DJ Mag Asia N°5 by djmagasia

Project Leader UCG BAN Director Hernán Pandelo Jace Jinsun Yu

EDITORIAL

editorial@djmagasia.com

Hello? 안녕하세요? 你好。こんにちは。

Editor Team Jackisback Tiffany Kim Ariel Jo Kevin Kang David Lee Tetsuya M Noah Ka Mengdie Hu Web Team Sean Hwang N.K Oh Photo & Video Team Matthew Martin

For this issue of our magazine, we’ve put together a lot of fascinating stories including Asia’s favorite acts, DJs and producers who built their careers in Asia, the lifestyles of music lovers, and more.

ART & DESIGN

French hitmaker DJ Snake speaks out about his perspective on social media. Ever wonder where the oldest underground club in Asia is? How about a monk DJing at a temple and a producer who’s madly into birds? Find out which tracks caught the attention of Asia over the past three months. Discover epic music festivals surrounded by picturesque scenery in vacation destinations like Thailand’s Pattaya and Vietnam’s Phu Quoc. How about the lifestyles of people who love music? Would staring at the music playing mirror, checking the time on a DJ-shaped clock, and experiencing rich bass sounds on a bean bag chair make life more musical?

ADVERTISING

We, at DJ Mag Asia, always have endless supplies of stories to share with our readers. Without the page limit, we might as well make an “unlimited edition” about the scene in Asia—the birthplace of numerous gems and host of shows as well as festivals that grow in size and diversity every year. So stay tuned, and definitely look forward to our future editions. For day-to-day news, check out our website at djmagasia.com!

design@djmagasia.com

Alejandro Ramos Jay Kim Sergio Aguirre

ad@djmagasia.com

Jason Roh Sungah Han Gloria Lin Leo Jurjevich Seth Kim Jeehak Koh Hyejin Ko

EVENTS / PRODUCTION events@djmagasia.com

Sang Park Bros Ma Hankyoo Moon Muti Siddiqi

MANAGEMENT

mgmt@djmagasia.com

Managing Director Dudley Chou Accounting Manager Elizabeth Choi

CONTRIBUTORS

JACE JINSUN YU Director

DJ Mag Japan Team, Sae Chang, Simon Moon, Camillia Lu, Mizuki Asakura

SUBSCRIPTIONS

subscriber@djmagasia.com

OFFICIAL WEBSITE djmagasia.com DJMAGASIA DJMAG_ASIA

CONTENT 54

한국어 WHAT’S HOT IN KOREA? COVER STORY: 진정한 세계 여행가 DJ 스네이크 CLUB MWG: 26주년을 맞이한 한국의 언더그라운드 클럽 6인 6색, 개성 강한 아티스트 총집합! EPIZODE VIETNAM: 푸꾸옥에서 펼쳐지는 11일간의 페스티벌

66 中文 WHAT’S HOT IN CHINA? COVER STORY: 真正的世界旅行家DJ Snake CLUB MWG: 迎来26周年的韩国最早的地下夜店 6人6色,个性十足的DJ总集合! EPIZODE VIETNAM: 在纯粹的富国岛举行的为期11天的音乐节

78 日本語 WHAT’S HOT IN JAPAN? COVER STORY: 真の世界旅行者 DJスネーク CLUB MWG: 26周年を迎えた韓国元祖アンダーグ

ラウンドクラブ

DJ SNAKE

EPIZODE VIETNAM: フーコックで繰り広げられる11

六人六色, 個性豊かなアーティストここに集結！

THE REAL GLOBETROTTER

FEATURES 24 CLUB MWG: ONE OF THE OLDEST CLUBS IN ASIA

The first-ever Korean underground club to hit its 26th milestone.

26 2019 TOP 100 DJs

The analysis of the biggest dance music poll in the world.

32 THE 6 MOST ECCENTRIC ACTS OF

THE DECADE

One-of-a-kind acts who have been gracing the scene…

34 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR MUSIC FESTIVALS

A list of tips on how to have the most fun at this year’s festivals…

36 DANCE MUSIC IN VIDEO GAMES

The masterpieces that delivers some of the greatest music in video game history.

40 MIAMI REVIVAL

Winter Music Conference returned in full force.

44 DJ MAG MIDDLE EAST

DJ Mag Middle East Music Conference 2020 announced in Abu Dhabi.

日間のフェスティバル

08 COMIN’ UP Ultra Korea, CONECTD, Spinnin’ Asia, The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack Goes Green, SXM Festival, T-Minus, Get To Know Cream, Nitti Gritti and ManyFew, Patrick Topping in the Hot Seat, FSOE UV, Steffi & Virginia & more…

48 FASHION & LIFESTYLE “IT” items that hit the spot!

90 ON THE FLOOR Epizode Festival, Wonderfruit & DJ Mag Asia parties in ADE.

98 MUSIC REVIEWS Tobias, James Solace, Duck Sauce, Henry Greenleaf, Tinlicker, Claude VonStroke, Felix Jaehn, Wehbba…

106 TECH Korg, Denon DJ, Akai, Pioneer DJ, Technics 1210…

110 EVENT CALENDAR Check out what’s going on in Asia from March to June.

50 JOCKEY JOURNAL: JONAS BLUE

The travel story of one of the biggest names of electronic music scene.

114 LUCKY SEVEN: MARTIN SOLVEIG

Martin Solveig reveal us the tracks that affected him the most.

24 6

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COMIN’ UP

NEWS

ULTRA KOREA RETURNS TO SEOUL OLYMPIC STADIUM ULTRA KOREA WILL BE COMING HOME TO SEOUL FOR THEFESTIVAL’S 9TH EDITION…

fter a year away from Korea’s capital city, the festival will return to Olympic Stadium on June 20-21, 2020. This will mark the 9th edition of one of the biggest editions that the festival has to offer within the Ultra Worldwide concept. Born in 2012, it was one of the first editions of Ultra outside Miami. A two day multi-stage event that showcased the most

diverse array of electronic music talent, coupled with technologically advanced production, lighting and sound. Tiesto, Skrillex, Steve Aoki and John Digweed were among the DJs that played in that occasion. Since then, it went to become one of the biggest festivals of the whole continent.

