The Winter Music Conference Log: Day Four

March 29, 2008 5:38 PM
by Marcos Colón [email]

As the closing days of Conference are here, the events have picked up gradually, leaving the Junkies with tougher decisions to make as to what to hit up in the day and at night as well. One event that we couldn’t miss out on was the tenth anniversary of Ultra. The 4PM start up time gave us a chance to check out some beach day activities. Those, followed by Ultra, followed by a stint on 11th St., made for a classic WMC day.

[Words by Pete Tremblay]

The Raleigh Hotel Penthouse: Armani Exchange Music Lounge

A plush abode was turned into an exclusive electronic party by the Patton Group. This was a bit of a change of pace. instead of opting to hit up the Surfcomber or the Shelborne, we opted to mix things up a bit and kick back and relax at the Armani Exchange Music Lounge. Here, the who’s who of Conference, including Steve Lawler, James Zabiela, MSTRKRFT, Carl Cox and Deadmau5, came and enjoyed comp drinks provided by Belvedere Vodka and were each given gift bags that included Armani Exchange sunglasses, $500 Armani Exchange gift certificates, Skullcandy head phones and DJ equipment from Stanton.

The weather couldn’t have been better as the clear blue sky and the ocean was a perfect backdrop to those in attendance. This was sheer heaven. The Junkies definitely deserved a nice kick-back after a long day at the office.

10th Anniversary of Ultra Music Festival

Coming from the Beach and crossing over the bridge, first you heard it, then you saw it, then you felt it. The 10th anniversary of the Ultra Music festival was in full swing as the bright lights and lasers cut through the sky, hinting only at the experience that would bring festival goers to the point that they had been waiting on all year; electronirvana. The different stages that took over Bicentennial Park in Downtown Miami provided for a melting pot of electronic artists that would span the entire spectrum of the Genre.

One of the highlights of day 1 was Rabbit in Moons Staple performance at the Rabbit Hole. Listening to their music, and understanding the live experience are two completely and utterly seperate things that after experiencing together, you cannot ever Imagine one exiting separate of the other. At the very same moment, Tiësto one of the defining acts of our Electronic Generation took over the main stage to a sea of gierating and sweaty visitors to Tiësto’s world. Given credit where credits due, Everyone who has ever heard electronic music at least knows the name Tiësto, and the overwhelmingly large crowd proved.

One of the downsides of the festival was the 11:30 p.m. cancellation of dance rock stage Headliners Digitalism. “Due to technical difficulties beyond our control, Digitalism will not be able to perform tonight,” the MC Apologized after constructing the majority of Digitalism stage set up.

All in all day one exploded with the experience promised by everything that Ultra has become over the last 10 years.

The Vagabond: Live Box Presents Bang the Box

With the first 12 hours of Ultra come and gone – and the WMC parties already beginning, it was only expected that the shift from Mega-festival dynamics to an intimate party with Groove Armada and The Crystal Method might take a little while to manifest. By 2 a.m. the crowd of 20 (mostly lining the walls of the back room) was modest to say the least. The bartenders had a chance to enjoy the music - even the door man got a drink and used the bathroom – the overall ambience of the room was incredibly lax… then began the second wind.

By 2:45 a.m., as the decks were passed from Damien Lazarus (who played a beautiful set to about five die hard fans who soaked in every bass drop and synthline) to The Groove Armada it was apparent that the time for rest was over – Thus beginning one of the most intense nights of Conference. 150 people appeared from the woodwork within the first two minutes of the Armada’s incredibly funkdified set. Creating a subtle, positive cadence, while still keeping the groove within the lower register, Armada inspired the kinetic to come forth with a bass line phatter than a trip to Studio 54 in 1972. By 3:15 a.m. the room was packed and the second wind was officially in full swing.

Studio A: James Zabiela and Nic Fanciulli

One of the highlights of 2007’s WMC was the 1 + 1 party featuring James Zabiela and Nic Fanciulli. This year the duo lived up to the hype of last years intense performance by bringing the surging crowd at Studio A to a level of ecstacy that could only be defined by the closed eyed, swaying masses being brought up and pulled down with the surges of the music. The collective cheered and exploded as Fanciulli elated smiling face expressed the joy and meaning and sense of community the conference provides. Studio A’s amazing floor could not contain the party as the junkies surrounded the bar and danced their asses off. By 5 a.m., the floor was still packed, and only a few weary denizens of Fanciulli’s crowd, now joined by Zabiela, were trying their best to find somewhere to sit, recover and dance again.

Space: Paul van Dyk

Strolling up to Club Space at 3:30 a.m. to no apparent line at first was an incredibly confusing experience. Was it possible that one of the Worlds most well know DJ’s had not drawn the crowd that would be expected from someone of his stature?
Upon entering Space and being pushed directly up the stairs and away from the main room (even showing press credentials). It became obvious that the non existent crowd had dispersed due to the loss of hope that they could even get in to see van Dyk on the second floor through a video monitor.

Finally getting down to the main room yielded one of the most intense experiences anyone could find at WMC. Everyone heading to the doors looked as though the somehow survived a 12 round Boxing match with Mike Tyson. The exhaustion on the faces of the masses stumbling down the stairs was indicative of the intensity in which van Dyk was pushing his set through the best sound system in America. Space on Friday night was not for the weak, assuming, or sober. Conference veterans only please.