Last month – that’s March, if you’re out of the loop – festival season officially ignited. As such, our feet shuffled away from the desks and into the sun and sweat. We were everywhere that had a festival: Cypress Hill Smokeout in San Bernardino, CA; Orange You Glad Festival in Orlando, FL; South by Southwest in Austin, TX; and Ultra Music Festival in Miami, FL. Then there were the dozens of tours that came through our respective hometowns, too. It would be pretty asinine to collate all of that excitement into just ten of our favorite photos, but hey, that’s what we did.

Event: Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire @ South by Southwest 2012
Photographer: Michael Roffman
What Michael Says: “It all happened so fast.”

Event: Wavves @ South by Southwest 2012
Photographer: Jeremy D. Larson
What Jeremy Says: “Nathan looked down at me and said ‘Sorry is this bothering you?’ I said ‘No’. Thirty seconds later, that joint was in my hand.”

Event: Ezra Furman @ South by Southwest 2012
Photographer: Heather Kaplan
What Heather Says: “Ezra Furman’s to-do list at the CoS showcase ran a little something like this: 1) soundcheck, 2) remove clothing, 3) pick up guitar and play. After the initial surprise wore off, our sock-and-skivvied troubadour treated the crowd to a heartfelt, raw, vulnerable acoustic set.”

Event: Free Energy @ South by Southwest 2012
Photographer: Heather Kaplan
What Heather Says: “Due to circumstances beyond their control (seriously!), Free Energy watched as time ticked away on the curfew clock. With their set time cut to about half, Paul Sprangers and co. attacked the stage with intensity, reinvigorating the crowd (including your exhausted photographer) and ending the night on a high note.”

Event: Grimes @ South by Southwest 2012
Photographer: Harley Brown
What Harley Says: “Grimes is the not-so-secret reason I attended Fiona Apple’s Pitchfork showcase at SXSW. Crouching with the other photographers before Central Presbyterian Church’s cavernous “stage,” I was almost too entranced to catch this shot of Claire Boucher’s intimate relationship with her synthesizer.”

Event: The Black Keys at Madison Square Garden (3/22)
Photographer: Harley Brown
What Harley Says: “Dan Auerbach’s magnetic stage presence, which strikes that tenuous balance between dynamic and still enough for a decent shot, proves irresistible to snap-happy photographers. The three-dimensional blue lighting and red-tinted projections of The Black Keys in the background makes Auerbach’s yowl in this image almost pop off the page.”

Event: Andrew W.K. at The Riviera in Chicago (3/26)
Photographer: Joshua Mellin
What Joshua Says: “Known for his stained white washed uniform, Andrew W.K. may not promise much, but he delivers a raging party in full. A blur of a photo pit, what I remember most was the wafting smell of hair spray, alcohol, and sweat.”

Event: New Order @ Ultra Music Festival 2012
Photographer: Cap Blackard
What Cap Says: “New Order played Ultra as the sun set on downtown Miami. Capturing the city skyline, with a picturesque accompaniment palm trees, in Bernard Sumner’s mirrored lenses couldn’t have been more perfect.”

Event: Concertgoer @ Ultra Music Festival 2012
Photographer: Cap Blackard
What Cap Says: “We must’ve looked like narcs wandering from the live stage into the rave crowd snapping photos, but this girl didn’t care. Vic’s Vapor stick in hand, pacifier in mouth, she was filled with nothing but positive energy and a big fan of bright flashes.”

Event: Ty Segall @ Burgerama 2012
Photographer: Ted Maider
What Ted Says: “Whenever you’re at a punk show, you always have to be on your toes. You just never know when a guitarist might dive into the crowd with an instrument in hand.”

According to the company’s website, “DayGlo Color Corp. is the world’s largest manufacturer of daylight fluorescent pigments. We develop technologies that improve and enhance any color, from subtle specialty effects, to glow-in-the-dark pigments, to our classic range of fluorescents.” One might argue they not only improve and enhance any color, but also human beings – that is, if Ultra Music Festival is any indication.

Throughout the festival’s three-day excursion, which sets down on Bayfront Park in Miami each March, thousands upon thousands of festivalgoers brand themselves with the stuff. Anywhere else this style would be considered fashion suicide, but it’s posh within the festival’s confines. In fact, if you don’t have any sort of neon, sparklies, or what have you, it’s as if you’re not one of them. No kidding, they’ll probably think you’re a narc.

As kitschy as DayGlo appears to the layman, it adds an aesthetic that’s oddly futuristic in scope. It may seem uniform, but when everyone’s showcasing radiant blues, yellows, pinks, lime greens, et al., it’s hard to imagine you’re anywhere else but some other post-modern world. It’s like you’re in a live-action rendition of The Jetsons, only it’s really loud, everyone’s zoned out on alcohol or drugs, and even the robots are cute.

Of course, there’s more to this festival than just arbitrary fashion decor, but really, that’s the stuff you remember. The music’s great, with dozens of artists pushing their respective genres, but it’s the people and the friendly community within Ultra that separates it from anywhere else. Look, whenever I told friends or colleagues that I was attending Ultra, I was met with sympathetic eyes, as I was shipping off to war, or something really dangerous – clearly they didn’t know what they were talking about.

Photo by Cap Blackard

I’ve never encountered a more jovial crowd, one thrilled to be alive and away from society. Sure, there’s a likely chance the drugs were doing most of the talking for everyone, but at the end of the day, a happy soul is sure better than an angry one. Also, something dawned on me while I shuffled around the park in a glorious stupor: This is the future.

It’s easy to write Ultra off as an escape to “get fucked up and laid”, but when you’re dancing under thousands of intricate LCD lights, ricocheting an array of colors that somehow go with the extraterrestrial music that’s being pumped out on stage, and everyone’s just synched together mentally, there’s something rather spiritually intelligent about it all. It’s as if there’s this higher plain of existence here that’s being attained, and perhaps we’re the fools for missing out.

You don’t even need the drugs to get there; instead, you just have to lose yourself in the ether, and go in with a sense of humor. Otherwise, you’ll begin to really think hell is on Earth.

-Michael Roffman
President/Editor-in-Chief 

Friday, March 23rd

Neon Indian – Live Stage – 5:20 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

“I feel like we’re at a seminar right now,” Neon Indian frontman Alan Palomo observed. “And I should have a Q&A about the effects of having a loud monitor.” After some frustrations with sound check, the chilly Texas indie rockers, with a penchant for ’80s New Wave, submerged in the warbly synths of “Local Joke” just as the sun began its downward shift. It was hot, it was sweaty, but it was fitting. With so many DayGlo enthusiasts everywhere, the band’s glossy, liquified jams (or, just its name alone) felt almost too choice for the scene. For a nighttime act, this daytime set did well enough to entertain the hundreds stalking about and soundtrack the thousands having a frustrating time getting in. Plus, who doesn’t want to dance to “Polish Girl” again and again? -Michael Roffman

Chris Lake – UMF Korea – 5:50 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Located directly in front of the main entrance, the beats pulsing from the UMF Korea stage were impossible to avoid Friday evening. Just two hours after Ultra 2012 kicked off, tech-house DJ Chris Lake was already performing to a tightly packed audience. The UK-bred, LA transplant worked through early monitor issues to develop a double-edged set of beauty and beats. Driving four-to-the-floor tech movements were cut with lush, live female vocals – a body-swaying mixture to help ease revelers into the more foreboding sounds that the stage would offer Ultra Weekend. -Derek Staples

Loco Dice – Carl Cox & Friends – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Initially walking into the Carl Cox tent was like wrapping oneself in a blanket of lights and sounds. And if not properly monitored, the melodic tech mixes delivered by Germany’s Loco Dice would ease attendees into an open-eyed trance. Delicate sounds ran through a solid bottom end, like morning dew trickling through porous sandstone. -Derek Staples

New Order – Live Stage – 6:40 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

Technically, without original bassist Peter Hook, this isn’t New Order. But those who gathered around the Live Stage at dusk didn’t care to notice. Dancing ensued from the start when frontman and guitarist Bernard Sumner, donning his own band tee, strummed straight into the stormy distortion of “Crystal”. Tight and kinetic, this UK collective remains a popular export for Americans, especially with still club favorites “Bizarre Love Triangle”, “True Faith”, and “Blue Monday”, all of which were performed with precision for Ultra’s dance-obsessed crowds. Throughout, a couple of the band’s gooey tracks fell flat (“The Perfect Kiss” and “Regret”), but the two-hit punch of “Ceremony” into “Bizarre Love Triangle” and the set’s eventual closer, “Temptation”, showcased an act that deserved a bigger stage and a proper set time. Still, Sumner remained in high spirits: “It’s great to be back. It’s been a long time since we’ve been here – I dunno why – probably because it’s too nice. We don’t do that sort of thing.” There’s that familiar spirit of Manchester eking out. -Michael Roffman

Richie Hawtin – Carl Cox & Friends – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

He may not fill his set with bass drops, but very few DJs deliver with the same level of low end as Windsor’s Richie Hawtin. Atop of the continued floor-rattling bassline, Hawtin mixed in nearly non-existent tones, making you question if you were actually hearing the bleeps or if your brain was simply continuing his well-defined pattern. Hawtin showed no fear juggling the beat and tempo through the mixes. While most DJs rest on the repetitive kick or hi-hat, Hawtin manipulated polyrhythms for jarring transitions throughout the two-hour set. -Derek Staples

Miike Snow – Live Stage – 8:10 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

Maybe it’s that they’re on the coattails of a sophomore LP (Happy to You – due out Tuesday), but Sweden’s own Miike Snow commandeered the Live Stage. They had the tools, too. With a center console stripped from ’60s-era Star Trek, Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg (or, Bloodshy & Avant) constructed all the cherry-flavored hooks and lines that strangle the group’s latest material. Opening with the piano and harmony-led “The Wave”,  this became a set that just did not let up, and all of the new tracks were ready-made for festival crowds everywhere. In fact, with accompanying visuals, tracks like “Devil’s Work” and “Vase” felt rather claustrophobic in the amphitheater setting, and frontman Andrew Wyatt, with his grungy decor, appeared as if he were too contained. Basically, they exuded the confidence of a headliner, and depending on the festival, they may very well be ready. Oh, and has anyone grown tired of “Animal” yet? Doubtful. -Michael Roffman

Skrillex – Main Stage – 9:10 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Just a few years ago, it would have seemed impossible for a U.S. bass DJ to grace Ultra’s massive Main Stage post-sundown, but that was before Skrillex went and won three Grammy’s this year for his West Coast Jump Up. Now having toured the world, Skrillex showcases more substance and control than his earlier drop-heavy bass assaults. With stage production equal to that of his recent Mothership Tour, he had the audience “Breakin’ a Sweat” with his Doors collabo. Skrillex then showed some respect for dub, with a subtle bass remix (for Skrillex, anyhow) of Damian Marley’s “Welcome to Jamrock”. He then worked Avicii’s “Levels” through the bass grinder, adding his signature, mechanical bass growl to the track’s lighter aesthetic.

To the surprise of many, Skrillex went with some straightforward techno mid-set with “Make That Booty Clap”. At one point, he brought the song to such a standstill that you could hear the crowd’s collective inhale waiting for the drop, but no drop was to be had until Skillex blew the crowd back with the newer Wolfgang Gartner collaboration “The Devil’s Den”. The performance may not have included sufficient hyper-drive bass for the die-hard Skrillex fan, but the hour-long performance showcased an evolution in his ability to produce a complex set for an educated, international EDM community – and still get peeps on their feet to rage. -Derek Staples

Kraftwerk – Live Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

“Do you think they’re even really doing anything up there,” someone asked me early on during Kraftwerk’s impressive hour-long set. It’s an honest question because, really, the four stoic members that make up the German industrial collective don’t ever do much onstage – at least from what we can see. Instead, they let the archaic CGI animations behind them do most of the work. A minimalistic journey that would have Pixar in tears accompanied “Autobahn”, creepy, robotic dolls (something out of The Twilight Zone) burned into our nightmares during “The Robots”, and a Marxist-like montage sold the crowd on a “Computer World”. In a word, it was weird, but when each member – who, by the way, were dressed in minimalistic Tron-ready suits – exited the stage in procession, it all made sense. The homogenous nature of the four – that structured unity – is downright intimidating with its precise force, and it’s something you just have to witness live to make sense of. Color me jealous: Those sold-out museum shows will blow everyone’s fucking minds. -Michael Roffman

Dada Life – UMF Korea – 10:20 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Olle Corneer and Stefan Engblom of Dada Life are a mirror of the enjoyment shared by their audiences. A pair of sweaty bodies onstage, the Swedish duo produced high-energy, saw-jaw electro-house. Combined with the bright hues of the tent’s massive L.E.D. screens, the continual bass vibrations and hard-splashing synths were a suitable follow-up to all those still ready to rage following Skrillex’s Main Stage performance. And forget hydration, the duo would much rather pop some bottles of champagne during the peaks of the set than be seen with some thirst-quenching water. If revelers wanted to leave with their brain and all body parts intact Friday evening, this set was definitely the one to avoid. -Derek Staples

Nobody Beats the Drum – UMF Worldwide – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

In the shadows of Tiësto’s monster Main Stage setup, the future of Dutch dance music, Nobody Beats the Drum, took to the tight confines of Ultra’s Worldwide Stage. Sjam Sjamsoedin and Jori Collignon mixed hip-hop, breaks, heavy bass, and electro to appease a younger audience that is continually besieged by diverse types of audio. Equipped with a classic analog synth and a table full of gear, the duo continually made eye contact to keep the tracks progressing and the people bouncing across the grass. The only negative was that the experience wasn’t shared with a larger number of people, but my guess is that this won’t be a problem for long. -Derek Staples

Saturday, March 24th

Yousef – Carl Cox Cocoon – 2:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

