As said earlier, time has come for our local correspondants to give us their conclusions as far as the Miami festivities are concerned. First to appear in the series is Tried & Tested new columnist and Stalwart label head Olivier Velay…
MIAMI 2006 : WAS IT WORTH IT ?
It’s that time of the year… That time we’ve all been expecting for in the industry… It’s always with great expectations that I am packing my suitcase, my head full of good music & sun… Heading to Miami in March has always been through the years such an experience. A different one each time. 8 years after my first time there, in which I had the chance to introduce FINALLY (KOT) to everyone @ WMC in 2000 (what a great experience !), here I am ready for another Conference. Miami is not only a huge opportunity to promote new records (being a producer or a label, or both), it’s also about meeting with everyone on the planet you’ve been in touch with or heard off if you work in the Dance Music scene. Exchanging music and ideas with professional passionate people from the industry is always a great experience, especiallyby the art-deco district under the sunny sky of Miami Beach…
Wednesday 22nd
I am joined in this trip by my friend Greg Kozo from Place Blanche Records. We are living Paris with a small 4°C on this 22 nd of March. After 9 and 1/2 hours flight, here we are in sunny Miami !!! Ready to rock the place with new productions from my STALWART label, ready to hear a whole lotta good music, meet everyone in there and come back with that buzz that gives you faith in House Music, faith in what you do…
After the usual (endless) queue at the US Customs, we are outside of Miami Dade Airport. It’s 4:00pm and the temperature is 32 °C. We grab a cab and notify him our destination : South Beach.
A few hours relaxing on the beach enjoying the sun we’ve been missing so much in Paris lately and we go for a private party at The Delano where my label partner at STALWART DJ Rork will host all the parties there during the week. The Delano is one of the most beautiful hotel on South Beach, its lobby was designed by Philippe Stark and you can see lots of VIP there anytime. And no exception, as soon as I get to the pool I bump into Kim Clijsters, (#2 WTA), who will play the Miami Tennis Tournament a few days later… After enjoying the nice buffet we go for what is supposed to be one of the most expected parties of the week : the Magic Session. This year, it’s only Louie Vega & Tony Humphries.
As we get there we are submerged with what will be the most controversial subject of the week : the clubs are not playing the game with Industry people, as they try to charge twice the price announced on the flyer… We are asked to pay $ 35 to get in, whereas the flyer says $20 ! It takes us about 15 minutes of talkings with the manager of Crobar to get in with the normal price. The day after I will realize that they did this trick to most people, argueing that the ‘low’ price & guest list were only on until midnite… This is a real shame as clubs, hotels & restaurants are pushing their luck more & more everytime during the Conference, sometimes multiplying per 5 (mostly hotels) the price they charge during normal times. A situation that already led a lot of key people from the industry not to show up this year… Industry people are supposed to come and work in there, mostly networking and trying to go to as much parties as you can for hearing what’s played, meet with new people, giving and collecting new promos… A task that is more and more difficult out there as the economy of our industry is getting very tough (due to the digital format taking over the vinyl, and the mp3 dilemma) so there’s no unlimited credits anymore… Then the question we come to ask is : IS IT WORTH IT ? A question that, during our stay, we will have more & more problems to answer positively… For now, back to the musical aspect, as Louie Vega has treated us with an almost perfect technical set, very impressive… Almost 4 hours of pure talent and amazing DJ skills… Despite what the British dance music magazines can state in their annual surveys, Louie IS really one of the (if not THE) best DJ’s on the planet. Louie, you’re still the boss!
Thursday 23rd
We are very excited to go to the Defected Party held this year @ the Nikky Beach club, half-indoor, half-outdoor. Last year, Defected’s headman Simon Dunmore was not so lucky as the rain was pouring for a good hour during his outdoor pool party @ The National… And this year will unfortunately be even worst for him… As we take our way to Nikky Beach, we are taken under a huge tropical rain, for at least a good hour… When it stops I am like I have taken a shower with my clothes on… damn !!!! We walk into 50 cm of water to finally get to our destination… We are welcomed by none other than Simon himself, who let us straight in despite of having to deal with the bad weather, the police who always show up to check on the sound level (another negative issue for the city of Miami), the artists linep up on stage, networking, selling his Defected T-shirts… Props goes to Simon Dunmore, who despite leading one of the biggest house music label is still very down to earth and showed that he is a real manager…. Respect ! The party carries on and there’s quite a little buzz going on. Inside I met with some very nice guys, including the Copyright people Gavin & Sam, that I wanted to meet for a while. On the decks I can hear Jamie Lewis moving the crowd with his uplifting soulful house, as professional as always ! After a few hours there we go back to the hotel as I have to get ready for my DJ set @ the A-bar for the Power Of Love Productions Party, where I am spinning with DJ Romain (NYC), Ron D (the host of the party, thanks for having me !), Mike Agent X Clark & a few others.