Skrillex, Duke Dumont and Underworld during three beautiful days in the Everland Speedway in Yongin. After a year outside its home, the Olympic Stadium, it will be back with two days filled with international acts and the best Ultra has to offer. Find out more at www.ultrakorea.com

Last year’s lineup included some great names like Knife Party, Porter Robinson,

THE KOREAN AMERICAN RAPPER JUNOFLO MEETS CHINESE DJ/PRODUCER CURTIS COLD

FOR THEIR FIRST EVER COLLABORATION, ‘SUPERNOVA’ SECOND COLLABORATION PROJECT FROM ‘CONECTD’, THE MODERN SILK ROAD OF THE EAST AND THE WEST.

‘S

upernova’ is the second collaboration project of a new imprint CONECTD, followed by ‘Northern Lights’ by Third Party and Nell. This time with a Korean American rapper Junoflo – a West Coast Icon who gained a rapid fame through a popular TV series in Korea, Show Me The Money – met Curtis Cold, one of the most respected electronic producers in China who produced Kris Wu’s July and was included in the Forbes 30 Under 30 China 2018. The Urban track opens with Curtis’s dreamy instrumental layered with an astronaut’s voice count downing five to

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zero, and is followed by WHO$’s mournful vocal. Led by Junoflo’s flawless rap, the track gives an illusion of having watched a SF film after listening. The new imprint CONECTD was launched to capture the opportunity to bridge the talents from the East and the West, and connect the best of the two worlds, K-Pop and Electronic music. With a motif of the Modern Silk Road, the label is led by UC Management, the powerhouse behind Asia’s biggest dance music festival and planning on bringing different artists from all over the world to create something that was never done before.

COMIN’ UP

SPINNIN’ ROUND AND ROUND Spinnin’ Records Asia opens for business…

pinnin’ Records is strengthening its global footprint with the launch of Spinnin’ Records Asia. The dance music specialist is bringing its winning recipe of discovering and nurturing talent to our region. It will also sign and work with artists of Asian heritage from every part of the world, bringing their music to a global audience.

Asia, company that will operate together with the new platform. “We’re seeing a new generation of DJs and producers coming through who are inspiring fans and building scenes that rivals those in Europe and America. The launch of Spinnin’ Records Asia will help ensure that we’re the first choice for these artists as they seek to build their careers at home and around the world.”

“This is a region that’s already delivered groundbreaking artists, and is currently reshaping the dance and pop music environment with a burst of exciting new acts. We’re proud and eager to start working with them, as they’ll surely help take the Spinnin’ brand to the next level”, said Spinnin’s CEO Roger de Graaf.

Following a successful year in which Spinnin’ celebrated its 20th birthday, reached several milestones and saw many artists deliver their most successful singles, Spinnin’ Records Asia represents a fresh new step into the future.

The debut single on Spinnin’ Records Asia, ‘Feel The Light’ was released on Friday 29th November. The track came from U.S.-based DJ duo BEAUZ, who have Indonesian and Taiwanese heritage. “We are truly excited to be a part of this launch”, they said. “Spinnin’ Records Asia opens the curtain to a new era of globalized music and we can’t wait to show the world what we got!” “There’s a dance music revolution taking place in Asia”, said Simon Robson, President, Warner Music

THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS SWEEP DANCE CATEGORY AT LATEST GRAMMY AWARDS

THE UK DUO TOOK HOME THE AWARD FOR BEST DANCE ALBUM FOR THEIR 2019 LP ‘NO GEOGRAPHY’ AND BEST DANCE RECORDING FOR ALBUM TRACK ‘GOT TO KEEP ON’.

here’s no doubt that Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons had created one of the biggest projects dance music have ever had. That might be why they have collected their five and sixth awards on the 62° Annual Grammy Ceremony from last January. The event saw the UK duo take home the award for Best Dance Album for their 2019

album ‘No Geography’ and Best Dance Recording for album track ‘Got To Keep On’. The other nominees for Best Dance Recording included Bonobo with ‘Linked’, Italian production trio Meduza for their collaborative effort with Goodboys, ‘Piece of Your Heart’; Rüfüs Du Sol with their omnipresent ‘Underwater’ and the Skrillex & Boys Noize effort ‘Midnight Hour’, which features rapper Ty Dolla $ign.

Following in the footsteps of last year’s Best Dance/Electronic Album winner Justice for their work in ‘Women Worldwide’, they also won the award. ‘No Geography’ is their ninth studio album and was released in April 2019, along with a massive world tour and banger dance cuts like ‘Got To Keep On’, ‘Eve Of Destruction’ and ‘Free Yourself’. They faced real hard competition from the likes of Apparat, Flume and Rufus Du Sol.

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COMIN’ UP

MASSIVE ATTACK GOES GREEN

n the band’s most recent effort to reduce the carbon footprint of touring, Massive Attack say they will tour Europe by train. The Bristol band’s announcement follows their joint venture with the University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, where they look into ways in which the live music industry can reduce its carbon footprint, with three key points focused on band travel, audience transport and venues.

“THE CHALLENGE NOW IS TO NOT ONLY MAKE PERSONAL SACRIFICES, BUT TO INSIST ON THE SYSTEMIC CHANGE THAT’S NEEDED” – ROBERT DEL NAJA “[As musicians] we have enjoyed a high-carbon lifestyle. But as a society we’ve all existed in a fossil-fuel economy for a long time and had very little choice in that”, lead singer Robert Del Naja, also known as 3D, told the BBC. “The challenge now is to not only make personal sacrifices, but

MASSIVE ATTACK COMPLETES HIS EUROPEAN TOUR BY TRAIN TO FIGHT CLIMATE CHANGE. to insist on the systemic change that’s needed. Business as usual is over.” Last november, the band announced their plans to create a blueprint for eco-friendly touring to create a “roadmap to decarbonisation” of music tours and concerts, assisting “swift and significant emissions reductions”.

The blueprint will not only look at artist and crew travel and venue waste, but also audience journeys and venue power — the latter two are thought to generate the most CO2. Del Naja has warned against the idea of offsetting as a means to make the live music sector greener. A European Commission report suggests up to 85% of offsetting programmes will be ineffective.

Locally, we have partnered up with SXM Doet, the biggest volunteer event on the island taking place the same weekend as the festival. Guests have the chance to volunteer at over 100 projects making the island a better place. We have also partnered with Les Connections, a non-profit that makes sure our waste management is properly done. We are working towards purchasing a massive composter in time for the next edition, which we will donate to a local neighbourhood, and continue doing so each year for new neighbourhoods around the island.

CARIBBEAN SXM FESTIVAL LEADS THE CHANGE!

