Afrobeta at Ultra Music Festival 2012: A 15-Photo Recap

We missed Afrobeta’s opening-night set at Ultra Music Festival. But the Miami duo also played an action-packed closeout to Ultra on Sunday. And we caught it all on camera. The party animals were out in full force and the band’s Cuci Amador and Tony Smurphio were in strong shape. They…

Bassnectar at Ultra Music Festival 2012: A 15-Photo Recap

Bassnectar is the sound of a thousand meteors crashing into Earth. On the last night of the fest, his heavy metal/electronic alchemy destroyed Ultra Music Festival 2012’s Live Stage as 6,500 beat freaks raved, raged, and howled. His hourlong set ripped through more genres, samples, and live effects than a…

Avicii and Madonna Meet Molly at Ultra Music Festival 2012

The Main Stage lineup on Saturday was impressive with both Fatboy Slim and Justice warming up the crowd for headliner Avicii. But at 11:07 p.m., the Swedish DJ was nowhere to be found. And so the restless crowd started chanting his name, “Avicii! Avicii! Avicii!” Maybe the tactic worked. Because…

Fatboy Slim at Ultra Music Festival 2012

​Back in the 1990s, Fatboy Slim helped establish the standard for EDM producers breaking through to the mainstream. A decade and half later, DJs and producers are once again showing up on Top 40 and what’s left of MTV. We’re not saying Slim has any sort of axe to grind…

Justice at Ultra Music Festival 2012: Prog Rock Takes Over Main Stage

Can’t say we’re surprised that Justice’s set at Ultra Music Festival was reminiscent of the duo’s sophomore effort, Audio, Video, Disco, an album of which we aren’t exactly a fan. And last night’s performance didn’t convince us either. But that’s not to say we didn’t enjoy it. A Justice show…

Winter Music Conference and Miami Music Week 2012: A Daily Party Guide

Check out today’s top WMC and MMW parties — plus Crossfade’s fifteen best parties. Honestly, if you’re gonna survive 96 hours of Winter Music Conference, Miami Music Week, and Ultra Music Festival, then your emergency EDM supply kit will need to include a gas mask, goggles, a bikini and/or banana…

Miike Snow Brings Out the Animals at Ultra Music Festival 2012

Taking the stage in matching all-black, zip-up satin jackets and dark skinny denim, Miike Snow looked like members of some sort of Orthodox Hipster cult. The long beards sported by two members didn’t dissuade the comparison. And the faithful turned out, with one of the youngest crowds attracted to the…

Swedish House Mafia’s Masquerade Motel Miami 2012: A 76-Photo Recap

Masquerade Motel MiamiGrand Central ParkFriday, March 23, 2012Better Than: Rollin’ balls inside a Vicks vapor room with a stolen subwoofer.Swedish House Mafia’s Masquerade Motel sent so much bass rumbling through Grand Central Park that you could feel it from your toes to your fingers and nose. It was heavy. It…

Pretty Lights at Ultra Music Festival, March 23

Standing elbow to elbow last night with people going out of their minds in front of the live stage, it was easy to forget that Pretty Lights’ first Miami show was at the Vagbaond, just over two years ago. In October 2009, the then-cult Colorado producer born Derek Vincent Smith…

Video: Neon Indian at Ultra Music Festival 2012

The collective celebration of electronic dance music (otherwise known as Ultra Music Festival) finally kicked off yesterday at Bayfront Park. And a few hiccups aside, everything seemed to go smoothly. We had gotten so used to the layout at Bicentennial Park that first thing we did was survey the lay…

Top Twenty Photos From Day One of Ultra Music Festival 2012

If you’ve only ever raved and raged with Ultra Music Festival while totally naked and home alone with your laptop, a 12-inch glowstick, and the fest’s live YouTube stream, then it’s fucking time to physically visit Bayfront Park. Just think of everything that you’re missing by staying cloistered in your…