Basel Castle Music Showcase Rocks Art Basel
Art Basel Miami Beach, held annually in early December, is the largest contemporary art fair in the United States and one of the biggest events in Miami's cultural calendar. It's also becoming known for bringing diverse music offerings into a city largely ruled by big-room club DJs and bottle-service clubs. Although UR1 Fest – a marquee music event set to feature Kanye West, Slash and Santigold – was cancelled, the artists who appeared at both official and unofficial events during this year's Basel week included A$AP Rocky, Flying Lotus, Metric, Danny Brown and Thurston Moore.
One of the most notable music showcases this year was the Basel Castle party hosted by the underground promoters Overthrow. The Saturday night event, held in an actual castle in Miami's Wynwood arts district, boasted performances by Trinidad James, Purity Ring and Twin Shadow in an eclectic, carnival-like block party. Click through to see the wild night.
By JESSE SERWER
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Dave One Ignites
Dave One of Chromeo spins an eclectic set of hip-hop and electronica on Basel Castle's Block Party Stage while warming the crowd for rapper Donnis (left).
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Jacuzzi Boys Bring Heat
Gabriel Alcala, singer-guitarist of the Jacuzzi Boys, leads the Miami band through an energetic set of songs from their second album, Glazin'.
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Artists at the Carnival
Graffiti artist Oliver Black works in Basel Castle's street party.
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J Nics on the Throne
It wouldn't be a castle without a throne. Miami rapper J. Nics occupies the most coveted seat in the house.
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Purity Ring Get Ready
Megan James and Corin Roddick of Purity Ring chill backstage before their closing set on the Basel Castle main stage.
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Working the Crowd
Although a large portion of the crowd dispersed immediately after Trinidad James' much-anticipated set, Purity Ring gave the evening's most tightly constructed performance.
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Out-There Art
Painters and graffiti artists are placed strategically throughout the venue.
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Teengirl Fantasy on Deck
Logan Takahashi and Nick Weiss of Teengirl Fantasy hold down the turntables during their joint DJ set.
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Trinidad and Dreamer
Trinidad James brought another up-and-coming Atlanta MC, Go Dreamer, onstage during his set. The pair performed their recent collaboration "Who's Jokin'?"
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Trinidad James Stays Dry
"It's not about the money, it's all about y'all," Trinidad James told the Basel Castle crowd near the start of his set, the first of two that evening for the Atlanta rapper. (He later appeared at the South Beach club Cameo.) He closed his loose, chaotic set with three versions of his breakout hit "All Gold Everything," charging through the crowd during the second and third takes. Somewhere along the way, the fashion-forward James came into the possession of this tagged-up umbrella.
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Twin Shadow Talks Miami
Twin Shadow – also known as George Lewis, Jr. and his backing band – arrived in Miami via a 12-hour flight from Moscow. "Russians are fucked up," said Lewis, who grew up in Florida before relocating to Brooklyn, "but people in Miami are way more fucked up."
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Twin Shadow Alone
Twin Shadow has a private moment backstage.