Year 25 of the world’s biggest week of your life on the dancefloor. Ibiza may provide us with month’s of lunacy in the Balearic sunshine, Glastonbury brings us our own British village of the best music and craziness in the English countryside and the likes of Global Gathering and Creamfields show the world, quite simply, how to rave on. The South Beach front row of beautiful hotels, bars and clubs overlooking the turquoise ocean, Collins Avenue dotted with some of the most famous nightclubs in the world, Downtown Miami where the music gets’ serious, Lincoln Avenue where Prada meets Puma with hundreds of the finest shops. And on top of that? The biggest DJs in the world rocking eager faces in the sunshine and then into the early hours in party paradise.Welcome to Miami.
Off we go…
Highlights of my week included one time DMC World Champion Cash Money – everywhere he played, the guy still so on top of his game. Trying to get my head down one night and having to listen to a couple next door having what sounded like the wildest sex, got she had a set of lungs on her. Sneaking into a certain A-lister’s motorhome at Ultra and nicking three bottles of pink champagne, the pool parties at The Shelborne were just off the hook – DJ Mag and John you deserve a medal for bringing us the likes of Luciano, Jazzy Jeff, David Morales, Danny Tenaglia, Dave Seaman, James Zabiela, Bob Sinclar, Sander Kleinenberg and Dennis Ferrer – brilliant. Pacha, where do you get your dancers from? I have never seen so many guys with their mouth’s open for so long. Except this little gay club in Hackney I used to go to. Erol Alkan and Aeroplane at Vagabounds was seriously a good party, Shy FX at The White Rooms had me trippin’ – not as much as Radio 1’s Annie Mac who had her lap top (including all of her tunes) and her bag with $1500 inside it whilst she was on the mic. Her boyfriend Toddla T had his lap top stolen too with the second part of his album on it. Ouch. P Diddy – you know how to throw a house party. As does Mr Morillo. Erick, thank you for the most amazing night I have had in years at your birthday party at your house. If I knew you had friends as pretty as that, I would have offered to clean your pool for a living years ago. And as for the finale, Carl Cox throwing down the funk, soul and hip hop – what a way to end the week.
Who We Rocked With
DMC’s Tony Prince
“My favourite party of the week? Danny Tenaglia @ The Shelbourne.”
“Best DJ? Carl Cox, I love a DJ with personality. Sasha and Digweed never ever let me down and it was great to have a few drinks with Sasha who looked amazingly fit.”
What was the swankiest DJ Pad you ended up at during the week?
“Without doubt Eric Morillo’s ranch. Having an infinity pool is one thing but having three interlinked in your back yard is another! But I loved Danny Tenaglia’s opulent apartment which seemed to look out over Miami Bay like Danny owned the whole bloody place!”
You went to one of the first ever WMC, 25 years ago – what do you think has been the biggest change over the years?
“There are far more parties and gigs to choose from and the women only wear bikinis. There are also many more DJ’s in the super-DJ category and it’s all DJ now, artists seem unimportant. There were far fewer Brits around than I recall 25 years ago, I think our crowd are concentrating on setting up another cool place to go, they set up Ibiza, they set up WMC, the Brits like new fun and adventure, so what next?”
Your highlight of the week?
Without doubt it was seeing hundreds of punters (who weren’t being allowed in to Ultra Fest because they were full to capacity) break through the security. I have never seen so many happy kids and so few confused cops and marshals who couldn’t do fuck all about it! They not only got in at last, but were in for free (tickets were $150 per day so it was a big saving for them).”
Harry ‘Choo Choo’ Romero
“My biggest tune was actually a collaboaration I did with my friend Chris Moody titled ‘Acid Kraft’. Everyone from Morillo to Cox was killing it and the response has been intense. On a positive note the WMC is always great fun and a good excuse to get out of the frigid NJ winter. Having said that I really miss the way it used to be. There were a few dope parties and there was an actual ‘conference record’ that was broken at those parties. It has gotten to be really random through the years. But it is safe to say I will attend WMC as long as they have one.”
DJ Sneak
Big tune of WMC 2010?
“Fries & Bridges – ‘Forever This’ – The Factory Records (sick!!!!)”
Best club I played?
“Well the best vibe was at ‘Love Hate’ on 4th and Washington. There were some really dope events that happened though that week.”
How did WMC 2010 compare to past years?