SXM

has implemented numerous environmental initiatives and practices since its inception, 2020 being no exception, including solar powered low-energy LED lighting; stages and decor crafted from natural materials sourced from the island itself; a partnership with Martinique non-profit Les Connections wherein waste management and recycling principles will continue to be at the forefront of the event’s infrastructure; the Two Bunch Palm Foundation established in the wake of Hurricane IRMA, and more. Julian Prince, founder of the festival, gave us an insight about what’s going on this year: 10

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“There is a lot we are doing on-site and online so guests can interact and participate in our mission for a sustainable festival as well experience the magic this island has to offer. On site we’ll have activations like an oyster shucking booth where guests will learn about the importance of ocean sustainability, a VR experience produced with the natural reserve of St Martin to take attendees into the deep ocean and witness the effects of warmer oceans.and the degradation of coral reefs. We have also have a booth to teach composting and other positive green initiatives.

We have launched a long-term effort to reduce our emissions and partnered with experts to help us on a net-zero carbon strategy path. We are grateful for our new partnership with Bye Bye Plastic, Blond:ish’s initiative to reduce single use plastic, their guidance and the Beach Clean Up event they will be hosting during the festival with Summerdaze. We have partnered with Climeworks Carbon Capture, and call on everyone to join the pioneer mission of capturing CO2 from the air and turning it into stone — you can subscribe online to contribute or ‘donate your weight’ on-site - for every 1$ contribution 1kg of CO2 will be captured. We also encourage all attendees to offset their transportation emissions with our Peace Boat US! & Climate Futures partnership, wherein you choose a project you want to support, calculate your emissions and offset right away. We have a special partnership with Tree Of Life, a non profit that plants trees worldwide that our dear friend and talented artist Francesca Lombardo is involved in. And of course, we wanted to make sure our merch is sustainable and in-line with our values. This is why we are sourcing our t-shirts from Ungalli Clothing Co. These are t-shirts made ethically in Canada from recycled and organic materials, produced in Canadian facilities where workers are safe, respected, and paid fair wages.”

COMIN’ UP WAYS TO PREVENT TINNITUS

THERE’S A NEW APP THAT HELP PEOPLE WITH TINNITUS IT’S CALLED T-MINUS AND WILL ASSIST THE CONDITIONS AND OFFER SPECIFIC INFORMATION. new sound therapy app, T-Minus, has been launched on Apple’s App A Store to help people who suffer from

and there is currently no scientifically validated cure.

tinnitus. Specialists say that one in seven people worldwide will suffer from tinnitus (ringing in the ears) at some point with several artists with thelikes of Eats Everything, Carl Craig and Bicep’s Matt McBriar among the high profile dance music names with the hearing condition.

T-Minus works to alleviate symptoms by offering users a sound therapy library created with long-term use in mind. Audio and masking controls can be personalised to individual experiences, with frequencies designed to combat the full spectrum of associated noises.

Defined by a persistent internal noise often described as a humming, whistling or whooshing sound, due to the highly intrusive nature it has been linked with mental health issues and sleep deprivationa. A lack of medical research means many struggle to find any relief,

This is supplemented by daily news and links related to tinnitus, advice on managing the condition and inspirational quotes. A comprehensive, curated FAQ section is available to answer the most common queries from the perspective of audiologists and ear consultants.

Protect your ears! Ear-plugs are so easy to find and you don’t have to pay lots of money for the moulded ones. It’s not always easy, especially when you’re DJing, but you do become accustomed to them and should be used as often as possible.

Be aware of how loud you have your monitors, headphones and speakers etc. Try not to put your ears under any unnecessary stress.

Lifestyle and diet play a role in tinnitus. Too much caffeine, alcohol and drugs all raise your adrenaline levels and therefore potentially make you more sensitive to tinnitus.

Tinnitus commonly appears after an intense or long-term period of exertion, excitement, stress, challenge or change. Consequently, most people start noticing symptoms after a period of stress, losing a loved one, an accident, an operation, taking drugs or listening to loud music over long periods. Bare this in mind if you notice the symptoms, and don’t panic.

Most importantly, get your ears tested regularly. You may have some hearing damage (in which case hearing aids/ audiologists can help), or you may have build-up of excess wax which could need removing. Over-excessive wax can also cause your ears to ring louder. Don’t wax your own ears with hopi candles or by sticking anything in them. That can just make things worse. Use olive oil drops (or the stuff you can buy) over a week or so and the wax will excrete naturally. Bare in mind wax is vital for your ears and is usually fine left alone.

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COMIN’ UP

HOTTEST TRACKS IN BEST ASIAN CLUBS The best clubs in Asia reveal their hottest tracks at this moment.

RASPUTIN

CUBIC

WARP

AI NIGHTCLUB

SEOUL, KOREA

MACAU

TOKYO, JAPAN

TAIPEI, TAIWAN

&ME - As Above So Below

Ummet Ozcan, Brennan - Beast (All

Steve Aoki, Ummet Ozcan, Dzeko

Pampa Records

as One)

- Popcorn

Smash the House

Ultra Records

2. Sebastien Leger - Lost Miracle All Day I Dream 3. Tove Lo - Sweettalk My Heart

Sikdope – SOS

Henry Fong - Rave Tool

Spinnin’ Records

Skink

(Jeremy Olander Remix)

Showtek, Linka, Mondello’G, GC

Showtek, Linka, Mondello’G,

Universal Music AB

(Gate Citizens) - Straight Shots

GC(GateCitizens) - Straight Shots

Skink

Gorgon City - Roped In REALM 5. HOSH, 1979, Jalja – Midnight fryhide 6. Jody Wisternoff, Pete Josef - How

4. RayRay – Back ’n Forth (feat. Aazar)

Retrovision - Stop

Barong Family

Hexagon

Mike Williams - Make You Mine

STMPD Records

(feat. Moa Lisa)

6. Sesco – Timebomb

Anjunadeep

Den Haku Records 7.

ARTBAT - 21 Century Parallel Label 8.

TV Noise - Turn Up The Bass

You Make Me Smile 7.

Skink 4.

Vivid – Illusion Enhanced Recordings 8.

Spinnin’ Records 6. Dom Dolla - San Frandisco Sweat It Out 7. Arizona Zervas - Roxanne Columbia Records 8.

Goodboys, Meduza Music - Piece Of

Futuristic Polar Bears & LeNerd Ft

your Heart

LoveLetters - After Party

Tyga - Ayy Macarena

New State Music

CMMD

Columbia Records, Last Kings

The Cube Guys - I Love It (Club Mix)

RL Grime & Juelz – Formula

Cube Recordings

Sable Valley Records

10.

