BY MATTEA PIESCH
Miami Music Week is here! This year’s edition is taking place from March 25 – March 29, and of course, Ultra Music Festival is the epicenter of the craziness. The three-day festival takes place at Bayfront Park and features tons of big names from the dance and electro scenes. Headliners include David Guetta, Afrojack, Skrillex, and Tiesto. Throughout the week, plenty of parties and events will also be taking place alongside the Ultra Festival. Since Miami Ultra features the elite of electronic artists, it’s not easy to narrow your choices down. Regardless, here are our top 10 artists you shouldn’t miss while you’re there.
Boys Noize
German producer/DJ Boys Noize has remixed tracks for Snoop Dogg, Depeche Mode, and many others. His music is influenced not only by house music, but also by hip-hop and disco. In 2012, Boys Noize teamed up with Skrillex for a side-project called Dog Blood. The two performed together at Miami Ultra in 2013 and are both back this year to perform solo.
Axwell Λ Ingrosso
This Swedish duo consists of Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso, two-thirds of the Swedish House Mafia. The duo first performed together under its new name in 2014, and a soon-to-be released album will be the first for both artists, since Swedish House Mafia never released a full-length record. We are excited to see what the two have in store for us at their first Ultra show.
Clean Bandit
Known for the hit “Rather Be,” Clean Bandit is making its Ultra debut this year. The London-based group won a Grammy earlier this year for “Rather Be,” and its live performances include guitars, keyboards, and percussion mixed with electronic dance sounds. Clean Bandit is known to be a DIY band; the group produces all of its music on its own and even shoots its own videos.
Die Antwoord
Die Antwoord is a duo consisting of Yolandi Visser and Ninja. The South African duo has caused a real hype with its made-up culture, Zef, which describes a poor yet fancy lifestyle. Die Antwoord likes to use art and controversy to shock its audience, and once turned down a contract with Interscope in order to found its own label instead.
Chromeo
The Canadian electrofunk duo was formed in 2002 and consists of David Macklovitch and Patrick Gemayel, two college roommates who decided to make music together. After taking a break for three years, the duo came back in 2007 with a new album. The group’s most recent record, White Women, is a hit all over the world.
Royksopp
Royksopp has been around for many years. The Norwegian electro duo released its first album in 2001 and has been playing around with different styles ever since. Four consecutive number one albums in Norway and a Grammy award make this group one of the most successful electronic artists of our time, as its warm sounds set it apart from other digital music artists.
Knife Party
The Australian duo Knife Party consists of Gareth McGrillen and Rob Swire. The duo has also been known as Pendulum, a drum and bass group. Knife Party first made a name for itself in the electronic music genre thanks to its 2014 album, Abandon Ship. Both DJs also work as movie producers on the side.
Robin Schulz
Robin Schulz started working as a DJ when he was only 17 years old and already owned his own nightclub by the age of 20. Schulz’s sounds are inspired by established artists such as Tiesto and Richie Hawtin, and his song “Waves” has been a hit in many countries. He’ll be performing at Miami Ultra for the first time this year, alongside his idol, Tiesto.
DJ Snake
DJ Snake is a French producer and DJ who is known for mixing hip-hop and electronic sounds. He reached fame with the singles “Turn Down For What” and “Birdman,” the latter of which was picked up by Diplo’s label, Mad Decent, in 2013, and has led to collaboration between the two ever since. Touring with Skrillex and remixing songs for the biggest pop artists in the business is looking to be just the beginning of his bright career.
Zeds Dead
The members of this Canadian duo had been making music together for many years as Mass Productions before launching Zeds Dead in 2009. The musical style the two now create as Zeds Dead is a mixture of hip-hop, dubstep, electronic, and drum and bass. The group’s 2011 release, “Rumble In the Jungle,” was a huge success all over the world.
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