Downtown Los Angeles is always illustrious with its numerous options of New Year’s celebrations. Tech-house bass boomed off the walls of four ballrooms in the MacArthur to ring in 2018. The Gothic decor of the former posh hotel set an elegant atmosphere to host a chill crowd, keen to groove to some deep beats. Chandeliers and medieval-looking iron gates trim the glamorous LA Historic-Cultural monument, which was formerly named the Park Plaza. Built just off Wilshire Boulevard in the 1920’s, the luxurious venue has been used for various special events.

Minimal Effort LA did the honors of booking the venue for a noteworthy New Year’s Eve party DJ’d by Maya Jane Coles, Dirtybird artists Justin Martin and Ardalan, and a handful of other well-known names in the house music scene. Oona Dahl and J. Phlip were two performers on the night’s lineup. It’s empowering to see female names drawing large crowds in a male-dominated industry. The three lady DJ’s had Minimal Effort guests ending the year with smiles on their faces, leaving positive memories of 2017’s final hours.

Connect with Maya Jane Coles here: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram

Connect with Oona Dahl here: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram

Connect with J. Phlip here: Soundcloud | Facebook | Instagram

Los Angeles music fans piled into the MacArthur through an outdoor courtyard lined with vendors and bartenders for the night. At the center of the event was a grand red-carpeted staircase, which is where attendees were forced to loiter when the ballrooms reached max capacity. These stairs suited as a socialization common area and perfect insta-opportunity while waiting turn in line to be counted in as others exited the given stage. The organizers should have planned around the whole max capacity thing, a lot of people got impatient and pushy when security refused to let the whole line in. I was one of the unlucky handful waiting on the stairs— away from any music— when the clock struck midnight. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t have rather spent my night anywhere else.

NYE was one of multiple milestones for the Minimal Effort group over the past 365 days. They held an epic Halloween party and collaborated with big names like MK, Lee Burridge, Claptone, Brodinski, and DJ Tennis over the course of 2017.

“We launched Minimal Effort with a clear-cut purpose in mind: to offer a haven for dance music connoisseurs with no boundaries, offering world-class bookings and high-level production,” the group announced on its blog.

Minimal Effort claims to have forthcoming exciting announcements for the new year. If their party to celebrate 2018 mirrors what’s more to come, LA fans should have high expectations for great times at these events. Stay informed about upcoming Minimal Effort shows on their Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Photos by Randon Vannucchi

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