Diplo, SIDEPIECE - On My Mind

Kura - Beast Mode

Higher Ground (Mad Decent)

Spinnin’ Records

Records 9.

Swacq - No Strings Attached STMPD Rcrds 2. Sound Rush - Sticks & Stones Rave Culture 3. Felguk - Game Boy Musical Freedom 4. Atmozfears & Demi Kanon - Move Ma Body Scantraxx 5. Don Diablo - Congratulations Ft. Brando (Don Diablo Vip Mix) Hexagon 6. Deniz Koyu - Lost Soul (Extended Mix) Protocol Recordings 7. Maddix & Saberz - Follow Me Revealed Recordings 8. Wasback & DJ Junior (Tw) - Alive Spinnin’ Records 9. Childish Gambino Vs Dimatik - This

Tones And I - Dance Monkey

Is America X Rollin (Lockdown

Bad Batch Records, Elektra Records

Mashup)

10. Justin Bieber - Yummy Def Jam Recordings

Bourne Recordings 10. Dubvision & Firebeatz - Lambo STMPD Rcrds

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COMIN’ UP GET TO KNOW

CREAM FROM: SEOUL, KOREA FOR FANS OF: LIDO, CASHMERE CAT, GRAVES, PURE100% THREE TRACKS: HEART BEAT, WITHOUT YOU, A WORD NEXT GIG: Watch your neck! DJ Cream, a fearless female bass warrior heavily influencing the bass scene in Korea, is about to tell her rollercoaster riding story. Cream was a natural born artist. She liked singing and dancing, she even performed in front of the kids in school. When she grew up, she went to a club and the DJ who was playing in the club caught her attention. This is how she discovered what DJing is. From that day onwards, Cream was into DJing and wanted to be a DJ. Without any hesitation 14

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she joined the nearest club in her area to learn and started her career in music. “I’m an impatient person. I wasn’t able to do a thing for a long time. DJing didn’t bring me money, but I never got tired of doing it. After I witnessed people dancing to my music, I could tell this was my destination to go with.”

her spectrum by producing her own music and finding her true color as a musician. Nowadays, she established herself as a female DJ who gives a powerful performance with a neck breaking headbanging set and captivates her fans. She proved her skills to the music industry by performing at big festivals like Ultra Korea and EDC Korea.

Of course, not everything was in a good shape in the beginning. Her gig fee only covered the transportation and a meal and the passion was the only thing that kept her going. Furthermore, Cream had to go through a lot of distress because of the perception of the female DJs in Korea. “Yes, we face a lot of these judgments, but it gave me a motivation to overcome those looks.”

Despite her tight spot at first, Cream is riding out her position and developing into positive ways. This year, she is putting a lot of effort into her music and visual production to present it to her fans. “I always think of a way to make a better show and produce good music. I just started producing songs and I’m trying my best to keep moving forward to achieve my goal.”

Among all the difficult situations, club Octagon noticed Cream’s talent and gave an opportunity to play as a resident DJ. Cream got closer to her dream. From that moment, she started to expand

“I almost broke my neck at Cream’s show” is the feedback Cream wants to get from the fans. Let’s keep an eye on Cream’s brave new journey. Always Cream Day! SAE CHANG

COMIN’ UP GET TO KNOW

NITTI GRITTI FROM: PHILADELPHIA, UNITED STATES FOR FANS OF: DIPLO, DILLON FRANCIS, NGHTMRE, DJ SNAKE, JAUZ, DJ DIESEL (SHAQ), MARSHMELLO, THE CHAINSMOKERS THREE TRACKS: UNDERDOGS, MONEY, MY MUSIC NEXT GIG: BEYOND WONDERLAND, MARCH 20TH Philadelphia native and Miami champion, NITTI GRITTI aka Richard Cook Mears IV has made an unforgettable impact on music industry professionals and fans alike. The NITTI GRITTI name has become a synonymous symbol of boundary pushing in electronic music and beyond. The Latin Grammy Award Winning producer, fan proclaimed edit master, and world-renown DJ has proven himself a force to be reckoned with, delivering an impressive and ever-expanding list of A-list collaborators including Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Diplo, Major Lazer, Bad Bunny, SAINt JHN, Dillon Francis, Shaquille O’Neal, and more. The young prodigy’s journey into music began at a very young age while living in Haiti. Richard, more commonly known as Ricky to friends and family, moved to the country of Haiti when he was just six years old, as the son of missionary parents. Ricky was first exposed to “house music” while living on the island, and his connection to Haiti and the Caribbean became the foundation for his eclectic taste in musical styles and elements. His years in Haiti taught him a lot about what most people in countries like the United States take for granted, and gave him the perspective and ability to appreciate all of the blessings in his life, including being able to follow his dream of becoming a world-renowned musician.

NITTI GRITTI was born in 2016. Up until that point, Ricky was producing under the name Ricky Mears and was also the drummer in a band, Yardij. While a member of the band, Yardij received a lot of recognition in the South Florida music scene, including having major opportunities to open up for artists like Lenny Kraviz. It wasn’t until he decided to focus on his Ricky Mears project full time that his electronic music production started to receive some major attention. He developed a close relationship with Skip Marley, and the remix he created with him of his grandfather Bob Marley’s song ‘Three Little Birds’ was featured by the Sandal’s Resort brand in an extensive commercial campaign. The initial onslaught of the NITTI GRITTI takeover began in 2018, when he kicked off the year on a headlining world tour; performing across the United States, Asia, and Australia. His music commanded mainstages across the globe, including his hit dubstep release ‘Crack’, which was the seventh most played track at Ultra Music Festival Miami 2018. His smash hit edit of San Holo’s ‘Lights’ with Kanye West’s ‘All Of The Lights’ has been played in over 350 sets and mixes according to 1001Tracklists, and has recently even gotten the attention of companies like Walmart online. The popularity of his productions has led to a relentless touring schedule for the young musician. His tours have spanned over four continents over the past two years, and he has played over 200 shows as NITTI GRITTI since the projects inception. What has set this project apart from so many others is the diversity of the music he has released in such a short period of time. His music catalog already consists of more than 60 official releases and