As the resident DJ at Space Ibiza during Carl Cox’s weekly showcase, Yousef holds one of the most sought-after gigs in the business. He kept early attendees gyrating with soft-drop techno and sexy Mushroom Jazz-esque melodies. To add an element of improvisation, he often mixed in new tracks with live drum pad patters. In line with classic house, Yousef pulled in beautiful male and female vocal samples to add contours to the set and give the audience a bit of a breather. -Derek Staples

Skream + Benga – UMF Brazil – 3:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Seminal UK Dubstep DJs Skream + Benga have accelerated the evolution of the genre since joining forces. Once known for their dark, grimy productions, Saturday’s performance was a clinic of Jump Up and bass-heavy electronica. The duo scrapped all melody for underground bangers, made even more raw by the hoarse vocal accompaniment of MC Sgt Pokes. For everyone who felt the U.S. had the market cornered on bass music, the performance opened many ears to the ultra-aggressive, half-time, UK Bass sound. -Derek Staples

Nadastrom – UMF Worldwide – 4:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

The leading ambassadors of Moombahton – Dirty Dutch slowed to the tempo of reggaeton – Nadastrom are a perfect fit for the sunny embrace of Miami’s Bayfront Park. Set against the backdrop of a pristine, blue sky and million-dollar yachts, Dave Nada and Matt Nordstrom kept the gorgeous international crowd dancing in a picturesque scene that seemed too surreal to actually be possible. West Coast Jump Up was a bit of a death knell to actual dancing in clubs, but Nada’s brand of bass music added mounds of sexiness back to the dance floor. -Derek Staples

Little Dragon – Live Stage – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

There are a lot of faces to Little Dragon – not literally, but sonically. They shift from tribal trip-hop to “audibly okay” synthpop to soulful electronica, sometimes in the same song – actually, almost always within each song. That’s an intriguing element to the Swedish outfit and an attribute that could work to their advantage onstage – not at Ultra, however. Blame it on the picture-perfect sunny day, or just an all too early time slot, but the genre-hopping collective just felt sort of staple. Frontwoman Yukimi Nagano exhibited the only energy onstage, playing well to a devoted audience, but her surrounding band remained tranquil throughout. The percussion-heavy jams stocking each track offered moments of interest, but overall, it just didn’t do anything for me. -Michael Roffman

12th Planet and Skrillex – UMF Brasil – 5:00 p.m

With so many DJs in one place during a long weekend, surprises were bound to happen. And few surprises could be any more explosive than a tag-team set by bass juggernauts 12th Planet and Skrillex. Not announced until the day of show, the UMF Brasil tent was packed to capacity with ravenous bassheads ready for a non-stop serious of drops and Jump Up electro-energy. The set included recent collab “Right on Time” and the raucous remix of Nero’s “Guilt”. The duo also managed to separate their individual aesthetics, 12th’s focus on the darker UK Bass and Skrill’s love for West Coast electro-house. With bass literally vibrating the room and two ill-advised drops reverberating in my headspace (Skrillex fans sure love to share), photographic evidence just couldn’t do the set justice. So, please enjoy the vid below courtesy of Bassmaxx. -Derek Staples

Metronomy – Live Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

English indie pop export Metronomy crafts flavorful electropop. Sure, it’s a genre that busted at the seams half a decade ago, but the group offers a slight spin on it: The bass takes precedence over the synths. Bassist Gbenga Adelekan’s bevy of lines undulates behind Joseph Mount’s vocals, infusing this quasi-electro funk that’s been a longtime coming for the genre – at least successfully. Through catchy, bubbly tracks like “Heartbreaker”, “Some Written”, and “Everything Goes My Way”, the group offers a tangible, catholic collection of genre shake-ups. The latter track runs off vocals by drummer Anna Prior, whose purple getup sparkled in the evening’s setting sun. Later in the set, the Live Stage erupted with smoke and pyro, after which Mount exclaimed: “There’s nothing more shocking than pyrotechnics when you don’t know they’re gonna happen.” Yeah, their surprised expressions were about as priceless as that highly aggressive jam they segued into at the end. -Michael Roffman

Duck Sauce – Main Stage – 6:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

No duo seem to have more fun at the decks than A-trak and Armand Van Helden (aka Duck Sauce). Backed by a massive inflatable duck, the duo resurrected smile-instigating disco tracks, keeping the mood light in the late afternoon sun. After beginning the set with “aNYway”, the visuals went dark for crowd favorite “Big Bad W0lf”. Not only did the duo turn the mix all the way down to build a tension among the crowd, they actually managed to initiate a daytime howl from the entire Main Stage audience – one that held around until set end for the hysterical “Barbara Streisand”. None of these hijinks distracted the two artists, each masterful at mixing, track selection, and working in tandem to bring the most out of one another. -Derek Staples

Carl Cox – Carl Cox Cocoon – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

No one owns the tables like Carl Cox. A behemoth of a man, Cox counts down the transition between tracks with exaggerated arm motions, then jumps into the decks for the mixes. Often playing four or five tracks at a time, the set was deeply layered with hard dance and techno, keeping both the mind and body busy. The sensory overload continued with a visual onslaught. Lasers, mass amounts of smoke, robots, and hypnotic screen images completed the experience that was Carl Cox. The repetition of most house sets makes two hours nearly unbearable for bassheads and electro-junkies, but pulling away from the dynamics 0f the Cocoon was almost impossible. -Derek Staples

M83 – Live Stage – 8:00 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

It was a short-lived dream of an epic set that never was. After attracting a mammoth crowd (the weekend’s largest for the Live Stage, at least at the time), minutes inched past eight o’clock, and yet Anthony Gonzalez and his team couldn’t be found. Instead, technicians raced about the stage, fiddling with wires and looking horrifically scatterbrained. Oddly enough, the crowd livened up – no thanks to the onstage DJ, who was relegated to essentially “babysitting” the sea of souls – and dancing ensued. Ten minutes passed, then 20, then 30, and eventually 45 minutes, most likely when M83 would have stepped offstage. However, this was when Gonzalez & Co. finally were OK’d to go on, but only to perform two cuts: “Midnight City” and “Couleurs”. The situation altogether was disappointing, but the band slapped out more energy than any act all weekend. At one point during “Couleurs”, Morgan Kibby fell to her knees as her hands just laid waste to the keys floating above her head, while newcomer Jordan Lawlor climbed up on anything he could get his feet onto, demanding the claps from the crowd. It wasn’t a great first visit to Miami for M83, but the devoted thousands who remained only proved that they’re wanted back very soon. -Michael Roffman

Justice – Main Stage – 9:40 p.m.

Photo by Cap Blackard

The French duo’s fan base arrived in full force Saturday. From painted crosses to already-fading band shirts, one couldn’t look around without seeing some sort of allegiance to Justice. So, yeah, the Main Stage was overstuffed and continued to fluctuate as the two issued their aggro-dance-y disco to much fervor. Now, it’s easy to toss around religious connotations – you know, because of the whole cross thing – but shuffling around with thousands of fans during an extended performance of “Audio, Video, Disco” might be enough to make an atheist a true believer. The track’s greasy arena rock standards delivered all the sensationalized giddiness that one reads about in retrospectives only it felt earnest. And for a crowd that held up shirts reading “Bitches Love Bass” or, um, an inflatable penis, this was the closest thing to church they’ll ever experience; there wasn’t an ounce of negativity in the air. Justice led the procession with blunt, minimalistic force, and they exorcised any and all demons. Also, chew on this: Who else could throw in a drop as long as John Cage’s 4’33″ WHILE offering (what appeared to be) The Black Panther Salute? Not even joking. -Michael Roffman

Dillon Francis – UMF Worldwide – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

If this is the ADHD generation, Dillon Francis should be its musical figurehead. Francis continually switched between bass aesthetics – from a brain-jarring remix of “Right on Time” to a Luvstep take on Rihanna’s “You Da One”, complete with the slowed-up half-time of Moombahton. When not at the knobs adding the Moombahton flair to tracks like “Me & You” by Nero or Steve Aoki’s “Keep on Dancing”, Francis kept busy interacting with the crowd, pointing to the loudest fans and making funny, sometimes overtly sarcastic, banter behind the decks. In a show of great humility, Francis welcomed stage headliner, and BBC Radio 1 tastemaker, Annie Mac onstage during the close of his set and thanked her for helping him along in his career. -Derek Staples

2manyDJs – Live Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

2manyDJs are truly a multi-media experience. Dressed in crisp, five-piece suits Saturday evening, David and Stephen Dewaele worked their mashup skills on tracks such as MGMT’s “Kids”, 2 Unlimited’s “Let the Beat Control Your Body”, “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, and Blur’s “Parklife”, all with absolutely hilarious takes on their album covers. The visuals were taken to the extreme for a mashup of Boyz Noise and Erol Alkan’s “Lemonade”, where the cover seemed to actually be playing tennis.

The set ended as an absolute bash. After taking the crowd to “Out of Space”, the duo performed their take on Nirvana’s “Lithium”, while the famous baby from the Nevermind cover was barraged with trash from a rather grungy pool party. And nothing closes out a set like five straight minutes of confetti floating across the live stage. -Derek Staples

Avicii – Main Stage – 11:00 p.m.

Photo by Music Obsessed.com

The Madonna rumors started circulating early on. Whispers around the park hinted that the Material Girl would be appearing onstage sometime Saturday night. She spent the day in South Beach promoting her new LP, MDNA, so why wouldn’t she stop at that little electronic festival across the bay? As with anything nowadays, it became the worst-kept secret, and pretty much everyone knew she’d be appearing with Avicii at the Main Stage.

“I’ve been here in spirit for many years, but it’s good to finally be standing on the stage, looking at all you people who have come here from all around the world,” Madonna exclaimed, after observing the evolving blanket of flesh before her. ”In my world, the words ‘music’ and ‘dance’ are not separated. Electronic music has been a part of my life since the beginning of my career. I can honestly say that a DJ saved my life.” She gushed about Avicii some more, insisting she’s a “huge fan,” and then coquettishly asked, “How many people in this crowd have seen Molly?” It all felt forced and made even more transparent once Avicii opened his set with a remix of “Girl Gone Wild”, during which Madonna stood beside him wearing her MDNA shirt.

After the whole scheme, Avicii was left to his own vices. What’s odd, however, is how much of a promotional push Avicii received at Ultra, as well. Street teams handed out I Heart Avicii pins all day, while others wore shirts with the same logo. Also, regardless of the international acclaim, it felt odd that he followed Justice, who arguably closed the night proper. Still, the Swedish DJ (who probably had everyone swooning with his choice looks) had a pretty good night. Not only did he receive a resounding endorsement from Madonna, but he also had fireworks to end his set. Basically, you’ll hear more about him this year. -Michael Roffman

Sunday, March 25th

SBTRKT – Live Stage – 3:30 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Having yet to see SBTRKT perform his self-titled album live, I was especially stoked for this set. However, after technical difficulties cut into the set time and extra time was shaved to set up for Flying Lotus, the set came and went in what seemed like 25 short minutes. SBTRKT (nee: Aaron Jerome) was joined onstage by Sampha, which was billed as SBTRKT Live, and the two brought tracks “Living Like I do”, “Pharaohs”, and “Wildfire” to life with the use of a table full of tools and a complete drum kit. Each track was edited from the album cuts, with “Wildfire” receiving a dark, two-step remix. Perhaps most surprising, other than the brevity of the show, were the vocal talents of Jerome, who performed and looped most of his vocals live. -Derek Staples

Flying Lotus – Live Stage – 4:40 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Flying Lotus (born Steven Ellison) has always crafted a unique style of low-end-heavy, beat-driven, instrumental hip-hop. On Sunday, those beats received some lyrical flow courtesy of Brainfeeder’s Azizi Gibson. Flylo even showcased two of the tracks he produced for the up-and-coming emcee. The effort was noble, but Flylo’s production had enough depth and power on its own to outshine the freestyle attempts of Gibson. One unexpected bass drop alone had enough force to blow Gibson’s nonsensical verses backstage. Flylo continued to show some love for another young rapper, Odd Future’s Tyler, The Creator and his demented “Yonkers”. But Flylo didn’t just let the track play out, chopping the track up to add 8-bit elements and a boosted bottom end. To finish the set, Flylo went hard, cuing up Waka Flocka Flame’s ”Hard in da Paint”.

Minor note to Ellison: Fans understand the need to promote, but please leave Gibson in LA next time. Or just have him make a little less noise over the delicate, complex nature of your productions. -Derek Staples

Magnetic Man – Live Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Following Skream + Benga’s high-energy Saturday performance, fans of the UK brethren just weren’t sure what to expect of Magnetic Man’s Sunday evening performance. Joined by producer Artwork, the set was exemplary of the more melodic side of UK Bass. Once again joined by Sgt Pokes, the emcee’s gruff vocals added harsh contrast to the project’s more atmospheric tones, especially during “Getting Nowhere”, which featured the vocals of John Legend. The three-piece settled into a trance-like dub production style until Pokes asked the audience if they wanted to jump, which sent Magnetic Man into a frenzy of darting synths and ratcheting bass lines. Magnetic Man saved their most recognizable tracks, “I Need Air” and “Perfect Stranger”, until the crowd reached full capacity nearing the ending of the set. To cap off the epic performance, Katy B joined the guys onstage and sang “Perfect Stranger”, complete with booming fan interaction.

