HINDS and Bleached at the DIY showcase on March 15 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
This was Hype Machine’s fifth year of bringing blogger-curated showcases to the SXSW music festival, and from what we’re hearing, it might have been our best.
Petite Noir at the Pigeons & Planes showcase on March 16 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
Mazda + Hype Machine’s Hype Hotel 2016 was the place for many exciting debuts: AlunaGeorge premiered two new tracks, “Automatic” and the Flume-produced “I Remember”:
AlunaGeorge at the Pigeons & Planes showcase on March 16 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
SBTRKT debuted new material during his heroic 95-min (!) set on Friday. SXSW sets are usually capped at 45 minutes, so the lucky crowd got to dance twice as long with the masked DJ that night:
SBTRKT at the Cruel Rhythm showcase on March 18 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
Thursday night’s Gorilla vs Bear showcase marked the hotly awaited collaboration of two Hype Hotel alums—Charli XCX (HH ’13) and SOPHIE (HH ’14 & 15) performed together for the first time ever, playing tracks from their new EP. Charli had some kind words for us afterwards:
Hype Hotel hosted over 60 artists throughout our five days this year, with even more stopping by to record a set with La Blogotheque in the glass-paneled Mazda Studio outside—people on the lawn started calling these sessions “band in a box”, and they began to draw quite the audience:
Diet Cig recording in the Mazda Studio (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
Elsewhere in the yard, the Hotel crowd (and it was a crowd! NIGHTOUT processed so many RSVPs this year) started their day at Tito’s Bloody Mary Bar, hung out on the beach (yes, we trucked in sand) sponsored by Flip Flop Wines, stopped in for a cocktail at the Don Julio Airstream Speakeasy, grabbed food at the East Side King food truck between sets, and picked up a Bud Light at the bar. They also got in a few photos with the performers passing through:
Left: Channy Leaneagh of Polica | Right: HONNE (Photos: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
A couple of artists saluted David Bowie this year, with Car Seat Headrest beginning their set at the Stadiums & Shrines x yvynyl, showcase with “Station to Station,” and Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals dipping into “Let’s Dance” Friday night:
Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals at the Cruel Rhythm showcase on March 18 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
In 2016, Hype Hotel’s curators continued to spotlight the diverse new sounds being made around the world, from UK house:
Leon Vynehall at the Tiny Mix Tapes x ISO50 showcase on March 17 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
to Chicago footwork:
Teklife ft @djspinnteklife @djtayeteklife @deejayearl & @we_the_era_ footwork dancers #hypehotel #mazdasxsw @gorillavsbear A video posted by Hype Machine (@hypem) on
to experimental lo-fi:
Morly at the Crack In The Road showcase on March 19 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
We love introducing people to music; on our site, in our apps, during our Stack Live series, and at Hype Hotel. If you were with us in Austin, we hope you found something new to love. And if you didn’t make it, we’ll see you next time!
Metro Boomin at the Crack In The Road showcase on March 19 (Photo: Jesse DeFlorio/Hype Hotel)
