Ultra 2010 Preview

Tiësto

In the last decade, The Netherlands’ Tiësto has grown into being one of the biggest electronic DJ/artists out there.  From first getting mainstream attention with a remix featuring Sarah McLachlan, to playing the opening ceremonies of the 2004 Athens Olympics (the Dutch team started dancing in front of his stage, and had to be ushered off by security – but he was still knighted by Queen Beatrix), to last year’s Kaleidoscope, where he ventured out from techno-trance and experimented, there might not be a bigger figure behind the turntables right now than Tiësto.

David Guetta

Paris’ David Guetta had a very good 2009, from producing The Black Eyed Peas’ number one hit “I Gotta Feeling” to putting out his own One Love (QRO review), capping it in January with a Grammy win.  This year will see him work with such high-profile ladies as Lady Gaga, Madonna, Céline Dion & Britney Spears, but before that, he’s heading to Ultra.

Groove Armada

Bigger beats come to Ultra thanks to London duo Andy Cato & Tom Findlay, a.k.a. Groove Armada.  Following releases of an updated Greatest Hits and GA10: 10 Year Story rarities collection, the pair is putting out their first studio album since 2007, Black Light, right before the festival, so look for it to shine.

Passion Pit

Blowing up very fast has been Cambridge, Mass’ Passion Pit (QRO photos).  Single “Sleepyhead” (QRO video) found its way to MTV nominations, while debut Manners (QRO review) found its way onto the charts.  So catch the burgeoning indietronica stars outdoors (QRO photos outdoors) at Ultra (QRO review at a festival), ‘cause they’ve moved up to the big-time (QRO photos), and aren’t playing small places – or even medium-sized (QRO photos) anymore…

Little Boots

While Victoria Christina Hesketh started out in indie-pop trio Dead Disco, she soon headed out on her as Little Boots (QRO photos), garnering major attention (QRO photos at a festival) as one of the ‘new breed’ of breaking electro-pop ladies, alongside Lady Gaga, La Roux & Ladyhawke (QRO live review with Ladyhawke).  Her debut Hands (QRO review) made the top five in her native Britain last year, and drops in the States at the start of the month.

Dan Black

U.K. mash-up artist Dan Black (QRO interview) first got attention with “HYPNTZ”, his combination of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypnotize” and Rihanna’s “Umbrella”, but he’s made his own name with his own mash-up of electronic styles with debut Un (QRO review).

Also: Wolfgang Gartner, Afrojack, Miss Nine, Francessco Rossi, Kryoman

Bayfront Live Stage

The Disco Biscuits

Coming up on another end of the electronica spectrum is The Disco Biscuits, who use electronic instrumentation and elements for jams (dubbed ‘trance fusion’ or ‘livetronica’).  A mainstay of the festival circuit (including their own ‘Camp Bisco’), maybe they’ll introduce the hippies to electronica, and the ravers to jams…

The Crystal Method

Los Angeles-by-way-of-Las Vegas, Ken Jordan & Scott Kirkland form The Crystal Method.  They’ve done everything from TV to video games, films to advertisements, as well as put out their own material from platinum-selling Vegas to last year’s Divided by Night, which featured guest vocalists like Matisyahu (QRO photos) and Emily Haines (of Metric – QRO live review).

Pretty Lights

Colorado-based producer Derek Vincent Smith puts some energy behind his electronic work as Pretty Lights, with last year’s Filling Up the City Skies free to download, and is hosting the Bayfront stage.

Also: Rabbit In the Moon 3D, Infected Mushroom, Lotus

Carl Cox & Friends Arena

Carl Cox

British techno-house DJ Carl Cox has become something of the ‘elder statesman’ of electronic music – he was the first person ever named ‘Number One DJ in the World’ by DJ Magazine (when it started its annual ‘Top 100 DJ’ lists, back in the Paleolithic era of 1997).  So it’s fitting that he’s got his own stage for him & his friends, both days at Ultra.

Also: Green Velvet, Timo Maas, Luciano, Tania Vulcano, Umek

UMF Ibiza Arena

Eric Prydz

Though the Stockholm native was (good-naturedly) kicked out of Swedish House Mafia (see below) because he moved to London, Eric Prydz has kept going, even making music for Grand Theft Auto: The Ballad of Gay Tony.

