Kat Says: “My 12 Favorites Moments of Miami Music Week 2024”
I also share the secret to surviving a week of back-to-back parties. You’re welcome.
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Hey Friends,
I’ve finally done it.
After 12 years of being a professional music journalist, I’ve cracked the code on surviving a week of back-to-back parties, late nights and crowded festivals without getting sick, losing my voice or losing my mind.
This knowledge is all the sweeter given that I’m 36 years old and no spring chicken. (My mom says I’m a summer chicken, which is not old old. There’s still autumn and winter chicken to come, but I’m no spring chicken nonetheless).
I will only continue to age, so unlocking this secret is crucial to my continued success.
If you ask Chat GPT who I am, it says “Kat Bein is a music journalist and writer known for her work in the electronic dance music (EDM) and pop music scenes … covering topics such as music festivals, DJ culture, and industry trends.”
If that’s true, then apparently, music festivals are one of my main gigs! (It should be noted, Chat GPT did not get my bio completely right. I’ve never worked for EDM.com) If I’m going to keep lugging my aging body to three-day events across the country, I better know how to do so without shouldering a complete mental and physical breakdown.
Do you want to know the secret? I’ll tell you:
How to Survive a Week of Back-to-Back Parties, Late Nights and Large Crowds
I made myself the promise that I would only drink alcoholic beverages if they were free. This is a powerful and important step, because it actually packs two survival tips in one: Because the drinks are free, I don’t overspend, and because free drinks are harder to get than bought and paid-for beverages, I naturally drink less. Drinking less is a DJ Khaled Major Key Alert to surviving a week of back-to-back parties.
I made sure that I got at least six hours of sleep a night. If I went to bed at 5 a.m., I didn’t allow myself to truly wake up and start the morning routine until noon. I don’t care what pool party or dope panel was happening in Miami. Proper sleep is crucial to completing the marathon. Sidenote: I chose to chomp on one 10 mg Melatonin gummie every night, even if I was exhausted. It just helps me fall asleep quickly, and stay asleep.
My morning health routine was clutch af. Every morning started with a quick cup of water mixed with Emergen-C. Then, I drank a taller glass of water with Liquid IV—it didn’t matter if I wasn’t hungover from free drinks. Drink the Liquid IV. Coffee comes next, and I always followed my first meal with two multi-vitamin gummies. I also enjoyed a spicy ginger-tumeric shot once my belly was full of actual food. That combo right there is fucking super go health-aide 101.
Before the week even started, I stocked my fridge with tasty Red Bulls. My crew and I really prefer the Yellow (Tropical) Red Bulls, as well as the Watermelon, but there are lots of flavors out there now. Red Bulls are a DJ Khaled Major Key Alert to partying late in your mid 30s—especially because rule No. 5 is:
Don’t do drugs. Don’t fucking do it. Sorry, Charlie. Drink Red Bull instead, you nut.
For the record, I’m not like, anti-drug, but if you do drugs, you’re gonna hurt and you’re gonna get bad sleep and you’re gonna lose your voice and you’re most likely gonna lose your mind. It’s just about what kind of outcome you’re going for. Like, if you’d rather be high, by all means, fucking go for it. You’re probably not on-the-clock like me, but if you are actually a party professional, consider sobriety.
Drink plenty of water, duh. That’s the last rule, because it goes without saying. It’s actually rule No. 1.
Follow those instructions exactly, and you too may make it out alive.
The Journalism degree is actually a Bachelor of Science, and like any good scientist, I will go on to replicate my experiment in order to prove my findings. I’m bringing this method of madness to Coachella in a week and a half, and I’ll film my experience (for science—and views, but mostly science). Stay tuned to see if this works in the desert as well as it does in a tropical paradise.
There will be some change in variables. At Coachella, I’ll be sleeping in the back of an Nissan Rogue SUV (or similar), which is not the same as my own bed.
What can I say? I’ll do anything for science.
ANYWAY. The actual point of this newsletter is to share my Miami Music Week experience. Toward that end, I’m gonna include some listicle blurbs about my favorite parts below. I did a similar thing for Billboard about Ultra 2024 specifically, which you can also read. It’s cute, I did a good job, I promise.
Further Reading: The 10 Best Moments of Ultra Music Festival 2024 (Billboard Dance)
Kicking off at III Pointers
I started my Miami Music Week experience on Wednesday with a bit of fun and games. The homie David Sinopoli and his III Points/Space Invaders crew organized a 3v3 basketball tournament for industry insiders. The idea was to gather agents, DJs, promoters, managers, etc. to form teams around their companies, then they’d face off in a bracket-style showdown. I think they paid money to sign up maybe, because somehow they raised money for a local charity (maybe they got sponsors, idfk). My friend Generous B was DJing hip-hop bangers in this gymnasium, and some of the players actually had serious game. The Space team won. Sinop was all “it’s not my fault these other teams didn’t bring their own ringers.” Lol.
