose from, all depending on your mood and budget. The challenge however, presents itself when you have 6 consecutive days (144 hours) of sheer bliss, jam-packed with multiple top notch events and incredible lineups to cherry-pick from and prioritise. And not only that, but all your favourite artists are showcasing their talents from 11 am forward; all day events leading you from sunset to sunrise — to then rinse, wash, repeat and do it all over again (for an entire week) in hopes of catching the most memorable performances.
That said, if you must start the party during daylight hours, know that your options are actually quite limited this year and other than commercialised pool parties or generic super clubs, you won’t be finding much until mid-week. My suggestion? Take it easy, enjoy your first few afternoons and practice patience, I assure you the late night festivities are both promising and well worth the wait.
For your enjoyment and a surefire way to maximising your MMW experience, we’ve pulled together a daily guide to help shape your game plans. Following is a thoughtful list of all the shows you won’t want to miss this year, whether you’re a rookie of sorts attending for the first time or a seasoned veteran returning for your 10th year. Now, for the fun stuff!
DAY ONE – Tuesday, March 15th
DJ Tennis & Mind Against @ The Electric Pickle is undoubtedly my number one choice here. I’ve seen Tennis (aka Manfredi Romano) once before and if memory serves (it was a blurry night!) he was fantastic. Retrospection aside, what I appreciate the most, is that he makes everything so interesting. In my analysis, although beat-driven and totally danceable, there’s always a touch of bass and sensuality in the distant background somewhere but ultimately he’s leading the way with all this cerebral, melodic goodness at the forefront. His sound is intelligent and layered with just enough darkness and grit to keep you grounded while still feeling a bit spacey and psychedelic throughout.
As for Mind Against, they too are on the Life and Death record label, offering a similar sound in that they tend to combine a bit of IDM, deep house and techno all into one. However, they’re much spookier in contrast to Tennis, which is also right up my alley. I’m excited to see what their musical partnership brings to the table once they’re up close and personal. Can’t wait to see what tricks they have up their sleeves! This is surely an opening event you won’t want to miss.
DAY TWO – Wednesday, March 16th
Bob Moses, Pional & Roman Flugel @ Bardot was probably the easiest decision I’ve made all week. First and foremost, Bob Moses (LIVE). I recently caught their performance of Tearing Me Up on The Ellen Show; one listen and I was hooked, naturally. Production wise, they have an incredibly polished and pop-savvy sound but truth is it’s still refreshing and original with underlying sex appeal, melody and groove. These guys really know what they’re doing on the house front as well and despite the dance cuts having a simpler feel to them, they’re just as engaging, smooth, moody and perfectly arranged for your listening (and dancing) pleasure.
Now, imagine that paired up with Pional’s signature sound, which for the record, is incredibly unpredictable due to the fact that he touches on so many different genres and styles, and it all sounds so damn GOOD. Pional (aka Miguel Barros) provides the vocals and all the instrumentation on his tracks and he plays a drum machine during live shows, which makes the whole thing that much more enticing. But just to give you a sense of what’s in store, consider what the man is known for melodic house music that is deeply emotive and sexy on the one end, and yet, surprisingly edgy, experimental and disco-infused on the other.
And last but certainly not least, there’s Roman Flugel, serving up glitchy, future disco, techno excellence. Which by the way, seriously, all jokes aside, whoever organised this event had a moment of brilliance. Not sure I would’ve matched these 3 on my own but I’m certainly glad they did and kudos to them because the combined experience is going to be amazing. Trust me, you’ll thank me later and you’re welcome.
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