I am starting on the evening, as I am playing from 10 PM to 11:20PM. Not a lot of people will show up but I had a great time spinning there and so did my buddies & my hosts and the few clubbers there ! I unfortunately have to head on straight after my set to the Amika club where the Soulfuric Party is taking place. As always, another you’re not on the guest list issue at the Club door, but we are lucky enough to bump into Brian Tappert (Soulfuric boss) who give us a warm welcome and let us in straight up. We can hear Ron Carroll opening up the party in the main room with a quality soulful yet pumping set. Then we head upstairs to hear Bobby D’Ambrosio (first time for me hearing him) for a very efficient set, quite uplifting… We go down as Jon Cutler has taken the turntables upstairs, and hear Jamie Lewis (this guy is everywhere !) playing downstairs. After shaking a few hands we decide to go to bed as we have a big day waiting for us on Friday….
Friday 24th
I am very excited as this is the day of our STALWART Party at the Delano, around the beautiful swimming pool. After spending the day going to completely missable pool parties, we are getting ready for our very own happening… I will unfortenately not be able to attend the (small) MAW Party on the beach this year as it happens at the same time as ours… Anyway we get ready to start it off and I am very excited with our line up : Aaron Ross, Chris ‘Cee-Rule’ Forman of Steal Vybe fame, DJ Rork & Ladybird, DJ Fudge, Reverendp and yours truly ! The party went on great, appart from the so-cold wind blowing from the ocean… But a lot of people from the industry turned up and show their support, including Marlon D, Matthias Heilbronn, Sergio Flores, Danny Marquez, Willie Graff, Harley & Muscle, Alix Alvarez, Scott Grooves,
Mich
ael Stukes. I’d like to thank everyone for turning up despite the weather conditions, and big up to our artists that have all made a great DJ set, that showcased their talent, passion and devotion to House Music.
We will finish our evening at the very nice Got Soul Party @ Rane, where we are treated with an amazing set by jojoflores. The guy made me jump and dance, as most clubbers there, whereas on the second room Danny Krivit played an old school disco set.
We are going to bed with a positive feeling about this year’s Conference…
Saturday 25th
My good friend Leo Cuenca from Radio FG has joined Greg and myself yesterday in the room we share at the Sherbrooke hotel on Collins. Indeed, you are a lucky one if you can have the whole week alone in your hotel room as the fares are sooo expensive… We will spend most of our day blablahing at The National hotel, a sure shot for the networking game here. By end of the afternoon, for the 1st timeever, I would go to the Ultra Music Festival, this HUGE event which is a bit like an enormous rave party with 40000 people. I am invited to see The Prodigy live in the main stage… It’s been almost 10 years I haven’t seen the band live. The show is really professional, the sound system is perfect, everything is set for the viewer to have a good time… But I have to say the band has almost reach pop star status by now, and I kinda feel that I am now a grown up man looking for some more ‘chilled’ sort of music !! The old rave days are definitely gone… I will finish my evening at The Delano for the Who’s The Boss Party hosted by my partner DJ Rork, where I can hear the very nice, deep and sexy music of Seasons Recordings Head honcho Jamie Thinnes.
Sunday 26th
We all start to feel like something is missing this year. It seems like we are still waiting for the Conference to take off… What is happening then ? We definitely noticed than fewer people from the Industry are here, and despite a few nice parties, we are still all waiting for the craziness, the Vibe!!! Unfortunately, this will almost not happen.
