South Beach nightlife has long been ruled by commercial dance music and VIP club culture. And some locals have fought back with parties catering to underground house and techno. (See LINK Miami's nights at Treehouse and Kontrol Thursdays at Mansion.)
But few locals know the trials and tribulations of keeping an underground night afloat on the Beach better than Inbal Lankry. For three years, the DJ and promotions veteran ran Retox at the tiny former Blue on Española Way before trekking over the causeway to serve as marketing and booking director for the Electric Pickle, helping to turn the Wynwood venue into the international EDM mecca it is today.
Inbal's latest venture sees her return to the Beach, and another hole in the wall this is not. Partnering up with Kloud IX Entertainment for new monthly Tuesday party Young Hearts, the team will be taking over the famous Delano Hotel and serving up quality underground disco vibes.
"We've always wanted to produce events together that really showcased talent we were excited about and wanted to hear," Inbal tells Crossfade. "We both felt we could create an event on the Beach that is outside the norm of what both our crowds are used to.
"The Beach crowd gets an intro to some underground music flavor that's a bit more organic, roots, and disco, and the underground crowd gets to experience a different type of setting to hear some of their favorite DJs. I'm not saying this has never happened before on the Beach, but it ain't happening now, and that's what inspired us to do this."
"I think the commercial VIP scene in recent months has fed off of the underground vibe that's been growing over the last few years," Inbal adds. "I'm sure everyone has noticed the bookings at larger venues on the Beach have been trending towards the underground. Just last year, we were seeing most of these artists in smaller downtown venues. The quality of production and sound at some of these top-tier commercial venues is impressive, but the dancefloor has been replaced with tables and security which takes away from that I-wanna-lose-myself feeling we all go out for."
Very little is known about Tiger & Woods, an enigmatic DJ-production duo that deliberately shuns publicity and interviews. The pair's debut long player, Through The Green on Running Back, was among the most lauded releases of 2011, and the live sound -- a piquant blend of Chicago house, Italo-disco, Minneapolis funk, and Balearica -- is sure to keep Young Hearts' revelers wearing out their dancing shoes on October 2.
"We couldn't have asked for a better act to play our launch party," says Inbal. "Tiger & Woods harvest that sound that is effortless groovy feel-good music. You can expect a nice easterly breeze, vibing dancefloor under the stars, and we're hoping some dancing in the pool will go down as well. Actually, we encourage it! We'll also be debuting who our next couple of surprise guests will be, and I think people will just organically start to love this for what it is. Young Hearts will always deliver quality music, an abundance of beautiful energy and cosmic synergy."
Young Heats Launch Party. With Tiger & Woods and residents Andrew Ward, Bonnie Beats, and Inbal Lankry. Delano Hotel, 1685 Collins Ave., Miami. The party starts at 9 p.m. and admission is free with RSVP to [email protected]. Call 305-672-2000 and delano-hotel.com.
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