production credits, without including the plethora of edits and unofficial remixes he’s created over the past four years. His music spans over every electronic subgenre, and stretches as far as the realms of hip-hop and rock as well. He is able to showcase his many musical gifts through these different styles of music including his knowledge of music theory, and abilities on piano, guitar, drums, and even his lyricism. NITTI kicked off 2020 by releasing a massive dubstep EP featuring Shaquille O’Neal, Funtcase, Ookay and Yako, and has big plans to release more music than ever before in 2020. He’s also currently on his “Ro Sham Bo” tour with Wuki, and the duo just released their collaborative EP under the same name that has been in the works for several months. In late 2019 he debuted a new side project with fellow artist Party Favor called SIDEPIECE, and the duo’s recent single with Diplo is currently climbing dance music charts across the globe. If there’s one thing that stands out about NITTI GRITTI, it’s his love for creating music in every form. He’s an artist that will never let a genre divide stand in the way of him exploring his creativity, and it’s one of the most exciting and invigorating aspects of his project. It’s truly a refreshing experience to follow an artist who isn’t afraid to step outside their comfort zone, and who isn’t blinded by the pressure of success or the burden of fitting into trends. You can feel and hear the genuine passion for music in every single song, and that is what makes him such a unique icon in music Today. It won’t be long before the whole world is getting down to the NITTI GRITTI.

JACOB MANDELL djmagasia.com

COMIN’ UP GET TO KNOW

MANYFEW FROM: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN FOR FANS OF: GALANTIS, OLIVER HELDENS, THE MAGICIAN THREE TRACKS: FOR YOU, MAKIN’ LOVE, CLOSER LOVE NEXT GIG: XXXX Jacob and Victor Andersson are brothers and were introduced to dance music at a very young age by their uncle. “He was a DJ -and he still is- and we remember how we borrowed records from his CD case and played like we were performing live! Was always our dream to follow in his footsteps!”, they recall. 16

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The path started and some they managed to get some attention. After receiving recognition from top DJs worldwide and radio stations, the Swedish brothers realized this could really become their main job. From then on, things started falling into place. “Listening to the radio and hearing our music live always feels surreal! When fans worldwide are reaching out to say that they like what we’re doing is also something we really appreciate!”, they say. Also, receiving support from David Guetta was one of those moments that they are proud of, they confess. They’ve also been approved by Axwell and released music on his label Axtone. “This is also definitely one of the best moments so far we’d say”.

Adding to those amazing highlights, they’ve performed at The Weekender from Ministry of Sound and became resident DJs on Café Mambo Radio. And of course, 2020 seems to be even better. There’s a lot of new music coming and a worldwide tour that will have shows in Asia, North America and more. ManyFew is feel good house music with a splash of disco and funk, sometimes with some deep house elements to as well. “We love to add a retro touch to our tunes”, they explain. From a live perspective, lots of energy and positive vibes. “We want to make people wanna dance and put people in a good mood.”

COMIN’ UP HOT SEAT

We throw a few curveball questions the way of...

PATRICK TOPPING You played a makina set at Glastonbury. Is that where it all started? “Not my career, but it was the first dance music genre I was properly into. It was actually my dad who showed it to me when I was 11 or 12. He wasn’t into it, he’d got it from someone at the gym. Then loads of kids at school were into it. “I never used to call it makina. Makina is the sub-genre that originates in Valencia. We used to refer to it as New Monkey, which was a club in Sunderland that was famous for playing it. New Monkey was makina with MCs over the top of it. So I just started playing New Monkey classics without the MCs. I’ve only done three sets of it: Boxing Day 2017, Boxing Day 2018 and Glastonbury.” How does the crowd react compared to what you normally play? “Mate, it’s better! The crowd goes bananas. I’ve never seen people react like they do to that. House and techno can’t evoke those reactions. Well, they might do, but certainly not when I’ve been playing or been on the dancefloor and seen anyone else play. It’s literally like being at a football match and every 30 seconds someone scoring. “The idea was to keep makina to separate sets, but ever since the first set, everywhere I go, not just in Newcastle and the North East, people are asking for makina while I’m playing a normal set. I hardly ever do play it, but now I have once or twice. I did it in Valencia, which is where the music originated in the ’90s, and everyone went fucking mental.” The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist. What’s yours, asides from the label? “Not drinking and not partying too much, because then you don’t end up making daft decisions, like playing an hour of makina when you shouldn’t! It’s not much of a party trick, but it’s what I’ve been trying to do. Recently I did a year, December 2017 to December 2018. No drink, nothing, completely sober. I was so productive making music, it was the best year of my life. “Since then I’ve been dabbling, so it’s creeping back in. But I like to DJ sober. It’s transformed it and brought it to a new level in terms of enjoyment. It was a process, it didn’t just happen overnight. I’d been fighting it for years trying to do it less and less. Then before I did the year, I had my mind made. Once my first Burning Man is out the way, I’m doing another massive sober stretch.”

If Patrick Topping, winner of DJ Mag’s Best Of British Award for Best Tune in 2014, is already one of the biggest names in tech-house, then his new Trick brand is set to push things even further in every direction. “I want to do all different kinds of music,” he tells us over the phone during a few days’ holiday in Bilbao, Spain, for his mum’s birthday. After a quiet 2018 on the release front, March’s techno-flavoured ‘Watch What Ya Doing’ EP was the start of a flurry of self-penned emissions on his new label. August’s hotly-anticipated ‘Turbo Time’ — “a big vocal house track, more what I’m known for” — features Nouvelle Vague’s Lissette Alea singing on one of the two B-sides, ‘Galaxy’. Then in September is an

EP “of the heaviest techno I’ve ever made”, with lead track ‘Real Dungeon Freak’ featuring lyrics co-written and sung by a friend from New York. With fellow Newcastle wunderkind Elliot Adamson and Cologne’s Bryan Kessler among those following in the label’s monthly release schedule, a series of parties in Newcastle (5th October), London (13th), Amsterdam (19th), Northern Ireland (31st) and at Manchester’s Warehouse Project (8th November) promise to take things stratospheric, the latter featuring one of Topping’s original DJ inspirations, Luciano. With numerous Paradise gigs also filling the rest of the Ibiza season, we chatted about the influence of New Monkey and makina, and the joy of sobriety...

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COMIN’ UP VITAL LABEL

FSOE UV As a platform for melodic, deep and progressive forms of house and techno, FSOE UV has always been a brand which is led purely by combination of the love for underground music and a brand that is all inclusive with people from all walks of life. In their own words, they “tend to fuse it all”, being all-welcoming “no matter who you are and what music you are into”.

