Fabian Ortiz

Lulu and Alejandra at Ultra Music Festival

Ultra Music Festival celebrated its 15th annual edition by expanding over two three-day weekends (a la Coachella) making it the largest electronic music festival in the US and the only one in the world to take place over two weekends. Acts included some of the worlds biggest EDM names such as Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, David Guetta, Deadmau5, Calvin Harris to non dance music artist like Snoop Dogg and Yesayer.

Overlooking the breathtaking downtown Miami skyline and marina at Bayfront Park, the festival brought over 165,000 dance music fans from all over the world - literally. The sea of participants adorned flags, shirts, hats and everything you could imagine to represent their hometowns, states and countries. Among those festival revelers was myself and my mother Lourdes whom I brought along for the ride so she could see for herself what the EDM festival craze is all about. Perhaps this adventure would bring us closer and maybe she won't think I'm so crazy for making the pilgrimage year after year to attend the biggest festivals out there. I know what you're thinking: "Wow this girl must be crazy." But in actuality it was her own adventurous spirit who wanted to join me. Perhaps it's where I get it from?

Matt Oliver / OC Weekly

Steve Aoki with Travis Barker at Beyond Wonderland 2012

This weekend, Insomniac takes its fourth journey down the Alice & Wonderland-themed rabbit hole to Beyond Wonderland Music Festival, held at the San Manuel Amphitheater after the city of San Bernardino complained from previous wonderland events at the NOS Events Center. Don't be fooled by the new location however. If anything, it means a new venue for Insomniac's CEO Pasquale Rotella to curate into a magical world filled with art installations, performers, rides and some of electronic dance music's biggest stars including David Guetta, Steve Angello and Afrojack. For fans excited to roam the hills of the San Manuel Amphitheater and discover its new found home, we have put together a list of five must-see acts amidst all of the heavy dose of spine-rattling basslines.

Andrew Youseff / OC Weekly

Attendees at last years Coachella

It's almost crunch time and Coachella line-up announcements should come about at the end of the month. Yet, this still leaves a couple of weeks of fake-line up posters, rumors, speculation and "leaks" to go around the internet and spread like wildfire. Remember when we could buy tickets at the door the day of the fest? Yeah those were the good old days. Today we have to deal with sell outs, scalpers, fence hoppers, astronomical prices for lodging and sitting at the edge of our seats hoping that this years line-up will be worth all of the fuss (yet it always is, isn't it?). So what can we expect under the desert sun of the Empire Polo Field this year?

See Also:
*Five EDM Artists We'd Like to See at Coachella This Year
*The Top Five Rappers We'd Like To See At Coachella This Year
*S.S. Coachella: Top Five Moments of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll on Board

Courtesy of Kaskade

Ryan Raddon aka Kaskade at the Coachella Sahara Tent 2012

As the new year commences, EDM fans have one thing to look forward to and that's the start of festival season which kicks-off with WMC and Ultra Music Festival in Miami this spring. Though most people think EDM is in it's revival stage, the truth is the plethora of dance music at festivals has always been prevalent. The four-time Grammy Award winning electronic duo The Chemical Brothers have headlined the main stage at Coachella three times and deejayed several others. Not to mention super star DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Tiësto who have also graced the main stage. With rumors of the Rolling Stones headlining this year's Palm Dessert Fashion Week (as we like to call it) it's only natural for EDM which is at an all time high in popularity today to be the talk of fake line-ups and leaks.

The veteran German techno producer Paul Kalkbrenner already told PureVolume he is playing this year and we could not be more ecstatic. While OWSLA's (Skrillex's record label) Kill the Noise spilled the beans to Billboard Magazine he was bringing his dubstep and drum & bass sound to the fest. So who else is on our Coachella 2013 EDM wish list? If you are expecting Daft Punk guess again. You should have been at Coachella in 2006 with the rest of us who fell in love with house music back then ( I personally followed them around in 2007 during their Alive Tour to Chicago and Vegas as well). Today, we can wish for a road less traveled and hope the following acts come to the infamous Sahara Tent this year.

