The Ten Best Underground Parties of Miami Music Week 2016

If all you do during Miami Music Week is chase marquee names from party to party, you're doing it wrong.

At its core, this week has always been about discovering new acts and sounds. The days of Daft Punk spinning at local clubs and poolside are certainly over (yes, that happened in the early '00s), but there's always a chance you'll witness the nascent career of the next great electronic music superstar. MMW is also an opportunity to see established acts live in the States instead of on a Boiler Room video.

They incorporate hooks to create tracks that teeter into pop territory.

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So ditch the Dutch DJs and American EDM acts for the week — they'll be at Ultra anyway — and venture out to the best underground and alternative dance music events happening around Miami.

10. Waze & Odyssey. With Amtrac, Citizenn, Gene Farris, Jesse Rose, and Jonas Rathsman. 10 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at 1306, 1306 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-377-2277; 1306miami.com. Tickets cost $15 to $20 plus fees via epoplife.com.

London's Waze & Odyssey have been making beautiful music together since 2011, but the deep-house duo's big break came when its underground hit "Bump & Grind," a reworking of R. Kelly's 1994 song "Bump N' Grind," bubbled up to the mainstream. However, while their contemporaries, like Disclosure and Duke Dumont, have become bona fide stars, Waze & Odyssey can still be enjoyed in more intimate settings. They'll also kick off 1306's first Miami Music Week with a showcase by W&O Street Tracks, their record label, to highlight Waze & Odyssey and friends' beatmaking skills.

9. The Leverage Agency & Friends. With Acid Pauli, Eduardo Castillo, Satori, Viken Arman, and others. 11 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at Basement Miami, 2901 Collins Ave., Miami Beach; 786-257-4548; basementmiami.com. Tickets cost $30 to $40 via basementmiami.com.

According to the Leverage Agency, its artists "will perform only in venues with top-quality sound, top-quality hospitality, and respect for what we all love, a night full of lasting memories and musical journeys." That's a noble goal, especially in dance music's money-over-everything mindset. But Acid Pauli and Eduardo Castillo couldn't have picked a better venue than Basement Miami, which despite its ultra-posh setting has a legit sound and lighting system.

8. Keinemusik Showcase. With &Me, Adam Port, David Mayer, Till von Sein, and others. 10 p.m. Wednesday, March 16, at the Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-456-5613; electricpicklemiami.com. Tickets cost $10 to $20 plus fees via residentadvisor.net.

Labels are like family, but thanks to hectic touring schedules, DJs don't get much quality time with their labelmates. Berlin-based Keinemusik might have one of the tightest music collectives, and at the Electric Pickle, &Me, Adam Port, and David Mayer will be able to come together for the best family reunion partygoers will ever have the chance to attend.

7. Def Mix Presents Our House. With David Morales, Quentin Harris, Hector Romero, and Sean Cormac & Chili Davis. 10 p.m. Sunday, March 20, at Yuca, 501 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 305-532-9822; yuca.com. Tickets cost $15 via eventbrite.com.

The lure of EDM acts is strong this week, but anyone would be remiss for not honoring those who laid the groundwork for today's industry. David Morales was spinning house music when it was still in its infancy and became a regular at places such as Paradise Garage and Ministry of Sound. If you're tired of hyphen house subgenres — progressive-house, tech-house, tropical-house — catch Def Mix, who'll deliver dance music in its pure, unadulterated form.

6. Paradise Miami. With Jamie Jones, the Martinez Brothers, Steve Lawler, Lee Foss, Bob Moses, Matthew Dear, and others. 10 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-0371; manawynwood.com. Tickets cost $35 to $50 plus fees via residentadvisor.net.

These days, there's nothing "underground" about Jamie Jones, but the Hot Creations boss is still delivering some of the most interesting records out there. His recent EP, This Way!, was a total throwback, and it's reason enough to still pay respect. Paradise Miami returns to Mana this year with another amazing lineup outside of a certain music festival that rhymes with "Shmultra."

5. Benoit & Sergio. With the Black Madonna and Visuals. 10 p.m. Friday, March 18, at Bardot, 3456 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-5570; bardotmiami.com. Tickets cost $12 to $20 plus fees via showclix.com.

One of electronic dance music's most common complaints is that it "doesn't go anywhere." Clearly, those people have never heard of Benoit & Sergio. The French/American duo isn't content with simply relying on beats; it incorporates song narrative and hooks to create tracks that teeter into pop territory. Also on the bill is Black Madonna, the creative director of Chicago's Smart Bar, who's quickly rising thanks to her old-school ethos of reading the room and not planning her sets.
4. Andhim's Superfriends. With Andhim, Kölsch, H.O.S.H., Roman Flügel, and Super Flu. 10 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Treehouse, 323 23rd St., Miami; 305-674-4478; treehousemiami.com. Tickets cost $35 plus fees via wantickets.com.

DC Comics has the Justice League to defend the universe, while dance music has the Superfriends to defend everyone's ears from bad sets. Leave it to German duo Andhim to assemble a lineup whose superpowers include creating the tongue-in-cheek subgenre "super house." Their list of superfriends includes Danish techno act Kölsch and electronic music pioneer Roman Flügel. Superfriends, assemble! 

3. Do Not Sit by the Ocean. With Atish, Bedouin, Behrouz, Gab Rome, Lee Burridge, M.A.N.D.Y., Alex  Niggemann, and others. Noon Thursday, March 17, at The Deck at Island Gardens, 888 MacArthur Cswy., Miami. Tickets cost $40 to $50 via residentadvisor.net.

Miami's favorite miniclub, Do Not Sit on the Furniture, is taking the party outside for the second year in a row. However, instead of offering a poolside locale, it has moved to Island Gardens Deep Harbour, the super-yacht marina on Watson Island. And if you're looking to recuperate — it's only Thursday, by the way — sound healing and yoga will be offered. Then acts such as Atish and Bedouin will lead everyone in a sunset party that commands its namesake.

2. Mood Night. With Nicole Moudaber. 10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Trade, 1439 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-531-6666; trademia.com. Tickets cost $15 to $30 via residentadvisor.net.

There was a time when having one DJ on the bill was enough. But during Miami Music Week, bills are so packed it almost seems like each act has only about 30 minutes of play time. Nicole Moudaber will change that when she takes over Trade with her party, Mood Night. She'll spin all night long. Marathon DJ sets can be the stuff of legends, and rest assured Moudaber is more than capable. No opening acts required.

1. Get Lost Miami. With Damian Lazarus, Heidi, Horse Meat Disco, Tiga, Thugfucker, Ellen Allien, Felix da Housecat, Skream, and others. Time and venue TBA. Saturday, March 19. Tickets cost $55 to $88 plus fees via residentadvisor.net.

If you attended Miami Music Week and didn't go to Get Lost, did you even go to Miami Music Week at all? That's the question everyone should ask himself, because this marathon of a party is what happens when you bring together Crosstown Rebels with Miami's III Points. Damian Lazarus already amazed the city last October when he played III Points with his mystic vibes while dressed as Zoltar.