Bloody Beetroots DJ Set – Live Stage – 7:20 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

The founder of the Bloody Beetroots, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo, once publicly pondered on his genre, settling on the term Contemporary Electronic Dance Music. But when it comes to his DJ sets alongside Tommie Tea, the sound is simply clashing electro-house at its finest. Be it dancing, jumping, or moshing, it’s almost impossible to be still when SBCR is donning the black Spider-man mask behind the controller. With the sun setting, the redesigned stage setup took full effect for bangers “Warp 1.9″, “Push the Tempo”, and the metal-infused “Church of Noise”. After nearly an hour of mayhem, BBR changed course to end the set, jumping down from behind their wall of lights to spin the Isley Brothers and “Shout” with the audience. -Derek Staples

Chase and Status – Live Stage – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

After 27 hours of electronic music, Chase and Status were like the deathblow to any remaining grey matter. Saul Milton and Will Kennard produce some of the darkest, most intricate drum and bass, half time, and drumstep around. Combine that with the abilities of live drummer Andy Gangadeen, the guitar skills of Milton, plus the vocal assault of MC Rage, and you have arguably the most entertaining live bass music outfit currently around. What separates Chase and Status is their ability as musicians, not simply producers. “No More Idols” had an amazing build and melody, and just when the song was about to reach its peak, we were blasted back into our seats with the intensity of the bass. As Milton joked, “This is the Unites States of Bass, and we salute you Chase and Status.” -Derek Staples

Armin Van Buuren – Main Stage – 10:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Between 2007 and 2010, the Netherlands’ Armin Van Buuren held the crown as the world’s number one DJ. Through his “A State of Trance” podcast, Van Buuren has introduced countless electronic fans to the freshest in trance music and also helped shape the style of the genre. If Sunday night’s set was any indicator, lush, vocal trance is a thing of yesteryear, replaced by hard-hitting techno phrasing, periodic sub-bass lines, and the occasional sing-along vocal loop. To add to the communal nature of his music, nearly all of the words for the tracks were displayed across the L.E.D. panels of Ultra’s Main Stage. No track received a bigger rise from the audience than The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside”, which was accompanied  by a bright, yellow techno smiley face on the massive screens.

The set was not only a celebration of trance, but a massive party for the international electronic music community. Flags from around the globe could be seen with a simple turn of the head, “hellos” and “I love yous” were shared in a myriad of languages, and thousands of people danced like fools together as if no borders, feuds, or wars existed. During that one hour, people could lose themselves within those repetitive beats, content with the pure happiness that had settled over the massive Bayfront Park crowd. -Derek Staples

Gallery

Photographers: Cap Blackard, Matt Rainey, and Derek Staples

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Ultra Music Festival plans to stage six different festivals in four continents in 2012. The longtime Miami electronic music festival expanded to Sao Paolo, Brazil in 2010, and will launch similar events in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Warsaw, Poland, Seoul, South Korea, and Ibiza, Spain in the coming months, according to an issued press release.

As previously reported, Ultra Music Festival Miami will run March 23-25th and features Kraftwerk, New Order, Justice, Tiësto, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, David Guetta, M83, Flux Pavilion, Kaskade, Bassnectar, Chase and Status, SBTRKT, and Flying Lotus, among others.

Ultra Music Festival Buenos Aires will follow on May 5th, then Ultra Music Festival Ibiza on May 27th and October 7th, Ultra Music Festival Poland from July 13-14th, Ultra Music Festival Korea on August 4th, and Ultra Music Festival Brazil in late 2012.

Full lineups for each festival will be revealed soon. However, Justice is already confirmed for Ultra Music Festival Buenos Aires, while Tiësto and Carl Cox will play both the Polish and Korean installments. Stay tuned to Festival Outlook for updates.

Check out an announcement video for Ultra’s new festivals below.

Miami’s Ultra Music Festival has revealed the second phase of its 2012 lineup. Set for March 23-25th at Bayfront Park, this year’s festival already promised Kraftwerk, New Order, Justice, Tiësto, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, David Guetta, M83, Flux Pavilion, Kaskade, Bassnectar, Chase and Status, SBTRKT, and Flying Lotus, among others.

Topping phase two are Richie Hawtin, Benny Benassi, Wolfgang Gartner, DJ Shadow, Erick Morillo, ATB, Martin Solveig, Gossip, Gui Boratto, Switch, and a DJ set by Pendulum.

Other notable additions include Joachim Garraud, Madeon, Digitalism (DJ set), Plump DJs, Treasure Fingers, Azari & III (DJ Set), Annie Mac, Dubfire, Felix Cartal, Loco Dice, Proxxy & Lantern, Sinden, Nervo, Paper Diamond, Maya Jane Coles, Nadastrom, and Tensnake.

Check out Ultra Music Festival’s entire confirmed bill at Festival Outlook. A third and final lineup phase is still to come.

Tickets to the festival are sold out.

Here’s a revelation: the music industry never sleeps. One would think the holiday season would be a time of rest. “Only Santa works these hours,” your mother might have said ages ago. Not in the digital era. Not when Twitter enables artists to be their own publicist, label, and distributor. (We love you Patrick Stickles.) Consequently, yours truly spent Christmas afternoon stringing together the words “Merry eX-Mas and Suck My Dick.” Sorry, Mom!

Below you can find a recap of news coverage from the last two weeks. Among the major themes: Mixtapes, covers, and more money for Adele.

On a side note: We can’t wait to show you what’s in store for 2012. Buckle up.

– Van Halen is going on tour.

– Adele‘s 21 is the best-selling album since 2004.

– Hear the new ASAP Rocky track, “Pretty Flacko”.

– Check out a new song from Frank Ocean, “4 Tears”.

– Hear Destroyer cover New Order’s ”Leave Me Alone”.

– Listen to and/or watch the video for jj‘s new song, “VI”.

– Hear an unreleased Pearl Jam demo from 1991 entitled “Chinese”.

– Watch The Flaming Lips‘ extra trippy cover of “I Am the Walrus”.

– Watch footage of My Morning Jacket covering Gil-Scott Heron’s “The Bottle”.

– Listen to R.E.M. cover ABBA’s “Does You Mother Know?” during a concert in 1984.

– Watch Jónsi‘s video for “Gathering Stories”, from his soundtrack to We Bought a Zoo.

– Hear Lady Gaga‘s previously unreleased Born This Way outtake, “Stuck on Fuckin’ You”.

– Hear the new single from Paul McCartnery featuring Eric Clapton, “My Valentine”.

– Captain Beefhart‘s “lost” 1976 album Bat Chain Puller will finally be released in January.

– Memoryhouse kicked off their big 2012 with a cover of The Zombies’ ”This Will Be Our Year”.

– Cocteau Twins are reissuing their compilation album Stars and Topsoil: A Collection (1982-1990).

– Download the final installment of The Weeknd‘s mixtape trilogy, Echoes of Silence. Then read our review.

– Raekwon and T.I. dropped New Year’s mixtapes entitled Unexpected Victory and Fuck Da City Up, respectively.

– Watch Titus Andronicus frontman Patrick Stickles perform a non-ironic cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games”.

– That’s not the only “Video Games” cover we heard though; check out Silver Swans‘ wintery twist on the infamous track.

– Download Lykke Li‘s The Lost Sessions Vol. 1, featuring stripped-down versions of three songs from Wounded Rhymes.

– Kraftwerk, New Order, Justice, Tiësto, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, David Guetta, and M83 top the massive bill for Ultra Music Festival 2012.

– Watch the video for Cat Power‘s newly reworked version of ”King Rides By”. An mp3 of the song is also available in exchange for a charitable donation.

– Download the new mixtape from rising Brooklyn MC Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, the wholesomely-titled Merry eX-Mas & Suck My Dick.

Other notable acts include Skrilex, Duck Sauce, 2manydjs, Groove Armada (DJ Set), Flux Pavilion, Carl Cox, Armin Van Buuren, Kaskade, Bassnectar, Chase and Status, The Bloody Beetroots, A-Trak, Laidback Luke, Little Dragon, Neon Indian, SBTRKT, Flying Lotus, Miike Snow, and Pretty Lights.

Also on the bill are Fedde Le Grand, Knife Party, Steve Aoki, Magnetic Man, Zeds Dead, Porter Robinson, Sven Vath, Sander Van Doorn, Borgore, Doctor P, Metronomy, Jack Beats, 12th Planet, Skream! + Benga, Steve Lawler, Joris Voorn, Katy B, and more. Check out the entire first phase, broken down by day, in poster form below. And stay tuned to our Festival Outlook for additional lineup news and updates.

Three-day and VIP passes, priced at $299.95 and $599.95, respectively, are now on sale. Visit the festival’s website for complete ticketing info.

Miami’s annual electronicpalooza, the Ultra Music Festival, returns March 23-25th, 2012. At 3:00pm EST Saturday, early bird tickets will go on sale, with 3-day and VIP passes priced at $149.95 and $599.55, respectively.

A lineup announcement is likely months away, but you can keep tabs on all the latest updates at our Ultra Music Festival page on Festival Outlook. In the meantime, check out the festival’s 2012 teaser trailer below.

Perhaps T.S. Eliot was right. Maybe April really is the cruelest month.

Then again, this is the time of year  when the music world starts to gain serious momentum. Nearly every artist still in existence decides to release new material and tour the world, major festivals finally reveal their line-ups, and just about anything’s possible. It is spring after all. The season for exciting new beginnings.

You know where this is headed. This is the part where I tell you that CoS will be here all throughout the busy spring season and beyond to help you keep track of everything important in the music. Yes, that’s exactly what we’re here for.

So get ready for next week because it’s sure to be stacked — but don’t forget to enjoy this recap post first:

– LCD Soundsystem played their final farewell.

– Read all about it: Radiohead deliver their free newspaper, The Universal Sigh.

– Arcade Fire scored big time at this year’s Juno Awards (i.e. Canada’s answer to the Grammys, only slightly cooler) and played a rousing rendition of “Rococo” that night, which you can view by clicking here. Plus, they found time to perform Funeral stand-out “Haiti,” in, no joke, Haiti this week, along with some really unexpected covers.

– Go ahead. Try to name one artist who doesn’t plan to release something on Record Store Day this year.

– The White Stripes plan to reissue their first two singles. You can buy them on a certain day in April. (Hint: it rhymes with “lecord ore bay”).

– There’s a new Death Cab for Cutie track to hear.

– Kid Cudi has a new song out, too.

– Circuital, My Morning Jacket‘s sixth studio album, drops on May 31st.

– Odd Future unleashed even more material that defies simple explanation.

– And now for the obligatory Foo Fighters update: you can now hear 60-second samples of their forthcoming LP. You can also listen to another new track called “Arlandria” if you want. Or you could just stream the whole thing. Your call.

– Watch the video for the Fleet Foxes’ “Grown Ocean”.

– Jay-Z got slapped with a lawsuit.

– Charlie Sheen gave us something else to Google/Twitter about.

– The Strokes continued to kill it live.

– This year’s installment of Nateva Festival was canceled.

– Have Ezra Furman & The Harpoons recorded their best album to date? Here’s what Adam Kivel had to say.

– Disappointed with Daft Punk‘s original score for Tron: Legacy? Read Megan Ritt’s take on Tron Legacy: R3CONFIGUR3D.

– Peter Bjorn and John are back. Chris Coplan reviewed their latest effort, Gimme Some.

– Derek Staples ventured south for the “three-day electro-extravaganza” that is Ultra Music Festival.

– Sergio Vega (of Deftones fame) was nice enough to chat with Karina Halle.

– No week here at CoS is complete without a giveaway of some sort. How do free tickets to Sweetlife Festival 2011 sound?

– FYI, we’re throwing a huge party in Chicago featuring Ladytron‘s Mira Ayoyo on April 14th. Click here for additional details.

Launched on the sands of South Beach in 1999 by business partners Alex Omes and Russell Faibisch as a Winter Music Conference closing event, Ultra grew into a full-day experience the following year,  then relocated to Miami’s downtown in 2001 to accommodate for the rapidly growing audience. In the mid-2000′s, Ultra fought off the festival challengers Bang and The Global Gathering, and in 2007 added a second day, cultivating an international brand.

In 2010, Ultra far overshadowed the week-long Winter Music Conference, to the tune of 100,000 attendees to a meager 3,763.The festival also solidified itself as a truly international series, hosting UMF events in electronic meccas Brazil and Ibiza. So, it was really not too big a surprise when Ultra 2011 sold out 34 days prior to its March 25^th kickoff.

But Ultra couldn’t roll into its 13^th anniversary without some unfortunate events. The Winter Music Conference decided to move its dates up by two weeks, forcing many participants and some attendees to choose between the two events. And apparently due to a conflict in booking fees, stage selection, and set time, The Swedish House Mafia decided to forgo Ultra in 2011, for their own “Masquerade Motel: One Night Stand”, which drew a sold-out 12,000 member crowd, and coincided with deadmau5′s Saturday headlining slot. And if those weren’t enough obstacles for Ultra’s organizers and promoters, due to construction at the Miami’s Bicentennial Park, the event’s homesite, organizers were forced to pack 200 acts across seven stages, and the expected 150,000 attendees in an area roughly two-thirds that in the past. No one ever implied setting up a massive festival was easy, just ask the folks behind Pemberton, Rothbury, or any of the other fallen US festivals.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Speaking with the Miami New Times days before the launch, co-founder Faibisch seemed undaunted by the challenges. With plans for the first ever Asian UMF event, Faibisch is set on building the diverse global brand from Miami,“Ultra Music Festival is all about the Magic City. We are very committed to keeping Ultra in Downtown Miami.”

So, with the stages up, set-times announced, and day-glow outfits planned, there is really just one remaining question: Can we last three days?

- Derek Staples
News Writer

Friday, March 26th

If you have ever been to Miami, Ultra weekend or otherwise, you already know that South Florida is one massive traffic jam. To make travel even more cumbersome, Miami International Airport suffered a massive fuel fire Thursday morning that canceled over 175 flights, delaying arrival for many attendees until late Friday night or even Saturday afternoon. With an opening day bill featuring Fedde le Grand, Benny Benassi, CSS, Röyksopp, Tiësto, Trentemøller, STS9, and legends Erasure and Duran Duran, the delay was a massive setback for many both domestic and international travelers.