Will.i.am

Frontman for the massively successful Black Eyed Peas, in recent times Will.i.am penned & performed in support of Barack Obama (and spoke to CNN’s Anderson Cooper on election night as an actual ‘hologram’) and just cleaned up at the Grammys.  Of course, he’s also responsible for unleashing Fergie onto the world…

Also: Dirty South, Kaskade, Felix da Housecat, Laidback Luke, Josh Wink, Elio Riso

Biscayne Stage

Fake Blood

Theo Keating’s stretched out from his duo work with Simon William Lord in The Black Ghosts, to his own solo house material as Fake Blood, hitting up Ultra while on tour with Dan Black (see above).

Adam Freeland

Brighton-born DJ/producer Adam Freeland just came out with Cope™ Remixed, where over twenty people remixed his 2008 Freeland release, Cope™ (which itself featured Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee on drums, and on guitar, Joey Santiago of the Pixies – QRO live review).

Evil Nine

George Romero was right – the undead are coming!  With zombies having infected everything from Lost to Jane Austen, it was only a matter of time before electronic music was reanimated, in the unholy form of Evil Nine.

Also: Plump DJs, Stanton Warriors, Uberzone vs. Bassbin Twins, Alex Metric, Boy 8 Bit

DayGlow Arena

David Solano, Paul Campbell, Svast & Stellar, Andre Sobota, Fly ID a.k.a. Ray Junior, Francesco Cardenas & Luke Hunter, Nima Nasseri, Carlos Mendoza & Elias R, Batjuice, Surgewave feat. MC Jumanji, Shade, Mike Miro, DJ BBP, Pedro M, Niko Rocha, Deep Therapy a.k.a. Jay Lara & Dan Polimeni, Roland Clark, DJ Xta-C, DJ Gilligan, Dialectic Sines, Chris Samba, Overdose, Dri.k, Luca Di Napoli, DJ Device, Patron, Marco Paez

UMF Radio Stage

Evol Intent, DJ Dennis Sebayan, Excision & Darsik, Hot Pink Delorean, Clayton Steel a.k.a. Fella, Computer Club, NC 17, Circle K & Stunna w/ MC Collaborator, Danny C vs. Apollo V, ROD B, Richard Weber, Squarehead, Roger Lyra, Jimmie Page, Toni Moreno & Miguel Garji, Richard Fraioli, Nitin, Jesney, Jose Mata, Metaphysical, Kcis, Marmoset & Neumann, Dioptrics, Tengo & Mike Chach, Donny Marano, Leo Janeiro

Heineken Dome

Sandra Collins, Miss Nine, DJ Francis, Noel Sanger, Craig Pettigrew, Isiah Martin, David Arevalo

The Eco Village

J Luv, Kinesis, DJ Coca, Turner & Helt, Ultrahipnosis, DJ Don L, Chilly, Jason Tyler, Jonathan Allyn, Subguys, Mephisto Odyssey, Bass Nacho!, Ford, The Jeqan Marie, The Hongs, Luis Rosario, Roosevelt, Alexandre Marc of SpinFantastic, Aaron Underwood, Jason Brown, DJ Quack Quack, Brian Dawe, Dutch, James Nao, Sir Thomas, Johhny Jam, Flynn Nolan, O’Ryan

UMF Collective

Flash Brothers, Mr. Rodger, Mistaken Ape, Transoverload DJ set, DJ Special K, Michael James, Jason Knight, K-Ahzz, Marcus Christian, DJ Ology, Energetix, DJ Reptile, Deranged, Dagger, DJ Dx.xD, Frydae, Matty Irish, Frog vs. Ethernet, SpinnZinn, Melissa, Gus Carol, Von U-Kuf, Tripp, Josh Weatherington, DJ Supreme, COSMO

Root Society Dome

Joachim Garraud, Bassnectar, Stripe, Steve Porter, Donald Glaude, Felix Cartal, Afrobeta, Paparazzi

Ultra Main Stage

deadmau5

Fresh off appearing at the medal ceremonies for his country’s Winter Olympics, Niagara Falls’ deadmau5 is still most recognizable for his trademark headgear.  While his remix of Morgan Page’s “The Longest Road”, featuring Lissie (QRO album review), lost out in the Grammy for ‘Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical’ to David Guetta (see above), the progressive house artist (don’t dare call him a ‘DJ’…) has blown up to the point of headlining Day Two of Ultra.

