Posted Date: November 2006

Ultra Music Festival made a triumphant return to New York City. From the high caliber DJ talent to the impossible to resist lighting and FX, Rumsey Playfield became a veritable playground for the area’s dedicated dance music fans. Gone was the third dance tent, making more room for patrons to walk about the park grounds. In the single dance tent next to the main stage, additional DJs kept the rambunctious crowd grooving - something fierce.

Once again, Ultra Music Festival promoters delivered, this time with a slightly progressive line-up that showcased the legendary Moby, John Digweed and Junkie XL, to name a few. Right after Junkie XL’s jet-fuel intense set, the highlight of the day was an unbelievably catchy appearance by SOULWAX/2ManyDJs, performing their swanky, Duran Duran inspired Nite Versions live show. Those lucky in attendance found a near-perfect, breezy rendering of popular dance tracks, including some of tech-house’s most brilliant moments recently, performed live by the lads—led by David and Stephen Dewaele—dressed-up in white outfits.

Highlights of their show included more danceable versions complimenting their rock sensibilities, including “New York Excuse,” “Krack” and a banging rendition of Tiga’s “Move My Body.” The melding of styles left people funked out and hungry for more, as in more uptempo. That’s where Moby came in.

The Teany guy responsible for such hits as “Go,” “Bodyrock” and the new “New York, New York” (featuring Debbie Harry on vocals) did what any good DJ—no matter how many years behind the decks—does, and that’s deliver a trademark sound like it was his first time performing at the underground NASA NYC raves that made him famous. His rave-rolling set, filled with classic sounds, paved the way for closing DJ John Digweed.

The two shared a timeless moment onstage together, which occurs whenever you get dance music heavyweights sharing the same stage, or space. But then Moby stepped down in order for the freshly coiffed, Bedrock ‘it’ boy (and label head) John Digweed to enchant and inspire the revved-up crowd. His set was a dark pummeling of tough, polished progressive beats and grooves, broken up by bone-chilling FX sweeps and moody melodies—a perfect way to keep the crowd in place and dancing to the end, hanging onto every last lick off that fab PA sound system. And in many ways, UMF came through solid once again.