:::: Nitevibe :::: WMC 2005

ULTRA 8
MUSIC FESTIVAL March 25 / 06'
By Andrew Casden

Just when I thought I couldn't be happier sipping an $8 Corona next to a frat-guy at a poolside party, or waiting in line to get into a sweaty, crowded nightclub, along comes the Ultra Festival, where I traded in my Ocean drive digs on South Beach for the cozy, intimate company of 40,000 party-goers at what is probably the largest annual EDM event in the United States. As I embarked on my second year, I noticed a lot of the usual suspects, such as PVD, Oakie, Carl Cox, Tenaglia, Howells, Morillo, Roni Size, Craze, Photek, Junkie XL, BT, Hyper, Dan, Bad Boy Bill, Glaude, Kleinenberg, etc, etc. but also a few surprising new ones, such as Mistress Barbara, Richie Hawtin, the Prodigy, and perhaps most notably, the Nitevibe DJDreamteam's #1 man, SF's own BASSNECTAR!

While many nay-sayers lament the $70 admission fee and the large crowds, I believe there is something to be said for having all of these world-class artists at your leisure for 12 sun-soaked hours. If you do the math, it actually works out to be quite practical, given what it would cost to see all of these DJs as nightclub headliners! And Ultra is perfect if you're a multi-genre dance-floor aficionado like myself, where you can soak up sun as you dance to the beats of many different proverbial drums throughout the day. But the important thing is not to get overwhelmed, as it is easy to want to run in eight different directions at any given time. Invariably, you must miss out on some stuff, but do your best to see and hear what you can. But it's a lovely day, and we've got a lot to cover, so lets get going.

Among this year's highlights included watching Mr. Bassnectar himself represent the Bay Area at the Breakbeat stage. I approached the front of the stage to see Lorin in full swing with an array of gear on the tables, long hair flyin' all over the place, and flanked by female dancers in dinosaur costumes. As peculiar as that may sound, though, what I found most entertaining was the fact that for the better part of the set, he was playing straight-up drum and bass, perhaps to the chagrin of b-boys and girls lookin' for that break to drop. At one point, Lorin stops the music entirely, grabs the mic and says: "I know this is some drum and bass shit, but drum and bass is breakbeat, and.. it's all breakbeat..so.. it's all good," right before dropping the beat back in. The crowd loved it, and so did I.

Other highlights include Grooverider and Shy FX droppin' science with MC Skibadee at the drum and bass arena, then watching Photek get back to his jungle roots with some serious bass-heavy breaks. I spent a little bit of time over at the main stage in the late afternoon, to watch Erick Morillo entertain a sea of party people with his remix of The Doobie Brothers Long Train Runnin' which got the crowd pumped and jumpin! Spent some time perusing beats at the Techno Stage, taking in the chops provided by Adam Beyer and Richie Hawtin, who had the tech-heads feelin' it. Hawtin actually took a slight departure from his usual minimalist, glitch-tech style, and offered up some more classic techno and tech-house tracks for the masses, which was a welcomed change for many a guest and perhaps better fit the mood for Ultra. But the better part of my night was spent with the Teddy Bear of Techno, Mr. Please-Please himself, the hardest working man in dance music, THE Carl Cox, and his many friends. There is no mistaking a Carl Cox set, as it is so unique in its sound. It's not techno, it's not hard-house, it's not progressive, it just BOOMS! And there's really no other way to describe it. Everything about the man is massive, his sound, his stature, his presence.it's awe-inspiring. And with Danny Tenaglia closing out the night with his usual "Be Yourself" vibe (but not before he came out in front of the DJ table, track still playing, and started dancing like the goofball club kid he was back in the late '70s and early '80s - priceless), capping off another great day and night at Ultra 8

By Andrew Casden