Anyway, it seemed like a real cute way to get the week started, and I know they’re planning to make it an annual affair. I didn’t see any of the famous DJs who were rumoured to show up actually playing ball, but perhaps in the years to come, this will be some star-studded event that is like, cute and supports a good cause. Maybe more teams will bring their own ringers ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Running into Friends at Flight Facilities and Purple Disco Machine
After III Pointers, I went to South Beach and had a lunch meeting on my calendar with some very cool people from a very cool music label. We had a really good time making jokes about yellow pee and chatting about Super Nintendo World, but work meetings don’t count for newsletter roundups. So—
After lunch, I went to my first real party: Claptone’s Masquerade at Hyde Beach. My friends and I wanted to see Flight Facilities, who delivered a real nice day-time set. Truly though, the highlight was running into some homies that I did not expect to see there! That’s one of the best parts of Miami Music Week. Whether you’re local or an industry person in from out of town, if you’re truly embedded in the music lifestyle, you’re gonna run into unexpected homies gettin’ down. It’s Spring Break for the electronic music world, and I highly encourage anyone reading this newsletter to come check it out one year if you haven’t already.
Before we left that party to head to my boy Devon James’ fabulous free event RVDIOVCTIVE in Wynwood, Purple Disco Machine came on and smashed. It was so, so good. We didn’t wanna leave, but alas, there are 500 parties happening at once during MMW, and we have things to do, people to see and karaoke greenrooms to crash.
Wait, what?
Accidentally Walking in on Junior Sanchez Singing “Creep” by Radiohead
The week before, I’d had Devon on as a guest on Kat Calls. I’ve known Devon for years, and I knew I’d want to take him aside for a lil quote action for my special Miami Music Week project. He’s been throwing RVDIOVCTIVE during MMW/WMC for nearly 10 years, so he’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the scene and how its changed over the years.
After finishing his set (which was great), he walked me to the green room in an attempt to find a quiet place to chat on the record. These days, RVDIOVCTIVE throws its free parties at 1-800-Lucky, a Wynwood spot that consistently hosts incredible dance music events that also doubles as a record store and Asian food court. Idk if its that Asian theme that accounts for the fact that the green room was turned into a karaoke booth, but as we opened to the door, we suddenly found ourselves face-to-face with Jersey house icon Junior Sanchez and his friends absolutely ripping a heartfelt rendition of “Creep” by Radiohead. Devon and I were both like 🤪🤪, and we ended up having a very serious chat about the philosophy of Radiohead. Turns out Devon took a fucking class on the legendary band in college. Also, Idk why it took me 29 years to learn The Bends is a reference to “coming up too fast” in relation to Radiohead’s sudden pop success thanks to “Creep.” Like, wow, duh, genius.
Taking Thursday off to Run Kat Calls: Chet Porter
RVDIOVCTIVE was super fun and even more homies came through to dance and chill, but after eating a plate of delicious noodles, I decided I wasn’t gonna make it to Justin Martin’s closing set. I needed to abide by rule No. 2 and get some good sleep. I also made the sage decision to skip any and all parties on Thursday, because I had a super important deadline to turn in that was already late, and I had the even more important role of hosting Kat Calls: Chet Porter, which you can enjoy below!
Apashe with a Brass Ensemble in the Rain
And with that, it was Friday. And with that, I walked into Ultra Music Festival’s press area for the 11th time. I often joke that Ultra is my personal Goundhog Day. I say to anyone who will listen, “Being at Ultra is my real life. Everything in between is just a fever dream.”
A little rain is no biggie. In 2008, there was a sudden downpour that paused the stages for a bit, and because I was a ticket-buying citizen, I took shelter inside a shipping container for the 45 minutes it took to clear up. In 2017, there was a heavy downpour that didn’t pause the stages, but did send me running for cover on the press boat—that is, until Ice Cube was scheduled to take on the Live Stage, and that was not something I would miss. Honestly, seeing Ice Cube in the rain was fucking sick. No regerts.
But this year? This was the first time Ultra was ever forced to evacuate itself in the face of overwhelming thunder and lightening. Before that though, I once again braved the Live Stage to catch Kat Calls alumnus Apashe perform with a six-piece brass ensemble. His visuals were fucking INCREDIBLE, like feature-film type shit. The band sounded GREAT. The rain and pyrotechnics mixed with his grand orchestral bass sound was DRAMAAAAATIC. I just thought it was so so wonderful, and I’m so glad I got to see that set before the final curtain call on Friday’s fun.