The restructuring of the venue grounds, which has remained fairly constant since 2007, was surprisingly beneficial. While visually toned down slightly, the repositioning of the Main Stage along the southern boundaries of the park allowed for a much better flow of crowd traffic between the smaller house oriented stages on the Northern end – not to mention, given the reduced diameter of the park, it kept the sound from bleeding. What’s more, 2011′s Live Stage, which has been notoriously difficult to reach due to Main Stage crowds in the past, was secluded on a rocky embankment with Biscayne Bay on two sides, maximizing the live acoustics and shaping a more communal experience for attendees that appreciate more hands-on musicianship.

Apart from the additional day, 2011′s most recognizable change was the “two-story” Carl Cox Tent. Taking a few cues from Coachella’s Sahara Stage, the tent doubled in height, held 10,000 attendees, and increased the visuals overhead to create a more comfortable, fan/artist friendly environment.

The restructuring of the venue led to just one major issue: bathroom breaks. Dancing outside in the hot South Florida sun, it is definitely advisable to stay hydrated (especially when ravers brought along their friend Molly), but when attendees had to relieve themselves, waits often lasted longer than 30 minutes due to the bottlenecked placement. This is one problem that must be resolved prior to Ultra 2012, which has already been set for March 23^rd, 24^th, and 25^th.

Similar to Austin’s SXSW, Ultra’s talent flows into the host city’s streets, nightclubs, and anywhere else with a decent sound system. With a few extra pairs of eyes in Miami to assist in coverage, CoS was able to put the proverbial pen down and soak in the parties that kept feet moving, bodies swaying, and eyes dilated until sunrise…of Monday.

Fedde le Grand – Live Stage – 5:20 p.m.

With audiences still making their way into the venue, Fedde le Grand spun a fan-friendly remix-heavy set. Le Grand kept the set slightly toned down, especially compared to his Carl Cox performance on Saturday, but the audience reacted nicely to a remix of Empire of the Sun’s “Walking on a Dream” which slid effortlessly into “Otherside” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Laurent Garnier – Carl Cox & Friends Tent – 4:00 p.m.

Laurent Garnier embodies the international flair of Ultra. The 45-year-old French tech DJ first began spinning in Manchester, UK, and later fell in love with the Midwest, incorporating both Chicago House and Detroit Techno. With a three-hour long set to debut the newly redesigned Carl Cox tent, Garnier showcased the many sides of house music, keeping the audience moving, but providing ample mid-tempo repetition to keep bodies fresh for the rest of the weekend.

Holy Ghost! – Live Stage – 5:45 p.m

Ultra continued to broaden the lineup outside of traditional DJs in 2011 with an abundance of actual live talent. Holy Ghost!, originally formed by high school friends Nicholas Millhiser and Alexander Frankel out of Brooklyn as a studio only project, are still gelling as a four-piece live collective, but have amplified their energy from earlier LCD Soundsystem opening performances. Not every band with a live drummer and guitarist won over the Ultra crowd, but the live take on nu-disco anthem “Hold On” and “I Will Be Back” changed some minds, and helped add new fans to a quickly growing base.

Benny Benassi – Main Stage – 6:30 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Similar to Ultra 2010, Benny Bennassi took to the Main Stage with the bright Miami sun still beating down to work the audience into a sweaty, hard house hysteria. The dude is a legend, and sometimes he sticks to closely to his classic beats, but Friday evening Benassi kicked off his set with new bangers “Electroman” and “House Music”. Surprisingly, Benassi tipped his hat to what is next, remixing James Blake’s “Limit To Your Love”. But Benassi must have felt the track was about 40 BPM too slow, because he turned up the dial and knocked the fans with some electro-grime. Unlike the live performers and new acts like Rusko, Boys Noize, Simian Mobile Disco, Kaskade, or the rising masses of Colorado dub DJs, Benassi never really seems to be doing much on the decks. However, when you produce hits like “Satisfaction”, it’s perfectly acceptable to spend time checking texts during your set.

CSS – Live Stage – 7:00 p.m.

Sao Paolo’s CSS might get tired of being sexy, but fans always want a little more. Even with a sparse turnout of possibly about 100 – not enough bloops and bleeps for the typical attendee – singer Lovefoxxx tore through the outfit’s indie-dance staples. As “Jager Yoga” finished up, Lovefoxxx leapt into the crowd, and cracked a joke, politely asking what their favorite alcohol was. The band waited until about half-way into their set to play crowd-favorite “Music Is My Hot Hot Sex”. With the collective rocking, Lovefoxxx shed her leather coat, tore off her pants to reveal a pair of short denims, and rode the onstage lighting fixture – which was apparently as hot as CSS’s set.

Erasure – Main Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Friday night was not a good day for electronic legends. If the turnout for CSS was bad, the attendance for Erasure was almost disrespectful. Ultra has brought in fellow innovators like The Cure and Depeche Mode in the past, but the Main Stage area grew desolate as Andy Bell stepped up to the mic and the legendary Vince Clarke manned the programmer. Even with only a few hundred in attendance, Bell twirled around the stage as if he were performing for thousands. The production lacked some normal Erasure elements like glitter-throwing and multiple costume changes, but the group’s mystique was kept intact with Clarke’s five-piece red suit, Bell’s sequined Union Jack denim jacket and tank top, and the two backup singers resembling 1950′s carhops. Even after 25 years, Bell’s vocals are still amazing, and the flair in which he performs can only be topped by the best of mega-artists. While I try to take an objective view of the Ultra-culture, the lack of a crowd is further proof attendees are often more about the drug induced experience than listening to what the electro-world has to offer.

Röyksopp - Live Stage – 8:20 p.m.

Unlike 75% of the acts at Ultra, the vast majority of Friday’s crowd had never had the opportunity to experience Norway’s Röyksopp live. Whatever is in Norway’s water leads to some crazy creativity, and Röyksopp’s set was nothing less than mesmerizing, both musically and visually. The duo of Svein and Tjorbjor craft electronic mood music, ranging from the darkest of techno to much bouncier electro-pop tunes. In the live setting, the outfit takes fans by the gut and sets out on a visceral trip. The synthed out vocals and eerie costumes create a sense of haunting psychodelia, that they ease away with more easily digestible tracks like the super popular “Remind Me”. Accompanied by vocalist Anneli Drecker, Röyksopp stayed on stage for the one song encore performance of  “Tricky, Tricky”, which originally featured Fever Ray/The Knife’s Karin Andersson. As Drecker delivered the line “I’m about to lose it”, there was a mutual understanding and appreciation across the starry eyed crowd.

Duran Duran – Main Stage – 8:20 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Apparently, the promoters of Ultra missed the memo that live guitars and lyrics are now suitable raver repellant, because the Main Stage was empty for Duran Duran. The band opened with “Hungry Like The Wolf”, which predates roughly 70% of those on hand. The energy wasn’t there from the audience side, but Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and guest vocalist Anna Ross did their damnedest to keep those remaining from the Erasure set energized. Being 25, the set was like a soundtrack of adolescent car rides, with spot-on performances of “Girl Panic”, “Sunrise”, “Girls on Film”, and “Ordinary World”.

Trentemøller - Live Stage – 9:35 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Have you ever had a terrible brain freeze, but your beverage was so amazing that you just couldn’t stop drinking? Well, that is the easiest way to describe Trentemøller’s live performance. To define the sound is daunting – it hides in the dark shadows, and builds through both tribal drum beats and more minimal ambience, with added techno/breakbeat textures and live guitar riffs. At times, four of the five live members would all go at the drum kit at once, sending the track and the audience into a dizzying panic. Other times, it is all about the build, stretching four to the floor beats out for minutes. Trentemøller is not for the faint of heart, but have developed a sound that deserves to be explored by fans across musical genres.

Pendulum – Main Stage – 9:30 p.m.

If Australians are truly descended from the English penal colonies located there in the 19^th century, Pendulum demonstrated that social divide Friday night, finally bringing some energy to the Main Stage following the performances of Erasure and Duran Duran. Pendulum have strayed from their early live drum n’ bass and breakbeat days, into more of a Linkin Park knockoff, but their Ultra set was raw, brutal, and aggressive. In true Ultra style, the visuals brought the spectacle to the next level. With visuals of liquid metal rushing to coat the human skeleton, scorpions killing roaches, and other industrial imagery, Pendulum was striking fans on at least three senses – sight, sound, and due to epic bass, touch. Prior to performing “The Island Part 1”, Rob Swire announced that the track was “made specifically for nights like this.” As Ben Mount delivered the hook, “Left with no reason we come undone”, fans better understood Swire sentiment.

Tiësto

Photo by Craig Yunger

There is very little that hasn’t already been said about Tiësto, the man is truly a God in the field. He plays every mega-club, headlines festivals worldwide, and pretty much plays his signature feel-good dance music each and every year at Ultra. So, it’s best just to watch and enjoy.

(Shout out to Miami New Times for Live Stage video features)

Saturday, March 26th

The organizers of Ultra have never seemed too worried about schedule conflicts, with the sheer number of superstar DJs and growing number of must see live bands, creating a conflict free weekend would be a logistical nightmare. These schedule conflicts are often nullified by the ADHD that sets in upon entering the gate; fans perpetually wondering from stage to stage just to witness who is throwing down the dopest set. Even with the added day, schedule conflicts were abundant on Saturday -  Skrillex vs. Goldie, Boys Noize vs. Moby vs. Skream! And Benga, Cut Copy vs. Rusko vs. Underworld.

Don’t you wish all your problems had such guaranteed amazing outcomes?

Goldie – Tower of Ultra – 5:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

After hosting the house sound of UMF Korea Friday night, The Tower of Ultra was transformed into the home of Euro bass music Saturday evening. Backed with a pair of emcees/professional hype men, Goldie took to the Tower to construct his signature UK jungle and drum n’ bass beats. The emcee’s vocals added an extra layer for listeners to bite into, but sometimes it’s just better to let the bass in the lead.

Afrojack – Main Stage – 5:10 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

At the age of 23, Dutch DJ Afrojack, born Nick van de Wall, has already earned acclaim worldwide as one of the 20 best DJs. Afrojack molds his own productions, but he excels at remixing popular artists across multiple genres. Clocking in at just over an hour, Afrojack sliced and diced tracks by The Black Eyed Peas, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, David Guetta, and even Imogen Heap with his razor-sharp tech-house tools.

Simian Mobile Disco – Live Stage – 5:45 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

James Ford and Jas Shaw of Simian Mobile Disco had one of the more noticeable setups of the festival. Known for their analog productions, Ford and Shaw spent the majority of the show with their backs to the audience maneuvering around two large boxes filled with rows upon rows of various knobs and sliders. The duo utilized the device to deliver a mixture of both their earlier more club/electro-house tracks, “It’s the Beat” and “Hustler”, and their current much darker ambient techno productions of Delicacies. The guys are certainly perfecting their buildup, with fans ready to pounce as the duo break into more aggressive BPM.

Telekinetic Walrus – UMF Radio Stage – 6:00 p.m.

Ultra has always been proud to feature new local talent across the multiple smaller stages. Coming out of the University of Miami, Telekinetic Walrus combine electronic, jazz, and funk to make spectacular house party music. Like an updated Parliament Funkadelic with an oboe and some electronics, Telekinetic Walrus know how to start a party.

Kaskade – Main Stage – 6:10 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Whether in a club of 500 or headlining a festival of several thousand, Kaskade always delivers. Through his recent work with fellow progressive producer deadmau5, Kaskade has quickly moved up the ranks as one of the most in-demand live DJs. Not only for his style, but for the party atmosphere that he brings to the show. Crazy visuals were ongoing over Ultra weekend, but Kaskade went old school, sending out dozens of massive white balloons into the audience as he spun tracks including “I Remember”, The Ting Ting’s “Hands”, and even up and comer Skrillex’s “Scary Monsters & Nice Sprites”.

Moby – Carl Cox & Friends – 7:00 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Moby’s fans can virtually be broken down into two camps – those who love Play, and those who have listened to Play but prefer to witness Moby set the radio tracks to the side and just deliver something fresh. Saturday’s performance was for the latter. Sporting a Minor Threat tee, Moby worked his set with the energy of a classic Minor Threat hardcore show. Even as electronic music evolves and new breeds of DJs break new ground, Moby remains relevant through continual innovation and cross over hits. Despite the noticeable grey whiskers of middle age setting in, Moby jumped the UFO shaped stage and worked the room. Bottom line: Moby brings the energy, and he expects the same in return.

Skream! + Benga – Tower of Ultra – 7:00 p.m.

Anyone who has listened to the new Britney Spears album understands that dub has made its way into American popular music; a feat probably not possible without the work of UK’s Skream! + Benga. The duo have been perfecting their dub step styles independently since the early 2000s, transitioning from the much darker birthplace of dub into a more melodically driven sound. That is not to say the two still do not possess the energy of their early dub bangers – going at their set so hard Saturday evening that they actually broke the fader button clean off the mixing board. But the guys are pros, and after a short a capella break lead by Benga, Skream! was back on the knobs seamlessly mixing the smooth melodies over the body rockin’ bass.

Afrobeta – UMF Radio Stage – 7:30 p.m.

Managed by the one of the execs of Ultra, Afrobeta have become the darlings of the UMF festival series. Being from Miami, Afrobeta brought several friends on stage during the set to help produce, add additional vocals, beatbox, or just whistle. They may not be headlining amphitheaters or mega clubs any time too soon, but the electro-pop duo have worked hard to create a unique sound, and an even more engaging live experience.

Cut Copy – Live Stage – 8:25 p.m.

Photo by Derek Staples

Thanks to Rusko setting up at the Tower of Ultra, the Live Stage opened up nicely for the bouncy beats of Cut Copy. Much like their older electro-pop counter parts Duran Duran and Erasure, Cut Copy arrived to Miami a little overdressed, considering Ultra has become nearly clothing optional for females. It is true that the Aussie’s just released the new album, Zonoscope, but the majority of fans remained to catch the more danceable tracks from their sophomore release, In Ghost Colors. New tracks like “Corner of the Sky” were well received, but when the four-piece live beast started playing “Lights and Music” and “Hearts on Fire”, lead singer Dan Whitford’s voice was nearly silenced by the sheer number of fans that knew every word and were more than willing to sing along.

