Special Edition Ultra Music Festival 2018 - 20 Year Anniversary

r o t i d eE h T om r F r e

ett L 3 l e DX y a E R k e 4 w e e r W nd ic s A u M 6 i m a i ie x M i m a 8 D l u cis a n P a r F r 10 e e i h m p m o 12 S opian Su ke t u U L l a k v 4 c i 1 t a s e idb F a c L si u 16 M tra l U 18

OM R F R E LETT THE

R O T I ED

OUR STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Beas OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Kristine Kennedy

Ultra Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary celebration has now come and gone. Memories and moments not to be forgotten have set the stage for an amazing 2018 festival season to officially kick off. In short, millions of people gathered to soak in the sun and to listen to outstanding music that united us as one. The cherry on top of the cake was witnessing the reunion of famed trio Swedish House as they close out in a historic manner. I for one will never forget being next to the one I love raging on with her my shoulders as we joined the crowd dancing and singing to every word. It was a performance that the likes of legends such as Michael Jackson, Prince I even dare say The Beatles could pull off. It’s sad to see it all fade off in the distance but the hopes of next year coming around the corner is not only strong,, it is vibrant and filled with life - a life that only Miami ULTRA PLUR vibes can pull off… Not sure how they are going to top this year but I can’t wait to see it first hand once again.

We want to thank ULTRA, Miami Music Week and everyone at Get In PR for helping us be part of the action.

This magazine and special edition is dedicated to you, the true raver and to everyone who made this year’s 20th anniversary possible.

Don’t forget to download your FREE Raver Magazine App in the App store so you can catch all the news on the go.

You can also follow us @RaverMedia, thanks for reading!

Michael Beas

CEO of Raver Magazine

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Stephanie Piedrahita LEAD VIDEOGRAPHER Bobby Ben-Gal

PHOTOGRAPHERS Wes Cunningham SENIOR WRITERS

Amberlynn Anderson

Charlotte Vosbeck Eubin Jin

Sandra Santana STAFF WRITERS Michelle Fetky PJ Fronsdahl

Maurizio Colella, better known by his stage naMe EDX, is a swiss-italian produCer and dJ. edX has been a Master in the house MusiC sCene for soMe tiMe and is a highly regarded produCer and dJ. he has a straight-forward approaCh towards his branding and developMent of quality MusiC and he’s been an integral part of our MusiC CoMMunity for deCades. we had the opportunity to Chat with Maurizio during MiaMi MusiC week. here’s what he had to say.

INTERVIEW BY MICHAEL BEAS & KRISTINE KENNEDY

YOU HAD A LOT OF EVENTS IN MIAMI THAT YOU WERE PERFORMING AT AND EVEN HOSTING. WHAT DOES THIS WEEK IN MIAMI MEAN TO YOU?

I’ve been coming to Miami Music Week for about 21 years so far and have only missed one year since it began. In the beginning it was this dream as a DJ like “Let’s go to Miami and make it big! Let’s go meet the DJ’s and be the next big thing.” Now, twenty years later, I’m on the other side. But I still have this excitement within me about the music industry as a whole. Plus, the weather is nice in Miami and I live in Switzerland so it’s always nice to be in Miami for a few days. Miami is about the music and that’s what I really love about it.

EDX:

TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR SHOW, ‘NO XCUSES’.

It’s cool to be a part of so many shows and to have my own show in Miami, it is special. We started the show ‘No Xcuses’ in Miami seven years ago and the podcast has been going for that long also. I really look forward to meeting the fans at my shows. They are a big part of what makes the brand so successful.

EDX:

SPEAKING OF FANS, YOU HAVE PEOPLE FROM PRODUCERS TO GENERAL CONCERT-GOERS WHO CONSIDER THEMSELVES FANS OF YOURS FROM A PRODUCER STANDPOINT. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE TO YOUNGER GENERATIONS WHO MAY BE TRYING TO BREAK INTO THIS INDUSTRY AS A PRODUCER?

Well, it’s very hard. When I first started to DJ in Europe, it was a part of that culture. Twenty years later it is a huge trend to be a DJ in the United States. If you really feel that you love music and there is something that really attracts you to the industry, you just need to make sure you do your own thing.

EDX:

Find your own music and find a genre you work best in. Stick to it and when you feel like you’ve got it, keep going. Most importantly, be yourself. Never try to be EDX or Hardwell. Instead of trying to be like us, make us want to be like you. Be a leader and develop your brand so you become recognized by it.

