Anthony Djuren
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With eight stages and over 150 acts, there’s no shortage of new talent to discover at Ultra Music Festival. But with so many options at your disposal, things can become a tad overwhelming. Whether you’re at the festival or just want to learn a little more about some of the major acts, these are our day one picks for who you should be seeing live or checking out on Myspace radio.
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Kraftwerk
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One of the pioneering groups of electronic music, there probably wouldn’t be an Ultra Music Festival without Kraftwerk. Hailing from Dusseldorf, Germany (of course they’re from Germany), their music still sounds like it’s from the future, even though much of it was produced in the 70s. It’s not easy to see these guys — they’re so reclusive, their “photoshoots” usually involve a bunch of mannequins, like you see above — so you’ll definitely want to check them out if you have the opportunity. Hell, even Coldplay had trouble getting ahold of them.
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Listen to Kraftwerk radio on Myspace
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Another classic, New Order incorporated elements of Kraftwerk’s pioneering electronic sound with elements of pop, rock, and new wave to become one of the definitive bands of the 80s. Not familiar with the band? You’ve probably heard their track ‘Blue Monday.’ If you like that classic 80s synthesizer sound that stradles the boundaries of what is good vs. what is to over the top and campy, you’ll love New Order.
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Listen to New Order radio on Myspace
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By all accounts, Richie Hawtin is one of, if not the greatest DJs of all time. Few have been able to balance an underground and experimental sound while Continuously pushing the envelope with both style and technology, much of the equipment and software we used today was influenced in part by Richie. After spending much of 2010 and 2011 performing as his alter ego Plastikman, it’s just Richie at UMF 2012, which means you can expect a harder, more danceable sound. Seriously though, if you’re at all into electronic music, do yourself a favor and get to know Mr. Hawtin.
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Listen to Plastikman radio on Myspace
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There’s no denying that Skrillex has made his mark on the world of music over the past two years (and he’s got the Grammys to show for it). There’s also no denying that whether you think his music sounds like the wave of the future or what it would sound like if Transformers could have sex, you probably have a pretty strong have a pretty strong opinion of his music. Regardless, Skrillex represents a sort of fusion of electronica and metal (where he has his roots) that’s definitely new and cutting edge — after all, how many DJs can you think of that would be asked to collab with KoRn?
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It’s hard to maintain the kind of staying power that Tiesto has enjoyed, as he’s been one of the biggest and most recognizable DJs in the world for over a decade. He’s been around for so long that we’ve seen his sound transition from melodic, hands-in-air trance to more hard-hitting electro house, even throwing in the occasional dubstep track. From his Vegas residency to his sold-out stadium shows, it’s clear that Tiesto is as big as he’s ever been.
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Listen to Tiesto radio on Myspace
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One of those rare acts that both DJs and performs live, Andy Cato and Tom Findlay are strictly behind the decks for this year’s Ultra Music Festival. Groove Armada has incredibly diverse catalog of music, incorporating elements of traditional house, funk, disco, new-wave, and a host of other genres. Essentially, each album has its own “sound,” so if you listen through their discography, chances are there will be something for you.
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Listen to Groove Armada radio on Myspace
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Downtown/Universal
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Part of the reason Ultra is such a great music festival is that as it has grown over the years, it’s brought in acts with electronic influences who aren’t strictly house, trance, electro, etc. DJs. Swedish indie pop group Miike Snow attracts a crowd that’s probably as much Radiohead as it is Tiesto. Undoubtedly, you’ve at least heard their track ‘Animal,’ which is totally one of those “I recognize this song from that one commercial” tracks. Their performances comes on the heels of the announcement of Ingrid, a new record label formed by Miike Snow, Lykke Li, Teddybears, and several other Swedish artists.
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Listen to Miike Snow radio on Myspace
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In the world of electronic music, Pretty Lights (Derek Vincent Smith) is to hip-hop as Miike Snow is to indie rock/pop. His glitchy sound is achieved by drawing samples from songs across nearly every genre of music. And because his music relies so heavily on samples, it’s technically released for free (although it’s suggested you leave a donation, similar to what Radiohead has done in the past).
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Listen to Pretty Lights radio on Myspace