Underworld – Main Stage – 8:45 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Deadmau5 may have been the official headliner of the Main Stage Saturday night, but fans of the seminal outfit Underworld traveled from countries around the globe to catch their penultimate performance. It’s understandably difficulty for Underworld to travel; they require an entire custom mobile soundboard for each performance. Underworld may only officially be Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, but it takes an entire team of producers, lurking in the shadows, to complete the band’s alternative dance tracks. Underworld started the night with a spot on performance of “Everything, Everything”, and continued to roll out the hits, including “Always Loved a Film”, “Two Months Off”, and, of course, “Born Slippy”. A stream of colorful, trippy, human-form visualizations synergized with Underworld ambient noise to dig deeper into the minds of the massive crowd. For a band called Underworld, they have an ability to pull lift a crowd about themselves into a communal cloud of electronic bliss.

Empire of the Sun – Live Stage – 9:45 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Empire of the Sun are less a band, and more of a musical experience, seemingly produced by Cirque de Soleil. The Australian performers write super catchy songs, too. Just one listen of “We Are the People” and you’ll be humming the hook for the next three days. However, the group also deliver one of the most spectacular live performances today. Multiple costume changes, light guitars, unbelievable backdrops, and Gaga-esque choreography have all become staples of Empire’s live sets. Sometimes amidst all the spectacle of Luke Steele a sense of the duo’s musical abilities can be lost, which is a shame because Nick Littlemore is one hell of a drummer.

Deadmau5 – Main Stage – 10:30 p.m.

Sunday March 27th

Body burned, brain fried, legs numb, keys/phone/wallet missing, friends possibly (and probably arrested), but onto day three.

Just one question: Can you last until the Chems?

Will.I.Am – Main Stage – 6:15 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Name alone should not place DJs on the Main Stage during Ultra. Will.I.Am is a decent DJ, especially when he is spinning tracks from the Black Eyed Peas, but the same sounds can probably be found at your local club on a busy Saturday night, even if that’s in the middle of Nebraska. Will.I.Am, you have a decent day job, just stick with it!

Steve Aoki – Live Stage – 6:35 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Looking at the draw to the Live Stage for Steve Aoki, and it seems the guy has become the king of the West Coast club banger. Whether working with other electro-heads like the Bloody Beetroots, or just tracking out his own techno remixes, Aoki fires on all cylinders all the time. The dude is perpetually running around the stage hyping the crowd, but always manages to get back to his Mac just as the next beat is about to drop. A note to Ultra: If you get Aoki to return in 2012, can fans see him rolling into dusk just to keep dehydration from all the jumping and dancing to a minimum?

Super Mash Bros. – Tower of Ultra – 6:30 p.m.

With the rise in popularity of Girl Talk, more and more mash-up artists are getting into the spotlight. And as their name implies, the Super Mash Bros. are all about the college-age pleasing mash-ups. Just in the short time spent in the Tower with the Bros., they cycled through Ja Rule, Genesis, Hanson, Lil John, and the East Side Boyz, and most likely a dozen other slightly less recognizable tracks. Unlike Girl Talk, who prefers to have the crowd on stage, the Bros.’ live act more closely resembled 2manyDJs and their video mash-ups montages.

Skrillex – Tower of Ultra – 7:30 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

LA’s Skrillex was blowing minds all weekend with his own brand of Bass Music. Not grime, dub, dnb, or electro-house, the 23 year-old just does whatever he wants with the low end to keep teeth rattling. Thursday evening, he packed Miami’s Mekka for an afterparty, Saturday saw him packing the Live Stage, and then Sunday gave him a chance to perform a brand new track at the Tower of Ultra.

Crystal Castles – Live Stage – 8:05 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

Still hobbled with an injured foot, and without the aid of their normal glaring light show, Crystal Castles could not deliver the full impact of their normal live performances. But the 1,200 mile trip was still pretty worth it. The near strobe-less set kept Ethan Kath and Alice Glass in the dark, with Glass seemingly more timid than usual to approach the crowd with her crutch. The crowd exploded as the intro for “XXXZXCUZX Me” filtered through the stage’s incredible sound system, but without the effects to distract audiences from Glass’s odd delivery style, some tracks just didn’t move the audience as anticipated.

The Glitch Mob – Tower of Ultra – 8:45 p.m.

The Glitch Mob have had the most dramatic shift in soundscapes compared to any other repeat performers at this year’s Ultra. Last year, the trio were still glitch-heavy bodyrocking remixers, but after the release of Drink the Sea, they have shifted to a more rhythmic, flowing production technique. On Sunday, a new breed of the Glitch arrived. Even though fans could not see their new live devices, the trio merged their two worlds, hitting “Animus Vox”, “We Swarm”, and “Fistful of Silence”, among others, with their old-school glitch effects. With inclusion of hip-hop vocals and beats, their sound has started to approach the hyphy movement of the late 90’s in San Francisco.

Beardyman – Live Stage – 9:10 p.m.

Beardyman is in a class all his own. Born Danny Foreman, he has mastered the art of beatboxing and uses the Korg Kaoss Pad 3 to live loop and sample his own vocals. The Briton also has a fondness for weed, speaking on the subject quite often, and sampling classic Bob Marley and other dub and stripped-down dancehall into his set.

MSTRKRFT – Live Stage – 9:30 p.m.

Photo by Craig Yunger

The duo only seemed to grow more ferocious with their time apart. Sharing a single laptop, and probably three packs of cigarettes, the Canadians just annihilated the packed crowd with their punk-fueled electro-house bangers. JFK and Al-P were relentless, pummeling the crowd with bass, tech effect shrills, and unruly drops. The set seemed absent of any mixes from their previous efforts,The Looks and Fist of God, so make sure to keep an ear to the ground for an upcoming third LP.

The Chemical Brothers – Main Stage – 10:30 p.m.

THE TIME HAS COME! No matter how many times you listen to Exit Planet Dust, Dig Your Own Hole, or the more recent Further, Tom Rowlands and Ed Simmons are going to straight up twist, turn, wreck, and turn your brain upside down. The 90 minute set had a slow build, with the massive Main Stage screen kept off to build a maddening level of suspense, until “Horse Power” dropped and all hell broke loose. There was no emotion or sense that was not somehow touched during the set. The Brothers’ visuals were truly beyond description – the massive scale, vivid colors, and total synchronization were a concert triumph on a level that has yet to be popularized on the US festival circuit. “Hey Boy, Hey Girl”, a track everyone at Ultra should know, sent the audience into a frenzy: glowsticks spinning, heads rocking, bodies bouncing, and voices screaming.

Photo by Craig Yunger

The show just continued to reach new levels of absurdity as each song built on the momentum of the last. Every second of the show seemed perfectly scripted, with seamless transitions for both the audio and the visual aspects of the performance. To separate the two does not seem fitting, as each part was equally important to the show as a whole. The set ended with radio favorites “Brothers Got to Work it Out” and “Block Rockin’ Beats”. Even after almost 30 hours of music, the set pulled every last drop of energy from the crowd, and captured the spirit so well, people would have stayed until the early working hours of Monday morning. Well, enough with the words, just know this…it must be witnessed.
——

Gallery by Craig Yunger

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Brits can rejoice as well this week, with major additions made to the Glastonbury, Hop Farm, End of the Road, ATP Curated by Animal Collective, Lovebox, and Creamfields lineups. It looks like New Orleans won’t be the only city rocking the south this spring as Memphis’s Beale Street Festival gears up with some big-name additions. And as always, South by Southwest is busy making some last-minute preparations while still tagging acts to their undercard. Mardi Gras might be over, but the festival party’s just getting started.

Remember, by bookmarking Festival Outlook and/or following us on Twitter you never have to miss a beat when it comes to the latest festival news. After all, Wednesday only comes once a week.

NEWS:

– Glastonbury Festival confirmed a number of 2011 acts, including Chemical Brothers, Fleet Foxes, BB King, Laura Marling, Mumford & Sons, Janelle Monáe, Big Boi, Crystal Castles and more. Although all 200,000 tickets have already been claimed, there is still hope in the form of an April re-sale. Stay tuned to Festival Outlook for more details on the re-sale, and lineup updates.

– Animal Collective, TV on the Radio, and Fleet Foxes are set to head the Pitchfork Music Festival 2011. The event will take place July 15-17 in Chicago’s Union Park, and also include Kylesa, Yuck, Destroyer, Das Racist, and Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Tickets are on sale here; three-day passes are already sold out, so be sure to snatch up the remaining single-day tickets ASAP.

– The Beale Street Festival has announced yet another impressive and diverse bill for its 2011 edition. The Flaming Lips, Wilco, and MGMT are set as headliners, while Ziggy Marley, Mumford & Sons, Gregg Allman, Cee-Lo Green, Jason Mraz, Macy Gray, Ludicris, and Slightly Stoopid are among the notable acts. Tickets are on-sale now at the wonderfully low price of $69 for the three-day pass, so be sure to grab yours soon via Ticketmaster. VIP packages and more info about Memphis in May celebrations can be found at memphisinmay.org.

– Hey festival fans! Corporate sponsorship and tiered pricing got you down? Sick of all the big festivals selling-out, branding, and abusing your bank account? Then search no further, for the Hop Farm Music Festival touts a “return to the basics” that’s not only appealing but refreshingly egalitarian. Held on the first two days of July, the lineup includes Lou Reed, Morrissey, Patti Smith, Iggy & The Stooges, The Eagles, Deathcab for Cutie, and Brandon Flowers. Head over to Seetickets.com for single-day and weekend passes.

– The Do LaB’s Lightning in a Bottle will return this May will a lineup featuring DJ sets from Thievery Corporation and Bonobo, as well as performances from Pretty Lights, Lucent Dossier Experience, Beats Antique, MiM0SA, and many more. There will also be informative green-living workshops to promote environmentally-sustainable practices, as well as yoga, dance classes, and art installations, in addition to the three stages of music. Tickets are available now in one-day, two-day, and three-day packages via the festival’s website.

– San Francisco’s Outside Lands Festival will return August 12-14th. “Eager beaver” tickets go on sale this Friday at 12pm PST.

– The Nateva Music and Camping Festival will return August 5-7. STS9, Thievery Corporation, Gregg Allman Band, John Butler Trio, Bob Weir, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros  Guster, and Ghostland Observatory are among the notables confirmed for the festival’s sophomore edition. Tickets, along with layaway, RV and VIP remixes, are now available through the festival’s website.

– After a two-year hiatus, Langerado is set to make a triumphant return this summer. The Florida-based festival’s second coming is the product of seasoned veterans C3 presents (the people who bring you Lollapalooza and ACL promoters) and Boros Entertainment, and will take place October 8-9 in Sunrise, FL. Early bird tickets are available as of 11am EST today (March 9th) and limited, additional passes will go on sale (for double the price) the same day the lineup announcement is made on June 1st.

– The first of four music festivals to held by the Dave Matthews Band this summer is set to take place in Atlantic City, NJ this June 24-26. DMB will headline all three days with the help of Thievery Corporation, Flaming Lips, Ray LaMontagne, Bassnectar, Dr. Dogg, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, O.A.R., Delta Spirit, David Gray, Warren Haynes Band, and Michael Franti & Spearhead among others. Ticket requests can be submitted this Monday (March 14th) at 10am EST, and actual tickets can be purchased for the three-day event on March 25th. Details are still forthcoming about the Midwest stop, as well as the other two destinations.

LINEUP ADDITIONS:

–  South By Southwest: Foo Fighters (Expected); Added Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Cee-Lo, Eisley, Funeral Party, Lupe Fiasco, Matt & Kim, Odd Future, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Wiz Khalifa

– Sasquatch! Music Festival: Added Wavves, Biffy Clyro, J. Mascis, and The Scott Aukerman & Paul F. Tompkins Show

– Lollapalooza: Titus Andronicus (Expected)

– Pitchfork Music Festival: Official lineup includes Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, TV on the Radio as headliners as well as Cut Copy, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Deerhunter, Destroyer, and The Dismemberment Plan

– Beale Street Music Festival: Official lineup includes John Mellencamp, Ke$ha, Wilco, B.o.B., Gregg Allman, MGMT, Mumford & Sons, The Flaming Lips, and Stone Temple Pilots

– Ultra Music Festival: Added Baby Anne, Classixx, Rabbit, Zeds Dead, Proxxy and Lantern, Shit Robot, and Porter Robinson

– Wakarusa Music Festival: Added Minus the Bear

– Electric Forest: Added Galactic and the Ragbirds

– Nateva Music & Camping Festival: Official lineup includes Thievery Corporation, STS9, Gregg Allman Band, John Butler Trio, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, and a solo acoustic set by Bob Weir

– Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Atlantic City: Official Lineup includes The Flaming Lips, Thievery Corporation, O.A.R., Michael Franti & Spearhead, David Gray, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Dr. Dogg, Bassnectar, and Dave Matthews Band

– Ottawa Bluesfest (Canada): The Black Keys (Expected), and Cage the Elephant (Expected)

– Glastonbury Festival (UK): Elbow (Expected), Biffy Clyro (Expected), Eels  (Expected); added Everything Everyting

– Oxegen Festival (Ireland): Official lineup includes headliners The Strokes, Black Eyed Peas, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, and The Script. Also performing are The National, Two Door Cinema Club, Bruno Mars, Paolo Nutini, DeadMau5, Brandon Flowers, Plan B, Bright Eyes and My Chemical Romance

– Electric Picnic (Ireland): Official lineup includes Arcade Fire, Pulp, Chemical Brothers, PJ Harvey, and The Go! Team

– Creamfields (UK): Official lineup includes The Chemical Brothers, Tiesto, Kaskade, Swedish House Mafia, Paul Oakenfold, and Boys Noize

– ATP Curated by Animal Collective (UK): Added Kurt Vile and the Violators, Tony Conrad, Oneohtrix Point Never, Actress, and Grouper

– End of the Road Festival (UK): Added Wild Nothing Mogwai, The Fresh & Onlys, Health, White Denim, and Tinariwen

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Added Bruno Mars, Everything Everything, Digitalism, Tame Impala, TV on the Radio, The Vaccines

– Hop Farm Fest (UK): Added Lou Reed, Patti Smith, Morrissey, Iggy & The Stooges

– SonarSound Tokyo (Japan): Lineup announced, includes Flying Lotus, Battles, DJ Krush, Sabi, and Open Reel Ensemble

– Arenal Sound (Spain): Added Delorean, Vive La Fete, Dos Bandas Y Un Destino, and Russian Red

– Motel Mozaique (Netherlands): Architecture in Helsinki, James Blake, Battles, and Fenech-Solder

– Les Eurockeennes (France): Added Beady Eye and Beth Ditto

– The Lovebox Festival (UK): Lineup is official, includes Robyn, Scissor Sisters, Lykke Li, and Blondie

– Main Square Festival (France): Added Moby, Fleet Foxes, Cold War Kids, Limp Bizkit, Tame Impala, and Underworld

– Open’er Festival: Added The National, Big Boi, Deadmau5, and Two Door Cinema Club

– Lightning in a Bottle: Official lineup includes Pretty Lights, Beats Antique and a Thievery Corporation DJ set

– Summerfest: Added Def Leppard, Heart, Jason Aldean

– Harmony Festival: Official lineup includes The Flaming Lips, Primus, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, and Ghostland Observatory

– High Sierra Music Festival: Official lineup includes My Morning Jacket, Neko Case, Ween, Dr. Dog, and Yonder Mountain String Band

– Bear Creek Music & Arts Festival: Official lineup includes Modeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood, Soulive, Lettuce, Beats Antique, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, The Funky Meters, John Scofield & Piety Street

– The Fest: Official lineup includes Less Than Jake, Bouncing Souls, and Against Me!