Address: London, United Kingdom. Date of birth: Label launched in July 2017 Amount of releases: 100 Most selling release: Paul Thomas & White-Akre – ‘Vyote’ Artist with most releases on the label: Paul Thomas

Celebrating their first 100 releases with some remixes from Oliver Giacomotto, Grum, Rafael Cerato & Morttagua and some cool shows coming up in Miami, Amsterdam, Medellin, Croatia, Ibiza and London, seems that 2020 will be a great year for the label. We spoke with Paul Thomas about his beloved platform…

How and when did FSOE UV come about? “I bumped into Aly & Fila in the backstage of a festival in India in 2017. They mentioned to me they wanted to launch an underground/progressive label within their FSOE group, and I thought it was something I could do. We had a meeting in Amsterdam a few weeks later and I played them some of my new tracks and we were completely on the same page with the music and vision for the brand. It is incredible to think what a chance meeting and conversation has done!” What were you doing back then? “Back then I had recently left my long term residency at Godskitchen and had started putting all my focus back into music again, in particular progressive/melodic house sound. I guess I was in a transition period and was really looking for something new and exciting to be a part of. I guess the stars aligned and here we are!” Who’s involved? “Both Aly & Fila and I run the brand together, along with the help of our manager and the rest of the team behind the FSOE group. We are a small but hard working team! Outside of that, we of course have a wonderfully loyal fan base who are just as involved as any of us.” How did the team of the label developed over the years? “The team behind UV has stayed the same since we launched. But I think the team extended to 18

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more than the people who directly run the label. The team to me is also the people who buy or stream the music, who come to the shows and who support us every step of the way. And that is team is growing very quickly!” What does FSOE UV sound like? “It is a fusion of styles, I guess. You can hear house, progressive, techno, even bits of trance when you listen to some of the releases. That’s the beauty of UV, in my opinion: there is no label doing what we are doing in terms of the wide scope of releases. We are stuck in a box in terms of what we release. It just needs to be good music.” Who releases music on it? “Olivier Giacomotto, Grum, Rafael Cerato & Morttagua have all done some great remixes for us recently. Stan Kolev, D-Nox, Lonya & Mariano Mellino & Space Motion have all released with us too. We also have some acts like Fuenka & Dylhen who are new acts from the U.K. which we are really pushing this year.” What does a track need to be released in there? “I guess the only stipulation is that I have to be able to play it to sign it. I never sign anything I wouldn’t play myself.” Who’s playing it? “We have a really broad range of DJs who have supported the label. Solomun, Camelphat, Joris

Voorn, Sasha, Guy J, Above & Beyond, Nick Warren, Lane 8, Tiesto, John Digweed, Carl Cox… I had an email from a big trance DJ recently. I won’t say who it was but they emailed me and said: ‘Paul, UV has made me stop writing trance and now I only want to make progressive music from now on’.” Proudest FSOE UV moment? “There’s been a lot over the past 12 months. I think being the 3rd best selling progressive house label in 2019 was a huge achievement and a testament to how quickly we have grown in a short space of time. Sell out shows in Amsterdam, London & Los Angeles were also up there as proud moments too. It’s a good feeling to step back and look at what you have created when you see a room going crazy!” Do you have any artist that you want to include on the label roster? “I could say lots of names that I love and would be honoured to have on UV. But honestly, I just want artists who truly believe in what we are doing and want to join us on this incredible journey we are on.” What’s next for FSOE UV? “We have a really cool show happening in Miami this MMW, then some of boat parties in Croatia, Ibiza & Amsterdam. We are launching a mix series this year too which is pretty exciting!”

COMIN’ UP TAKE TEN

STEFFI & VIRGINIA With new album ‘Work A Change’ out now, the duo share 10 records that connect them... 01. BLACK ELECTRIC ‘Black Electric’

“‘Black Electric’ is probably one of our favourite vocal electro tracks, [it] has inspired us a lot over the years. The way the vocals have been processed is amazing! It’s a deep, uptempo, funky and sexy tune that rocks like crazy.”

02. THE MARTIAN ‘Journey To The Martian Polar Cap’

“What a piece of art. ‘Red Atmospheres’ is pure house bliss and so well executed all the way to the end. A true trip for the soul. ’Search Your Feelings’ on the flip-side has this brutal bassline that rocks our world every time it kicks in. Great build-up and this is what we call a proper deep house record, no no no, not to be mistaken with the genre called deep house these days [laughs].”

03. THE RAILWAY RAVER ‘Drop Acid Not Bombs’

“This diamond of an album on Rephlex is 100% killer, no filler. Every single track hits you. The perfect blend between electro, UK bleep and deep lushness. One of our favourite CDs to play in the car!”

04. THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON ‘Lifeforms’

ong-time collaborators and close friends, Steffi and Virginia have been back in the studio together. Both names are synonymous with Ostgut Ton; Steffi has been a regular on the label for a decade, mixing ‘Panorama Bar 05’ after a string of featured singles, her ‘Kill Me’ EP and debut album ‘Yours & Mine’ in 2011. Two tracks from the LP featured Virginia’s vocals; marking the start of their collaborative work together. Virginia’s first release came on the imprint in 2013, followed by ‘My Fantasy’ in 2015 leading to the album ‘Fierce For The Night’ in 2016; all displaying her production skills as well as songwriting. As well as both holding a residency at Panorama Bar, Steffi and Virginia have once again proven with their latest album ‘Work A Change’, that their musical relationship transcends the booth. Here are ten of the records that define the duo in the past and the present…

“We have listened to this album so many times together. A masterpiece when it comes to ambient. What a journey. This album never gets boring, even though we can dream every single note on it. It has been the soundtrack to many holidays.”

05. ALONZO ‘I’m A’

“Such a clever dancefloor banger. Great example of using vocals like a more percussive element. We both fell hard for this tune when it came out and played it out a lot. Great reason to pitch the tempo up and get the vibe going.”

06. DOPPLEREFFEKT ‘Infophysix’

“A record with a lot of memories for us! One of the very first times we met, we found out we had a mutual

love for electro and flipped out about the fact that Virginia had a second copy of this record. One day she brought it as a surprise gift! The title track is such a sentimental groover that never gets old and proves that electronic music can have so much soul.”

07. AUTECHRE ‘Tri Repetae’

“‘Eutow’ is an absolute, absolute, absolute monster tune. The intro has so much impact, it rocks you off your feet. The gods of electronic music. By far the best band in the world. Every time we put this tune back on we look at each other like WTF?! Is it a Juno 106? What is that synth? We just can‘t get over it.”

