For its fifth regular season finale, UltraMaroon is partnering with Kraft und Licht, a production crew that creates audio-visual experiences in the underground scene of Amsterdam. I spoke with part of their creative team, Subduction and VentroMedial, about their process ahead of their headlining set with UltraMaroon.

DJ and producer Sef Kombo has been immersed in the vibe, the rhythm, the culture, and the deeper roots of Afro House for more than 15 years at home in the UK and across the globe. He has played alongside Black Coffee, Themba, Culoe De Song, Diplo, and Black Motion. Kombo is recognized on the international stage, having played at Defected Croatia and Roskilde Festival as well as for Boiler Room, DJ Mag, Hï Ibiza, Djoon, Watergate, and Blue Marlin.

BIIANCO is the multi-instrumental music producer, vocalist and overall mad-scientist in a new era of electronic music. The past year has seen them stride into dance music, championed by the likes of BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, Kiss FM, KCRW, KEXP, Diplo’s Revolution on Sirius XM and more. As a queer, partially blind femme producer, BIIANCO has quickly become a symbol of inclusion in a music industry that is too often lacking in it. BIIANCO creates art from a place of raw, emotional movement.

Peter Napoli is a true artist, homegrown in New York City, and part of the UltraMaroon fam. With more than fifteen years behind the decks, he has built a sound that respects the history of NYC’s legendary clubbing eras and continues pushing it forward. Napoli takes crowds on a journey with a blend of all genres of dance music at venues across all of North and South America, and continues to build his music production skills with labels including Aviance Records, Swishcraft Music, and Whore House Recordings.

Hailing from the UK, Maxinne is at the top of her game, having played Studio 338 and Ministry of Sound in London to Lost Beach Ecuador and all over North America. With massive releases on labels including Knee Deep In Sound, Circus Recordings, Saved Records, and Toolroom, you’re sure to recognize her work from some of your favorite nights on the dance floor.

As UltraMaroon’s second guest from the UK this year, Jess Bays comes to our house for the big finish to her first North American tour. Having made her mark on decks at Ministry of Sound, Printworks, and WeAreFSTVL as well as in Croatia, Brazil, and Ibiza; Bays is bringing her sound to the world as she also prepares for her first Australia/NZ/Fiji tour that begins December 8.

This story begins in 2010 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. During college, I had a platonic domestic parter for two years until I royally pissed him off, as I am wont to do on occasion. During that period, we would gather at a friend’s home on week nights to peruse the gay ether, including Madonna’s Confessions Tour, queer iconic films, and local gossip. Most notable in our findings was none other than a voguing, kicking queen known as Levonia.

Recognized internationally as a progressive force for tribal house on the global circuit over the years, Steven Redant is better known in New York City for his UltraMaroon and Fire Island Pines sets that speak to his full range of styles that keep dancefloors energized.

A champion of the underground and mainstay for the likes of Defected as well as a taste-making producer, Monki is at the top of her game with only further to go. UltraMaroon is proud to welcome Monki to her Fire Island Pines debut this Saturday, July 22, for the Pines Party Pool Party.

Afro-Latina artist and LA native Juliet Mendoza is the embodiment of house music on the dance floor and behind the DJ booth. Whether she is creating space for the underdogs with soul or playing with internationally-acclaimed artists, she starts with intention that speaks to every individual dance floor.

From The Cambridge Club Festival to Soho House and The Ned, from Feel It! and Hustlaball to Heaven nightclub, King James Lee has been bringing his energy full-force across the UK. Now he is ready to bring all of that to New York City for Pride in a time when it is imperative to continue joining forces and raising our hands together fiercely.

I distinctly recall noting Alexander Kacala making the rounds of queer NYC in 2017/18. We worked for competing dating apps in different roles, but crossed often on very similar paths. As his media career progressed, I was consistently proud to see him bringing queer stories forward and highlighted in mainstream. I was even prouder when he recently diverted from that career path to return to artistry in the form of his drag persona, Tammy Faymous.

David Harness and Tedd Patterson are powerhouses of house music, representing both coasts of the US – David on the West and Tedd to the East. They are artists that truly embody and live house music, having shared their talents across the globe and proven their power to captivate audiences on any dance floor.

This month’s interview is special, thorough, and speaks to the soul. When I was given the names of our UltraMaroon March guest headliners and sat down to begin my homework as I do for every story, I quickly realized this would not be my typical talkback. This interview takes us back more than 40 years ago to the very beginnings of house music through the lens of Detroit with two artists that helped shape the sound we all share today.

Who is Someone From Berlin? You may recognize the name as the UltraMaroon resident or from the Pines Party lineup in recent years, but start connecting the dots and you will discover the brilliant, strange mind working over the past ten years to bring you Spray Fire Island, ShareGurl, possible Meat Rack throwdowns, Pines Party pool party production madness, and other wacky moments between NYC and the Pines.

The Italian DJ/Producer dynamic duo, The Deepshakerz, composed of Domy Berardino and Mirco Sonatore, has been steadily climbing the ranks of the global dance music scene. Their productions and remixes consistently bring the groove to dance floors and festivals everywhere.

Alexis Tucci is the sensation playing the entire queer nation these past few years, but that success represents decades of being a major hometown hero in the St. Louis music scene and beyond. From her start in the underground rave scene in the 90s to collaborating with live musicians since the 2000s, Tucci has honed her sound to the tune of all genres spanning the full spectrum of grooves and dance music.

UltraMaroon co-founder, Scott Martin, and the magnificent Lupe Fuentes, rejoin Someone From Berlin on the UM decks for a Homecoming jim-jamboree. These like-minded artists are a powerhouse of the sound that is the core of the UltraMaroon experience, able to play off each other seamlessly through a bond of friendship and experience.

International DJ and Producer, Pagano, is an undeniable force in the house and techno music scene. He has commanded the DJ booth for infamous venues such as EGG LDN, Space Ibiza, Ministry Of Sound, Stereo, and KitKatClub to name a few, as well as preminiment party brands across the globe.

CALAGNA is a name synonymous with the power of transformational music on dancefloors across the world. Whether they are working with top event brands and festivals or creating remixes for pop icons, CALAGNA is the epitome of the heart and soul of the music we love.

The name itself strikes a chord if you have a memory on a dancefloor to her sound. It’s the Madonna of the queer house music scene, really. Morabito represents the women in our DJ booths who hold throngs of mostly gay men in their palms for some of the greatest moment’s of our lives.

From giving pole shows for Susanne Bartsch to starring in queer music videos to using her art as activism wherever she goes, Glow Job is a queen of many talents and a heart of gold that she exudes in all her work.

My first HARDER was in fall of 2017 at Open House in Manhattan. I never made it to its original Brooklyn start, but I was certainly into its vibe from my first night at Ricardo Tavares’ sexy shindig with a strong electronic sound and rotating roster of queer artists du jour.

If ever there was an evangelical voice for the power of House music in queer nightlife, it's DJ Corey Craig. His closing set at NYC Pride's Dance on the Pier 2009 laid the path to an international career with highlights at some of the top events and music festivals.

In 2015, my escape was lying on my couch at work, falling asleep to sets on full blast in my headphones. The one I always came back to time and time again - MELT: The Pool Party of Pines Party 2015 by DJ Peter Napoli.