See Also:
*The Top Five Rappers We'd Like To See At Coachella This Year
*S.S. Coachella: Top Five Moments of Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll on Board
*Markus Schulz - Sutra - October 30, 2012

Shannon Nehls / OC Weekly

EDM fans ready for NYE

Who would have thought five years ago that super star DJ's like Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, Andy Moor, Sebastian Ingrosso, Laidback Luke, Calvin Harris, Avicii and Nero would be headlining separate major EDM festivals right here in California on New Years Eve? Since Insomniac Events and Go Ventures ended their partnership, the infamous Together As One NYE massive which was held in LA for 13 years has ceased to exist and major EDM events and festivals have been popping up in the surrounding cities for the past couple of years. This weekend we took a stab at attending OMFG! NYE at the San Diego Sports Arena on Sunday December 30th and then rushing back to OC for White Wonderland at the Anaheim Convention Center Monday December 31st in an attempt to compare which party was the best! Take a look at our notes and decide for yourself.

See Also:
The Top Five EDM Parties on New Year's Eve
White Wonderland 2013 @ Anaheim Convention Center (Semi-NSFW)
Go Ventures Officially Cancels Together As One, Draws Heat From Falsely Advertised Performer

Shannon Nehls / OC Weekly

The S.S. Coachella was held on the Celebrity Silhouette

Goldenvoice's week-long music festival cruise to the Bahamas and Jamaica titled the S.S. Coachella anchored back in the Port Everglades of Fort Lauderdale Florida yesterday. It was only natural that the Coachella brand would jump ship on the cruise festival trend such as Mayhem Festival, Groove Cruise and Holy Ship and bring the festival experience to the high seas. Just like our OC and LA natives have been making the pilgrimage every year to the Indio desert for a weekend of scorching heat, outrageous partying and music madness since it's launch in 1999, plenty took part in the first ever S.S. Coachella. Sure, we wrote about how the line-up was a sinker a couple of months back, but we still couldn't help having FOMO (fear of missing out) if we didn't join on the inaugural cruise to the Caribbean.

Though it may have looked like hipster hell, it actually was one of the wildest times I've had this year since I lost my playa virginity at Burning Man. In a way the S.S. Coachella was like the Burn with an infinite array of possibilities - the only difference was this adventure took place on one of the most luxurious cruise ships and shared more of the eclectic music tastes of the Coachella crowd (and it's values). The Celebrity Silhouette is a 122,000 ton ship with everything from premiere suites, pools, basketball courts and grass on the top deck (yes both kinds of grass). Throw in some bands, DJs and you have a recipe for a lot of debauchery. We broke down the five highlights from our S.S. Coachella escapade while still nursing a massive hangover and attempting to get over the sea legs.

Brian Erzen / OC Weekly

Sonar On Tour at the Shrine Auditorium

Sonar On Tour
Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall
November 10, 2012

To test its international appeal, Sonar, one of the worlds most prestigious electronic music festival promoters debuted its brand in North America with a highly-anticipated tour. On Saturday November 10th, the last stop on this eight-city excursion landed at the Shrine Auditorium with the help of Goldenvoice concert promoters and drew and eclectic mix of house heads and mostly rap enthusiasts ready to see Die Antwoord live. Starting early at 8 p.m., Sonar On Tour showcased an interesting array of artists including Paul Kalkbrenner, Seth Troxler, Nic Fanciulli and AZARI & III but failed to capitalize on the Sonar brand usually known for it's avant-garde artists and exceptional festival production.

Though we can't speak for the other stops, the Shrine LA show failed to give Angelinos a real taste of the Barcelona festival which has been a major part of the electronic music culture for almost 20 years. As you drove up to the parking lot of the Shrine which charged a whooping $20, there were noticeably a large number of spots open even when we arrived a little past 9pm. This venue which typically inspires lines around the corner for other events such as HARD Halloween in the past and Insomniac's Above & Beyond show a couple months back bared no resemblance of a festival of this caliber with little Sonar signage and most importantly little attendees. With the HARD brand hosting a show for Wolfgang Gartner at the Palladium in Hollywood down the street and the slew of other electronic shows over the the past months we can see why this event was passed up on many EDM fans radar.