At the very least, if you want to be like Steve Aoki, don’t throw cake – throw donuts.

HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH YOUR BRAND OF ‘NO XCUSES’?

‘F*ck Me I’m Famous’ was a big brand back then. We were probably brainstorming over a thousand names at the beginning and then I started to think about what I wanted to say – what was my message going to be. Myself as a person, I’m very straight-forward and I say “don’t talk about it, just do it.” That’s the idea behind the brand ‘No Xcuses’.

EDX:

WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU AFTER YOU’RE DONE WITH MIAMI MUSIC WEEK?

My remix for Charlie Puth is out now and I have a track, “Jaded” that will be released shortly.

That one has already hit 2 million streams and has gotten a lot of DJ play. It’s been a great start to the year. I have another new single that just came out – people were calling it the anthem of Miami Music Week. Ironically it’s called “Anthem”. I am constantly striving to do different things and be out of the box.

I can’t keep doing the same thing or everything will sound the same. One track might be more of a clubvibe and the next may be more uplifting.

EDX:

Of course we are looking forward to summer!

Touring, touring, touring and more touring!

AnDrEw rAyEl needs no introduction in the trance world. the 25 year-old producer and dJ carries himself with so much poise and finesse – qualities which flow straight through to each and every track he producers and plays. But yet, if you’ve ever seen him play a live set, he’s a firecracker of energy and that energy releases straight into the fans lucky enough to experience that set. rayel has Been quite Busy lately perfecting his laBel, inharmony music, which is only a few months old and already producing fantastic results through Beautiful tracks and alBums released under its name.

we were fortunate enough to Be aBle to sit with this talented producer during miami music week this march. here is what we discussed.

YOU’VE BEEN SUPER BUSY LATELY RELEASING SOME FANTASTIC NEW MUSIC AND OF COURSE, TOURING AROUND THE WORLD.

Andrew Rayel: I have been busy! I’m very happy about that, though. I don’t like to sit around. I like to keep myself very busy. I have a lot of new music out also – mostly on my label, inHarmony Music.

I’ve been focusing on this project a lot. We started it in September 2017, releasing about a track per month of my music. Then we got to releasing two tracks a month and now we are moving to three tracks per month, so there’s been a lot of good material coming my way and it needs to be released and shown to the world. There’s a mix of tracks of my own, as well as tracks from very talented producers that we are currently working on.

HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT FILTERING THROUGH ALL OF

For the radio show, my brother and I also work together on this project. He helps me to select the music weekly, so he will send me about 50 tracks to choose from to create that week’s episode and from them, I will choose about 22-24 tracks and make the actual playlist. I trust his vision because we grew up surrounded by the same type of music.

WE KNOW YOU WERE FEELING A BIT UNDER THE WEATHER WHILE ON TOUR RECENTLY. LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE ALL BETTER AND BACK IN ACTION?

Andrew Rayel: Yes, last year was not very successful in terms of health. It seems like every time I went back on tour I had an issue and had to visit the doctor. The worst thing was probably the surgery on my nose to alleviate an infection.

This all started around Miami Music Week of 2017 when I had three wisdom teeth removed. So I’m very happy to finally be healthy again!

THE SUBMISSIONS YOU ARE NOW RECEIVING? WHAT CATCHES YOUR EAR AND MAKES YOU THINK “WOW!”?

AR: We have a great A&R rep from Armada who will send us submissions. Most of the time the submissions go to my brother, Pavel, first and he will check to ensure it’s the type of track we are looking for. We get so many submissions! My brother will select the top candidates that are submitted and send them to me to discuss. If there is a track that I like the sound on but know maybe the producer is still a little young or needs some more experience but overall is something we can work with, I’d likely contact the producer and finish the last 30% of the track in my studio. Maybe I’d add some instruments or mix or master it again to get the right sound. I wouldn’t ask for credit for doing that even – it’s just about releasing quality music on the label. This doesn’t happen often though because most of the time I’m working directly with the more experienced producers in the industry today.

YOU GREW UP IN THE SMALL COUNTRY OF MOLDOVA. WHAT’S IT LIKE RETURNING THERE? ARE YOU A VIEWED AS A CELEBRITY THERE?

AR: A lot of people there know me, for sure.

