WMC 2006 Review

South Beach Miami…palm trees, sunshine, hard bodies and drinks…I miss it already.

Winter Music Conference 2006 over all was a blast. It is where persons in the music industry and now spring breakers alike come to take a load off to either create new contacts or to meet face to face with those persons you have been talking to over the phone/internet within the year; or just to lay poolside/beach side to get plastered with your favorite alcoholic beverage. So you probably get the idea that it was a relaxing time right and now you want to hear about the action packed parties that went on during the conference right! Well aren’t you glad your hooked into BassLine Magazine, because when you are looking for a motivator to blow a couple of paychecks for next year or a reminder of the paychecks lost because of your addiction to the breakbeat culture you came to the right place.

Ultra Music Festival headlined by The Prodigy was a great experience out in the sun. Thousands upon thousands of EDM fans alike were nodding to the same distant bass lines and letting out their insanity to the ear piercing highs. For Drum and Bass heads there was defiantly a candy store appeal to this years Ultra…Andy C, Black Sun Empire, Ed Rush, Fabio, Gridlok, Grooverider, Hive, Marky, Optical, Planet of the Drums, Roni Size and that’s not even putting a dent in the names of the entire line up for the entire festival. As for the headliners, without this group of people breakbeat music would not be where it is today. Listed on every DJ or Producer’s bio out today and yesterday they mention this group of gentlemen under their inspirations…The Prodigy (Liam – Keith – Maxim). They simply rocked out all the proper classics that seriously left me speechless, from Outer Space, Poison, and Smack My Bitch Up it was non-stop madness! All I can say is that if you missed it you seriously missed out. To get your fix or to relive the moment they got a new double CD called “Their Law” showcasing their tracks back from 1990 – 2005, and a DVD which is packed with music videos as well as live footage from a December 20, 2005 show at the Brixton Academy out so defiantly pick that up to see what that is all about. Check their site for the info www.theprodigy.com.

For the rest of the events during the conference they were packed with the who’s who of Drum and Bass, with the biggest showcase for American Drum and Bass since the beginning of WMC! Planet of the Drums (AK1200 – Dara – Diesel Boy) always a crowd favorite was there and will hit coast to coast in the later months to come. Also names like Craze, D Star, Evol Intent, Gein, Gridlok, Hive, Infiltrata, Mason and many more were plastered all over the events down at WMC this year. Also not to forgot the voices of US Drum and Bass; Collaborator, Dino, Illy MC, J Messinian, and many more but hats off to the MCs that are on top of their game representing the US of A, the 215’s own Mental Sharp (MCs Armanni and Sharpness). Every event I went to involving Drum and Bass showcasing the US Drum and Bass sound it was seriously rammed and pumpin’!

Simply put if you missed this years conference you got to make it next year. Promoters are pressured to out do this year, so big things for the next one. I feel it!

Remember this people, write this down for next year. Book your flights early; book your hotel even earlier in South Beach between 8^th or 16^th st. and around Collins, Ocean or Washington to ensure for a good time from day to night and prepare yourself for a non stop week of madness that if its done right will be with you for years to come.

So the future of US Drum and Bass is only upward!

Lets keep it Dark and Dangerous!

BOH!