This is what Ultra Music Festival looked like in 2003

Ultra Music Festival 2015 just wrapped, and what can we take away? Over-the-top production; meticulous live shows; Justin Bieber, Diddy, Usher. Tropical House? Big room?

It was certainly a product of the year in dance music. Rewinding over a decade, however, will open your eyes to the earliest days of the festival and dance music’s climate before becoming a mainstream attraction. In this 2003 Ultra promotional video, which spotlights the Miami-based festival surrounding its 5th — yes, 5th — annual event, we get a very different taste of our world.

Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, Tiësto; trance, pure house music, more trance; BBC Radio stages without expensive lights; beach front stages without sky-illuminating fireworks.

Categories: Music