So with that, below, in alphabetical order, are the ten best DJs at III Points 2022 who will greet you with bass, four-on-the-floors, and seamless transitions all night long.
Ashley Venom
Despite playing banger after banger that makes the listener want to stomp the floor so hard that it leaves cracks, Miami's Ashley Venom (AKA Ashley Solage) always keeps a calm demeanor. Even when mixing at 130+ bpm, little can be thrown at her that would upset the cosmic dance of mixing abrasive tracks with precision. At times, the Haitian-American artist may meet you in the middle — like dropping a remix of "Milkshake" by Kelis — and provide some sonic R&R. Still, you can rest assured that in a few minutes, you will be back dancing and sweating with Venom's viscous track selection.
DJ Harvey
The term "legendary" is often used liberally. Queen Elizabeth's reign was legendary; a nova bagel at Russ & Daughters is legendary; and a DJ Harvey set is, undeniably, legendary. Harvey Bassett first cut his teeth during a trip from London to New York City in the '80s. In NYC, he heard hip-hop in its early stages, where the new sound and the DJ'ing techniques instantly pulled him in. Nothing is off-limits with DJ Harvey. A set may bleed into disco, early-house proxies, soul, and anything that can be spun with groove-inducing momentum. It's simple: Come for a history lesson, and stay for everything DJ Harvey will lay at you.
Flume
Buttressed by equipment on his left and right, Australia's Flume sets are one part human, one part musician, and another part cyborg. Flume's music is meant to be listened to while driving in a convertible with the city's skyline looming. The thick synth lines buzz through your bones and create unfettered emotion that goes past waving your hands in the air. Flume performs as a quasi-DJ and band; the usual all-night mixing is replaced with noticeable song changes and a singing crowd. However, the DJ spirit is displayed brightly by an artist who wants you to enjoy the show as much as he's having fun performing it.
Loco Dice
Few DJs can reinvent themselves so much and yet prove their worth each time as the Tunisian-born and Düsseldorf-raised DJ/producer Loco Dice. Those deep into their Dice history may know him as a master hip-hop selector from Germany. Others are familiar with his minimal techno stardom that transcended across speakers. There is the new, revamped Dice, the one who can drop the darkest, dirtiest techno one minute and spruce it up with a Bad Bunny remix shortly after. So whether you live on the dance floor or need a quick pick-me-up after James Blake on Friday, Dice can cure anything that may ail you and keep you in your happy place for hours and hours.
Miss Kittin & the Hacker
It took 13 years for Miss Kittin and the Hacker to reunite — and it was certainly worth it. First Album debuted in 2001 and became an electroclash anthem in no time, with bouncy synth lines and vocal work by Miss Kittin. Now, the pair (Caroline Hervé and Michel Amato) is back with Third Album, released off Nobody's Bizzness in April. The two can mix all night long, but one highlight is when Hervé takes to the mic during her sets. The vibe is all theirs, and Hervé's matter-of-fact singing mesmerizes while the Hacker layers the set with in-your-face synths patterns that were thought to have gone extinct long ago.
Mystic Bill
Dance music would be a yawn-inducing affair without Mystic Bill's hours on the decks and blisters on his fingers from crate digging. Bill Torres took his birthright to Chicago in 1988 and would later help put house music on the map. Surprisingly, for a Miami DJ who has held residencies at Chicago's Smart Bar and Shelter and frequently visits Panorama Bar in Berlin, you'd think he would have ended up at III Points a long time ago. Well, not quite. Mystic Bill will debut at the festival on Friday with a slew of vinyl records by his side — including a hot new EP off Miami's Wax Your Cracks Records.
Nick León
It seems like yesterday when New Times first interviewed Miami's Nick León. He was a pragmatic young producer running the Space Tapes label and lending a fresh set of ears to the city's music scene. The new León is essentially the same but now is sharing producer credits (and warming up the stage) on Rosalía's Motomami album; sharing a healthy amount of storage space on Boiler Room; and releasing new music nonstop with collaborations from Bitter Babe, DJ Python, and INVT. He explores the crossroads between European electronic music and South American genres, combining techno with elements of cumbia, reggeaton, and dembow that can make everyone in Miami find a middle ground.
Porter Robinson
Ever since the Atlanta-born DJ/producer released his debut, Spitfire, in 2011, the artist drew new boundary lines for others to follow. His debut was a dubby (with a capital D) homage to the dubstep invasion that sounded like Skrillex had a lovechild with Pendulum. But since then, Robinson has taken a few steps back. His latest album, Nurture, is music for the morning hike instead of death by a thousand womps. Robinson is lighter on the bass and heavier on the heart, drawing long crescendos and emotions from synths and balmy vocal works perfect for the late-night festival deep inside Miami as you hold that special someone close.
Red Axes
There's nothing like a total sound revamp, and the former punk rock duo hailing from Tel Aviv is no exception. Dori Sadovnik and Niv Arzi traded black leather for glow sticks once they touched foot in Amsterdam years ago. Soon after, they took to the decks and captured the globe with an eclectic blend of raw and trippy sounds in a world of sanitized music. Acid, horns, vocal samples, and melodica are all fair game. The two are frequent flyers to the Magic City and aim to keep the sets simple and bizarre in equal measures.
Sama' Abdulhadi
This one is for the raver who lives by the bass-to-the-face mantra and wants high-octane techno all night long. Sama' Abdulhadi made international acclaim four years ago with her Boiler Room set live from Palestine. Viewed more than four million times, the set showcased the region's audacious and talented producers. But her roots stem back to 2006 when she began mixing in Palestine and building a name for herself. Today, she has earned praise from the likes of Adam Beyer and Nicole Maudaber and has become an instant favorite across international waters for her heavy techno anthems that hits you deep in the chest and with little room to retreat.III Points 2022. 3 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday, October 21, and Saturday, October 22, at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; iiipoints.com. Tickets cost $119 to $499 via iiipoints.frontgatetickets.com.