Sometimes it gets a little hard to walk along the streets there because people will recognize me and stop me. I have big shows over there and billboard advertisements so I’m recognizable even if you didn’t know me through the music. So trips to the market include pictures with fans while I’m waiting in line with my groceries. I’m also lucky that we were able to bring the 100th episode of Find Your Harmony to Moldova – we are doing a special live celebration at the end of April. We will be broadcasting live so the rest of fans around the world can also join in and watch online.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE NEXT IN THE WORKS FOR 2018?

AR: Summer is coming so that means all of the bigger festivals are on the way also. I’m going to be doing Tomorrowland mainstage again this year on the first weekend, as well as the A State of Trance (ASOT) Stage the following weekend there. As always there will be plenty of new music coming out, too!

There was no rest for the weary during this year’s installment of Miami Music Week! This is one event that seems to get busier year after year as more parties and events are created and available to excite anybody across a vast array of musical tastes. A few hoarse voices and a handful of hangovers later, we have survived and recovered enough to bring you a recap of the top five events, in no particular order, that we were able to attend.

SPINNIN’ SESSIONS AT THE NAUTILUS

One thing is for sure – the Spinnin’ Sessions event had an incredibly stacked lineup! Putting it lightly, we had a total blast at this event. It’s really tough to even choose our favorite sets from this event.

This was the first event that we were attending for the week and we knew it would be a tough one to top. Sophie Francis was a total rock star and it’s great to see a younger female showing the guys she can hang right along with them. We loved the sets that Mike Williams and Lucas & Steve brought the fans.

And Ummet Ozcan was, of course, fantastic. If you guys are already thinking about Miami Music Week 2019, this event should definitely be added to your calendars.

HELDEEP VS MONSTERCAT AT SOHO STUDIOS

Bass battle alert! This was one hell of a unique event that was subsequently born from a little Twitter battle last year. Fighters battle it out in the ring, but DJ’s turn to the booth. And boy did they go all out. All night long label representatives from the Heldeep and Monstercat labels took their turns to battle in the DJ booth decked out with boxing ring ropes, donning silk robes themselves, reflective of their respective label. All we have to say is, we the fans, are more than ready for round two to begin!

SANDER VAN DOORN AT THE NAUTILUS AND W DOWNTOWN ROOFTOP

Okay, this one has two parts. We first saw Sander performing as Purple Haze at The W Downtown rooftop along with Markus Schulz performing as Dakota. We were SO excited leading up to this event! Sander has been doing some amazing things as Purple Haze and the music really speaks to us this event was no exception. Unfortunately, we forgot that we live in NYC and Miami weather should be a treat for us. We were freezing cold at this event and had to leave to warm up shortly after Markus began his set. Markus, we apologize and we’ll catch you again as soon as possible!

Next up later in the week was Sander’s pool party. Next up later in the week was also another epic event with Sander (with warmer temps, too. Score!). ….we should have seen that coming, right? One thing is for certain – we need more SvD pool parties in the future!

This event was also well-run, which makes it enjoyable for the fans and the media as well.

We also really enjoyed Maurice West’s set at this event. If you haven’t seen him in action yet, we highly recommend doing so!

MIXMASH AT THE DELANO

Remember what we said about the Spinnin’ Sessions party being a must-attend event next year? Same goes for this event. The Mixmash event has been a staple on our calendar for years now and for good reason.

We loved the lineup – A-Trak, Blasterjaxx, Laidback Luke, and an absolutely insane performance by Timmy Trumpet. The crowd was great and really brought the party to life. We also loved the venue change to The Delano from where this event was held last year. Mixmash, we will be sure to see you next March again!

PROTOCOL – NICKY ROMERO & FRIENDS AT ORA

Honestly, who doesn’t love a Protocol party?

Nicky is continuing his fire streak with yet another stellar show. The energy was through the roof all night long at this event, just as expected. We loved the sets from Breathe Carolina, D.O.D., Raiden, and of course, from Nicky himself. The chic venue itself was a great choice for the Protocol family to showcase their talent and give us plenty of amazing new music throughout the night.