– Sunfest: Schedule is up

We at CoS thought the album was a Top Star, and many other reputable critics think the very same. But there has also been a lot of criticism, particularly because this album is “bigger.” The songs are more epic, the tracks are longer, the three-minute catchy synth-pop aesthetic seems to be gone. Once again, we think this is your greatest triumph, but we’ve heard a lot of negative comments about the length of the album. What compelled you to move in this particular direction?

I guess we wanted to create a world for the listener to immerse themselves in, where time becomes irrelevant. In the iTunes generation, people are so used to skipping amongst a whole bunch of different tracks. People’s attention spans aren’t what they used to be, but we’re still attracted to that rather old-fashioned idea of an album that you put on and listen to from start to finish. All our records are like that.

Who were your main influences going into writing/recording Zonoscope? What were you listening to at the time?

Werner Herzog’s Fitzcarraldo, Malcolm McLaren’s Duck Rock, and Paul McCartney’s McCartney 2.

What are your thoughts concerning the criticism surrounding the move to a bigger sound?

I’m not sure I can take “bigger sound” as a criticism. I mean, would it sound better if it was recorded entirely on a four track? I think we were intentionally going for a big sound. The songs seem to dictate or warrant that. I think what we were going for on this record is that it’s meant to be revealed over time, and you’re rewarded on repeat listens. Those are my favorite records to listen to. I think it’s important not to get too caught up in what other people are saying; otherwise, the music will be compromised somewhat. I think you need to show your audience some respect in wanting to grow with you and not repeating yourself on every record. But we certainly went for a different mood on this record. It’s probably less pop-sounding than the previous two…Well, there are still pop music elements, but they’re more of a skewed take on pop music. Maybe more subversive in a way.

With a release of this magnitude, massive touring usually ensues. You guys have 45 dates scheduled, including festival appearances. Is the new material road-ready?

I hope so! Too late now if it’s not! No, I think it’s ready. We’ve already played a whole bunch of Australian dates over the past two weeks, and they have seemed to go down really well.

How will it differ from past shows?

It’s a very different Cut Copy show, visually. We wanted the show to maybe reflect the album more. We’ve taken a lot of cues from theater, as opposed to standard rock shows or club-orientated raves. We spent a lot of time coming up with a concept for the record. We had props built for the stage, and we integrated video content. I guess we wanted to challenge ourselves a bit more and to give people who have been coming to Cut Copy shows over the years something new. We’re pretty excited about it.

Any plans at this time for an extension of your upcoming tour?

Yes. We’ll be touring for the next 12 months, but we plan on capping it there. We want to get back into the studio to make another record sooner rather than later. We’d love to release records at a quicker pace.

Recently, we received information about your “Tale of Two Journeys” mixtape. The release was a little unclear as to what exactly will be on this mixtape. Could you elaborate for us?

I guess we do a mixtape after each release, and basically they are more of an insight into what we were listening to when making our record. They are fun to make, and fans seem to really appreciate it. I think we have to keep the tracklisting a mystery for now, because there is a competition on at the moment to guess what’s on there. I’m sure all will be revealed soon!

Finally, you’re playing at two of the United States’ biggest festivals, Ultra and Coachella. At Ultra, which is notoriously electronic/dance heavy, you’ll be playing alongside everyone from Moby to Underworld. Who are you most excited to meet and/or see perform? Same for Coachella, you’ll be playing day one alongside an assortment of artists from Lauryn Hill to Interpol. Anybody you’re particularly excited to see?

Ultra: Holy Ghost. Coachella: Animal Collective.

Be sure to pick up Cut Copy’s latest, Zonoscope, and check them out on tour!

The brisk tour blows swiftly through 10 March dates with very little distribution. Things kick off on the 18th in Toronto, followed by Montreal, two New York dates, DC, Atlanta, Miami (for Ultra Music Festival), and three consecutive nights in Cali. That’s not a whole lot of opportunities to catch him, but keep in mind you’d also be seeing the Norwegian duo of Röyksopp. Might be worth the trip.

But, maybe you need another taste of Hopkins’ skills before you decide. Well, we’ve got you covered; scroll down to click ‘play’ on “I Know”, the David Lynch track newly envisioned for his January 31st remix EP. The track is trippy, ominous, and Hopkins seems totally comfortable working with Lynch’s dusty, sneering vocals.

Check out all the juicy bits bellow. Also, keep an eye out for news on a forthcoming solo album and a collaboration with King Creosote. Oh press releases, how you tease us.

John Hopkins 2011 Tour Dates:
03/18 – Toronto, ON @ The Guvernment *
03/19 – Montreal, PQ @ Club Soda *
03/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall *
03/21 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall *
03/23 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club *
03/24 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
03/25 – Miami, FL @ Ultra Music Festival
03/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom *
03/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern *
03/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Low End Theory, The Airliner *

* = w/ Röyksopp

More official lineup announcements have been trickling in, including Paid Dues, Hangout Music Fest, and the inaugural edition of Lollapalooza Chile, which carries some big names that tempt us to head southward. Speaking of down south, Miami’s Ultra Music Festival continues to gain momentum, adding Duran Duran, Moby, will.i.am., and more to their lineup. Never fear, however, as there is still plenty to speculate on as more rumors fly in from Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza (US), and countless other festivals at home and abroad.

For the full festival forecast, it would behoove you to stay up-to-date on all the latest news and rumors by bookmarking Festival Outlook and following us on Twitter. After all, Wednesday only comes once a week.

News:

– Sorry kids, but Coachella 2011 is officially SOLD OUT. However, despite much gossip about Kings of Leon’s Nathan Followill’s surgery, the band will not only be performing at Coachella, but added three more tour dates in the week leading up to it.

– Kanye West, The Killers, and Jane’s Addiction will head an impressive lineup at the inaugural edition of Lollapalooza Chile. Additional acts include the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Flaming Lips, and the National. One-day, two-day, and VIP passes are still available.

– Equally impressive is the bill that Primavera Sound has put together for 2011. Along with Pulp, Belle & Sebastain, and Grinderman, the festival has confirmed PJ Harvey, Sufjan Stevens, Interpol, Big Boi, Battles, Public Image, LTD, Simian Mobile Disco, of Montreal, and The Tallest Man on Earth.

– Phish are reportedly hosting a three-day music festival to take place over Fourth of July weekend this year. The jamfest is to be held in Watkins Glen, NY, and while an official announcement is still forthcoming the band will be, once again, performing eight different sets.

– Rock on the Range Festival announced their official lineup; Avenged Sevenfold and A Perfect Circle will be headlining. A special pre-sale will begin February 9th and run until the 11th with tickets priced at $99.50.

– The second lineup announcement of three for Ultra Music Festival revealed even more auspicious acts, including Duran Duran, Moby, will.i.am., and the Disco Biscuits. However, competing festival, “The One Night Stand”, hosted by Swedish House Mafia also announced their lineup with DJ A-Trak, Armand Van Helden, and Calvin Harris, to take place during day two of Ultra. Tickets for both are available now.

–Paid Dues announced three stages worth of acts that comprises its official lineup, adding Sage Francis, Bun B, and others to join headliners Black Star and Immortal Technique on the Paid Dues Stage. The second stage, the Dues Paid Stage (confused yet?), will host E-40 and Murs among others, while Slaughterhouse will head the third stage, the GrindTime Now Stage, which also features emcee battles in addition to regular performances. Tickets are now available.

– The sophomore edition of the Hangout Festival proves formidable with an inspiring lineup headed by Foo Fighters, Paul Simon, and Widespread Panic. For its second attempt, the festival is not only building up its lineup, but its amenities, including a fifth stage in the refuge of an air-conditioned tent, a Hammock Beach Lagoon refreshment area with Skybar tower, and more family-friendly events. Tickets went on sale today at 9am CST and a limited quantity of $159 tickets will be sold, afterwards additional tickets will be sold for $174. VIP and travel packages are also available.

Lineup Additions:

– Bonnaroo: Best Coast (Rumored), Robert Plant and the Band of Joy (Expected), Bruce Hornsby (Expected), Massive Attack (Rumored), Jaik Willis (Rumored)

– Lollapalooza: 30 Seconds to Mars (Rumored)

– Beale Street Music Festival: Cage the Elephant (Rumored), John Mellencamp (Rumored), Lucinda Williams (Rumored), MGMT (Rumored), The Lee Boys (Rumored)

– Ultra Music Festival: Phase 2 of lineup announced, includes Duran Duran, Underworld, Moby, Disco Biscuits, will.i.am., Erick Morillo, Kaskade, Laidback Luke, Sasha, Skream & Benga, and The Glitch Mob.

– Hangout Music Fest: Lineup announced, includes Foo Fighters, Widespread Panic, The Black Keys, My Morning Jacket, and The Flaming Lips

– Lollapalooza Chile: Lineup announced, includes The Killers, Jane’s Addiction, and Kanye West, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 30 Seconds to Mars, Deftones, The Flaming Lips, and The National

– Primavera Sound: Added PJ Harvey, Sufjan Stevens, Interpol, Big Boi, Battles, Public Image, LTD, Simian Mobile Disco, of Montreal, and The Tallest Man on Earth, among others

– Rock on the Range: Lineup announced, includes A Perfect Circle, Avenged Sevenfold, Disturbed, and Korn

– Paid Dues Festival: Lineup announced, includes a Black Star, mmortal Technique, Bun B and Sage Francis

– ATP New Jersey: Added A Hawk and A Hacksaw, Bonnie “Prince” Billy

– High Sierra Music Festival: Ween confirmed as first headliner

– Mission Creek Festival: Added Jeff Tweedy, Colour Revolt, Nathaniel Rateliff, Railroad Earth, Rubblebucket

– Hellfest: Lineup announced, includes Iggy and the Stooges, Rob Zombie, Disturbed, and Apocalyptica

– Summer Camp: Added Widespread Panic, Paper Diamond, Future Rock, Wiz Khalifa

– Summerfest: Kansas (Expected)

– Rocky Mt Folks Festival: Initial lineup announced, includes Brandi Carlile and Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band.

– Mayhem Festival: Added Red Fang and Trivium

– Sunfest 2011: Jeff Beck (Expected), Toad the Wet Sprocket (Expected)

– Hurricane & Southside Festivals (Germany): Added Band of Horses, Eels, Klaxons, MSTRKRFT, Sublime with Rome, and The Subways

– Sonisphere UK : Added Airbourne, Architects, and Weezer

– Glastonbury (UK): Added Tensnake

– iTunes Festival (UK): Added Adele

– Rock in Rio (Brazil): Added Elton John, Rhianna, and Katy Perry

– Boonstock Music Festival (Canada): Lineup announced, includes A Perfect Circle, Sublime with Rome, and Three Days Grace

– Groezrock (Belgium): Added Flogging Molly, Thursday, Underoath, Goldfinger, Devil’s Brigade, and H2O

– Oya Festival (Norway): Added The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, The Avett Brothers, and Wiz Khalifa

– Nova Rock (Austria): Lineup announced, includes Iron Maiden, System of a Down, and Linkin Park

– Super Bock Super Rock (Portugal): Added Arctic Monkeys and Beirut

– Heavy MTL (Canada): Initial lineup announced, includes Machine head, Godsmack, and Disturbed

– Sonisphere Italy: Lineup announced, includes Iron Maiden, Linkin Park, and Slipknot

Other additions include Kaskade, Erick Morillo, the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am., Sasha, Avicii, Fedde Le Grand, ATB, Laidback Luke, Loco Dice, The Glitch Mob, and Scream! & Benga, among others. You can find complete list of confirmed acts at our Ultra Music Festival page on Festival Outlook.

Three-day and VIP are priced at $219.95 and $499.95, respectively, and can be purchased via the festival’s website. A third and final lineup phase will be announced in the coming weeks.

