When early December descends upon us, yes we remember that the holidays are just around the corner, but music and art lovers alike have their own little holiday to anticipate: Miami Art Basel. In 2011, there was a record attendance of 50,000 (up from 40,000 just one year earlier) so it's clear that the annual exhibition is flourishing. The roster of music fueled events that hit Miami each year are adding up and it's no surprise that a new music festival is in the works to correspond with Art Basel. Alex Omes and Emi Guerra of GO BIG Productions are adding yet another musical force to their agenda with the introduction of the first annual UR1 Music Festival in Miami.
UR1 will take place on December 8 and 9, in Bayfront Park, Downtown Miami.
We’ve heard quite a few announcements of genre-crossing festival’s lately, with Jay-Z’s Made in America and the ever-evolving Lollapalooza. And while I’m definitely a fan of shaking up a festival lineup with a hip-hop artist or two, never in my wildest dreams would I pair EDM with classic rock - a move BBC Radio 1 DJ Pete Tong has boldly made with his “Rocktronic Ibiza123” festival.
Despite my skepticism, Pete Tong’s word is my bible and I simply can not doubt a man with such an incredibly gifted ear for music. After more than 40 years of gracing the wavelengths with masterfully-crafted mixes, what the DJ extraordinaire says, goes. Rock on househeads!
Anticipation has a funny way of heightening an event: both through its capacity to incite a slow-building crescendo of fervor, and in its ability to massively inflate one’s expectations. In the case of Ultra Fest, the hype is certainly warranted—as this monumentally epic musical endeavor deserves an equally salacious array of festivities. It’s a natural compliment—the proverbial jelly to the fest's peanut butter—and for those whose musical and carnal appetites remain unsatiated, there is a cornucopia of bashes (both musical and decadent) that correspond with the inaugural day of Ultra Fest.
The internationally known turn-table genius, label owner, and disc jockey A-Trak has been at the top of his game since the age of 15 where he won the 1997 DMC World DJ Championship. That was only the beginning for the beat scratching artist who most currently was hand selected by none other than Kanye West to be his exclusive tour DJ. From stadium performances to intimate nightclub DJ sets, A-Trak is considered an electronic music icon who's record label Fool's Gold can be held responsible for launching careers for artists such as Kid Cudi and Kid Sister.
Every fall, the CMJ Music Marathon in New York is responsible for thrusting some of the hottest independent acts in music into the spotlight of the Big Apple. Various venues throughout the city will be taking part in CMJ this weekend, so it's going to be pretty hard to pass by your local music hall without hearing the buzz of new sounds emanating through every doorway. With a series of panels and discussions on modern music and technology, the marathon is just as much a showcase of new bands as it is a celebration of the digital age that allows said artists to climb the ranks of exposure with a few clicks.
After teasing a major announcement on their official website, Swedish House Mafia have revealed that they're bringing their chart-topping beats to the grandest stage of them all - New York City's Madison Square Garden. The house supergroup will be making music history by being the first dance act to headline the legendary venue.
SHM is set to ignite the Big Apple on Dec. 16th, and Pete Tong will announce the big news this afternoon on his Radio One program at 4:20 p.m. EST. Tickets will go on sale through Ticketmaster and Live Nation next friday, Sept. 30th. There will be a 24-hour presale on the group's Facebook page on Sept. 29th starting at 10 a.m. However, SHM originals, the fans that have been around since the group's first NYC show in February 2010, will get first dibs on the tickets, with a special presale running from 10 a.m. on Sept. 28th to 10 a.m. on Sept. 30th.
Coming off the recent release of his Balance 019 mix CD, progressive house artist Henry Size will tour North America. Praised by the house giants such as John Digweed and Pete Tong, Henry's own podcast "The Labryinth" demonstrates his rising fame and his ability to integrate a variety of DJing techniques, using Ableton Live, Access Virus TI synth, and even at times, an iPod Touch.
His North American tour dates are as follows:
Henry Saiz North American Tour Dates August 19 San Francisco, CA @ Mighty August 20 Los Angeles, CA @ Vanguard August 24 New York, NY @ Bar 13 August 26 Mexico City, Mexico @ Fever Club August 27 Playa del Carmen, Mexico @ Kool Beach Club