Ultra Music Festival 2023 Review: Marshmello, Tiësto, Carl Cox, Testpilot

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Let’s face it: EDM’s heyday is lengthy gone. So are you able to blame that a number of the largest names in dance music have been trying to earn their underground credentials? On the second day of Ultra Music Festival, Oliver Heldens and Deadmau5 took over the Megastructure to ship surprisingly some of the gratifying techno units of the weekend as Hi-Lo and Testpilot. Eric Prydz additionally appeared underneath his techno alias, Cirez D, to spin back-to-back with Drumcode chief Adam Beyer.

But the most important winner on day two of Ultra was maybe Tiësto, whose 2005 trance basic “Adagio For Strings” appeared throughout the Dutch DJ’s set on the Main Stage and the Hi-Lo and Testpilot’s back-to-back set. Whether you’re keen on or hate Tiësto’s flip to EDM, he is actually left behind a legacy that speaks for itself.

Here’s what else you missed on day two of Ultra 2023:

Hi-Lo B2B Testpilot

The final time Deadmau5 (AKA Testpilot) performed the Megastructure was for A State of Trance in 2016. He opened with steel and closed with Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades.” But Joel Zimmerman is far more austere when he places on his Testpilot cap. Joined by EDM DJ Oliver Heldens, who spun underneath his techno alter ego, Hi-Lo, the pair have been the primary to resupply an empty stockpile of darkish techno lacking from the Megastructure. Bass pulsated each endlessly and restlessly till there was nothing left to offer. The two dropped a remix to the already face-melting bass riff to Bjarki’s “I Wanna Go Bang” and manipulated some voice samples that appeared like monsters growling of their sleep. Toward the tip of the set, Zimmerman dropped a remix of his “Sometimes Things Get, Whatever” and a remix to Tiësto’s legendary “Adagio For Strings,” a observe that has laid dormant for a while. Grant Albert

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Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

Armin van Buuren

“Will you dream a bit of dream with me?” Armin van Buuren yelled to the group earlier than enjoying an unreleased track with lyrics of comparable nature. The Dutch DJ performed his sundown set on the Main Stage to a packed crowd as red-mohawked aliens danced in entrance of the stage. Accurately nicknamed “King of Trance” by attendees, his hypnotic visuals matched the entrancing, thumping beats. For the primary time in a very long time, he got here to stage to his 2012 hit “This Is What It Feels Like,” taking the viewers on a journey replete with techno, bass drops, and a enjoyable remix of “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” Mary Gibson

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Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

Tiësto

A fan favourite, Tiësto’s set included observe after unreleased observe, together with a mixture of previous and new hits and a sprinkle of drum ‘n’ bass bangers. The Dutch DJ performed dubstep mixes of SZA’s “Kill Bill,” the Weeknd’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” and the haunting theme track to HBO’s White Lotus. With a discography that spans many years, eagle-eared followers should have seen he dropped “Adagio For Strings,” launched almost 20 years in the past, to smoke, fireworks, lasers, and, in fact, crowd applause. Mary Gibson

Adam Beyer B2B Cirez D

Between sickness, journey delays, and a pandemic, it has been an nearly five-year ordeal attempting to get the Swedish producers of Adam Beyer and Cirez D (Eric Prydez’s techno alias) collectively at Ultra. But that’s all prior to now, as the 2 rapidly made up for the delay. The Swedish techno duo labored in tandem, with Beyer balancing Prydez’s penchant for trancey arpeggios whereas Prydz prevented it from getting too darkish. Still, it acquired darkish with the bass working its magic and the 2 including results to deliver buildups to hovering highs. Strobe lights flickered as if slowing time and lasers shot previous the stage as the 2 went deeper, with every observe letting the listener take within the lengthy journey. Grant Albert

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Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

Alesso

Alesso kicked off his Main Stage together with his 2015 hit that includes Tove Lo, “Heros (We Could Be),” main right into a jam-packed progressive home set full of recent music. Highlights included an unreleased intro observe with Ty Dolla $ign, a “When I’m Gone” remix that includes Katy Perry, and “Under Control” with Calvin Harris. As a particular visitor, Swedish singer Zara Larsson hopped onstage for her collaboration with the DJ on “Words.” But the most important testomony to Alesso’s place amongst EDM greats was when he performed his 2013 collaboration with One Republic, “If I Lose Myself.” Whether sitting by the water in VIP, in line to purchase pizza, or within the entrance row of the stage, everybody who heard the primary few notes sang each lyric again to him. Ending on a nostalgic be aware, after enjoying his brand-new hit “Look Inside Our Hearts” with Martin Garrix, he performed “Calling (Lose My Mind)” to shut the present. Mary Gibson

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Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

Carl Cox

“How you doing, Miami? You okay?” bellowed Carl Cox within the darkness of the Megastructure because the crew was gearing up for his hybrid set. We had already misplaced a minute; some seemed barely involved, however then, like a superhero, Cox sounded his signature boat horn adopted by a kick after which bass — we had liftoff. Cox rang out the speaker first by enjoying his and Franky Wah’s “See the Sun Rising.” Techno is a straightforward but highly effective sound; nobody is aware of this higher than Cox. Cox caught to his signature stadium techno for what appeared like an hour: a hammering bass, a slick hi-hat, and never a lot else. Even as he added drum patterns and results by way of his hybrid setup, the rhythm was simplicity at its absolute most interesting. Grant Albert

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Photo by Michele Eve Sandberg

Marshmello

Marshmello, famously acknowledged by the marshmallow-shaped helmet he wears, closed out the second day of Ultra on the Main Stage. To followers’ shock, he introduced out three completely different particular company that felt considerably random, together with rapper GloRilla who carried out “F.N.F (Let’s Go),” and Roddy Ricch sang “The Box.” His remaining visitor was Puerto Rico raper Farruko, of “Pepas” fame, who carried out their unreleased collaboration, “Esta Vida.” Overall, the reception for his closing efficiency was not very hot, particularly by these watching the stay stream. Fans have been seemingly aggravated that regardless of having an amazing music catalog at his disposal, Marshmello did not deliver greatness to this set. Ending together with his melancholy collaboration with Bastille, “Happier,” could have indicated how followers felt: “I need you to be happier… however I do know meaning I’ll have to go away.” Mary Gibson



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