ZoukOut, often dubbed as Asiaβs biggest beach party, takes place in Singapore over the second weekend of December. It is backed by Zouk, the behemoth which is #5 on the DjMag top 100 clubs. Zouk is the pioneer of dance music in South East Asia and has been responsible for getting the worldβs best DJs behind its decks for nearly 23 years now and till date remains a must-play venue for any DJ touring Asia. ZoukOut used to be a one night festival but due to increasing popularity it has expanded to 2 nights. It is one of the most exotic festivals in the world mainly because it happens on a beach and also because unlike other festivals, it goes on throughout the nightβ¦ till about 8 AM!
It is held at Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island and has been around for 13 years now. The festival offers a good mix of trance, Electro, House,Techno and Dubstep. The line-up consists of local and international, commercial and underground artists. The thing about ZoukOut is the entire concept is so exciting and exotic that it even attracts people who are not into dance music or totally oblivious to the artists playing. Who wouldnβt want to go to an all night beach party? This year was the biggest for ZoukOut with over 41,000 tickets sold! I have been living in Singapore for 5 years now and this was my third time at ZoukOut. The last two were in 2011 and 2009.
Day 1: December 13: ITβS HERE!
After months of anticipation, ZoukOut is finally here! I pulled an all-nighter last night because I had an exam in the morning and some of my friends are missing out tonight because they have an exam tomorrow (bad luck!)
The artists Iβm really looking forward to tonight are the ones I havenβt seen before: Krewella, Nervo and my man Ferry Corsten. Ferry has played so many times in Singapore but some other commitments always cropped up and I could never go for any of his performances.
So we reach the venue at about 11 PM (missed Otto Knows), the vibe out here is surreal – I see flags from Australia, The United States, Singapore, Indonesia, China, Sweden, India and the list goes on. So many people of so many different races all come together to have a great time which makes the atmosphere so amazing! As we cross the gates I can hear the Nervo sisters screaming their lungs out and Zoukout 2013 for me has officially begun!
The thing I love about all Zouk events is that they donβt half-ass any of the arrangement, be it the pyrotechnics, the super expensive laser beams, the LEDs, the staff, etc. And believe me, they can get away with a lot less, nobody will judge them! But they donβt because that is the commitment they have towards the people, and moreover towards the music. The bars are well spread-out, security is top notch, bouncers are friendly, amazing aesthetics and wise use of space.
NERVO
The Nervo sisters have taken over the main stage and the crowd is going wild! They have been touring a lot and have had some massive collaborations during the year and have smashed the biggest festivals all over the world with the most recent one being Stereosonic.
AFROJACK
Its 12:30 now and Afrojack is now in the house! The crowd is now flipping out and there is literally no place to stand! I saw Afrojack last year when he played at Zouk and that was the first time I saw any human finish a 1.5 litres of Grey Goose β straight from the bottle! Afrojackβs set has so much power, so much energy, phenomenal stuff! Itβs that dirty Dutch sound which makes people go wild!
KREWELLA
Clock strikes 2 AM and Krewella have taken over the main stage. This is their Asian debut I guess, and they have come prepared. Chicago-based Krewella have escalated to the global scene very recently even though theyβve been around for many years. They played everything from commercial, hardstyle, electro to dub. They played many songs off their debut album βGet Wetβ and their song βAliveβ has been one of top anthems of the year.
FERRY CORSTEN
Itβs now 3:30 and my man Ferry is in charge. By this time Iβm too exhausted but Ferry brought in the much-needed trance energy. Right from the intro the guy made it clear that heβs going destroy the main stage. Tracks like βFeel Itβ and βRomperβ took the party to a whole new level. Definitely the set of night for me!
Β Itβs now 5 AM, end of day 1.
Day 2: December 14: Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat.
After laying dead like a log for about 10 hours, I woke up at 7 pm with a massive hangover and couldnβt feel my legs. I was more excited for tonight because I was finally getting to see Zedd and Alesso. Zedd has come a long way from getting signed on Skrillexβs OWSLA records to producing for Lady Gaga. His βMoment of Clarityβ tour was sold out in the United States and his work has been praised a lot by dance music veterans like Giorgio Moroder. Alesso has come a long way and along with Swedish House Mafia, Avicii, Dada Life and Eric Prydz, is responsible for putting Sweden on the EDM map. His remix of βIf I Lose Myselfβ is definitely the remix of the year for me!
After another heavy session of pre-drinks we reach the venue at 12 AM. Unlike yesterday, today the crowd is literally double compared to yesterday. We stood in the line for almost an hour and I could hear Danny Avila play at a distance. We just Β managed to enter right before Zedd took over.
ZEDD
Zeddβs set was out of this world and he is worth the hype! Quality tracks, out of the world visuals and unparalleled energy. He ended his set with his remix of Empire of the Sunβs βAliveβ and a million fireworks went off in full sync.
MARTIN SOLVEIG
Itβs now 2:30 and Mr. Martin Solveig in his signature tennis shorts and headband is in the house. I saw him all the way back in 2009 at my first ZoukOut. Martin Solveig according to me is very underrated and deserves much more! Apart from playing an absolutely amazing set, he definitely knows to get the crowd going and also his visuals are hilarious.
EXAMPLE
Half way through Martinβs set I decided to go over to the other stage because Example was about to go on. Iβm not a fan as such but I had heard a lot about his live shows and he lived up to my expectations. His song with Laidback Luke βNatural Disasterβ is one my favorites.
ALESSO
I was back at the main stage by 4 and Alesso was about to start. It became pitch dark and people started chanting βAlesso! Alesso! Alesso! Alesso!β and then βYearsβ started playing. I literally had goose-bumps. The chants grew louder and louder! He played his mash up of βPressureβ and βDonβt You Worry Childβ and for the finale, he dropped his remix of βIf I Lose Myselfβ which was absolutely mental. Amazing amazing set!
DASH BERLIN
At 5:30 AM, it was time for Dash Berlin! He played everything from house, electro to trance, his set was full of his legendary βDashupsβ. By this time, the sun was already out and people were still raging. He ended his set in pure class by playing βWaitingβ.
That was ZoukOut 2013.
Absolutely phenomenal and true to Zoukβs mantra:
One World. One Music. One Tribe. One Dance!
