Despite having viewed them from behind my computer screen, Ultra Music Festival‘s Day 1 sets were some of the most exciting and diverse ever to have come out of Miami. As far as pure spectacle goes, the Main Stage was absolutely mind-boggling. With a stage set up that saw screens curled inward toward the DJ alongside pyrotechnics, fireworks, lasers and the whole shebang, watching the live stream on mute was sometimes almost as exhilarating as hearing the music itself.
But despite the fanfare and excellent performances, there was one set in particular that stood out as the most memorable, confident and worthwhile of the evening. This was DJ Snake‘s, which began just before 10 p.m. on the Main Stage.
First and foremost, the Parisian DJ used vinyl throughout his entire set. Even though he didn’t engage in excessive scratching, he was able to separate himself from his fellow performers with the notable decision to stray away from conventional mixers. The result was an exciting display of skill on the (actual) decks that instantly earned DJ Snake an added layer of respect on top of the rest of his set.
Out of all the headlining performances during the evening, DJ Snake’s also incorporated the most variety and style when it came to choosing different genres and vibes. From trap to hip hop to electro house to dubstep to hard house and more, his set never stopped evolving or edging into new areas. Because there was never a stale moment or break in the action, he was able to constantly capitalize on the crowd’s energy, yelling his signature strand of yelps, cheers and countdowns.
The set list is out of this world, and can be found in full here. Featuring a healthy mix of his own material and some of the best from his friends and collaborators, there really isn’t an area he left untouched. Needless to say, I was bouncing up and down in my chair and throwing trap arms during the whole thing.
Watch the live stream recording of his set below, and tune in to watch Day 2 now!
