SXM is one of the most anticipated dates on the festival calendar. The two years away due to the pandemic have seen the team up their game with even more magical production, organic stage designs and world-class sound.
This year they added a new party on a hillside with breathtaking views over the Caribbean island of St Marteen and the whole festival had a real family feel with the friendly crowd and many DJs staying around for the whole event.
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There were tens of standout moments across both stages with Behrouz, Danny Tenaglia, DJ Tennis, Dubfire, SIS, Sonja Moonear, Steve Bug and many more impressing, but here are the five standouts of the week for us.
Ricardo & Raresh
This pair has a long history of playing back to back and it really shows. They are regulars at SXM so feel comfortable going wherever they want and that is what they did. From dark minimal to playful classics from Tori Amos, the micro-house to bright synth sounds they took us on a real roller coaster. They had great banter between the two of them which brought extra energy to the crowd too.
Blond:ish
The Canadian stepped up with a baying crowd keen to be taken on a trip. And she reacted in kind with s super stylish selection of house, often with her own tunes chucked in, as well as plenty of crowd-pleasing anthems. Bathed in neon hues from the great stage production, she lapped up the tropical vibes and so did we.
Moody Jones
Montreal artist Moody Jones is a brilliantly idiosyncratic figure who plays music that is just as unique. He had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand with his seductive house sounds, Steeped in catchy hooks, with warm and rolling baselines and with future vocals, it was a heartfelt selection that really got into a friendly and tender vibe. One of the standouts for sure.
Audiofly
This year, all new was the Panorama Party in a stunning location perched up on the side of a mountain. With great views down over the bay, sea and beach it was a superb new stage soundtracked expertly by Audiofly who have been coming to SXM for the last 5 years. They were the perfect pair to play this stage with some stylish house, mesmeric tech and plenty of rich melodies at what was an out of this world dance.
Chaim
Israeli DJ Chaim has long been making melodic and progressive house and is responsible in part for the current explosion of that sounds. He served up a masterclass of moody house when he played a perfect set that balanced light with dark, hope with dejection, and all on hypnotic grooves. His organic, forward-thinking sounds were the perfect match for the heady types who attend SXM.