The Best Underground Parties of Miami Music Week 2016

If all you do during Miami Music Week is chase marquee names from party to party, you're doing it wrong.

At its core, this week has always been about discovering new acts and sounds. The days of Daft Punk spinning at local clubs and poolside are certainly over (yes, that happened in the early '00s), but there's always a chance you'll witness the nascent career of the next great electronic music superstar. MMW is also an opportunity to see established acts live in the States instead of on a Boiler Room video.

At its core, this week has always been about discovering new acts and sounds.

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So ditch the Dutch DJs and American EDM acts for the week — they'll be at Ultra anyway — and venture out to the best underground and alternative dance music events happening around Miami.

Do Not Sit by the Ocean. With Atish, Bedouin, Behrouz, Gab Rome, Lee Burridge, M.A.N.D.Y., Alex Niggemann, and others. Noon Thursday, March 17, at the Deck at Island Gardens, 888 MacArthur Causeway, Miami. Tickets cost $40 to $50 via residentadvisor.net. Miami's favorite miniclub, Do Not Sit on the Furniture, is taking the party outside for the second year in a row. However, instead of offering a poolside locale, it has moved to the marina on Watson Island. And if you're looking to recuperate — it's only Thursday, by the way — sound healing and yoga will be offered. Then acts such as Atish and Bedouin will lead everyone in a sunset party that commands its namesake.

Paradise Miami. With Jamie Jones, the Martinez Brothers, Steve Lawler, Lee Foss, Bob Moses, Matthew Dear, and others. 10 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Mana Wynwood, 318 NW 23rd St., Miami; 305-573-0371; manawynwood.com. Tickets cost $35 to $50 plus fees via residentadvisor.net. These days, there's nothing "underground" about Jamie Jones, but the Hot Creations boss is still delivering some of the most interesting records out there. His recent EP, This Way!, was a total throwback, and it's reason enough to still pay respect. Paradise Miami returns to Mana with an amazing lineup outside of a certain music festival that rhymes with "Shmultra."

Andhim's Superfriends. With Andhim, Kölsch, H.O.S.H., Roman Flügel, and Super Flu. 10 p.m. Thursday, March 17, at Treehouse, 323 23rd St., Miami; 305-674-4478; treehousemiami.com. Tickets cost $35 plus fees via wantickets.com. DC Comics has the Justice League to defend the universe, while dance music has the Superfriends to defend everyone's ears from bad sets. Leave it to German duo Andhim to assemble a lineup whose superpowers include creating the tongue-in-cheek subgenre "super house." Their list of superfriends includes Danish techno act Kölsch and electronic music pioneer Roman Flügel. Superfriends, assemble!

Benoit & Sergio. With the Black Madonna and Visuals. 10 p.m. Friday, March 18, at Bardot, 3456 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-5570; bardotmiami.com. Tickets cost $12 to $20 plus fees via showclix.com. One of electronic dance music's most common complaints is that it "doesn't go anywhere." Clearly, those people have never heard of Benoit & Sergio. The French/American duo isn't content with simply relying on beats; they incorporate song narrative and hooks to create tracks that teeter into pop territory. Also on the bill is Black Madonna, the creative director of Chicago's Smart Bar who's quickly rising thanks to her old-school ethos of reading the room and not planning her sets.

Get Lost Miami. With Damian Lazarus, Heidi, Horse Meat Disco, Tiga, Thugfucker, Ellen Allien, Felix da Housecat, Skream, and others. Time and venue TBA. Saturday, March 19. Tickets cost $55 to $88 plus fees via residentadvisor.net. If you attended Miami Music Week and didn't go to Get Lost, did you even go to Miami Music Week at all? This marathon of a party is what happens when you bring together Crosstown Rebels with Miami's III Points.

Mood Night. With Nicole Moudaber. 10 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Trade, 1439 Washington Ave., Miami Beach; 305-531-6666; trademia.com. Tickets cost $15 to $30 via residentadvisor.net. There was a time when having one DJ on the bill was enough. But during Miami Music Week, bills are so packed it almost seems like each act has only about 30 minutes of play time. Nicole Moudaber will change that when she takes over Trade with her party, Mood Night. She'll spin all night long. Marathon DJ sets can be the stuff of legends, and Moudaber is more than capable.

Def Mix Presents Our House. With David Morales, Quentin Harris, Hector Romero, and Sean Cormac & Chili Davis. 10 p.m. Sunday, March 20, at Yuca, 501 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach; 305-532-9822; yuca.com. Tickets cost $15 via eventbrite.com. David Morales was spinning house music when it was still in its infancy and became a regular at places such as Paradise Garage and Ministry of Sound. If you're tired of hyphen house subgenres, catch Def Mix, who'll deliver dance music in its pure, unadulterated form.