08. INFLUX ‘Unique’

“This is what good trance music is all about. Back in the day… so what, it actually was back in the days when this was played on a regular dancefloor, where we closed our eyes and just drifted off into space. XTC and lollipops! ‘Braineater (Cylindrical Mix)’ is an epic trip start to finish. Take me back there please!”

09. MAX 404 ‘Quiddity (Last Visit)’

“By accident we both used this tune in a podcast without knowing the other one had it in there already [laughs]. Please give us a trip-hop revival as we are both big fans of the genre. Great laidback bulky beats with a beautiful melodic drive.”

10. LARRY HEARD ‘Alien’

“Did this producer ever make a bad record? The answer is short and simple: no! We recently moved to Portugal and this CD has been the theme of our car rides to the ocean. Yes we do like to drive and listen to music a lot. ‘Faint Object Detection’ is so gorgeous. A very hypnotising repetitive melody that goes on and on throughout the whole track. So simple but yet so effective. Larry is the melody man without a doubt. We take a deep bow!”

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THE REAL GLOBETROTTER DJ SNAKE IS ONE OF THE MOST IN-DEMAND DJS IN ASIA. WE SAT DOWN WITH HIM TO TALK ABOUT HOW HE ENDED UP TRAVELING AROUND THE WHOLE WORLD. “The last ten years were crazy”, says William Sami Étienne Grigahcine, better known as DJ Snake. Those last ten years were the time when his music really started to move and his name became well known around the whole world. “I started not being able to speak any English and sleeping on the floor of my studio, and I ended up touring the world after selling millions of records”, he describes. “Looking back, it’s a blur”, Snake looks at the horizon. We try to look back at one of the most successful artists dance music has created.

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HIT MAKER THE FRENCH TOUCH

r owing up in a musical environment, little William was attracted to sounds since a very young age. “My mom’s house always had music on”, he recalls. From Arabic and French music to old Motown vinyl, he’s been surrounded by lot of sounds from all over the world from an early age. Blame the music: he left school and started working in a respected record shop. “I didn’t know then that I would make a career of it but I knew I had to be part of this movement.”

He would watch the imported vinyls arrive and discuss it with everyone who came in, besides hearing new sounds coming in from Chicago, New York, London and watching people buying French artists’ music. “It was like a newsstand for music. The artwork of a vinyl, the color of the vinyl, the artist behind the vinyl, this could keep us all in constant debate about what’s next, what’s changing, what’s happening all around the world long before you could connect via social media”, he explains. “Vinyl imports were like postcards from around the world of what was happening and we all waited for fresh batches to listen to over and over and talk about it for hours.” Between those days, French duo Daft Punk was about to become one of the biggest acts of dance music ever. As a fellow countryman, he fell in love with those sounds and those two artists became his biggest influence. “Actually, there’s no explanation really required but their innovation in music, design, their approach, their anonymity, all of it… It broke all the rules and stood the test of time. This is greatness”, Snake says. Aside from this, he also draws much of his influence from Paris, The City of Lights—a place where he lived his whole life. “Paris is my home. It’s where I grew up, it gave me everything. Even when I struggled, I struggled in Paris. That city taught me so many lessons and now I represent that all over the world. I’m very proud to be French and I’ll always be”.

Since the beginning of the last decade, his music spread like a virus. Hit after hit, from ‘Turn Down For What’ to ‘Lean On’, DJ Snake created some of the most iconic songs of the decade. “Looking back, I think it all started from a fresh sound. Then a lot of influences came together, and it dropped at the right time”, he pictures. “Pretty timeless but at the time made to be fresh. You make the record then people decide if it stays around, but I knew they were special when they were finished for sure.” New influences and collaborations are an important part of his daily basis. “The next ten years”, he analyzes, “it’s important for me to know how to take all of what I learned so far, and apply it in a new way. You have to evolve. As an artist to stay the same trying to repeat yourself… that’s death.” That’s mainly the reason why he pulls in so many layers in his records. “Every single collaboration is unique”, he almost shouts. It can start in many different ways. He sends files, they send him files. “It can be about a person’s energy or what they stand for which makes you want to work with them”, he adds. And there’s no limit! He’s not scared to try new things. “I always loved the scene, but I don’t really see music in genres. I like what I like. Popular, not popular… whatever. Makes no difference”, he stops us when we talk about the reggaeton blend he’s adding in the last few years. He sees music as a general thing and those mixed influences are part of the same. “We’re all connected globally now, and we can all reach out and hit each other”, he goes on, highlighting how fast the collaboration process and the access to people is now. “Not just music either. Art, fashion, videos, films –all of it! You can be inspired; you can hit someone up on the same day and they know it is genuinely you. We are only just seeing what this can mean”.

This French pride is something everyone can notice and that might be why he was chosen as the first artist to perform at the top of his city’s most famous monument—the Arc de Triomphe—giving him a status that few can afford to have. But why?

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CONFIDENCE In the middle of all those hits and collaborations, an album appeared last year. ‘Carte Blanche’ was very well received by his fans and also made a statement about what he could do in a wider sense. “I’d always say I would make an album, for my fans. I’m not about making singles to have hits. I make tracks that I love, some are bigger in terms of streams or radio plays but they all mean the same to me. ‘Carte Blanche’ was a sort of a mixtape for me putting all of that out in one place. That’s what I wanted it to feel like”. No different to his last album, ‘Encore’, where he made tracks together with artists like Travis Scott, Justin Bieber, Skrillex and Yellow Claw, this one included some big names in it. From J Balvin and Ozuna to Zomboy and Tchami, he couldn’t explain it better: “If I like it, it goes on.” In an artistic context, the term Carte Blanche could be used to describe when an artist has complete control over the creative process. Something that fits very well with his ethos. “It means the freedom to do whatever you want, which is how I feel about music. I won’t be told what to do... I do what I like and I hope people like it but you can’t please everyone all the time. Be honest and the rest will fall into place. ‘Carte Blanche’ is how I felt about putting out music, about work, about life…” That attitude also applies to his performances. His eclectic taste can be heard in every set he plays. From Creamfields Hong Kong to Beyond Wonderland in Colombia, he’s confident about what he can provide. “I don’t really ever change my set for a region. These people booked DJ Snake and they want me to come and do my thing”, he explains. That’s fair: You’ll be hearing the full DJ Snake treatment wherever you bump into one of his shows. Of course, there are some differences. If a festival only gives him one hour, it will be hard to mix his wide range of music but, of course, he’ll provide. “I want to play music from my whole career and new music that can be hard to fit in. But it’s not hard to mix them together. I structure my set to give it a flow and it works”, he says jauntily. 22

