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Music

What's the Deal With SXMusic, the Caribbean's Newest Electronic Music Festival?

We spoke to the guys behind SXMusic about what sets them apart from the competition.

A new five-day house and techno festival called SXMusic is set to debut on March 9, 2016 in the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. Earlier this month, the event announced an impressive first wave of DJs that includes Jamie Jones, Dubfire, Lee Burridge and DJ Tennis. And if this enticing trailer is to be believed, the island will dictate the vibe of the festival. Think: decadent pool parties held under the shade of palm trees, and tech-house blending into the crash of turquoise waves.

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SXMusic is the latest festival to hit the Caribbean, which is already a popular destination for dance music fans. Both Electric Daisy Carnival and Movement have editions in Puerto Rico, while Jamaica is launching its first electronic music festival, Paradise Lost, next year. Plus, there's the boutique festival Groovefest, held in September at an all-inclusive beach resort in the Dominican Republic.

According to SXMusicDirector Alex Fish, what sets the festival apart from its competitors is that SXMusic falls at a peak time of the year "when people actually want to go to the Caribbean"—instead of at the tail end of the summer season. Fish, who DJs under the alias Holosound, knows a thing or two about marrying dance music with warm weather—he led Boiler Room's expansion into Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia from 2013 to 2014. Fish also notes that the festival will incorporate Saint Martin's other strengths like fine dining, kite surfing, and water sports, to "present a new winter escape to share with our friends and family for years to come."

SXMusic founder Julian Prince adds that Saint Martin is "the most beautiful and culturally diverse island in the Caribbean due to the fact that its half French and half Dutch"—a peculiarity stemming back to the 17th Century. "I'm very pleased to have the opportunity to share this little piece of heaven with an audience who can appreciate it," says Prince, whose parents spent the last decade upgrading a boutique hotel on the French side of Saint Martin, inspiring him to combine his love for house and techno with the beauty of the island. "Industry leading artists, sound and production may be the reason for most of the excitement surrounding our launch," says the Montreal native, "but I'm confident that the indigenous 'island style' will quickly become the true headliner."

Early bird tickets are now available on SXMusic's website