Running into Friends at Fool’s Gold and Dancing to DJ Falcon b3b Etienne de Crecy b3b Boombass
After being sequestered by the rain for about an hour, my friends and I finally made a run for it back to our cars. Sitting with soggy feet and eating trail mix, I wondered if it was worth heading to Oasis in Wynwood to catch the free Fool’s Gold party. I knew it was moved indoors because of rain, but really, was I up for more?
Then I remembered French touch legends were going back-to-back, and I remembered who the fuck I am.
When I got there, Danny Daze was just finishing his Miami Bass set. I knew the crowd was mostly tourists, because they did not go nearly 10 percent hard enough when he closed his set with DJ Laz’ “Esa Morena” (which might as well be Miami’s official anthem). Next was A-Trak b2b Felix Da Housecat, and that is very cool, but I was concerned that I’d missed the Frenchies. I asked a nice man behind the VIP rope what was up, and he said they were in fact going on after A-Trak and Felix, then I heard someone say “Kat?” It was my homie Jairo! I hadn’t seen him in YEARS. He introduced me to his cool friend and gave me two free tequila drinks. More Miami Music Week magic!
Appearing on Etienne de Crecy’s IG
Do I even need to say the Frenchie set was fire? That’s a given. It’s also a given that I was screaming the whole time, doing my best woo-girl shit. At one point, this lady was filming a sick loop and I woo’d and then I was like “god, I’m obnoxious,” and I said “I’m so sorry I’m gonna be screaming in the background of all your videos.” She turned around and smiled and was like “YOU GO OFF, GIRL.” Hell yeah, Frenchie fans know wooing is part of the experience.
I was still, like, worried tho, until Etienne de Crecy turned to me and gave me a fist bump because clearly my woo-girl bullshit was perfectly fine, no one cares, I am allowed to exist. He even whipped out his phone and filmed my friends and I. My buddy Nick joked like “You made Etienne’s TikTok!” Then it turned out we actually did appear on his Instagram. Neat!
Madeon x San Holo at the Ultra Live Stage
About a week before Ultra, I spoke to Madeon and San Holo via Zoom for an interview on the Grammy’s website. I nabbed an exclusive chat with the sudden duo about their surprise (even to them) b2b at a festival in November led to a repeat adventure on Ultra’s Live Stage. I love both those dudes, and it was a great chat that got me even more hype for the Saturday night set, and boy did they deliver!
After a wonderful set from Kasablanca and Jai Wolf, Madeon and San delivered an hour-and-a-half program that went from breakneck beats to emotional sing-alongs, rowdy-rave edits, fan-favorites from their catalog and more. The best part though was when San broke out his acoustic guitar and led the pair in a stripped-down medley of “Lift Me From The Ground,” “Shelter,” “Lights” and “All My Friends.” Then they took the decks back and closed the set with a booming finale.
Further Reading: 2024 Ultra Music Festival: Madeon & San Holo On How They'll Recreate The "Magic And Excitement" Of Their Spontaneous Pairing (Grammy.com)
Singing Along to EDM Classics with Afrojack
Sunday at Ultra was all about millennial nostalgia—for me, anyway. I started the (thankfully sunny) day by running to catch the last 20 minutes of Afrojack’s set on the Main Stage with my friend Jordan. We came of age singing his songs in each other’s faces in the DJ booth of Neon Liger, and I love the Dutch DJ for always bringing the classics in his present-day sets.
I’ll take this moment to go off about Afrojack. I don’t think he gets the recognition he deserves, but I also don’t think he cares. Afrojack is not just the man who gave us “Turn Up The Speakers,” “No Beef” and “Take Over Control.” If he was, that would be a lot and we’d still love him, but he’s also the man who gave us “Pon De Floor” by Major Lazer, “Titanium” by David Guetta, and “Give Me Everything” by Pitbull and Ne-Yo. Oh, you didn’t know that? Yeah. Afrojack is literally the man and couldn’t give a shit less. He’s a fucking legend. I’m obsessed. S/O the Dutch don.
Calvin Harris on the Main Stage Platform
But when it comes to millennial EDM nostalgia, there’s literally no King greater than Scottish hottie Calvin Harris. He created disco! He got us ready for the weekend! He reigned for 18 months of club-focused frenzy. Those are all references to Calvin Harris albums, and if you don’t know those tracklists inside and out; study up, baby face. Mr. Harris is a real one, and because of his 10-year exclusive residency in Las Vegas, he hasn’t played Ultra in more than a decade. That dry spell ended Sunday night with his Main Stage headline set, and we were tearful in all the best ways. Now we just need to catch a full live set from King Calvin, and we’ll have completed the EDM nostalgia Bingo Card. Prayers for that to every happen again.
