beats, style, life. M3 Summit 2005
Written by Mia Saavedra   
By: Mia Saavedra
Photos: AaronA Pichinson

In the middle of Winter Music Conference week lies a glittering gem of music, multimedia art, and technology. Whether you’re into music production, design, film, videogames, or are simply a cutting-edge consumer, the M3 Summit is a must-see. There’s something for all at the newest addition to WMC week that not only promises hot sounds and hip locations, but also countless networking opportunities, technology labs, innovative product testing sessions, and informative panel discussions for everything involving the electronic music industry.

The M3 Summit is the offspring of DJ Prince’s Miami Masterlist, a 5 year-old weekly guide offering its subscribers the ultimate list of parties, events and happenings in Miami. At this year’s event, M3 (which began producing events in 2004), aims to elevate the electronic music industry to what they call an “integrated lifestyle”, a fusion of music, technology, film, and multimedia. The M3 Summit defies the borders between industries, making the event and its experience an example of just one big, cool and creative way of life.



Here’s a sample of what the M3 Summit 2005 will offer:

Sounds
Each weeknight during the Summit, M3 will host Sunset Sessions where the hottest DJ’s, performers and bands create an ultra-hip soundtrack for your visit to the sun-drenched “Land of the Beautiful People”. Avant-garde sound, video, and multimedia installations mesh effortlessly with the lush poolside locales of the Summit’s two main venues, conveniently found within blocks from each other: The Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel (1717 Collins Ave., Miami Beach) and The Raleigh Hotel (1775 Collins Ave., Miami Beach). This year’s lineup includes Derrick Carter, Ben Watt, Ellen Alien, Diplo, King Britt, The Glimmers, RJD2, Mylo, Greenskeepers, Louie Vega, Los Amigos Invisibles, Cirque du Soleil Remixed, and more. Sessions start at 5pm with an open bar until 7pm.

Movie lovers, film geeks, and animation junkies are in for a visual feast with M3’s multimedia offerings, such as the RESFEST Digital Film Festival. With screenings in over 30 venues from Sao Paulo to Seoul, RESFEST makes a cameo at the 2005 M3 Summit to showcase short films, music videos, and animation projects that defy the boundaries of conventional filmmaking. A one-hour program highlights the best of the festival’s creative roster, and a Q&A session with a featured director gives cinephiles, producers, writers, artists, and design lovers an insight to the complex and challenging filmmaking process.

Another highlight for film and music lovers is techno pioneer Jeff Mills’ modern spin on a timeless classic. Mills creates a soundtrack to Buster Keaton’s 1923 silent film The Three Ages, giving an already much-loved movie and director a breath of fresh air. Mills is also credited for creating a new score for the Fritz Lang classic, Metropolis, as well as composing an original score for French filmmaker Clair Denis’ Vendredi Soir.

Summit
Work hard, play hard. That’s the modus operandi of the entertainment industry professional. It’s no surprise, then, to see some heavy-hitting industry bigwigs leading some of this year’s seminars and panel discussions. With Motorola as a returning partner from last year’s ’04 Summit, the wireless communication giant hosts a panel discussion on mobile music and content delivery while providing Summit attendees the chance to check out its newest mobile music products. Other issues on the ’05 Summit’s agenda include third-party licensing, emerging platforms and business models for content marketing and distribution. Keynote speakers include Lawrence Lessig, a Stanford University Law Professor and Wired Magazine contributor, who will lead a discussion on copyright law and intellectual property rights in the face of an industry immersed in technology. Attendees will also benefit from seminars with Jeri S. Yoshizu, Sales and Promotions Manager for Toyota’s Scion brand, and Tom Anderson, President and Co-Founder of the online community myspace.com. Other corporate and media partners for Summit ‘05 include Sirius Satellite Radio, Spin, XLR8, Urb, Remix, BMP and Res.

Cirque du Soleil rounds out the big-name attractions for 2005 with a sneak peek at Solarium/Delirium, a 2-disc set commemorating twenty years of Cirque du Soleil’s incredible music and acrobatic performances. The albums, to be released in April under the Cirque du Soleil Musique label, mark a milestone for the company, who has partnered for the first time with some of the biggest names in dance music. The set includes remixes by Ibizarre, A Man Called Adam, Fenomenon, Chilluminati, Cottonbelly, Banzai Republic, Thievery Corporation, Sasha, Louie Vega, and many others.

Passport
M3 partners with top event producers and party promoters from around the world, and Summit ’05 attendees have guaranteed access to every seminar, speech, session, and party M3 has to offer. Additionally, Summit participants get a “passport” to nearly 40 different events scheduled during Winter Music Conference week, allowing them to bypass the velvet rope during one of Miami’s busiest weeks of the year.

The M3 Summit takes place March 23th through 26th, 2005 in Miami Beach, with its main venue at the Doubletree Surfcomber Hotel (1717 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach). For registration and a complete listing of M3 Summit 2005 events, check out www. m3summit.com.