Swedish House Mafia with Florence Welch

Straight outta Stockholm! House DJ/producers Axwell, Steve Angello & Sebastian Ingrosso form the Scandinavia-represent Swedish House Mafia – they’ve even kicked out former member Eric Prydz (see above) for the unforgivable sin of moving to London, but at Ultra, are working with U.K. native & Critic’s Choice Brit Award winner Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine.

Armin van Buuren

Dutch trance producer Armin van Buuren has long since spread his wings, from his worldwide weekly radio show ‘State of Trance’ to his own acclaimed DJ performances.

Damian Marley & Nas

The youngest son of legendary reggae artist Bob Marley, Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley actually breaks somewhat from the Marley tradition by embracing ‘toasting’, a Jamaican song styling that predated rap.  Starting last year, he began collaborating with famed rapper (and political lightning rod) Nas, for the ‘Rock the Bells’ tour, Distant Relatives, and the festival circuit (QRO photos at a festival).

Jaguar Love

Do you have love for Jaguar Love (QRO spotlight on)?!? Singer Johnny Whitney and guitarist Cody Votolato (QRO interview) emerged out of Blood Brothers to form the post-punk Jaguar Love (QRO live review) with Pretty Girls Make Graves guitarist-turned-drummer Jay Clark in 2008 with Take Me To the Sea (QRO review). But after Clark left the group, the duo started using a drum machine, and shifted to a much more New Wave, dance-punk sound on the recent Hologram Arms (QRO review), a better fit for this event (QRO photos at a festival) – but still retain Whitney’s signature wild vocals.

Also: Faithless Sound System, Benny Benassi, Groove Armada DJ set, Calvin Harris DJ set, Nervo, Nate Campbell

Orbital

In the nineties, there wasn’t a bigger, more influential, more important electronic band than Orbital.  Brothers Paul & Phil Hartnoll virtually brought house & rave to the wider world with In Sides and single “The Box”, along with their soundtrack for The Saint, including its live version of “Satan”.  But the new millennium saw a lot more competitors in their sandbox, and the pair called it quits in 2004.

But everything comes back around, and the duo reunited last year to headline The Big Chill Festival, then launched on a twentieth anniversary tour, which is still going on, now in America, as they come to the States for Ultra.  If electronica’s old enough now for reunions, there’s not a better band to be doing the reuniting than Orbital.

Ghostland Observatory

Austin’s Ghostland Observatory combine electronics, rock, and funk the way only a native of the ‘Live Music Capitol of the World’ would, while ‘keeping it weird’ (QRO review).  They also bring an unmistakable light show.

Diplo

Born in Mississippi of all places, Thomas Wesley Pentz – Diplo – has become a true ‘citizen of the world’, discovering & spreading everyone from Americans Amanda Blank (QRO photos) and Santigold (QRO photos) to Sri Lanka’s M.I.A. (QRO photos) and Brazil’s ‘baile funk’. He’s also hitting up Ultra as one-half of Major Lazer (see below), but he’s on his own at Bayfront.

Also: Crookers, Bloody Beetroots, A-Trak, Boys Noize vs. Erol Alkan, Steve Aoki, Le Castle Vania, Afrobeta, The Japanese Popstars

Carl Cox & Friends Arena

Carl Cox

There might be an “& Friends” to the “Carl Cox & Friends Arena”, but he’s still heading up both days there.

Also: Sasha & John Digweed, Erick Morillo, Fedde le Grand, Yousef, Kryoman & The Clones

Paul Oakenfold

One of, if not the first superstar DJ/producer, Paul Oakenfold paved the way for the electronica boom of the nineties (as well as giving birth to the famed Ibiza rave scene on the Spanish tourist isle), but he himself was hampered by touring and label issues. But he’s kept on keeping on, working with everyone from Shifty Shellshock (of Crazy Town and Celebrity Rehab) to opening for Madonna last year.

