At most music festivals there is a unique energy which is almost impossible to duplicate in an ordinary day of life. Memories are created that are incomprehensible to anyone who hasn’t experienced the joys of a festival first hand. The idea of “destination partying” brings the feeling of enchantment, the people you meet are friendlier, more open, and the music always seems to come from some higher realm (thank you DJ Gods!). You will hear tracks that have the ability to give you chills, make you laugh, and sometimes even bring tears to your eyes – it is truly a one of a kind experience that you will remember and cherish for a lifetime.
The BPM Festival of 2012 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, was host to 200 of the EDM world’s most talented artists, which only means there were that many opportunities to create these ever-lasting memories of which I’m speaking. Luckily, we are in a day in age where technology allows us to document these experiences and share them with others. Whether it was professionals in the media field or just normal fans using their handy-dandy smartphones, everyone wanted a piece of Playa to take home with them – mybeatFix was not an exception. We made sure to cover all the stops at BPM, and got some pretty amazing footage (well, just audio in some cases) of our festivities. Here are our Top 5 “BPMemories” for 2012:
5. Loco Dice; Desolat Label Showcase at Blue Parrot
So there I was, dancing my little feet off at the W + L showcase, when a friend asked me to accompany them to Blue Parrot where the Desolat Showcase was taking place. Now on any other day I wouldn’t have minded, but I was having such a good time at the W + L party that I practically had to be dragged out of La Santanera by my hair. But to my utter, yet pleasant, surprise, when I arrived at Blue Parrot Loco Dice was on the decks and throwing down some hardcore-bootylicious tech-house. The second I caught myself breaking it down, I knew it was time to pull out the camera.
4. Lee Burridge; All Day I Dream of January 7th at Mamitas Beach Club; Inxec – Unhinged
“All Day I Dream of January 7th” turned into “All Day I Dream ON January 7th” for me. But I’m Ok with that, because you cant be mad when you get to Mamita’s and hear Lee dropping Inxec’s “Unhinged” under a sea of beautiful chinese lanterns blowing and glowing in the Caribbean wind.
3. Damian Lazarus; Rebel Rave Cave at Alux; Fur Coat feat. Cari Golden – You and I (to be released on Crosstown Rebels)
Damian Lazarus stayed true to his dark side, playing mysteriously mesmerizing yet intense tunes. The ambiance of the cave in combination with his track selection painted the most authentic portrait of what a “Rave Cave” should be. The Crosstown Rebels’ label boss CAME CORRECT in Playa, and we couldn’t have been happier about that.
2. Art Department; No.19 Showcase at Canibal Royal; Cajmere, Roussoul – Let’s Dance
The No.19 Showcase at Canibal Royal was flooded with talent, from Miguel Puente to Deniz Kurtel, to a surprise unplanned B2B set from Guy Gerber and Shaun Reeves. But no one seemed to have been enjoying themselves quite as much as our hosts, Johnny White and Kenny Glasgow of Art Department. Well, the crowd might’ve given them some competition – but we’ll let you be the judge.
1. Jamie Jones; Rebel Rave Cave at Alux
C’mon, are you really surprised? There’s a reason Jamie Jones is the #1 DJ in the world (according to the RA Polls aka currently the most accurate EDM poll), and if anyone had any doubts as to why – he showed them in his closing set at the Rebel Rave Cave. This little excerpt definitely doesn’t do his set justice, but it will at least give those less fortunate souls that were not in attendance an idea of what they missed.
BONUS VIDEO: Robot Heart at Playa del Secreto; Jamie Jones & Eli Goldstein; Junior Boys – Like a Child (Carl Craig remix)
…Because when you’re number on our countdown AND in the world, you can get a bonus video. Especially when it’s from a party as Special as ‘Robot Heart’.
So there you have it folks, mybeatFix’s Top 5 BPMemories of 2012. We’re glad we were able to capture these, but we’re already looking forward to making some more NEW memories next year. We hope you’ll be there with us!