In related news, Swedish House Mafia have unveiled the acts set to perform at their competing party. As previously reported, “The One Night Stand” is a 10-hour party that will take place at the Miami Masquerade Motel on the same Saturday as day two of Ultra. Among the acts set to perform include DJ A-Trak, Armand Van Helden, Calvin Harris, Steve Angello, Dirty South, Axwell, Pete Tong, Kim Fai, Max Vangeli, AN21, Third Party, and Thomas Gold. Tickets are now available via Wanttickets.com.

Swedish Norwegian electro duo Röyksopp will return stateside this March in further support of their most recent studio albums, 2009′s Junior and 2010′s Senior.  The trek begins in Toronto on March 18th and includes two dates in New York City and appearance at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami before wrapping up in Los Angeles on March 29th. Find all confirmed dates below. Tickets go on sale starting Friday, January 16th.

Röyksopp 2011 Tour Dates:
03/18 – Toronto, ON @ The Guvernment
03/19 – Montreal, QC @ Club Soda
03/20 – Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
03/21 – New York, NY @ Webster Hall
03/23 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
03/25 – Miami, FL @ Ultra Music Festival
03/26 – Mexico City, MX @ Hipódromo de las Américas
03/28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom
03/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern

This week’s most noteworthy items come in the form of rumors for the country’s biggest and baddest weekend extravaganzas. With Coachella rumored to be unveiling its 2011 lineup sometime this month, expected acts continue to trickle out early, while word in Chi-town is that Pitchfork may again score an anticipated reunion. As for a few more concrete pieces of info, Ultra, South by Southwest, Summer Camp, and the Telluride Bluegrass Festival have all made additions to their 2011 lineups in recent weeks.

Enjoy the lengthy recap below. Also, don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way you won’t have to wait until Wednesday before getting your festival fix.

News:

– Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Strokes will headline the 2011 edition of Japan’s Summer Sonic Music Festival.

– South by Southwest confirmed even more 2011 acts, including The Boxer Rebellion, Menomena, Das Racist, Shawn Chrystopher, Sondre Lerche, James Blake, Zoroaster, and The Baseball Project, which features Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate), Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows), Peter Buck (R.E.M.), and Linda Pitmon (Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3). Plus, you can also expect to see performances by Bright Eyes and Liz Phair.

– Robert Plant & Band of Joy, The Decemberists, The Sam Bush Band, and Béla Fleck & the Original Flecktones head Telluride Bluegrass Festival’s 2011 lineup.

– Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival will return in 2011.

– We’re giving away tickets to the first-ever Last.fm Festival. Set for January 21, 2011 in New York City, the lineup features Tokyo Police Club, Two Door Cinema Club, and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

Lineup Additions:

– Coachella Music Festival: Glassjaw, Sasha, GAYNGS, Fat Freddy’s Drop (Expected); The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Twin Shadow, Cults, Fujiya & Miyagi, Clare Maguire, DJ Honda (Rumored)

– South by Southwest: Added The Boxer Rebellion, Menomena, Das Racist, Shawn Chrystopher, Sondre Lerche, James Blake, Zoroaster, and The Baseball Project; Bright Eyes, Liz Phair (Expected)

– Pitchfork Music Festival: Pulp, Deerhunter (Rumored)

– Bonnaroo Music Festival: Plump DJs (Rumored)

– Ultra Music Festival: Added Armin van Buuren; Richie Hawtin presents Plastikman (Expected)

– Summer Camp: Added Bassnectar, Papadosio, Pimps of Joytime, and Yonder Mountain String Band

– Wakarusa Music Festival: Spoonfed Tribe, Zoogma (Expected)

– Solid Sound Festival: 2011 dates announced

– Summer Sonic: The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers confirmed as headliners

– ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror (UK): Added PJ Harvey, DD/MM/YYYY, S.C.U.M.

– Groezrock: Added Dropkick Murphys, Descendents, and The Used

– Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Initial lineup announced, including Robert Plant & Band of Joy, The Decemberists, The Sam Bush Band, and Béla Fleck & the Original Flecktones

– 35 Conferette: Added Big Boi, Miami Horror, Beans, Pujol, Turbo Fruits, and more

– Snowball Festival: Official lineup announced, including Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Local Natives, Diplo, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, Baths, and more.

– Nateva Festival: 2011 dates announced; tickets now onsale

– Wanee Music Festival: Electric Hot Tuna, Taj Mahal Trio (Expected)

– Beale Street Music Festival: Devon Allman’s Honeytribe (Expected)

– HARD Weekend NYC: Official lineup, including Simian Mobile Disco, Crystal Castles, Benga & Skream, and more

– HARD Weekend LA: Official lineup, including Simian Mobile Disco, Fake Blood, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, and more

– HARD Weekend Oakland: Official lineup, including Simian Mobile Disco, Fake Blood, Mumbai Science, and more

Unless you were sitting by your computer for the entire day, you missed something. It’s just fact. We would equate today’s barrage of music news headlines as similar to when Bonnaroo decided to unveil one act off its 2010 lineup… every…. five…. minutes… via…. MySpace. One after another, today’s news stories rolled in, and for as much as they totaled in quantity they were also equally thrilling in quality. New music from R.E.M., Kanye West, and The Decemberists? A Bruce Springsteen webcast? Lineup news for the Ultra and Coachella music festivals? Our minds are blown just as much as Bono’s. Needless to say, a recap is in order.

– R.E.M. shared Collapse Into Now’s release date (3/8/11), album artwork, and lead track, “Discoverer”, which you can download for the price of an email address.

– On the same day in which he was named our Artist of the Year, Kanye West released a Christmas song. Even better, the finished product is still to come.

– For the first time ever, Daft Punk have a Top 10 album. Too bad it’s for Tron: Legacy (jkkkk).

– Bruce Springsteen is streaming a 30-minute mini concert online. As you’d expect, it’s a must-watch.

– The Decemberists’ cover of The Grateful Dead’s “Row Jimmy” has hit the web.

– Damon Albarn revealed the title of the Gorillaz‘s new album. You know, the one made on an iPad that’s being released for free on Christmas.

– Ultra Music Festival released phase 1 of its 2011 lineup and it’s pretty impressive. Among those confirmed include The Chemical Brothers, Tiësto, deadmau5, Chromeo, Empire of the Sun, Klaxons, and Erasure!

– Ireland’s Oxegen festival also released a portion of its 2011 lineup. Foo Fighters, Blink-182, and Arctic Monkeys are headlining.

– Beck will produce and play on Thurston Moore‘s forthcoming solo album. We’re guessing Rosie O’Donnell is happy.

– Mexico City rock band Caifanes is reuniting for Coachella 2011. In related news, the Coachella rumor mill is in full swing.

– Gossip’s Beth Ditto and Simian Mobile Disco are teaming up for an EP.

– Trent Reznor sat down with PBS’ Tavis Smiley to discuss his Golden Globe-nominated score for the Social Network.

– Joanna Newsom played “On a Good Day” for Letterman, while Broken Bells offered “The Ghost Inside” on Conan.

For a full recap of all the latest festival news and rumors, scroll down and check out this week’s edition of Festivals in Brief.

P.S. Don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way you won’t have to wait until Wednesday before getting your festival fix.

News:

– CoS dubbed Sasquatch! our festival of the year! If only more festivals were in beautiful gorges.

– Ultra Music Festival loaded its 2011 lineup with The Chemical Brothers, Tiesto, Deadmau5, David Guetta, MSTRKRFT, Empire of the Sun, and more

– In celebration of their 20th anniversary, Pearl Jam will be hosting a music festival “somewhere in the Midwest” .

– Mexico City’s Caifanes will reunite for Coachella 2011! For those interested, layway plans are now available!

– The Big Four will unite again next summer to headline Sonisphere Festival UK.

– A reunited Black Star, Murs, and Immortal Technique will headline the Paid Dues Festival.

Lineup Additions:

– Coachella: Caifanes, Broken Social Scene, The Thermals, YACHT (Expected), The Strokes, Chemical Brothers, HEALTH (Rumored)

– Ultra Music Festival: Official Lineup including Chemical Brothers, Empire of the Sun, Deadmau5, Tiesto, David Guetta, MSTRKRFT, Cut Copy, Girl Talk, Klaxons, !!!, and more

– Bonnaroo: Cold War Kids, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Mumford and Sons (Rumored)

– Sonisphere (UK): Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Megadeth confirmed as Friday headliners

– Oxegen (Ireland): Foo Fighters, Blink-182, Arctic Monkeys confirmed as headliners

– Isle of Wight (UK): Added Manic Street Preachers, Nick Lowe, Two Door Cinema Club, Public Image, LTD, & Hadouken!

– End of the Road Festival (UK): Initial lineup including The Walkmen, Twin Shadow, Midlake, & Wild Beasts

– Nova Rock (Austria): Iron Maiden confirmed as headliner, added Flogging Molly

– Open’er Festival (Poland): Coldplay confirmed as first headliner

– Benicàssim (Spain): Arcade Fire confirmed as fourth headliner

– Primavera Sound (Spain): Added Cloud Nothings, Das Racist, Emeralds, Games, Gang Gang Dance, Julian Lynch, Male Bonding, The Walkmen, & Twin Shadow

– Wacken Open Air (Germany): Initial lineup includes Judas Priest, Mayhem, Ozzy Osbourne, and Warpaint

– Lollapalooza Chile: Foo Fighters (Rumored)

–  Vive Latino (Mexico): Official lineup including Devotchka, Sepultra, The National, Chemical Brothers

– Paid Dues Festival: Blackstar, Murs, and Immortal Technique confirmed as headliners

– Summerfest: Toby Keith confirmed as first headliner

– Tomorrow Never Knows: Added Cloud Nothings, Frankie Rose & The Outs, Magic Kids, Screaming Females, Sun Airway, The Dig, Twin Shadow.

– Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival: Added Azari & III

– Riverbend Festival: Beach Boys, Casting Crowns confirmed as first acts

– Bloc Weekend (UK): Added Apparat, Ben Klock, Jamie xx, Ikonika, Magnetic Man, & Modeskeletor

The 2011 Ultra Music Festival has a tall task ahead: it must compete against not one, but two similar electro-oriented events in the same city during the same month. Hell, one’s even taking place the same day. So the Miami, FL based festival has tapped heavy guns like The Chemical Brothers, Tiësto, deadmau5, David Guetta, Carl Cox, and Empire of the Sun to head its 2011 version, which is set to take place from March 25-27. Indie heavyweights Cut Copy, Crystal Castles, Klaxons, !!!, Chromeo, and Royksoop are also playing, as are electro favorites MSTRKRFT, Boys Noize, Rusko, Simian Mobile Disco, Steve Aoki, and Wolfgang Gartner. There are also a couple unexpected surprises, such as Danish music producer Trentemøller and English synthpop duo Erasure, which consists of Andy Bell and former Depeche Mode member Vince Clarke.

You can find the complete list of confirmed acts at our Festival Outlook. Even more names are expected to be announced in the near future. Advanced three-day passes ($179.95) and VIP combo packs ($499.95) are now available via the festival’s website.

The end of March in Miami recently became dominated by Ultra, to the chagrin of some. Maybe that’s why the boys of SHM chose the weekend to throw a massive party. Christened The One Night Stand at the Masquerade Motel, the ten-hour blowout will happen on March 26th, 2011; the same Saturday as day two of Ultra Music Fest. As per the collective’s website, the event will  be held in a purportedly customized arena and promises to be “bursting with a fantastic light show, special guests and, of course, the boys’ exclusive performance.” Tickets go on sale December 21st, with prices and the actual event location yet to be released.

You’ve got to hand it to the guys; it takes some heavy cojones to compete with a major music festival’s time spot, let alone its location. Whether it ends up a gamble that backfires or a blow to Ultra will be determined come spring. So start thinking about where you want to spend March 26th, and check out the Masquerade Motel announcement video below, featuring clips from Blow, “Black Betty”, and Michael Jackson’s feet.

Intrigued? Then scroll below and check out our weekly Festivals in Brief recap. Also, don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way you won’t have to wait until Wednesday before getting your festival fix.

News:

– System of Down will their end four-year long hiatus next summer by playing a bunch of European festivals.

– Thanks to Robert Smith and Brian Wilson, Bestival sets itself apart from most other European festivals.

– The annual emo roadshow known as Warped Tour will return in 2011. This time with tube socks.

Lineup Additions:

– Coachella: Interpol (Expected), Cold War Kids (Rumored)

– Bonnaroo: Florence & The Machine (Rumored)

– Ultra Music Festival: Deadmau5, Adam Beyer (Expected)

– Summer Camp: Initial lineup announced, including The Avett Brothers, moe., Umprhey’s McGee, STS9, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and Daedelus

– Rock Am Ring & Rock Im Park (Germany): System of a Down and Kings of Leon confirmed as headliners

– Nova Rock (Austria): System of a Down confirmed as headliner

– Download Festival (UK): System of a Down and Avenged Sevenfold confirmed

–Benicàssim (Spain): Added Portishead

– Bestival (UK): Initial lineup announced, including The Cure, Diplo, 65daysofstatic, Robyn, and Crystal Castles

– Rock Ness Festival (Scotland): Chemical Brothers, Kasabian, & Paolo Nutini confirmed as headliners

– Hurricane & Southside Fests (Germany): Initial lineup announced, includes Blind 182, Chemical Brothers, Friendly Fires, and Two Door Cinema Club

– ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror (UK): Added Grinderman

– Roskilde (Denmark): Kings of Leon confirmed as second headliner

– Pinkpop (Netherlands): Coldplay confirmed as headliner

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Coldplay and Iron Maiden confirmed as headliners

– Evolution Festival (UK): Iggy and the Stooges and Plan B confirmed as headliners

– Bloc Weekend (UK): Added Daedelus, Drop the Lime, Four-Tet, Magnetic Man, Roska

– Lollapalooza Chile: Sigur Ros (Rumored)

– Byron Bay Bluesfest (Australia): Added Jethro Tull, Booker T, Nat Cole & The Kings, and Wolfmother

– Isle of Wight (UK): Added Tom Jones

– Vans Warped Tour: 2011 dates announced

– Mayhem Fest: 2011 dates announced

– Exit Festival (Serbia): 2011 dates announced

– Quebec Summer City Festival: 2011 dates announced

– Mariposa Folk Festival (Canada): 2011 dates announced

– Newport Folk Festival: 2011 dates announced

– Meltdown Festival (UK): 2011 dates announced

Enjoy all the latest news and rumors below. Also, don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way you won’t have to wait until Wednesday before getting your festival fix.

