Nightlife

Producer/DJ Michael Woods pairs his relocation to the Valley with a new Life residency

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Local is the new black: DJ and producer Michael Woods could be your new neighbor.
Deanna Rilling

If Las Vegas is the American capital of electronic dance music, it’s about time DJs complement their local contracts with actual residences here. British-born Michael Woods is your newest DJ neighbor, and he’s recently nabbed a new office—the booth at Life. He fills us in on his latest move, and the Tequila Nites party he devised for it.

What prompted the move from Hakkasan to Life and Foxtail Pool Club? I’m always looking for new challenges and opportunities. [Life] seemed to be in the same place where I am musically right now; I like to consider myself left-of-normal … The thing is, I don’t want to be considered too mainstream, and the thing about Life is they’re bringing a different kind of talent, like Pete Tong and Richie Hawtin.

You mention Hawtin, but Life pulled the plug on Underground Sundays, which featured artists like him. Does that make you nervous about the club’s musical format or will you still have a bit more freedom than at other Vegas clubs? I think because they’ve been associated with those guys, people are now pushing [for] a slightly different edge. When you go to Life, you’re not going to get the sort of mainstream, Top 40 tracks—and that’s exactly where I want to be.

What is the aesthetic and vibe of your Tequila Nites party? Obviously, it’s very much based around tequila [laughs]. The idea is in my set to get everyone to do a shot together … we did it at the first show and it worked out really well actually.

You’ve also got an accompanying “Tequila Nites” track you’re releasing on Armin van Buuren’s Armada Music. Yes, this is a track that I made just to play in my sets for new material and it went down [well] every single time I played it. It came at just the right time, really, because we were looking for a track to promote the residency and it’s something very much in line with what I was talking about before, and not being too mainstream. So it’s a mixture between progressive and techno.

Michael Woods February 28, doors at 10:30 p.m., $30+ men, $20+ women. Life, SLS, 702-761-7617.

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