Dancing Astronaut Does The BPM Festival: 5 Early Highlights
The BPM Festival is in full-swing. The 10-day electronic music festival, which takes place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, has already hosted over 200 DJs since beginning on Friday, including show-stopping appearances from Carl Cox, Solomun, Green Velvet and more.
In order to take you into the action, Dancing Astronaut has collected some of our favorite highlights from The BPM Festival thus far. Check out 5 early highlights from The BPM Festival below.
All photos via aLIVE Coverage for TheBPMFestival.com
All Day I Dream
As a chief brand in the underground sphere, All Day I Dream’s exploration of melodic house and techno has become a staple at The BPM Festival. Though similar in nature and decor, no two All Day I Dream parties are the same – and therein lies the real beauty of one of the most authentic electronic music celebrations in the world.
Once again returning to Playa del Carmen’s Martina Beach Club for the 2017 edition of All Day I Dream BPM, revelers gathered beneath the brand’s signature teal and purple fabric to soak in all that Hoj, Lost Desert and Lee Burridge had to offer: shimmering techno, exultant vibes and memories set to last far beyond The BPM Festival’s end.
Solomun’s Pop-Up Set from Los Aguachiles
The best surprise of the week arrived in the form of Solomun’s spontaneous pop-up party at Los Aguachiles taco stand, easily drawing in a crowd of thousands of locals, BPM attendees, and unsuspecting tourists. Although the crowd in the plaza was too thick for most to see the man himself, the sound system was sufficient to send Solomun’s casually energetic vibe far and wide. For many, this pop up dinner party was but an appetizer for the main Diynamic event in the jungle later that night.
Diynamic in the Jungle
On the fifth night of The BPM Festival, Solomun was joined by his Diynamic label-mates Magdalena, Stimming, Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Adriatique and more for the highly-anticipated showcase, Diynamic in The Jungle. Taking place in Playa del Carmen’s electrified wilderness, the event presented the crème de la crème of the underground label, with the solid lineup rounded out by none other than Diynamic head Solomun himself.
For the closing set of the night, the German native offered a set in The Jungle that showcased Solomun’s unique take on dance music, with elements of dark deep house chords and entrancing, tribal-inspired tech house beats. According to The BPM Festival’s mobile app, Solomun has been the “most liked” artist throughout the festival, and his explosive set during the Diynamic event proved why.
Do Not Sit By The Ocean
From Burning Man to Playa del Carmen, burners and hippies alike gathered oceanside for an ethereal voyage of daydream beats at Behrouz’s world-renowned Do Not Sit On The Furniture all-day party series, appropriately renamed to Do Not Sit By The Ocean for The BPM Festival. The desert house don headlined a stacked roster of whimsical acts such as Viken Arman, Valentino Huedo, Chaim and Sis who played to an intimate crowd adorned in psychedelic tapestries and dystopian accessories.
Descend Records Showcase (Patio 8)
If you’re going to make your BPM Festival label showcase debut, and you don’t have over 5,000 people show up spilling out into the streets prompting city officials to barricade a good chunk of Playa del Carmen’s main strip, then you’re doing something wrong. Miami-bred DJ and producer and Descend Records label owner, ALX, did just that Wednesday night with an all-star lineup including Venezuelan techno sorceress and Descend’s newest signee Hanie Arraiz, Hugo Bianco, Oscar L, Carabetta & Doons, Thomas Benedix of Pan-Pot and special guest Carlo Lio. We’re not sure if we were at The BPM Festival or back on the famed terrace at Space Miami, where ALX once held his successful residency. All we know is ALX and the Descend family are going to need a bigger venue next year.