Cool Hunting

The only thing better, in our minds, than leaving snow-white New York for the shorty shorts and tank tops of Miami, is seeing snow-white New Yorkers actually wearing shorty shorts and tank tops in Miami. So it was especially good to see Bruce Tantum, longtime New York dance-floor fixture (he remembers Danceteria; do you?) and clubs editor for Time Out NY, properly defrosted from the snowstorms that hit Gotham last weekend. Naturally, we couldn't resist pelting him with our usual barrage of questions…

How many times have you been down at WMC?
Math and Winter Music Conference don't really go well together, but I believe it's my ninth in a row. Which is not very old school, given that this is the 22nd year.

What are you most excited about seeing this year?
It's really hard to say because I just kind of go with the flow. I plan really heavily, I make a printout of all the parties I want to go to and all the DJs I want to see, and once you get down here, you have a couple cocktails, you walk out of your hotel and see some friends, and then you just go in a different direction. Having said that, the Sunday School for Degenerates party is always good — probably the M-NUS party, the vibe is always good there. If I had my list with me I could tell you, but that's what happens. There's probably, literally, about 20 or 30 things each day I would like to go to if I could.

If you had unlimited cab fare and a jetpack…
…and could make time stand still!

It's early in the week, but where do you think WMC is going?
I think when M3 started, that almost gave it a little more meaning… You know, 99% of the people here aren't here for the conference, per se. It's more like a festival like Sónar or the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, and in that respect I think in the last couple of years it's actually gotten better, because they have been getting a lot more interesting DJs, not just sort of the hack commercial guys, but more forward-thinking DJs. The last few years I've had a lot of fun. Probably about four or five years I was saying, what's the point of it, but — well, truthfully, I probably say that every year.

I say that about every festival I go to!
Well, I say that about everything I do… [Laughs] But in reality, the lineup has really gotten more interesting in the last couple of years.

Last question: best and worst fashion trends seen this year in Miami?
Well, I've only been here for a day, but the best is getting out of New York, where we had a late winter storm, to see people wearing not too many clothes. Whatever they're wearing, as long as it's not very much, that's a good thing. And the worst, I could say this always anywhere, any year, is guys with backwards baseball caps. Just stop doing that, guys. Don't do it!

by Philip Sherburne