PAul DAmiXiE, is a producer, remixer and dJ with a coming from romania, where he is already a sensation, his skill for creating pop music hooks has recently graBBed the attention of the american fm radio programmers. “get lost,” his latest single, is already a Bona fide “hit” wildly popular across europe and the single has Begun to gain serious traction amongst spotify users in the u.s. to date, “get lost” has over 6.6 million spotify streams.

visionary style.

in 2016, damixie won the “Best remix” award presented By the “remix top30 countdown” and iheartradio for damixie’s rework of adele’s “hello.” there are many more singles from paul damixie on the release schedule for the coming weeks and months, so keep an eye out for it!

HOW WAS YOUR MIAMI MUSIC WEEK THIS YEAR?

Paul Damixie: Every year it keeps getting better and better to be back for Miami Music Week! I met a lot of fellow DJs, friends, people from the industry, went to a lot of great parties and listened to a lot of cool music.

Unfortunately, time went by way too fast.

I knew from that very moment that I wanted to be a DJ and play music for a living. The producing part came later when I discovered a really basic production software, “Dance Ejay”. It was more of a game than a music production software, but things got more serious when I started making music in FL Studio and some big Romanian DJs started playing my songs. At 18-yearsold I started touring, playing clubs all over Romania, and after two years, I moved to Bucharest and started working with the label I’m signed to now, HaHaHa Production.

WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOUR BIG BREAK TO BE?

At this point, “Get Lost” is definitely my breakthrough.

It is a song that had a great start in Romania and Russia where it was one of the most aired tracks on the radio.

Afterwards, it was released all over the world. It has 6.6 million streams on Spotify, which for me is incredible.

This is only the start and there is more to come! I love what I do. I work with a great team here at HaHaHa Production and we can do amazing things together.

WHERE (FESTIVALS, CLUBS, OTHER EVENTS) CAN FANS

AFTER WINNING “BEST REMIX” FOR YOUR REWORK OF

COME SEE YOU DJ LIVE?

ADELE’S “HELLO” IN 2016, HAVE YOU SEEN A SHIFT IN

In the past two years, I was touring in Europe mostly, in my home country Romania, as well as Russia, Turkey and Spain, but I’m looking forward to some gigs and festivals in the U.S., soon.

YOUR CAREER? HOW SO?

First of all, I think the “Remix of The Year” award given out by Hollywood Hamilton of the “Remix Top30 Countdown” was a big boost for me. It showed me that I’m on the right track with what I’m doing. It was also the moment when I decided to focus on my solo career. It gave me a lot of opportunities to meet new people and to make some new remixes for some bigger artists.

YOUR NEWEST SINGLE “GET LOST” IS OUT ON UNIVERSAL MUSIC AND ULTRA MUSIC IN THE U.S. WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THIS TUNE?

Yes, it was awesome to release my second single with Universal Music worldwide and Ultra Music in the U.S. I didn`t expect that and I’m very grateful that “Get Lost” has been such a success and the song continues to grow. The song was made in two hours and we had some good vibes in the studio that evening. It was one of those times when every sound just fits together and you feel that you have a good song from the first beat.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN DJ/PRODUCING?

My parents were managing a club in my hometown and I was lucky enough to see a DJ booth when I was 10-years-old.

HOW IS EDM SCENE DIFFERENT IN ROMANIA THAN IN THE STATES?

The main difference is the music. We don`t have so many festivals in Romania comparing to the U.S., so the DJs are playing more in clubs for smaller crowds. Big room EDM, electro, dubstep are not so popular genres in Romania; that`s why I have a lot of house influences in my productions.

NAME THREE ARTISTS THAT INFLUENCE YOU THE MOST.

The most influential artists for me are Daft Punk, the fathers of modern dance music. Also, when I started making music, I was a big fan of Axwell and these days I really love Gorgon City.

WHAT NEW MUSIC CAN WE EXPECT FROM PAUL DAMIXIE IN THE COMING MONTHS?

I have a lot of new music ready for release in the upcoming months! I will release my new single “Spanish” soon, plus a lot of new remixes. Watch my socials!

SoPhiE FrAnciS is a 19 year old dutch producer, dJ and musician. she’s not afraid to shake up the dance music scene that is often times seen as a “guy’s world” and own the decks or take charge in the studio. when we interviewed her, she even had a rock star silver metallic manicure, which she was quick to point out that it looked even cooler under the light from her cell phone. and she’s right – it did! she’s Been gaining notoriety among her peers and is even regarded as “the female martin garrix” within the industry. sophie has style, grace and attention to detail and she throws those qualities into each track she produces and each set she plays. if you haven’t seen her play yet, we highly suggest you do at first opportunity!

