New York-based DJ and producer Jubilee brings her Magic City series to Floyd on May 3. Although based in New York City for years, the South Florida-raised DJ and producer is one of the biggest proponents of Miami bass. This homegrown electronic music genre is still played at many local club nights. This sound and style have been her focus for years. She performed DJ Uncle Al’s “Mix It Up” at the BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix, a coveted gig for all DJs, as an homage to the genre classic. 

The Miami Sound

For Jubilee, there is a defining aspect of Miami music. She says, “I feel like the attitude will always be that Miami music is raunchy. You’re playing songs about pussy and strippers, but slo very bass-heavy. Very car bass, car testing heavy.” The South Florida sound influences everything at Magic City, Jubilee’s label. The music and identity are felt everywhere, including her logo, a starry-eyed alligator, but the curation often fuses the classic bass genre with everything from crunchy, retro-game-inspired electro. Samples include Grrl’s “Side by Side” and UK funky “Exonym” by Danny Golinger. 

Magic City

The Miami Sound is central to Jubilee’s label and party series, Magic City. What started as a mixtape series for the iconic and now-closed Opening Ceremony, her brand has evolved into a platform releasing cutting-edge club music from the likes of Grrl, Astrolith, Bianca, Oblivion, Nigelthreetimes, and Jubilee.

Jubilee’s syncretic approach has earned accolades from dance music aficionados, with DJ Mag naming Magic City the best label in North America in 2023. The label’s sounds reflect the current club music meta-scene, where stylistic boundaries are meant to be crossed, and once-regional sounds like Miami bass are blended with music from across the continent.

Miami Bass

Jubilee reflects on Miami’s unique sound: “Miami bass is like a regional club music sound. It was this baby’s sound within a sound like a regional genre. And I find that genres like Baltimore club, Detroit ghettotech, and Jersey club—these are all small genres, to me, they are all cousins to Miami bass. For example, there would be a Miami bass version of the Muppets theme song. But there would also be a Baltimore club one. Many of these genres also utilize the same samples. They all sample Uncle Luke, for instance. They never did before, but now they all seem to mesh together.”

Jubilee’s mentality also applies when booking parties. Magic City has brought a touch of Miami to New York City, Los Angeles, and even Berlin. For its tenth anniversary, a series of events is scheduled at notable venues, including Good Room and House of Yes, in Brooklyn. These shows pair true South Florida talents like Sel6 with touring DJs like Debonair. A future show will feature Jubilee with Tiga, a frequent guest in Miami.

Magic City returns to the 305 on Saturday, May 3. Jubilee will be joined by Chicago-based house specialist Ariel Zetina, DJ Marte, and DJ 1-800-Lolita for an epic event at downtown lounge Floyd.