Over the last few years, Miami nightlife has seen a definite paradigm shift. And it coincides with the emergence of DJ-promotions collective LINK.
The tyranny of commercial dance music and VIP culture on South Beach is being battled each week by parties like LINK's, which cater strictly to underground electronic dance music and the locals who love it.
"Miami's scene grew incredibly in the last three years, thanks to the owners of clubs like Space and the Electric Pickle, at the beginning, who saw the opportunity and believed in independent promoters like us, PL0T, SAFE, and Un_Mute," LINK's Davide Danese tells Crossfade.
But while many local crews have helped foster the scene in the Downtown Miami and Wynwood areas, LINK has forged ahead as the biggest purveyors of underground house and techno on the Beach, with its biweekly parties at Treehouse.
"We moved our events back to the Beach in 2011, trying always to be the first ones to make things move," Danese says. "We have always been the ones to introduce new talent and risk our money on it.
"Now it's very popular and soon to be commercial, with every player in town trying to jump onboard and be part of it, and the big clubs trying to acquire the market. But we did our part by mostly being consistent, offering good music on weekly events over and over again, making sure that our crowd could give for granted a certain quality."
"Treehouse's layout is perfect for showcasing two different sounds, and we perfected that during WMC with nights like Down and Out vs. Life and Death, Cocoon Heroes Goes Miami, as well as Mindshake vs. Apollonia. The concept keeps evolving in the direction of solid techno bookings in the main room and a strong underground sound with local and international residents in the front room."
And after three hectic years, the list of memorable international bookings under LINK's belt is quite formidable. "That first back to back weekend with Format B, Steve Bug and Camea between the Pickle and the Loft will always be a highlight in my eyes," Danese reminisces. "Almost every time we booked Alexi Delano throughout all the venues. Adam Beyer's first time at the Loft, Adam and Ida Engberg's tag set at the Electric Pickle for our first Hush Hush secret after-hour. The first time we booked Martin Landsky, Magda and Anja Schneider."
"More recently our Halloween events featuring Martin Buttrich, Luca Bacchetti and Troy Pierce were both great. And by far, the past WMC made me very proud of the hard work made by my team and the club. We had an incredible amount of artists playing every night for ten days, opening with Mathias Kaden and closing with Carl Craig in an almost flawless Conference."
LINK is certainly going to town with the lineups that it's booked in collaboration with Miami Rebels for a pair of anniversary parties at Treehouse this weekend. The celebration kicks off on Friday, with Magda, Marc Houle, and DJ Tennis before continuing on Saturday with a live PA extravaganza provided by Gaiser, Bruno Pronsato, and Tone of Arc AKA Dead Seal.
Magda, Marc Houle, and DJ Tennis. Friday, June 1. Treehouse, 323 23rd St., Miami Beach. The party starts at 11 p.m. Call 305-674-7447 or visit treehousemiami.com.
Gaiser, Bruno Pronsato, and Tone of Arc AKA Dead Seal. Friday, June 1. Treehouse, 323 23rd St., Miami Beach. The party starts at 11 p.m. Call 305-674-7447 or visit treehousemiami.com.
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