IT’S BEEN A YEAR SINCE WE LAST SPOKE TO YOU! WE KNOW YOU’VE BEEN UP TO A LOT LATELY AND HAVE A NEW TRACK OUT. TELL US ABOUT IT.

Sophie Francis: “Get Over It” is a track I first released an instrumental version of and then we asked Laurell to write some lyrics to go over the track. She did a super job and even sang the lyrics which is amazing. We released the vocal version with a slightly different drop because I felt that the drop should be a bit softer to complement the vocals and let the voice shine more.

WHEN YOU TRAVEL, WHAT’S ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?

SF: [laughing] Well I’m allergic to almost everything that exists on this planet, so it’s hard to indulge! Gluten, lactose, peanuts – those are all out for me.

I don’t have a go-to food so usually it’s easier for me to tell the waiter what I’m allergic to and they just make something. It mostly involves a lot of chicken!

HOW DID YOU ENJOY MIAMI MUSIC WEEK?

I also have a third version of the track in the SF: It was so good! The people there were so works. This one keeps the vocals but is more of energetic and the vibe was really awesome. a rock-style.

AS A FEMALE PRODUCER, WHAT’S YOUR SECRET TO BEING SO SUCCESSFUL IN A MALEDOMINATED INDUSTRY?

SF: I really just try to be myself. I only release music that I like and only play music that I like. I listen to others’ opinions and try to take everything in constructively. Sometimes I can be a bit stubborn but I also think that helps me also. I just try to show everyone that girls can do this just as well as the guys.

DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR OTHER GIRLS WHO MAY WANT TO BREAK INTO THIS INDUSTRY?

SF: Don’t be scared! It can be scary when you see all of those guys who are super talented, but just be yourself and don’t care about what other people may think about you. Just be you!

WHAT DO YOU HAVE UP NEXT?

SF: I’ll be in Asia for about a month and playing Main Stage at EDC in Shanghai while I’m on tour there which is so exciting! Then I will be doing a lot of the Road to Ultra’s coming up as well.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO PRODUCE MUSIC?

SF: For me every day is different. I also try to write and I find that some days work perfectly for the writing and then sometimes I’m behind my computer for six hours and I have nothing.

It’s the same with the music. It just all depends on my mood and the day on what is going to work best for that day.

WE LOVE FOLLOWING YOU ON YOUR VLOG. HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THIS IDEA? LAIDBACK LUKE: It’s funny you ask this because you would think it would have been my manager suggesting that from a marketing aspect I should start a vlog because it’s the hip thing to do. It was actually my son who suggested it three years ago now when he was 11. He said “Dad, you’ve got to check my vlog out.” I had to ask him what a vlog even was!

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO MAKE THE MOVE FROM BEING A PRODUCER TO DJ’ING AS WELL? LL: I had been producing for about four years until I started DJ’ing. My girlfriend at the time wanted to start DJ’ing so she bought two turntables – really crappy turntables – and she tried learning. It ended up not working for her and the decks were just sitting in my studio so I decided to give it a try. I thought that if I learned how to DJ then I would be able to adapt my productions so they’re DJ-friendly since I would know what the DJ needs.

YOU HAVE A LOT OF TALENT THAT COMES THROUGH “YOUR HOUSE”.

WHAT IS THE SELECTION PROCESS LIKE OF BEING SIGNED TO YOUR LABEL, MIXMASH RECORDS? LL: In the past it was all me. I was discovering artists such as Deorro and GTA and it was basically me keeping in touch with them on a daily basis trying to make things happen. Mixmash as a label grew a lot over the years and now we have an A&R team.

We discovered the young talent, Mark Villa, and listened to a demo he made and the kid just makes incredible music! It’s so insane and at such a young age he’s producing these gigantic tracks. I can only imagine ten years what he’s going to come up with.

YOUR LABEL THROWS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PARTIES OF MIAMI MUSIC WEEK. WHAT ARE THE VIBES LIKE IN MIAMI FOR YOU? LL: I’m a very big fan of the Miami Music Week and I’ve been going there since 2001.

I was a ‘nobody’ handing out my DJ mixes and promo vinyl to the big DJ’s. I actually played my first hotel party in Miami in later years. Then I also got the chance to follow Fedde Le Grand when he broke through in 2007 – I went to every show he did that Miami Music Week. Finally, in 2009 it was my turn in Miami and it’s just progressed ever since. This year for Ultra Music Festival’s 20th Anniversary, I can safely say it was a gift from God to close Ultra for that celebration.