“Well this year was not much better than last year in attendance, but in terms of great little parties, WMC 2010 was very good for underground House. Never mind all the over rasted expensive events with all the glitter, the real House music lovers came out to represent in Miami this year! I’m not talking Guetta House or anything like that – I’m talking REAL House music.
Junior Sanchez
Big tune of WMC 2010?
“The tune. They Live ‘Gotta Be Dancin & The Ghetto’.
Best club I played at WMC?
“Mongoloids party at The Clevelander.”
How did WMC 2010 compare to past year’s?
“It’s definitely fun and dance music is so vibrant and alive at the moment.”
Radio Slave
“The big tune of the week was “The Realness – ‘Shade’ on Cabin Fever Records. Like Thomas Bangalter in Drag at the Ballroom..Banji!”
“Best event by far was P Diddy’s House party. I DJ’d from 8am-10am and played everything from ‘I’ll Be Your Friend’ to ‘Work That Muthafucka. The place was off the hook and Diddy was partying hard!”
“The best DJ was Kenny Dixon Jnr at the D25 Party. It’s just great to see your heroes playing records (and I mean records) by the pool in Miami. And of course Kenny pulled some nuggets out of the bag like “Walk the Night” by the Skatt Bros!”
Cash Money
“My favourite party of the week was my party at The Florida Room – it was bananas, not because of the fact that I was playing, it was just that the vibe was so great.”
Nic Fanciulli
“Tune of the week was Mark Broom’s ‘Supersnout’ on Saved.
My favourite party was the ‘Saved’ party with Joris and Matthias Tanzmann and also the Ovum 15th Anniversary party.
Boris from Moonharbour was the best DJ I checked out.”
Human Life
“Biggest tune of the week for us was actually Human Life ‘In It Together’
As for the best party, the ‘HARD’ Pool Party – such an amazing lineup! Aeroplane, Boys Noize, Erol Alkan, Fake Blood, Annie Mac, our senses were on overload.”
The best DJs we saw were these guys called Sound of Stereo at the Dim Mak Pool Party, they are from Belgium and surprised us with some of the craziest basslines ever heard during daylight hours…”
Shermanology
Greatest tune of the week?
“The new Swedish House Maffia tune, it doesn’t have a name yet.
Best party?
“The ‘Size’ pool party.”
“And as for the DJ of the week, Joris Voorn.”
Darren Emerson
“Largest tune of the week was my new track ‘Decisions’ which went down really really well.”
“The club? I was only there briefly but the Ovum party at Shine was amazing as always.”
“And the best DJ was Glimpse, first time I’ve seen him and he was amazing check him out, he’s gonna be a big star.”
Josh Wink
“My big track, believe it or not – but it’s true, was Josh Wink’s ‘Jus Right (Jimpster remix) and KINK ‘Existence’ – both on Ovum.”
“The best parties I went to were ‘Ovum 15 Years’ at Shine, a shameless plug but just being truthful. Also ‘Giant Step’ with Giles Peterson.
“As for the DJs, all of them at the Ovum 15 ‘Years’ session. Amazing”
Yousef
“My favourite gig’s were a toss up between ‘Saved’ at Set and the Carl Cox arena at the Ultra Fest. Both incredible.”
“Tune of the week, undoubtedly Radio Slave’s ‘The Morning’- what a fun record.”
“And the best partying I had, Carl’s party at Folie, one in one out, the best music I have ever heard in my life and I did more networking there and dancing than anywhere ever.”
Carl Cox
“Party of the week? My arena at the Ultra Music Festival, myself, Yousef, Sasha, Digweed, Morillo, Fedde and Kryoman & The Clones.”
“My largest tune of the week was my tune Carl Cox ‘Family Guy’.”
D. Ramirez
Tune of the week?
“D.Ramirez – ‘Devi8or’ – Slave.”
The event of the week?
“Toolroom Knights at Space on Friday night and The Beatport Beach Party.”
Best DJ you saw spin?
“Darren Emerson.”
Felix Da Housekatt
The big tune of WMC?
“Avalanche Boys Noise & Avalanche”
Best club you played at WMC 2010?
“The Ultra Ibiza Tent and then P Diddy’s after.”
How did WMC 2010 compare to past years?
“I paced myself this year – it made WMC more of a vacation thang with my Friday…I slept the first two days and went hard after, so it was much more fun to party less but choose the best parties. LOL Dan. Felix.”
Don Diablo
“Got to say my big tune was Diplo & Don Diablo ‘Make It Pop'”
“The best party is a tie between the ‘Fools Gold’ party at Grand Central and the ‘ViRam’ party at the Heathrow Lounge.”
