The biggest annual spectacle that Miami can boast of is inching closer and closer. Ultra Music Festival gears up for its 2016 edition that promises to be a monster of a festival with its massive lineup and various announcements!
The lineup is finally out in its entirety, and The Sherp has listed 15 artists from the mammoth lineup that are going to define this year’s edition:
1. Ookay
(Courtesy: wavo.me)
The San Diego native has tasted success in the scene, but Ookay is not in a mood to stop anytime soon. The trap major recently put up a Facebook post stating his ambitions, and that people are going to see a completely different side of the producer this year.
We’ll have to wait till March 20 to find out, as Ookay takes the 8pm slot on the UMF Radio stage!
2. Pendulum + Knife Party
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The holy grail of modern electronic music bands is finally making its return after months of speculation. While the addition of a Knife Party performance is only an icing on the cake, it’ll be an amazing feeling watching Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen get back with their band mates and unleash the energy that only Pendulum can harness.
The legendary band will bring the bass to the main stage on March 20!
3. Destroid
(Courtesy: www.undernyc.com)
You just have to watch videos of Excision’s and Downlink’s most recent live shows to get a taste of how insane Destroid is going to be this year. Excision has been on a roll lately: the visual setup and the audio at his latest string of live shows have garnered praises from all sides of the electronic music scene, and he, along with Downlink, are two among a handful of pioneers all set out to show ravers that dubstep isn’t dead, and it won’t die soon.
There’s no doubt that the trio of Excision, Downlink and KJ Sawka is going all-out at Ultra, and we can’t wait to find out what Destroid is going to sound like this year, on the Live stage!
4. Jauz
(Courtesy: jauzofficial.com)
Jauz rose to fame in a relatively short time, and for all the good reasons. The future/bass house pioneer has backed his fame up with earth-shattering tunes and massive collaborations with the likes of Skrillex, Borgore and Pegboard Nerds to name a few.
The producer takes over the Ultra Worldwide stage on March 18, and we’re hoping Jauz drops a few IDs in his sets too!
5. Snails
(Courtesy: audiofrost.com)
Vomitstep wouldn’t have existed without Snails. His productions are innovative, and his mixes phenomenal. Snails is best known for his SnailedIt! Mix series that features ALL unreleased tracks from him and other prominent producers!
His Ultra set will be one to watch out for, as the Montreal-based producer might test out a few new tunes for your listening pleasure. Snails will invade the Ultra Worldwide stage on March 18!
6. Valentino Khan
(Courtesy: www.windishagency.com)
The LA-based upstart owes almost all his success to his surprise hit, the face-melting Deep Down Low, for which an equally weird video has been uploaded on YouTube.
For those who aren’t into future house, fret not: Valentino doesn’t stick to one style. He has produced mellow stuff, hardstyle tracks and even some drum n’ bass! The multi-faceted producer is going to perform on the OWSLA stage on March 19, and his set is one not to be missed.
7. Alvin Risk
(Courtesy: daily-beat.com)
The Washington D. C. native has returned to normal duties after a long hiatus. With an EP in 2015 and a recent single on OWSLA, Alvin seems to have turned down the bass to accommodate a more progressive style compared to his previous productions.
Nevertheless, new Alvin Risk material is always worth listening to, and there’ll be loads of it at Ultra this year, and festival goers will find out on March 18 when he closes Stage 7.
8. Dubfire
(Courtesy: news.beatport.com)
Ali Shirazinia is a legend in every sense of the word. Dubfire has been around longer than anyone else on the list, but still never fails to innovate. He’s the owner of SCI+TEC, a label that pushes forward-thinking techno music. While he hasn’t put out much recently in terms of music, he tours a lot with his SCI+TEC crew as well as solo, and his sets are pure energy!
Dubfire will make his presence felt on the Resistance stage at Ultra Miami!
9. Avicii
(Courtesy: jajajamusic.com)
Watching an Avicii set has become somewhat of a rare thing now, owing to his string of illnesses and his habit of announcing hiatuses all of a sudden. However, the Levels hit-maker will come to Ultra this year. After a long break post September 2015, some new Avicii material is just what the world needs!
Avicii will perform at the main stage at 9:55pm on March 19, and only time will tell if he plays a couple of unreleased tracks in his set.
10. Aly & Fila
(Courtesy: dgty-promo.com)
The Egyptian trance duo is a legendary act in its own way, having already cemented their status in the world of electronic music. Not a long time ago, they brought trance back to BBC Radio 1’s Essential Mix, while also making their debut on the iconic radio show.
While being full-time producers and DJs, they also run a label named FSOE (Future Sounds Of Egypt), which aims at promoting trance music on a global scale. Catch them live on the ASOT stage on March 20!
11. Yellow Claw
(Courtesy: runthetrap.com)
The trio from The Netherlands have been on a roll lately, by dropping massive releases on various labels including their own Barong Family imprint. Several live shows later, Yellow Claw still remains hungry for more.
Be prepared for a mental set as Yellow Claw bring all the firepower to the Ultra Worldwide stage on March 18!
12. KSHMR
(Courtesy: news.beatport.com)
Niles Hollowell-Dhar, formerly one-half of The Cataracs, has reinvented himself in a big way. He only recently started playing DJ sets to sold-out crowds. Known for his stellar sound design and incorporation of Indian samples in his productions, KSHMR looks to make 2016 his year!
Catch him on March 19 as he closes the Ultra Worldwide stage!
13. Getter
Courtesy: (www.insomniac.com)
One of OWSLA’s hottest producers right now, Getter uploads music on his SoundCloud without a slouch, and whether he gives his music away for free or not, it’s always high-grade stuff. Getter has released countless EPs in a short span of time, his music ranging from dubstep to trap to even bass house!
Getter performs at the OWSLA stage on March 19!
14. NERO Live
(Courtesy: www.bbc.co.uk)
Arguably one of dubstep’s most theatrical trios, NERO has always been a progressive act in terms of their style, their live shows or their productions. Their Ultra set this year will define NERO’s plans for 2016, and boy are they going to be massive!
NERO will perform at the Live stage on the 19th of March!
15. deadmau5
(Courtesy: runthetrap.com)
Rounding off the list for this year, deadmau5 has been the center of attention for a good part of this year already, and not because of his social media antics. The producer has been hard at work in his brand-new studio, occasionally uploading previews of progressive sounds that span 7-9 minutes.
What’s probably more attention-grabbing than the others, though, is the fact that deadmau5 will perform on the ASOT stage for the first time. Given his on-stage antics in the past, it should be fun to watch deadmau5 this year! Will he play all his stuff from the studio? Or will he play his definition of “authentic trance”? Only one way to find out!
Make sure you don’t miss any of these great artists as they adorn UMF Miami this year!