Dancing Astronaut - house, electro, progressive, dubstep
Dancing Astronaut's top 10 tracks of Ultra Music Festival 2014
With hundreds of artists across a multitude of stages at the world’s most renowned electronic music festival, select tracks made a splash and proved inescapable every day, at every stage. There are those special records that go down in the books as the year’s biggest tracks, and Ultra is the music festival for them to make their mark. It is the tracks that become the unofficial anthems of Ultra that are immortalized in the memories of fans, and hundreds of thousands of fans have ten major tracks to remember Ultra Musical Festival 2014 by…
10. MAKJ - Springen (Original Mix)
While, thankfully, the monotonous big room drop seems to be phasing out quickly, MAKJ’s “Springen” brought refreshing life back to the sound during Ultra 2014. Sporting a unique synth build and energetic song structure, “Springen” sports a count and vocal drop before showing its true colors with synth stabs that drive crowds wild. Housed by Hysteria Records, MAKJ’s production exudes quality.
Notable plays: Cedric Gervais, Danny Avila, DJ Snake
9. Martin Garrix vs Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike - Tremor (Original Mix)
It would be difficult to imagine a festival during which Martin Garrix and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike didn’t have an anthem ringing from all stages, and for Ultra, the talents combined to produce one of UMF’s anthems. The blaring horns of “Tremor” are undeniably electrifying, and the countdown-stylized drop proves, once again, to excite festival crowds. Slated for an April 21st release, the Spinnin-backed“Tremor” will certainly be appearing throughout many summer sets.
Notable plays: MAKJ, Afrojack, Diplo
8. Flux Pavilion - I Can't Stop (Original Mix)
While “I Can’t Stop” has blared through headphones worldwide for years, there’s something about the track’s appearance in live performances that revitalize the energy in a tired crowd. Interestingly enough, many artists chose to place the Flux Pavilion classic into their sets and the crowd absolutely loved it. The classic Flux synths coincided with a massive roar from the crowd whenever they showed their head, from the Main Stage to the Worldwide arch, proving the track’s timelessness and appeal in any bass-centric set.
Notable plays: Carnage, Borgore, Jack U
7. David Guetta & Showtek ft. Vassy - Bad (Original Mix)
Pitched-up vocals and a electro-house grit combine to bring you the best of both David Guetta and Showtek. Sitting atop the Beatport Top 10, “Bad” saw major playtime throughout the three day festival, popping up in sets at just about every stage. The mayhem-inducing drop never got old for the Ultra crowd, and continues to be supported by major big room acts worldwide.
Notable plays: Nicky Romero, Ummet Ozcan, W&W
6. 3LAU & Botnek - Vikings (Original Mix)
“Vikings,” an unreleased tune from mashup pro 3LAU and bass monger Botnek, showed its strength in many sets this weekend as even the most knowledgeable fans scrambled to identify who was behind the rolling drop. While the track has been hyped for a while, producers kicked promotion of the energetic song into high gear; “Vikings” was displayed by prestigious producers across Bayfront Park’s stages. Anticipation is high for the Dim Mak release dropping April 8th.
Notable plays: Jack U, Borgore, Sander van Doorn
5. Galantis - You (Original Mix)
Proving that the melody and soul in the big room has certainly not died, Galantis’ “You” brought its euphoria to Bayfront and was heavily supported by the artists that continue to defy the classic synth-stab. The appealing vocal and driving bassline are supported by uplifting keys that provide a musical revitalization during a weekend filled to the brim with the stereotypical electro sound. Thankfully, Galantis’ tune brought the bright synths that dominated a few years ago, and did so extraordinarily well.
Notable plays: Steve Angello, Kaskade, Michael Brun
4. W&W - Bigfoot (Original Mix)
A top 10 list filled with bold synths and pounding percussion hits would not be complete without big room natives W&W, and the recently-released “Bigfoot” easily makes the cut. While taking advantage of the genre-stylized drop, W&W add the melodic flavor that is needed to help set a production off, and the festival crowd’s reaction is indicative of a job well done from the duo. Recognizable to many electronic fans, “Bigfoot” provided the distinguishable moments during which fans were able to identify a recent hit and dance to a song they were actually familiar with.
Notable plays: Clockwork, Armin Van Buuren, Andrew Rayel
3. TJR & Vinai - Bounce Generation (Original Mix)
If the distinguishable drop of “Bounce Generation” is not familiar to you after Ultra’s musical takeover, then you simply were not listening. TJR and newcomer Vinai brought their talents together to bring forth a crafty production that had crowds bouncing at every stage of the massive festival. The TJR flavoring is undeniable, and the continued rise of Vinai seems to culminate with this track, which was amongst the most played at Ultra 2014.
Notable plays: Tommie Sunshine, Dillon Francis, Showtek
2. Showtek - We Like To Party (Original Mix)
Showtek get straight to the point with the title of their latest release – “We Like to Party” – and the crowd loves to party with them. The duo’s festival-tuned sound does not let up as the big room sound gets the classic Showtek synth treatment. Reminding us of the song’s name multiple times throughout the production, the added element of melody that rings hidden behind the aggression puts on display the very reason why Showtek has risen above other similar acts. Most importantly, though, everyone likes to party, and Showtek provide a great soundtrack for your enjoyment.
Notable plays: Alesso, Martin Garrix, Gareth Emery
1. Mercer & DJ Snake - Lunatic (Original Mix)
The climbing, take-no-prisoners synth of Mercer and DJ Snake’s “Lunatic” could be heard throughout Bayfront Park during UMF, and for good reason. The call-and-recall build engages the audience in a special way, and DJs embraced the audience participation as the weekend roared on. An excellent transition or breakdown tool, the track brings a taste of the trap flavor that saw a massive rise in the last year, and DJ Snake does urban magic to make the genre change surprisingly smooth.
Notable plays: Flosstradamus, The Chainsmokers, Sandro Silva
Dancing Astronaut’s top 10 tracks of Ultra Music Festival 2014 was posted by Eric Zwilling, and appeared first on Dancing Astronaut.