For the second year running Higher Frequency dusted last summer's sand from their flip flops, packed their suitcases and jumped on a plane bound for the Miami Winter Music Conference. This year though, after much begging and brown nosing, the English speaking staff got to tag along so that this time you would be able to read the words accompanying the pretty pictures.

For those of you living under a rock for the last few years, the Miami Winter Conference is held for a week at the end of March every year. It offers a chance for music industry types to exchange stories, make valuable contacts and expand their businesses. Most importantly though it is an opportunity to escape the winter chill and to party like it was 1999, all on the company's coin. Of course, thanks to dream lineups and sunny weather it has become difficult to spot an industry face in amongst the sea of partygoers in recent years.

With the increase in attendance has come a constant increase in the number of events on offer with plenty to choose from between the 23rd and 29th of March. This year it was almost tiresome looking through the listing of parties and trying to decide just which deserved your patronage, almost. There was everything from house to electro, techno, minimal, dub, progressive, breaks, drum n' bass plus everything in between. This year there was even a huge increase in the amount of European talent flown in to add to the usual extensive roster of US based artists. Being the selfless and charitable people that we are at Higher Frequency we traveled for many hours across the ocean and endured much pain and suffering to bring you a full report of the Miami festivities. So please sit back, make yourself comfortable, have a read and then start saving for next year's Winter Music Conference.

Text by Nick Lawrence (HigherFrequency) _ Photo by Nick Lawrence & Kei Tajima (HigherFrequency)