Also: Above & Beyond, ATB, Sander Kleinberg, Markus Schulz, Sander Van Doorn, Gareth Emery, Rodrigo Vieira, Jerome Isma-ae, Marcos Carnaval, Ferris

Biscayne Stage

Major Lazer

The collaboration between DJ/producers Diplo (see above) and Switch made a serious breakthrough last year as Major Lazer, with Guns Don’t Kill People… Lazers Do, and follow it up with tour EP Lazers Never Die right after Ultra.

LTJ Bukem

The atmospheric side of drum & bass come to Ultra thanks to DJ Danny Williamson, a.k.a. LTJ Bukem.

Also: Pendulum DJ set, Bassnectar, Andy C & MC GQ, Rusko, The Glitch Mob, Planet of the Drums, Skream, Subfocus, Benga, Freq Nasty, Nero, Caspa, Toddla T

DayGlow Arena

Robbie Rivera, DJ Dan, Donald Glaude, Joacheim Garraud, Funkagenda, Alex Gaudino, Funkerman, David Solano, DJ Ideal, Flynn Nolan, DJ SAFARii, Tango, Dirty Ish, Velvet Angels, JF DISCORD, People From Venus, Pleasure:Pain, Pacman, Jeff Leclair, Tony Puccio, Jason Vernau, Nikolas, Dj Magik, Manbearpig, The Devil From Accapulco, Trent Cantrelle, Johnny Mac, Sebastian Morxx

UMF Radio Stage

Hybrid DJ set, DJ Icey, Afrika Bambaataa, DJ Qbert, Deekline & Dustin Hulton featuring Sporty-0 & Shunda K, Baby Anne, Jen Lasher, Elite Force, DJ Enferno, Keith Mackenzie & Curtis B featuring Whiskey Pete, Stormy & Johnny Dangerously, Aleksus Sanchez, Noel Sanger, DJ Indigo, Justin Johnson & Big Fat Frog, Tritonal, Randy Siedman, Soul In the Machine, Ali Mahmud, Rabbit, DJ Hyro, Darin Epsilon, Gui Raffi, Mike Gibbs, Ryan Morales, Vinny From da Bronx, Peoples, Manus

Heineken Dome

Chuckie, Sidney Samson, Sunnery ames & Ryan Marciano, Hardwell, R3hab, Behrouz, Scumfrog, Nicholas Mattar, Patrick M, Manufactured Superstars, David Carvalho, Isiah Martin

The Eco Village

Patrick M, Jason Daniel, DMP, Trent Cantrelle, Gino Fuentes, Heroes, Heatbeat, Alexandre Metric of SpinFantastic, Proxxy & Lantern, Eran Hersh & Darmon, Eric*C, DJ Cristi 10Hagen, Baker, Malio, PHIsonica, Panic Bomber, Oren Barnoy, Baby Sean, Inbal, Sebastian Morxx, Eclectic Method, To Kool Chris

Trance Miami Psychedelic Sunset: Roe Revolution, Transoverload, Basic, Solar System, Third Ear Syndrome, Elnadiv, Kno-B, Man Machine, Psy-Fi, Shaka B, Stereopush, Dancing Zombies, Brandon Adams, Psyev, Kife, DJ Kontakt, Tom LaRock

UMF Collective

Hill Huerta, Michael Anthony, Ryan Nathan, Gus Carol, DJ Miki Mayhem, Heather Holiday, Dj Zodiac, DJ mLe, Mike Franconi, DJ El Nino, Locklear, DJ Pat Pat, J Luv, CC Rock, Knowledge, Klarheit, Greg Goldsack, Swanky Jones, DJ Philosophy, Christopher James, Jeff Thompson, Hirofumi Ohta, DJ Vidal, Stefano a.k.a. Bos, DJ Sean K., Andy Love, Technic, Badangle, Meikee Magnetic & Mateo G, Diego Harispe, Benamin Acero, George F, Levitation By Sound, Dylan

Root Society Dome

Jefr Tale, Kevens, Rabbit in the Moon DJ set, Planet B, Hatiras, JELO, Zodiac Cartel, Oliver Molden, RioTGeaR, Kids at the Bar, Robb G