Boys Noize x Rico Nasty Destroying My Brain With HARDC0RE DR3AMZ
Just because Ultra was over didn’t mean Miami Music Week had come to a close. I usually don’t do any after-parties on Sunday, but the icon Boys Noize was set to perform alongside baddie MC Rico Nasty in celebration of their collaborative EP HARDC0RE DR3AMZ, which is officially out now. I was treated to a few of the EP’s songs on Friendship this year, and I have been singing them in my head for MONTHS. I was not going to miss this set, and I’m glad I didn’t because it went sofuckinghard. Also, it worked out because we were given super VIP passes that brought my friends and I on stage, and there was a couch for all us old ladies to sit on right next to the DJ booth. It was the perfect way to close out a magical Miami Music Week. I honestly can’t wait for next year.
Making a Vlog With My Homie
BONUS ROUND. That special project I mentioned? It’s a vlog, and it’s coming soon!
Everywhere I went, I brought my friend Jesse with me. He’s an incredibly talented videographer who gets paid lots of money to do his job, but for whatever reason is happy to work for a lot less money with me on cool Super Kat World projects. We did the trailer together at the start of this year, and the MMW vlogs will be our second collab. Here is a trailer he made for the full vlog. My life is a fucking movie lol.
Coming Up
Obviously there is a full Miami Music Week vlog coming up on my YouTube page, so keep your eyes peeled there.
As I’m traveling for Coachella this week, there will be no Kat Calls until my return, but you should stay tuned because we’ve got my friend Durante coming on the program Thursday, April 18! His debut album Enter just dropped on Anjunadeep. So proud of him, and I know this will be a great chat.
Kat Calls: Durante
Thursday, April 187 pm ET / 4 pm PT
Absolutely Necessary
(This is the part where I share songs that are so good, they’re absolutely necessary to listen to. That’s it. That’s the bar.)
I made two Spotify playlists for this section that you can follow: one weekly playlist updated with just the new stuff every week, and one cumulative playlist that will host every song I pick ever (until Spotify tells me it’s full). Check them out! I made them for you—and me, but mostly you.
Here are this week’s five highlights:
Justice - “Saturnine” Starring Miguel
Hyperdrama is out in just a few weeks, and I can not wait for the entire world to hear it. I’ve been obsessed with this album since November and I am *literally* going broke to see the debut of Justice’s new live production at Coachella, because it’s gonna be worth it! LOL. This track with Miguel is outstanding. What a combo, right?
I’ll be interviewing Justice for a forthcoming Spin feature while I’m in California, so stay tuned! Justice year has begun!
Pat Lok x Ryanexoe - "City Boi" Feat. Life On Planets
You may be familiar with Ryanexoe by his alter ego Party Pupils. This is his latest iteration, although working alongside by buddy Pat Lok is something to which Ryan is no stranger. Life on Planets is the super smooth vocalist droppin’ sensual moods all over this chill house heater. Excited to see what comes from Ryanexoe next!
Jubilee x Astrolith - “Tinfoil”
Fellow South Floridian Jubilee (she lives in NYC but she stays reppin’ Miami) always brings the funky electro-laced bass, and this tune with Astrolith is seriously Siriusmo coded. It’s giving mid-2000s madness mixed with acid house drip. I just can’t get enough of this tune, and it’s out now on Jubilee’s own Magic City record label.
Charli XCX - “Club Classics”
Speaking of classic club energy, Charli XCX is lookin’ ready to drop the best electro-fuck album of the year. “Von Dutch” was a big bloghouse punch to the face, and this latest A-side is heaven in a crunchy loop. It’s got weird wobbles, sing-along vocals, and Charli baby! What’s not to love?
Bearcubs - “Comes Back Around”
This song was actually released in December of 2023, but I recently stumbled upon it and I love it enough that it bears (no pun intended) including. Bearcubs is an electronic artist hailing from the UK. This tune is soft and hopeful, like a drive home at 4 a.m. after a great night out that’s left you smiling and exhausted.
Make sure you check the playlist on Spotify to hear the rest of the great tunes I found for you :)
Another week down. Thanks for hanging with me while I caught up on Miami Music Week madness. I can’t believe I’m about to do it again, and this time sleeping in a campground. Lol. Follow along with my adventure as it unfolds on Instagram @SuperKatWorld.
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Until next week!
Thanks for tuning into my newsletter. Listen to the playlists on Spotify. One is updated weekly with all the songs from each edition. The other is cumulative with all the updates ever!