Miami's Klangbox.FM Radio Celebrates App Launch at Gramps on Sunday

These days, you can forget commercial FM radio if you're looking to feed your ears anything other than Top 40 fodder. You certainly won't find much by way of indie or underground music on the local dial. And you most definitely won't be hearing from the tragically untapped wealth of local DJs that keeps Miami's small but fervent alternative music scene going.

This is what makes Miami's Klangbox.FM such a local treasure. Since 2013, this local Internet radio station has provided Miami's unsung musical heroes a rare chance to be heard around the globe from a tiny little nook in the Wynwood collaborative work space The LAB.

"What's special about [Klangbox.FM] to us is that we've managed to assemble a working cross-section of the Miami music scene," says co-founder and DJ Patrick Walsh. "From house and techno to noise and hip-hop, we're providing a platform for innovative musical tastes in Miami to express themselves to the world, but also to each other... I don't think people realize how much talent we have here," he adds. "We're constantly meeting new people who have amazing things to share."
If Klangbox's programming was superlative before, it's straight-up unmissable now, with a whole slew of new shows hosted and curated by some of Miami's most revered DJs and musical tastemakers.

"We really have a wide variety," says Walsh. "III Points [Festival] will be hosting a show that will incorporate a lot of the artists that they work with. Laura (of Miami) has her signature Vamos a la Playa disco show. Our friends Kumi, Yesi, and Jenry host The Pick, which includes funk, soul, R&B and hip-hop. Mr. Brown will host Miami is an Island, which will showcase a mix of Caribbean and tropical-inspired music. Diego Martinelli will host SAFE Radio, which will focus on experimental electronic music. And the list goes on."

It's now also easier than ever to tune in, thanks to the newly-launched Klangbox mobile app.

"So far our listeners have been restricted to listening through their computers or third-party apps," Walsh explains. "But our custom Klangbox app will make it extremely easy to tune in on the go, especially in your car."

With so many badass DJs making up the Klangbox collective, it's only natural the app launch celebration will be a dance party. So join the crew at Gramps on Sunday for some afternoon delight soundtracked by Stryke, Mr. Brown, Laura (of Miami), and many more.

Klangbang 2016 App Launch. 4 p.m. Sunday, May 22, at Gramps, 176 NW 24th St., Miami; 305-699-2669; gramps.com. Admission is free.