This past Saturday at the Floyd in Downtown Miami, we spent the night grooving to the exceptional and flawless vibes set by Miami natives Paperwater, Austin Paul, and Kumi, along with Los Angeles headliner MNDSGN, who blessed us with one of his best sets yet.
All while fashioning his iconic Salakot – a traditional wide brimmed hat from his homeland of the Philippines – MNDSGN showcased his ability to treat beat making as a design. He created an impromptu track on the spot carefully selecting a combination of hip hop rhythms and RnB/funk sounds that had all of the attendees either bobbing their heads or dancing in the middle of the room. The Floyd was flooded with Miami natives and even several individuals who travelled from other South Florida cities to indulge in MNDSGN’s set. They all left the Floyd pleased and as new fans to Paperwater, Austin Paul, and Kumi as well.
It was funny when a Los Angeles native told me, “I didn’t know Miami fucked with MNDSGN like that” because it shows just how little people know about the real underground Miami music scene. Just because we are at the bottom of the map does not mean we are not in the radar or keeping up with the vibes. Many Miami artists like Paperwater and Austin Paul are also creating experimental blends of mainstream sounds mixed with cross genre elements, and these musical designs are allowing us to tap into some real innovative frequency waves out here. Watch out Los Angeles! The Miami music scene is definitely onto something grand, and I must admit that I am becoming quite fond of the sound taking over our city.
Check out the gallery below, which includes some photos by myself and Miami photographers Jennifer Grisales, Kris Kulah, and Summer Lomba. Stay tuned for more!
Words by Caroline Cardenas.
Follow