“And the DJ that rocked it for me? Duck Sauce, a.k.a. A-Trak and Armand van Helden doing a back to back set for the first time. It was just great to see two very talented people playing a lot of great records and having a lot of fun doing it.”
Lauren Pope
“The biggest tune seemed to be Dennis Ferrer’s ‘Hey Hey’ – I was lucky enough to get hold of the Riva Star remix the night before I left for Miami.”
“The best party all week had to be Erick Morillo at Liv, Ronnie Sykly was the warm up, everyone was waving banners and P Diddy was there – I couldn’t stop dancing.”
“I had the best week and have learnt so much from watching the big DJ’s. I got to see Bob Sinclar for the first time and really enjoyed his music, Axwell went on after him so it was a great line up. WMC has definitely given me a lot of ideas and inspiration for my career over the next year and I cannot wait to get back there in 2011. One thing I did notice was just how much of a male dominated world DJing is, only seeing 3 other female names on the line ups so again this is something to inspire me to change that slightly – and make my name as big as some of those men.”
Cybersutra
“Tune of the week? Wolfgang Gartner ‘Undertaker'”
“Our best party was the BeatPort party on Saturday.”
“As for the DJs, too many to list but Funkagenda was dope.”
Norman Doray
What was the big WMC tune for you?
“The best tune of this edition was for me James Talk & Rydney – ‘Forever’ or maybe my Norman Doray Avicii & Sebastien Drums – ‘Tweet It'”
Best event of the week?
“Ultra Festival for SHM, David Guetta and Dirty South.”
DJ of the week?
“Eric Prydz at Set on Sunday.”
DZeta N’Basile
“The BIG tune of the week – Jus Right – the Jimster Remix from the album ‘When The Banana Was Just A Banana'”
“The best party we went to/played at – ‘MN2S’.”
How did WMC 2010 compare to past conferences?
“There was a MUCH better party vibe this year, it rocked!”
Charlotte Devaeney
What was the big new tune you heard out at WMC?
“‘Drake Forever’.”
What was the biggest tune you played at one of your gigs?
“Treg Songz ‘Say Aah’.”
Favourite party you partied at?
“Lil John’s party at Liv.”
Memories from WMC over the years…?
“My first WMC was back in 2003, remember being extremley wasted the whole week! Seeing more sillicone breasts than I’ve ever seen in my life! First year was really exciting, it was a lot busier than it is now.”
Looking forward to next year?
” Yes deffo. I will never miss a Miami and will be back for sure. I learn about new places and parties every year.”
Arthur Baker
“The track? My mix of the new Peter Hook/Freebass track- ‘You Don’t
Know About Me’ featuring Tim Burgess on bass.”
“The party? The P Diddy all night Saturday to Sunday after party at
Diddyland compered by Diddy and Felix Da Housekatt – what went on
there, stayed in there!”
James Teej
What was the big WMC tune for you?
“‘Things Fall Apart’` – Lee Foss – Culprit”
Best event of the week?
“Crosstown Rebels @ The Electric Pickle.”
Best DJ you saw spin?
“Soul Clap”
Evil Nine
What was the big WMC tune for you?
“Gorillaz – ‘Superfast Jellyfish’ (Evil Nine Remix)”
Best event of the week?
“Annie Mac Presents at the White Room.”
Top DJ of the week?
“Boy 8-Bit.”
The Miami Virgin – Perc
One of Techno’s key figure’s with some seminal releases on some of the finest label’s in the world that the likes of Richie Hawtin, Luciano, John Digweed and Steve Lawler have all lodged his tracks firmly in their boxes, this young man is making his debut at WMC…
First time in Miami, why did it take you so long to get to the best week of your life?
“I’ve just been waiting for the right time. I wanted to wait until a time when people would know about me and Perc Trax. To travel all the way to Miami and then run an empty party would have been heartbreaking.”
Where you caught up in the British Airways bullshit?
“No, my flights were with American, who were actually pretty good. I knew of a few people that got caught up in BA hell but they all got to Miami in the end.”
What were your first impressions of Miami?
“Clear blue skies, palm trees, sports cars and House music blasting out of every shop, bar, restaurant and hotel!”
Where did you play out ?
I played at the ‘Sleaze vs Blufin’ party at Nocturnal, then the daytime ‘Techno Marathon’ event at The White Rooms and then finally at the ‘Perc Trax vs Sleaze’ party at Tangia. Three gigs was about the right number for me.”
