If Red Bull Thre3Style were a disease by now, you’d probably have it. And if you didn’t have it, well, you’d probably want to catch it for a while. If it seems as though a new club every week is playing host to the Red Bull-sponsored DJ battle, it’s probably because it’s true — 3Style is spreading across the nation like a virus, and people are starting to realize its showdown-style premise and display of virtuosity makes for one of those events that, even for those who aren’t DJ aficionados, will make you love it for the competition. So here’s a peek at what was going down in Miami last week.

So, not in any particular order, greats like DJ Spider, DJ Klever, Cut Chemist, and DJ Jazzy Jeff all squared off against one another in Austin’s Warehouse District a couple weeks ago, and it was something furious. This was the crème de la crème of DJ events, all participants renowned, revolutionary and ready to shoot from the hip like the equivalent of a Gary Cooper western. And judging by the girls and guys grooving to the beats, even on the way out of the club on 4th and Congress, it was pretty hard to get out of your system. Jazzy Jeff was his usual eclectic genius, a praying mantis behind the DJ table/laptop and spanning tons of genres with the flick of a wriste, while Cut Chemist drove the crowd into a frenzy with hits off The Audience’s Listening and the other jazz-inspired, ambient beats he’s renowned for.

So as Congress and 4th rocked into the night, others like J.Rocc brought his special jazz and funk-inspired beatmatching to the DJ Corral, while ZTrip hooked up the crowd with his own Rhythmic Metaphors. If you need to sneak a peek, get a glimpse of the battles online or follow on Twitter — check it out for yourself and see what a raucous time you’re not having.

Photos by Angel Tagudin