Ultra Music Festival: Reinventing RESISTANCE and Special Guests [Review]

Ultra Music Festival 2023 got here and went and did so in spectacular style. The many years outdated, family identify in EDM festivals has all the time felt just like the New Year of the music pageant circuit. It’s largest declare to fame is that it’s the place most producers and DJs within the scene exhibit a plethora of unreleased content material which everybody finally ends up listening to all 12 months spherical. And this 12 months didn’t disappoint with some key, contributive elements together with off-the-wall particular friends, inclusion of extra numerous genres within the EDM pantheon, and revolutionizing one the pageant’s underground locations: Resistance.

The particular friends at Ultra have all the time been aside of the mystique of Ultra Music Festival. Past years included iconic moments from Madonna, Kodak Black, Slash, and even Will Smith. However, this 12 months’s particular friends felt extra in-tuned with newer music and artists than years prior. These included artists that felt like probably the most applicable for an outing in Miami whereas others felt so out-of-pocket in the easiest way. In the primary class, Marshmello headlined the principle stage together with his personal mixture of bass music rage and nostalgia callbacks (see Benny Benassi’s Satisfaction vs Party Favor’s WAWA [Lights Out Jersey Remix]). But out of nowhere, he’s joined by one surprising artist after one other. Marshmello cemented Ultra Music Festival as the one place to correctly spring break with GloRilla and Roddy Rich taking part in their largest hits. But everybody in attendance can agree that the vitality peaked that night when Farruko got here on stage to carry out “Pepas” in entrance of hundreds of ravers. The collab they previewed collectively proper after might need helped preserve that vitality just a bit longer.

In the second class, Zedd pulled out Ice Spice… Yeah, let that sink in for a second. Interestingly sufficient, it was a fairly intelligent, albeit out-there look. The rapper got here as much as sing her track “No Clarity” proper as Zedd had teased one in every of his largest tracks of all time “Clarity”. Despite each artists feeling like their from full completely different eras and backgrounds, they have been an ideal slot in unifying one another’s audiences into one crowd. But I’m certain that didn’t cease followers watching the livestream to mouth out, “What the…” Meanwhile, David Guetta had an identical second bringing out Coi Leray, however no less than Guetta has a remix of Leray’s track “Players” that simply launched to tie the 2 artists collectively.

NEW MUSIC @DavidGuetta brings out @coi_leray at @extremely to play his remix of “Players” for the primary time! #umflive

Watch stay right here ⤵https://t.co/yFbnOb3CoT pic.twitter.com/5JtFckLhad

— Your EDM (@YourEDM) March 27, 2023

Another side to that made this 12 months’s UMF so particular was the inclusion of newer scene artists from genres that don’t sometimes see quite a lot of love in Miami historical past. Typically, regardless of being the place to listen to a few of the latest music of the 12 months, Ultra’s historical past reveals quite a lot of favoritism in the direction of home music. But this 12 months, the phases have been shared with artists from extra musical actions throughout the EDM panorama.

First and foremost, the most important shock was Charlotte De Witte on the essential stage. It might have been earlier within the day, and perhaps it was a shorter set than most individuals are used to listening to from an artist of her caliber. But the truth that a TECHNO artist was performing on the MAIN STAGE at a MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVAL is next-to exceptional. But Ultra took an opportunity and the set couldn’t have been extra good for getting Miami out of its consolation zone. Meanwhile, the Worldwide stage hosted drum n’ bass rising star Dimension who obliterated followers together with his repertoire of 2-step grooves and anthemic cuts. It was additionally an enormous 12 months to see stars of bass music usually at Ultra Music Festival from Subtronic’s bass-laced wonderland to Lil Texas and his rage-induced, happy-hardcore utopia.

Finally, the most important factor to speak about was was the foremost improve to the RESISTANCE. To these out-of-the-know, Resistance is the identify of one of many largest manufacturers that may take over a stage at Ultra Music Festival. When they’re in cost, they tout the last word artists taking part in home, techno, and up to now it was the host for A State of Trance (this 12 months hosted by the Worldwide Stage). Resistance often takes refuge within the Megastructure, however most individuals comprehend it as the house for one of many largest names within the dance music area: Carl Cox. His presence on the Megastructure yearly is a continuing in life like loss of life and taxes. But the artists who get to share that stage get to see probably the most bold and intimidating views any artist might have in entrance of them. Take a search for your self!

Leading as much as the legend have been dazzling units from Enrico Sangiuliano, Ilario Alicante, and Anfisa Letgayo. But the stainless help didn’t cease there. Buzz continues to flow into round units from Tale of Us, Maceo Plex b2b Michael Bibi, Adam Beyer b2b Cirez D, and lest we neglect the Testpilot b2b HI-LO takeover. For Friday-goers, they might have caught a glimpse at a legendary Swede closing the stage together with his must-see HOLO set. The one and solely Eric Prydz returned to UMF with a brand new set of eye-candy visuals laced together with his progressive home prowess. Even with my greatest penmanship, phrases fail to explain how encapsulating it was to be below that tent.

But for these on the lookout for a extra intimate sense of techno and home music that commerce glitz and glamour for pure sonic escapism, there was one other RESISTANCE stage referred to as The Cove. In earlier years, the Cove was once referred to as Arcadia the place it touted their depth-defying Spider stage, the place the DJs would hold above the group for a 360° expertise hardly ever delivered at music festivals. But when Arcadia and Ultra parted methods, it gave the pageant organizers and alternative to see simply how a lot larger they might take the Cove. And this 12 months, they delivered. It began with every day being taken over by completely different labels. On Friday, Nicole Moudaber‘s IN THE MOOD collective reigned supreme. From Juliet Fox owning the daylight hours to Ida Engberg and Maya Jane Coles simply hypnotizing the Friday crowd. But if you weren’t there for Moudaber b2b with frequent partner-in-crime Chris Liebing, I can solely describe it as audio-heaven.

Saturday’s lineup shifted right into a extra progressive and deep home route with Joris Voorn presenting SPECTRUM on the helm and help from Mind Against and Franky Wah. Meanwhile, Sunday had all of the campers out with Dirtybird internet hosting. Sets from label boss Claude VonStroke and his horde of tech home gamers like VNSSA, Walker & Royce, and Shiba San even had the backstage crews shuffling.

In brief, Ultra Music Festival 2023 has kicked off the brand new 12 months for the music pageant panorama and did so in typical, but iconic style. The particular friends turned heads, extra artists from lesser explored subgenres bought to share the highlight, and RESISTANCE is taking a proactive method at being extra than simply an annual vacation spot on the present. All this has me questioning…how lengthy till I ought to be reserving my subsequent flight and keep at Miami for 2024.

Photo credit: Alive Coverage, Rukes, Rudgr.com