Most of the pool parties we head on are very basic, no particular vibe, no particular DJ’s, no magic is taking over, nothing exciting really… We want to show up at the And Let The Singer Be Heard pool party at The Delano, but it’s such a nightmare to get in that we decide to pass on this. It must be said that the organisers of the parties have to be a bit more professional, as most of the times when you get to a club you feel like you are into a fun fair, trying to get your entrance as if you were a kid trying to go to the rollercoaster… Nuff said. Nothing really worth of checking in the evening, so we decide to go to bed early for once.
Monday 27th
The weather is still not with us, so we wake up with a cloudy sky. Today we will have the proof that too many parties kill the party… Indeed, many things to do today, with interesting line ups… But there you go : Peppermint Jam Party with Mousse T, Shakedown, Matthias Heilbronn : empty ! Stealth Recordings Party with Roger Sanchez : empty… And the list goes on… This should be brought to the attention of the Conference organisation, as the demultiplication of parties in every available corner of South Beach is really not a good thing. The people dealing with this event should come back to the real basics, being way more selective with what parties are happening as this evolution and multiplication of so-called ‘events’ don’t make sense at all. 
It seems to me that the organisers have lost control of their ‘monster’… However we will have a nice surprise at The Delano with the Purple Music Party, and will be delighted at the Shelter Party… As soon as I get into the Shelborne hotel, where the 15th anniversary of Shelter takes place, I instantly feel like something is finally happening… And I was right : it’s THE vibe I was looking for the whole Conference… We are treated with a great set from Timmy Regisford, the sound system is amazing, the crowd is dancing and bouncing like crazy, everyone is smiling…. The vibe is there !!!! Many thanks to Shelter for this brilliant event and for managing to put everyone together for what is finally the roots and basics of why we all love House Music so much… I wish there had been more parties like that, but hey, I feel lucky enough to have been able to witness at least this one!
I then would spend the next day chilling and getting ready for my departure, going back to Paris on Wednesday.
This 2006 edition has definitely showcased the followng issues :
1- The increasness of the Digital in the way we use music in general, and the incredible decrease of the vinyl interest for the taste makers.
2- The economy being harder & harder with the decrease of vinyl sales for small independant labels, digging a little bit more the gap between big companys / Big artists and small indies / small producers. Is there a future for the Underground ?
3- The lack of enthusiam from Industry people as compared to the years before.
4- Too many parties everywhere, a bad schedule and organisation for the parties, the price explosion at the club doors not making it easy for Industry people to work properly ;
5- The global lack of inspiration, creativity and originality in the music…
That leads to the following statement : House Music has almost lost its essence on the way to democratisation. On one side, the most commercial one, the music and the artists are now moving on to become (almost) part of Pop Music and the artists being Pop Icons for the new generation of clubbers and listeners. And on the other, the purveyors of fine underground stuff, only heard by a more mature audience, might unfortunately well stay very underground, a bit like in the Jazz community.
So, is it worth it ? Is it worth spending time & money to go to Miami for all this hassle ? Is it worth continuing to support and promote House Music ? Is it worth continuing to feel like being Don Quichotte trying to fight against windmills ? If this all carries on like that, House Music will definitely loose itself (if it’s not done yet…). All good stuff will remain very underground for a while, until maybe in a few years it comes back to the surface and explodes for a new musical revolution, wipping out all the crap from the surface of the planet. I have a dream…. Olivier Velay
TOP 10 MIAMI TUNES
KATHY BROWN Get Another Love - Warren Clarke Club Mix (Defected)
LENNY FONTANA & JOI CARDWELL Make It Alright (Stalwart)
BLAZE Most Precious Love - Sergio Flores Dub (Defected)
GREG KOZO featuring YUANIST WOODS What & Where - Fudge Remix (Place Blanche)
MU-SOUL All I Have - Original Mix (white)
STEAL VYBE featuring CORDELL McCLARY Missing You (Stalwart)
JAY J & MARK GRANT Love Is - Jay-J’s Shifted Up Mix (CDR)
QUENTIN HARRIS ?????? (CDR)
DOM NAVARRA featuring MOHSON IQBAL Beat Of The Drum - (UK Basic)
TODD GARDNER Take My Breath Away – Dub (Certified Organik)
INDAMIXWORLDWIDE.COM: Only the best, No time for the rest!
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