It may be near impossible to see every single DJ set with the immense lineup at Ultra Music Festival. However, there is no denying that Ultra LIVE did a great job of covering several amazing DJ sets over the three days of the festival. Now that it’s Monday and everyone needs an excuse to avoid their work, check out our picks for the five coolest DJ sets of the year! Let us know if you agree or disagree with us. Who were your favorites?
Let’s start with two Honorable Mention sets. The first set comes from crowd favorite Fedde Le Grand. Although his set was not on the Main Stage and was not included in the live stream this year, he is jam packed with energy and knows how to put on an awesome show! In addition, Fedde is coming off a spectacular year of new releases. It is safe to say that he is taking his already phenomenal career to the next level. The second set comes from none other than Nicky Romero! Nicky got the party heating up on Saturday by dropping his smash ‘Toulouse’ early in his set and closing out with a new tune he collaborated on with Vicetone. Definitely give our Honorable Mention DJ sets a listen. These two are underrated in the talent department!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6YUj74vSrA&w=560&h=315]
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hwL6TpJx2U&w=560&h=315]
Now let’s start to count them down!
5. deadmau5 (Saturday, Day 2)
Canada’s own Joel Zimmerman not only raised some hands at his set but some eyebrows as well. The humanitarian ever so generously covered for original Day 2 headliner Avicii, who was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery for gall bladder removal. While we wish Avicii the fastest of recoveries and missed what would have most likely been a Top 5 set, we are glad that deadmau5 still gt the job done. The mau5 sparked controversy after playing ultra-anthems (no pun intended) ‘Animals’ and ‘Levels’ back-to-back. For ‘Animals’, he meshed in the nursery rhyme ‘Old MacDonald Had a Farm’, and it surprisingly and hilariously worked. However, not everyone is taking to him kindly, accusing him of bashing the two talented artists and being disrespectful to Avicii during his current health state. Regardless, the set was definitely a highlight moment for the weekend!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yarB1NCyqfs&w=560&h=315]
4. NERVO (Sunday, Day 3)
The ladies strike again. NERVO sisters Mim and Liv are always up for the challenge. Although their 3 p.m. time slot wasn’t the greatest for drawing attention, that didn’t stop them for setting the vibe for the entire day. While many sites are praising the harder-hitting party starters of the night like Jack U and DJ Snake, we have to give credit where credit is due. The NERVO sisters rocked it out and truly got the mood ready to go for the rest of the day with a fast-paced, energetic and primarily FUN set to dance along to, which of course featured their signature hits. Don’t let the girl power go underrated! Make this one you’re new gym-spiration. 🙂
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMx7A4O7ERc&w=560&h=315]
3. Myon & Shane 54 (Sunday, Day 3)
Don’t know who Myon & Shane 54 are? No worries, I’ll be completely honest with you… I didn’t know who they were before this weekend either. That makes me sad as a casual trance fan. Myon & Shane 54 are the Hungarian duo Márió ÉgetÅ‘ and ElÅ‘d Császár. They started working together in 2008 and are signed to Anjunabeats. The duo is popular in the trance world for their eclectic mix of progressive house and progressive trance (or ‘trouse’ as some may call it) with ambient sounds. In recent memory, they have been part of rising tracks ‘Strangers’ with Seven Lions and Tove Lo, ‘If I Fall’ with Cole Plante, and ‘Lights’ with Aruna. These two are sure to be the new rising stars in the trance community. Their sets give just as much life to the music as any other trance titan, from Above & Beyond or Aly & Fila to Armin van Buuren or Paul van Dyk. Ultra is always the perfect opportunity to discover a new artist, so don’t miss out on this chance! (Unfortunately, only the first half of this set is currently available online as ULTRA Live only streamed this set for 30 minutes.)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IN0DbDZISo&w=560&h=315]
2. Hardwell (Sunday, Day 3)
Carrying the title of World’s #1 DJ of 2013 according to DJ Mag certainly did not go to his head. Hardwell is as determined as ever, if not even moreso, to contribute to pushing the boundaries in the EDM community. This man does not need much of an introduction, as the music speaks for itself. What is helpful to know is that compared to Hardwell’s eight new tracks he had ready for Ultra in 2013, he had over 40 tracks to pick from for this year’s set. In recent months, the mastermind shared that he wants to push the boundaries of the music scene. So, what direction did he take this year? There are definitely new certified bangers for fans of his past work, but I absolutely heard TRANCE elements in this set. YES, trance! He is keeping things fresh and exciting for what’s to come next. We will be waiting! We thought it would be impossible to top Swedish House Mafia’s festival closer last year, but Hardwell certainly stands right next to them.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB0zJGnvhj4&w=560&h=315]
1. Kaskade (Friday, Day 1)
We have all seen photos of what utopia or heaven would look like. Picture all of the beautiful places in the world, whether it be an exotic beach on a secluded island, rolling hills in the countryside at sunset, or a lavish city skyline lit glimmering in the dark of night. Now picture all of those things together. Now picture your favorite foods in the world and all of the people you love beside you. Now understand this. Kaskade’s set is about 100 times more beautiful than all of those things. His set isn’t even a set. It’s an open journal entry, and we are all a part of the words written on each page. He didn’t just share the passion for music with us that night; he shared a special moment of his life with us.
“Nothing better than hearing the music reached you. Inspired you to work. Chase those dreams down guys.” – Kaskade
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A7UMUaXIxI&w=560&h=315]
The list has been written, posted, and logged in the record books. Until next time!
Keep the Ultra conversation going. Let us know what your highlights of the weekend are.
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