See Also:
*Sonar Festival Brings EDM Insanity From Spain to the States
*Five Things You're Not Allowed to Miss at HARD Day of the Dead
*Damian Lazarus Plays Music For 24-Hour Party People...Literally

Courtesy of James Moriarty

AZARI & III

On Saturday November 10th, "Sonar On Tour"--Barcelona's international and world-renowned festival of electronic music and new media art-- ends it's eight day circuit at the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles. While the tour had an abrupt cancellation due to the impact of Hurricane Sandy at the New York Roseland Ballroom, the Spanish mega festival creators have been making their way through the East Coast and Canada with stops at the Chicago Congress Theater to the Metropolis in Montreal. Boasting a mix of live acts and DJ sets from Die Antwoord to Nic Fanciulli we decided to talk to the Sonar head of international media Georgia Taglietti and one of the bands on the tour AZARI & III about their coming to America.

"You already have a lot festivals in America so we choose to bring a tour to see how the public reacts and get a feel of how you perceive our brand," shares Taglietti the EA to the directors of the Sonar Festival brand. "What we bring on tour is a microcosm of what we do in Barcelona, which is 100,000 people over a three-day weekend for night and day parties." Established in June 1994 by the same three directors today, Sonar's principles were to blend artistry with entertainment while honoring the avant-garde and experimentation that comes with the possibilities of electronic music and it's culture. Hosting four outdoor stages, "Sonar by Day takes off pure entertainment and the feeling you get from learning about new music, media and art exhibitions," explains Georgia. "Sonar by Night goes into a 25,000 person venue which has a stage set up that supports our live acts as well as our DJ sets."

See Also:
Damian Lazarus Plays Music For 24-Hour Party People...Literally
Orbital Tell Us How to Make it in the EDM Scene
Top Five Worst Places to Get Your EDM News

Halloween debauchery gets one more horrifying gasp tomorrow in downtown Los Angeles when the city is swarmed by electronic dance music fans attending HARD Day of the Dead. In an attempt not to compete with the many dance music festivals going on Halloween weekend, the HARD Haunted Halloween Festival has now been transformed into HARD Day of the Dead, or Dia De Los Muertos for you non-gringos. This Latin celebration is usually held on November 1st and 2nd to coincide with the Catholic All Saints Day and All Souls Day in remembrance of those friends and family who have passed. Starting tomorrow afternoon you can expect lots of kids dressed in Day of the Dead get-ups with a lot of face paint and very little clothing. Boasting four different stages, a Ferris Wheel and even a Holy Ship, the HARD brand has really stepped up it's game after being bought by Live Nation. With a stacked line-up featuring Major Lazer, Knife Party, Tommy Trash and more we put together a list of five must see acts you can't forget about under the Los Angeles city skyline and booming beats.

See Also:
*Top Five Best and Worst Parts of Escape From Wonderland - NOS Events Center - October 27,2012
*Major Lazer - The Observatory - October 18, 2012 [with VIDEO]
*Boys Noize Talks New Album, Working With Snoop Dogg and Skrillex

Courtesy of Insomniac Events

Escape From Wonderland Was a Delightful Fright

This weekend, Insomniac Events hosted their second annual Escape from Wonderland music festival at the Nos Events Center in San Bernadino. The Wonderland parties have become a staple brand for the promoters and are becoming just as popular as Electric Daisy Carnival (their biggest event of the year). Built on a foundation of Alice and Wonderland themed performers and décor, Escape from Wonderland brought out the spooky side of this magical world we've come to love. We break down the night with the top five best and worst of our dark decent into this massive EDM event.

See Also:
Monster Massive Cancelled at the Last Possible Fucking Second...Again
Top 10 EDM Halloween Parties in OC
Nocturnal Wonderland: Our Recap From A to Z