St. Martin: home to warm Caribbean waters and white sandy beaches, basically, a festival curator’s dream location. It’s no wonder they chose St. Martin to house some the biggest electronic acts from all over world last week (from March 9th – 13th) for SXMusic Festival 2016. For most part, SXMusic Festival was a joyous celebration full of dope beats in paradise, and, considering this was their first time around, it was quite impressive.
The first night introduced festival-goers to the three clubs (Sky Beach, Tantra and Le Shore) hosting the wild, all-night-long festivities for the week. Each club had a unique flavor from the rest, but still embodied the beauty of Saint Martin.
Our first stop took us to Sky Beach, where the drinks were flowing and the vibes were chill. With lounge areas and an open space on the roof, this club felt the most like paradise. My Favorite Robot and Chemical Ali & Papa Lu spun mellow, minimal techno as everyone danced into the night.
Right across the street, we ventured to our next stop, Tantra, which hosted powerful house music players like M.A.N.F.L.Y. The enormous venue was decked out in tropical décor and luminous neon lights. The vibes here were a little heavier and more reminiscent of a metropolitan club. As we ventured upstairs, we encountered a more intimate room with a lounge area, bar and a DJ booth that was front and center. This is where Head Nodders, Jesse Zoti, Shades of BLK and more were spinning into the wee hours of the morning.
A favorite spot for most festival-goers had to be the outdoor party right by the beautiful blue, Caribbean waters called Palm Beach. The stage was immaculately dressed-up with tribal-like jungle decorations. The sound and lights were impressive for an outdoor stage; it was a well fueled machine.
Thursday treated us to the talents of Behrouz, The Mekanism, Bedouin and Thugfucker for the Mixmag party. Bedouin put on an incredible performance, exuding bohemian-like vibes with those Latin-house kind of sounds (those drums! Ah!). Thugfucker came next up on the decks, bringing mellow but heavier sounds as expected, keeping the crowds dancing and coming. His getup was admirable and so fucking cool; loved the headgear! DJ Tennis was next up and span for a bit, but due to technical malfunctions, didn’t complete his set. With that, audiences were treated to a rare B2B of Thugfucker and (½ of) Bedouin.
That evening brought us to Le Shore, who hosted the big act of the day, Adriatique. Le Shore had a much more intimate vibe than the other two clubs, with one room, one bar, and impeccable sound. With that intimacy, it was a bit harder for festival-goers to get entry without a long wait. Regardless, if you somehow managed to get there in time, you were able to catch an amazing set by Jade.
Following the beauty of Jade was H.O.S.H, who we anticipated would put on an amazing show (and we weren’t let down). Finally, the crowds piled into Le Shore for Adriatique, who put on an amazing set with vibing with perfect transitions and well curated house tracks. Adriatique was a favorite of the week without a doubt.
Friday’s lineup at Palm Beach was just as good, hosting powerhouses like MaceoPlex and Danny Daze, who also spun at Tantra later that night. Interestingly, they both put on different sets for both venues. The first, more appropriate for Palm Beach with mellow vibes. The other, more appropriate for the club scene at Tantra with heavier bass sounds. Hands-down, both MaceoPlex and Danny Daze sets at Tantra are some favorites from the entire festival. They managed to close down the packed club at 6am with some of us still wired and wanting more. Props to Danny Daze to closing out with a classic Drum and Bass tune, it put a HUGE smile on our faces.
Finally, the Paradise Party on Saturday came with the massive lineup full of all-stars including Jamie Jones, Patrick Topping, Kenny Glasgow (of Art Department), DJ W!LD and Lauren Lane at Palm Beach. Lauren Lane geared up the crowd early in the afternoon with upbeat house tracks, leading to DJ W!LD who really lived up to his name, firing up some real heavy house tracks with loads of energy. One of my favorites quickly became Kenny Glassglow, who came around after sunset. Differing from his Art Department moments, his tracks were more deep and energetic than his normal mellow, minimal techno sounds.
Patrick Topping took the stage next, keeping the energy flowing with eclectic tech house tracks. Meanwhile, the crowd grew around the decks as Jamie Jones, the king of house himself, started to spin. Per usual, he played a dope set of house and techno tracks. What made it even more incredible was the crowd themselves, who stuck it out during the downpour.
Without a doubt, the SXMusic Festival crew saved the best party for the last morning of the festival: The Sunrise Party with Lee Burridge and YokoO. As the king of bringing in the sunshine at dawn, Lee Burridge didn’t disappoint. Along with this hidden gem at Layla’s, his choices in melodic and sometimes deep tracks were perfect for this setting. It was a party we will all never forget. YokoO also exceeded expectation by managing to keep the crowd energized as the day grew on with a little heavier, deeper tracks and an infectious smile.
What was the bonus for those who kept partying until late Sunday night? Dubfire’s “ON FIRE” set with heavy bass and energetic house tracks, for sure! Adding to euphoric vibes was the pumped up and playful crowd celebrating their last night at Palm Beach. And even after that? After-parties at a few gorgeous villas, and, the official after-party at Le Shore featuring Dubfire and Jamie Jones. Yeah, that happened.
With a few hiccups along the way, including things beyond their control like the Government situation blocking transportation and a few downpours here and there, we’d say this was a beyond successful 1st time for SXMusic Festival. Overall, the music was on point with the well-curated list of acts who truly delivered. Palm Beach exceeded expectations for a venue, while festival-goers were sometimes so-so on the notion being inside clubs while you’re trapped in paradise. People in attendance were another plus: beautiful, passionate and memorable. With a little more refining and organization, I’m sure this event will grow into something magical and impossible to miss for years to come.
That being said, we can’t wait for SXMusic Festival 2017!