HEALTH AND FITNESS ARE IMPORTANT TO YOU. HOW DO YOU STAY FIT WHILE TOURING AND WORKING? LL: It’s tough to balance sometimes because it’s nonstop. It’s easy to have a “screw-it day” and say you’re not going to work out or you’re going to eat unhealthily. Those days, you’re digging your own hole. I keep telling myself that the only workout you’ll regret is the one you didn’t do, so I try to hold myself accountable for them.

YOU’RE SO INTERACTIVE IN THE PRODUCTION OF YOUR EVENTS. TALK TO US ABOUT YOUR CHOICE TO USE DENON EQUIPMENT AND WHY YOU LIKE THEM OVER OTHERS? LL: The thing with Denon is, they may seem one step ahead right now, but in fact they are about four steps ahead. And even then there are still so many things that are in development right now on their end to better the product more. The equipment really brings playing music to a whole different level.

luCas Cornelis van sCheppingen, known to us in the MusiC industry as Laidback Luke, is a produCer and dJ hailing froM the netherlands. in 2004 he founded his label, MiXMash reCords, and sinCe then both he and the label have grown eXponentially. through the label, he has worked with talents suCh as steve angello, a-trak and steve aoki. still, he is one of the Most huMble guys in the industry. he’s Currently Mentoring the young MusiCal protégé, Mark villa, and that partnership looks very proMising for the future. we reCently had soMe tiMe to sit and Chat with laidbaCk luke and disCuss his vlog, his label, and health and fitness. here is what he had to say.

Do you remember how you celebrated your 20th birthday? Maybe, maybe not. I bet you can fill in those hazy gaps with embarrassing moments belting out the lyrics to your favorite karaoke jams channeling your inner Celine Dion and plenty of shot taking. I don’t know about you, but Ultra Music Festival’s 20th anniversary party surely trumped my own 20th..even the bit of it that I can recall to this day.

Ultra delivered on every front this year to give us nothing short of a stellar show. They packed plenty of confetti and streamers. Boy oh boy did they bring the pyro – I have to give everyone in the front rows props because it was damn hot down there! And you bet they brought the memories – the kind that last a lifetime. I don’t even know where to begin to recap these three amazing days.

Let’s start with the obvious. It’s no longer a proper party unless Swedish House Mafia unites to close the show down. These guys brought the house down to an absolutely packed Main Stage audience. I’m pretty sure the crowd sang along to every single lyric packed into this performance.

Now that the speculation of this reunion has finally been confirmed and witnessed, we can only hope that when Axwell said “This time, it’s for life,” that this confirms our world will have a lot more Swedish House Mafia in its future.

Miami, you were such a beautiful crowd! I saw nothing but seas of happy faces every day and night at Ultra this year. This is how a festival should be! Plur vibes and amazing weather really added to the atmosphere this year.

Ultra also offered a ton of food options to satisfy just about any dietary palate. My personal fave?

Hands down, The Conch Shack wins the award!

Oh my Lord what is in that sauce? Amazingness – that’s what. Guys, I don’t even like conch and I’m obsessed with the conch this truck is doling out.

And now, back to the Festival. I’m almost positive that dull roar in my ears is still the sound of that oh-so-impressive BASS coming from the Carl Cox/ASOT Stage. This is always one of my favorite stages of the festival because it’s so beautifully designed with the moving pieces coming down from the rooftop. Memorable sets include Armin van Buuren and Andrew Rayel, who plays with such an infectious energy he’s even able to get a sleepy Sunday daytime crowd feeling the vibes!

Were there any areas of improvement?

Well, sure. They could always make VIP free, right?

Kidding…or not. The GA entrance seemed to be a bit backed up at times but honestly, what can you expect from a sold out festival? Security needs a little time to do their jobs and make sure we are all partying responsibly. This is just an instance where we need to put our plur pants on and make friends with those around you in line.

Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Ultra Music Festival leaves me yearning for year 21 to come quickly. I must admit I’m a bit biased though, because I finally was able to experience this Festival with my best friend and partner-in-crime, whom I met at Ultra two years prior. So I can truly attest that Ultra Music Festival unites best friends together, whether you walk inside the gates with one or not. Until 2019, Ultra fam…