Nightlife

Hakkasan kickstarts the great 2014 resident DJ shuffle

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DJ Afrojack spins at Surrender in Encore on Thursday, May 24, 2012.
Photo: Erik Kabik/ErikKabik.com

MGM Grand's nightclub/restaurant citadel, Hakkasan, isn't even a year old and it has already released its second DJ lineup, beating Wynn Nightlife, Marquee/Tao Group and Light Nightclub/Group to the punch—in more ways than one.

Billboard.com reports that former Wynn residents Afrojack and Above & Beyond, and ex-Marquee exclusive talent Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and W&W will defect to the Angel Management Group behemoth this year. They join existing official residents Calvin Harris and Tiësto, and exclusive headliners Hardwell (recently voted DJ Mag's top jock) and Steve Aoki, among others.

The news is notable because not only has AMG limited its lineup additions by pilfering DJs from their competitors, but Afrojack in particular had told various publications that even though Hakkasan had tried to woo him away from XS, et al, with an offer double his current payday, he was loyal to Wynn Nightlife. Today, he tells Billboard that only Hakkasan can accommodate the party he now wants to spearhead.

Danny Avila and Dada Life remain part of the AMG family, as does Maarten Hoogstraten, who will continue to perform under the Bingo Players moniker after the recent death of partner Paul Baumer. Mobywill play his third Hakkasan one-off on February 8. Nervo has an upcoming show on January 19.

The 80,000-square-foot complex didn't start 2014 unscathed. It lost Tommy Trash to Wynn. More importantly, it lost Deadmau5, though it's not clear if the masked producer/DJ's fall XS set portends another Wynn residency.

And speaking of XS, it landed a Zedd gig for January 31, even though the "Clarity" producer plays his usual haunt, Light Nightclub, on January 18. Light, however, has Dirty South on January 8, who had been previously associated with XS and Wynn Nightlife. So, expect the ongoing game of DJ musical chairs to continue throughout the month—and beyond.

Tags: Nightlife
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