Gone Shippin’: 11 Of Our Favorite Sets From Holy Ship! January 2015
–Written by Kevin Madert
One month ago today, the MSC Divina departed Miami for the fourth annual iteration of Holy Ship!, as well as the first of two sailings in 2015. The music festival cruise is somewhat of a mecca for electronic music fans – owing in no small part to the difficult nature of acquiring tickets and the stories of extravagance and debauchery that make their way back to land. In the weeks since, many sets recorded over the course of the weekend have become available online, and a third (perhaps most obvious) reason becomes clear: the music is just too damn good. What follows is a list of the sets I enjoyed most on my second Holy Ship! adventure. Got a favorite we missed? Let us know in the comments!
Vanilla Ace (Galaxy Disco – 1/3/15)
As the first artist to play the Galaxy Disco all cruise, Vanilla Ace wasted no time setting the tone for the rest of the weekend. There are deep, danceable vibes and disco-laden segments abound in this one.
Boys Noize (Pool Deck – 1/3/15)
Many shippers – myself included – were quite excited for the BNR & Friends curated party in the Black & White Lounge the second night of the cruise. Boys Noize must have known this going into his Pool Deck set on the first night, because he threw down hard enough to get us wondering just how the next night would be able to top it (it did, though unfortunately I was unable to find a recording of that set).
Alex Metric B2B Oliver (Galaxy Disco – 1/5/15)
Alex Metric & Oliver did the Galaxy Disco all sorts of justice on the final night of the cruise with a disco-filled joyride of a back-to-back set. From the opening moments of collaborative effort “Galaxy” to the fading notes of Stardust’s “Music Sounds Better With You,” it was a deft melding of past and present stylings that had my feet in constant motion and a smile plastered across my face for the duration.
Odesza (Pantheon Theater – 1/5/15)
Steady beat music reigned supreme for most of the weekend, but fans of more varied styles still had plenty to dance about. In particular, the final sets of the weekend in the Pantheon Theater were a future bass & electro-soul lover’s dream come true, and they began with Odesza. They played plenty of fan favorites (“Bloom” and their remix of “Faded” were both enthusiastically received) and kept the crowd moving and grooving right to the end – where they handed the reigns over to a very capable companion.
Pretty Lights (Pantheon Theater – 1/5/15)
All good things must end, and there was perhaps no better way to end this year’s Holy Ship! than with Colorado’s pride and joy Derek Vincent Smith behind the decks. His set – which went nearly a half-hour longer than advertised – was full of beautiful bass and beats, all in the familiar, sample-heavy Pretty Lights style. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) the only place this set can be found currently is on YouTube, so sound quality is somewhat sacrificed in the name of a visual component.
Gorgon City (Black & White Lounge – 1/3/15)
On the first evening of the cruise, Annie Mac helmed a party called “Brits Aboard.” Of all the sets I caught there, Gorgon City’s provided the loudest argument that the Brits were indeed on the Divina in full force.
Dusky (Pool Deck – 1/5/15)
While Dusky’s set at the Brits Aboard party was probably my favorite by a slim margin, their Pool Deck set is the only one readily available on the internet. It’s still a hell of a set, with plenty of the minimal yet emotive house tunes the DJ/producer duo are well-known for.
A-Trak B2B Craze (Fool’s Gold Rap Party, Pantheon Theater – 1/4/15)
Two of the greatest pure DJs of all time. Two hours. Back to back. What else is there to say?
Destructo’s Sunrise Sermon (Galaxy Disco, 1/4/15)
What began as a string of underground afterparties in LA and grew into the veritable empire known as HARD Events all began with one man. Whether you know him as Destructo or Gary Richards, he’s the Hardfather behind it all. On the second night/third morning of Holy Ship! he took those lucky enough to be present (and awake) on a journey to the past, reviving what was once called the “Sunrise Sermon.” This set spans several decades of house music and contains plenty of gems, so sit back and prepare to learn a thing or two.
Duke Dumont (Half Moon Cay – 1/4/15)
We close it out with a pair of beach party soundtracks. Close your eyes while you listen to this one and picture the wind ruffling your hair, the slight smell of salt tickling your nose, the palm trees waving subtly along the beach, and a few thousand of your closest friends stomping the sand around you. Even if I hadn’t seen it live, the track selection in this set indicate Duke Dumont knows how to set a mood and conjure up a setting – in this case, that setting is a sun-kissed Bahamian paradise.
Armand Van Helden B2B Disclosure (Half Moon Cay – 1/4/15)
The special guest reveal was certainly exciting, but the set that followed pushes past buzzword adjectives and transcends hyperbole. A living legend in house music + a young superstar = what may have been the best set of the weekend, and a more than fitting end to a long day splashing in the waters and dancing in the sands of Half Moon Cay.