What surprised you about WMC?
“Just how homogenised House has become globally. I know there are always certain sounds and production techniques that are in vogue, but it seemed like 95% of tracks I heard adhered to a very predictable template.”
What were the best parties you partied at out there?
“The ‘D25’ party at The Shore Club was amazing. Carl Craig Kevin Saunderson, Kyle Hall, Theo Parrish, Stacey Pullen and many more Detroit greats playing a night time pool party. Amazing.”
The big new tunes you heard out there?
“It’s out already but I heard the Agoria remix of Josh Wink in many places. The same goes for my remix of Gennaro Mastrantonio’s ‘Dark Side Of Miami’ on Sleaze. I didn’t go to the kind of parties where a big Stardust/Spiller type track would emerge.”
What do you think about the organisation that sees college Spring Break taking place there the same time as WMC?
“I think its good. It brings more people into the area and adds a care free feel to the parties. The Spring Breakers are just there to party and have a good time which makes a change from the chin-strokers and trainspotters that often lurk around in techno clubs.”
Best DJs you checked out?
“Theo Parrish was great at the ‘D25’ party was good, slowing things down with some perfectly selected afro-beat and Tony Rohr’s live set at the ‘Perc Trax vs Sleaze’ party was superb.”
Favourite venue?
“I liked the outdoor stage at the Eden Roc hotel. Perfect sound and wedged between the swimming pools and the beach. It would be amazing to play there. Tangia was a cool venue as well, perfectly sized, good sound. Its lay out and shape reminded me of London’s infamous Public Life, without the grime and stench!”
Were you wary about finally hitting WMC, or were there butterflies flittering about?
“I was not that nervous as I did not really know what to expect. I just prepared for my gigs the best I could and got stuck in.”
Did you meet any heroes out there?
“I’ve met most of the big techno guys before, though it was good to catch with them again under the Florida sunshine. It meant more to me to meet the friends that I have that I’ve only ever spoke to online. Finally putting a face to an email address is always memorable.”
Drinks aren’t cheap out there huh? Ten bucks for a bottle of beer…
“Yeah, it’s expensive out there, on a par with Ibiza. But you just have to get on with it. Better to enjoy yourself and then worry about the consequences when you get back home.”
Did you think there was too much going on – 30 parties a day – do you think it made it hard for people to catch up with each other?
“It was more like 100 parties a day! Most people were staying in the 5 or 6 main hotels on Collins Avenue so it was fairly easy to catch up with people.”
Favourite Miami moment?
“Realising that the Perc Trax party was going to be a success. Having people waiting outside when the doors open is always a good sign and things just got better and better.”
Worst Miami moment (except the customs!)
“The first party I played, had big problems all over the club. In our room the subs were not turned on to start with and the headliner in the other room did not turn up. A few guys did not get to play, which was bad as it was their only WMC gig. Thankfully the week picked up after that dodgy start.”
Did you do any business out there?
“No huge deals were made out there, but I spoke to a lot of artists about working with Perc Trax. They should pop up on the label around the end of this year.”
Tell us about the forthcoming singles.
“On Perc Trax there is an EP from Forward Strategy Group with a Donor/Truss remix which is already getting big support from Marcel Dettmann, Luke Slater, Phil Kieran and more. After that there are EP’s from Darko Esser, Truss, Sawf and myself. I also have releases coming soon on Agoria’s Infine label and Luke Slater’s Mote Evolver imprint. The EP for Mote Evolver comes with an Edit Select remix. All very exciting.”
You’re also getting busy with some new Ovum and Chris Liebing’s CLR imprint.
“At present I’m working on tracks for Ovum, CLR anbd maybe even Drumcode. Nothing has been sent to the labels yet so I’ve no idea what will be released where!”
Some cool remixes swinging our way, what’s been your best ever remix…
“Remixing DJ Hell’s ‘Buttersaure’ was a big one for me. Despite having no individual parts to work with I managed to sample enough from the original mix to make a good remix. My remix was really well received and ended up on a Chris Liebing compilation and in Adam Beyer’s Essential Mix. It was that which got me talking to Adam and releasing my Sticklebrick EP on Drumcode.”
And finally, would you go to WMC again next year?
“Yes, I’d love to go again. There is already talk of another Perc Trax party and of me playing at a big daytime event, so it is looking promising.”