News:

– Foo Fighters will headline the newly expanded Sasquatch! Music Festival.

– Lollapalooza has expanded into Chile. Perry Farrell is bringing his massive music festival to a new continent, with the lineup to be announced in December.

– Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference are in a bit of an argument when it comes to booking dates and artists, though that hasn’t stopped the former from booking The Chemical Brothers as their headliner.

– The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith debunked rumors of an appearance at Bonnaroo 2011, but did confirm the band’s appearance at Japan’s Summer Sonic festival.

– Portishead will make their return at ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror.

– We exclusively revealed the 2011 dates for the Nateva Music & Camping Festival 2011.

Lineup Additions:

– Sasquatch: Foo Fighters confirmed as first headliner; 2011 dates announced

– Bonnaroo: Florence and the Machine (Rumored)

– Coachella: Robyn (Expected)

– Ultra Music Festival: Chemical Brothers and Green Velvet (Expected)

– South By Southwest: Added Alberta Cross, City and Colour, Devotchka, J. Mascis, Jeff the Brotherhood, Morning Teleportation, Noah and the Whale, and Prince Rama, amongst others

– Lollapalooza Chile: 2011 dates announced

– Voodoo Experience: 2011 dates announced

– Rock Am Ring (Germany): Coldplay confirmed as second headliner

– Summer Sonic Festival (Japan): Red Hot Chili Peppers confirmed as first headliner

– Benicàssim Festival (Spain): The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, and Primal Screen confirmed as headliners.

– ATP I’ll Be Your Mirror (UK): Official lineup announced, including Portishead, Swans, DOOM, Beach House, Liars, and The Books

– Isle of Wight (UK): Kasabian confirmed as third headliner

– Download Festival (UK): Foo Fighters, Ozzy Osbourne (Rumored)

– Glastonbury (UK): Rush (Rumored)

– Reading and Leeds (UK): The Strokes (Rumored)

– BLOC Weekend (UK): Official lineup announced, including Aphex Twin, Beardyman, LFO

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Added Chemical Brothers

– Big Day Out (Australia): Added Matt and Kim, Sia, The Greenhornes, and The Vines

– Soundwave Festival (Australia): Added Murderdolls, Polar Bear Club

– Noise Pop: 2011 dates announced

– Nateva Festival: 2011 dates announced

– Gathering of the Vibes: 2011 dates announced

– Hangout Festival: 2011 dates announced

– The Big Chill (UK): 2011 dates announced.

– Lattitude Festival (UK): 2011 dates announced

– Telluride Bluegrass Festival: 2011 dates announced

We should also note that the exact location of Ultra ’11 is still unconfirmed. 2010′s venue, Bicentennial Park, is currently undergoing construction and there have been rumors that the festival will move to Miami’s Bayfront Park. As of now, the festival’s website only confirms that it’ll be taking place in “downtown Miami.”

While the WMC seemingly threw a wrench into the party by scheduling their shindig two weeks earlier than usual, The Daily Swarm has compiled some evidence to suggest that promoters and club owners are actually very angry with the folks at Ultra.

The WMC explained in a press release that the scheduling of the conference was based “exclusively on venue availability,” but Club Space owner Louis Puig – whose venue normally books DJs for parties after Ultra shuts down at midnight – seems to think that Ultra has it out for the annual gathering of electronic music artists and industry insiders. He composed a blog entry explaining his take on the scheduling drama.

Puig has accused Ultra of trying to monopolize WMC by engaging exclusive contracts with all major DJs that will not allow them to perform at dance clubs. “Consumers will no longer be able to enjoy [their] favorite DJs for extended sets after midnight at [their] favorite clubs,” Puig wrote, “instead [they] will be forced to listen to them for a one hour set before midnight in a crowded field of dust, mud, and ravers.” He goes on to praise Ultra and “what they bring to the game,” but emphasizes that he does not agree with what he is calling Ultra’s “greedy strategy to manipulate and monopolize the conference.” He closes the post by explaining that the “good folks at WMC have taken a brave step towards bringing saneness and normality to this overpopulated and overpriced chaos by choosing a separate week from Ultra to hold their parties and events.”

Ultra – which has expanded to three days in 2011 – hasn’t officially commented on the issue, and while some folks thrive on drama, we just want everyone to start getting along again. If you had to choose between WMC and Ultra, the which one would you choose? Give us your two cents in the comment section below, and stay locked to our Festival Outlook page for all your up to date information.

As for the U.S.? Well, both Bonnaroo and the Ultra Music Festival announced their 2011 dates and The Rolling Stones are rumored for Coachella. Oh, and CMJ already wants us to start planning for next October. So, yeah, this is why we care about music festivals.

Below, we have a recap of all this week’s news and rumors. Also, don’t forget to bookmark Festival Outlook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way you won’t have to wait until Wednesday before getting your festival fix.

News:

– The Barcelona-based Primavera Sound added more acts to its 2011 lineup, including of Belle and Sebastian, Fleet Foxes, The National, The Flaming, Lips, and Animal Collective, among others.

– Metallica, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Snow Patrol will headline Rock In Rio 2011, with even more big names to be announced.

– Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters, and Pulp are three of the acts confirmed for this year’s Isle of Wight.

– Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Fuck Buttons, and Boris are among those set to play the first-ever I’ll Be Your Mirror festival in Japan next February.

– The Miami-based Winter Music Conference and Ultra Music Festival announced their 2011 dates. So did Bonnaroo. CMJ, too.

Lineup Additions

– Coachella: The Rolling Stones, Wire (Rumored)

– Bonnaroo: 2011 dates announced; Portugal. The Man (Expected)

– Primavera Sound (Spain): Added Animal Collective, Belle and Sebastian, Fleet Foxes, The Flaming Lips, John Cale performing Paris 1919, The National, Mogwai, Swans, and Suicide

– Ultra Music Festival: 2011 dates announced; Crystal Castles, Erick Morillo, Jose Nunez & Harry Romero (Expected), Girl Talk (Rumored)

– Rock Am Ring (Germany): Kings of Leon confirmed as first headliner

– Rock in Rio (Brazil): Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and Snow Patrol confirmed as headliners

– Isle of Wight (UK): Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon confirmed as headliners

– ATP’s I’ll Be Your Mirror (Japan): Official lineup includes Godspeed You! Black Emporer, Autolux, Boredoms, Boris, Dirty Three, Envy, Fuck Buttons, and Melt Banana

– Lollapalooza: Portugal. The Man (Expected)

– Glastonbury (UK): The Coral (Rumored)

– Sweden Rock Festival (Sweden): Added Styx, Mason Ruffner.

– Freezing Man Festival: Official lineup includes Broken Social Scene, Chromeo, Major Lazer, Shout Out Out Out, and Stars

– Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival: Official lineup includes Brahams, Javelin, Kid Sister, and more

– CMJ Music Marathon: 2011 Dates announced.

– Melt! Festival (Germany): 2011 dates announced

Register for the Winter Music Conference here and buy tickets for the Ultra Music Festival here.

And all you Twitter’ers, don’t forget you can now follow our Festival Outlook. Quick and concise updates on the go!

News:

– Brit pop legends Pulp are set to reunite this summer for appearances at the Wireless Festival in the UK and Spain’s Primavera sound.  Additional dates are said to be on their way.

– Check out a video of punk legends The Descendants playing their reunion at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin!

Lineup Additions:

– Golden Plains (Australia): 2011 lineup announced, including Os Mutantes, The Hold Steady, Joanna Newsom, Wavves, and Beast Coast

– Rock in Rio (Brazil): Metallica confirmed as first headliner.

– Primavera Sound (Spain): Pulp confirmed as first headliner.

– Wireless Festival (UK): Pulp confirmed as first headliner.

– Glastonbury (UK): Pulp (Rumored)

– Rock Werchter (Belgium): Kings of Leon and Iron Maiden (Rumored)

– Ultra Music Festival: Girl Talk (Rumored)

– BPM Music Festival (Mexico): 2011 lineup announced, including Laidback Luke, Loco Dice, Richie Hawtin, Steve Lawler.

– Hopscotch Music Festival: 2011 dates announced

– Sziget Festival (Hungary): 2011 dates announced

– Benicassim Festival (Spain): 2011 dates announced

We also have a few Consequence of Sound-related updates. Like, for example, don’t forget to attend our MoogFest kickoff party, which takes place TOMORROW! Also, for your tweeting pleasures, we recently gave the Festival Outlook its very own Twitter account. So if you’re interested in instant festival updates, follow this bad boy now.

Everything you need to know follows:

News:

– Coachella’s countrified sister festival, the Stagecoach Music Festival dropped its 2011 lineup. Highlights include Loretta Lynn, Leon Russell, Wanda Jackson, and Phosphorescent.

– Animal Collective will curate an ATP Festival in Minhead, England next may. So far, they’ve tapped Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Broadcast, Prince Rama, Spectrum, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, and Gang Gang Dance.

– U2 probably aren’t playing Bonnaroo.

– The Kentucky based HullabaLOU Festival won’t be returning for a second edition.

– We sat down with AC Entertainment President Ashley Capps to discuss MoogFest, Bonnaroo, and basically everything else you can think of.

– Speaking of MoogFest, come to our festival kickoff party. It goes down tomorrow night at The Southern in downtown Asheville.

– Follow Festival Outlook on Twitter!

Lineup Additions:

– Glastonbury: Prince (Rumored)

– Coachella: Beastie Boys, Mogwai (Rumored)

– Fun Fun Fun Fest: Added The Antlers, Washed Out, Magnifico, Nortec Collective; Devo, Crocodiles, and Dum Dum Girls cancel

– Ultra Music Festival: Crystal Castles (Expected)

– MoogFest: Devo cancel

– Sasquatch!: Foster The People (Expected)

– Sweden Rock Festival (Sweden): Ozzy Osbourne announced as first headliner

– ATP Curated by Animal Collective:  Initial lineup including Animal Collective, Prince Rama, Ariel Pink, Gang Gang Dance, and Lee Perry

– Stagecoach Festival: Official lineup including Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Carrie Underwood, Leon Russell, and Phospherescent

– T In The Park (Scotland): Foo Fighters and Biffy Clyro (Rumored)

Find the band’s complete itinerary below. For a preview of what to expect, click here.

Crystal Castles 2011 Tour Dates:
10/21 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
10/22 – Manchester, UK @ Academy
10/23 – Leeds, UK @ Metropolitan University
10/24 – Norwich, UK @ UEA
10/26 – Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
10/27 – Luxembourg @ Rockhal
10/29 – Lille, FR @ L’Aeronef
10/30 – Paris, FR @ La Cigale
10/31 – Bordeaux, FR @ Le Krakatoa
11/02 – Madrid, ES @ Sala Heineken
11/04 – Porto, PT @ Teatro Sa Da Bandeira
11/06 – St Vicenç dels Horts, ES @ Kafe Antzokia
11/07 – Barcelona, ES @ Sala Apolo
11/09 – Bologna, IT @Estragon
11/11 – Munich, DE @ 59:1
11/13 – Vienna, AT @ Wien Flex Kulturzentrum
11/15 – Berlin, DE @ Lido
11/17 – Vesterboro, DK @ Vega House Of Music
11/18 – Stockholm, SE @ Debaser Medis
11/21 – Oslo, NO @ John Dee
11/23 – Hamburg, DE @ Ubel & Gefahrlich
11/24 – Cologne, DE @ Luxor
12/11 – Minehead, UK @ The Bowlie Weekender
12/31 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
01/17 – Osaka, JP @ Club Quattro
01/18 – Tokyo, JP @ Liquid Room
01/21 - Auckland, NZ @ Mt Smart Stadium (Big Day Out)
01/23 – Gold Coast, AU @ Parklands (Big Day Out)
01/26 – Sydney, AU @ Showground (Big Day Out)
01/30 – Melbourne, AU @ Flemington Racecourse (Big Day Out)
03/02 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
03/03 – Pomona, CA @ Fox Theatre
03/04 – San Francisco, CA @ Warfield Theatre
03/06 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
03/07 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
03/08 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
03/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/12 – Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
03/13 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall
03/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
03/16 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
03/18 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
03/19 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues
03/26 – Miami, FL @ Ultra Music Festival
04/02 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy

So, enjoy the remaining moments of consciousness while you can, because our Festival Outlook is about to get a nice workout. In the meantime, find all the latest festival news and updates in this week’s edition of Festivals in Brief.

News:

– Good news, Miami. The Ultra Music Festival is staying put… for now.

– Watch Atoms for Peace take over Fuji Rock Festival.

– Maybe you didn’t get past Glastonbury registration, but imagine you were in this crowd when the Arctic Monkeys headlined!

– Consequence of Sound’s official Philadelphia F/M showcase featuring A Sunny Day in Glasgow goes down tomorrow night, September 23rd, at Johnny Brenda’s.

Lineup Updates:

– CMJ Music Marathon: Phoenix, GZA, Neon Indian, and about 800 others.

– Big Day Out (AU): Expected: Blink 182, Grinderman

– Roskilde Festival (DK): Iron Maiden to headline, early bird ticket prices announced.

– Pop Montreal: Final lineup announced.

–Epicenter Festival: Final lineup, day-by-day schedule announced

– Culture Collide: Day-by-day schedule announced.

– Moogfest: Added Alex B, Javelin, Nosaj Thing, Shout Out Out Out Out, Volt Per Octaves

– Supersonic Festival (UK): Final lineup announced.