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ASIAN AFFAIR While Snake continues to hold his position alongside other giants of the music scene, there is something that has been changing over the years, though: venues. As a perpetual headliner, it became hard to watch him in small clubs. “Yeah, I can miss it of course”, he admits. It’s not that playing in front of 50 thousand people is wrong but it’s a different kind of excitement. And it’s something that he tries to keep doing. “I play in clubs. I make sure I do at least five times a year. The vibe of a club where I can play for hours, its dope”, he assures. And our region seems to be at the top of the list! Asian clubs have been always very interesting for him. He’s been coming consistently over the last few years, giving away insane levels of energy to his fans. “I love all the festivals across Asia but the club shows in China are the ones that always surprise me. I make my agent book them for me when I go there, and the energy is fire.” He played last year’s NYE at ISY Music Festival in Hainan, together with some other dates in Super Miami Club in Xi’an and Illuzion Club in Phuket, a place that has become one of his main destinations for relaxing. “I go to Phuket most years for a vacation. I love the vibe, the water, the people and the food”, he tells us. It’s clear that his career gave him the privilege of knowing the entire world. A world that’s been dancing to his music for years. A carte blanche that has success written everywhere…

THOUGHTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA “Social Media and the internet in general have given everyone a chance to be heard. And that’s a great thing. But it can equally mean you get too distracted. If you spend your time looking at what other people are doing you can get lost. It can get into your head too much. Especially when you are younger, you might look at everyone else and think it looks so easy, and maybe if you’re struggling with something in the studio, you might feel like you are not good enough. That’s not the case. No one is posting the days they just can’t get it right online. No one is posting the doubts they have or the darker hours where you wonder if you’re good enough. If you’re strong enough to use the internet in a good way -research, get inspiration from artists and film makers, and find stuff you can laugh at when you want to relax that’s great. But if you feel it affects you in a negative way – log off. Music comes from within, not from looking all over the internet.”

5 BIGGEST DJ SNAKE SONGS “BIRD MACHINE” I guess you could say this song changed my life. I’d gone into the studio on an ‘all or nothing’ month; basically, if I didn’t make a record that worked, I was going to have to get a job. I sent it to everyone. Over and over. And Diplo replied. Changed everything. “LET ME LOVE YOU” This record I guess took me from the sound people knew me for and put it on radio stations that had never played me worldwide. I showed I could do records like ‘Turn Down for What’ and ‘Bird Machine’ and work with a song in a different way. “TURN DOWN FOR WHAT” My first global hit I guess. Got my name out in a lot of genres. The DJ Premier remix was important to me here too. This wasn’t about making electronic records for my whole life. This was me showing people I wasn’t going to be put in any genre. “MAGENTA RIDDIM” This record came from me listening to an Arabic radio show. There were people freestyling over beats live on air. I went home and made this and the love it got all over the world is crazy. I shot the video in India and the whole vibe of the record came out in the video. I still play it in every set. “TAKI TAKI”

OWN FASHION “I wear Pardon My French clothes a lot. I make pieces for myself on stage and on the road. I design samples all the time. I play around with color and shape. Having your own brand means I and my team try a lot of stuff out I like before we drop it. I check every piece myself first. Quality of the fabric and the way it wears on the road is important to me. I spend a lot of time on it.”

This record was a journey of beats going all over the world, vocal files coming back, then back out to everyone as each person jumped on the record. It took months to do. Getting that together and then the video together and keeping it quiet as long as we could to give us time to finish it was crazy. It was my first record with any Latin vocals in and the way it crossed over worldwide was insane. I was warned not to put the Spanish verse first on the record. That it would put people off. But I knew how that record should be and I stuck with it and it turned out I was right. Feels good when you stick with the vision and it proves people wrong. djmagasia.com

CLUB MWG OF KOREA ONE OF THE OLDEST CLUBS IN ASIA THE FIRST-EVER KOREAN UNDERGROUND CLUB TO HIT ITS 26TH MILESTONE. VIVA MWG! Words: TIFFANY KIM

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Did you envision this longevity when MWG first opened its doors?

MWG is one of the first-generation of Korean underground clubs, and it is marking its 26th anniversary this year. Most of the venues representing the early Hongdae scene—the birthplace of club culture in Korea—has closed down and a number of their counterparts in Itaewon, which still remains a trendy area, followed the same fate this year. Considering the fact that Berghain—a world-famous techno club located in Berlin—hasn’t even turned 20(Est. 2004) yet, it is surly a miracle to see how a local club like MWG has managed to stay true to its roots for 26 years. MWG holds the title of the first electronic club in the country, and it has also established the club concept as opposed to the more popular “nightclub” culture at the time, which was centered on stage shows and socializing. Also, numerous first-generation DJs—who are now curators of large clubs—have passed through the doors of the legendary club. The stellar lineup of DJs who voluntarily visits MWG’s birthday party every year hints at the depth of this small, worn-out club in Hongdae. The place has its special aura that emanates from the memories of leading DJs in South Korea.

“We started a club called Hwanggumtugu in 94’, and as we relocated to our current location, we switched our name to MWG. MWG was the first local venue to label itself a club, and it all started from this idea to spread the concept of a club. There’s been four representatives since the days of Hwanggumtugu, and I’m the fifth one taking over my predecessor since 2010. As an avid lover of the club myself, I’ve always been rooting for the slogan ‘long live MWG’, but I do sometimes feel like we have no foresight whenever we face small and big obstacles along with the rapid changes in trend and diversifying taste. Nevertheless, as long as I’m in charge, I plan to always stand by one thing: to stay true to our roots as MWG.” I’m pretty sure MWG’s been through a lot for the past 26 years. What would be the biggest challenge so far? “Every day is a struggle to be honest,” she laughs. “But to name one, I would like to talk about ‘MWG’s self-salvation party’ that took place in March 2016. At the time, MWG was registered as a restaurant due to its close location to the residential area. The practice was widespread among majority of the clubs in Hongdae area, and Mapo district, aware of this situation, launched an ordinance to allow

“A proud club of Korea! It’s already the 25th anniversary of MWG!! I wish I could live to be 114 and spin at MWG’s 100th anniversary party,” said Bagagee Viphex 13, Korea’s leading DJ, on an Instagram post from last year before the 25th anniversary party of MWG. Will MWG make it through to its 100th year anniversary? DJ Mag Asia sat down with MWG representative Eunhee Kim, to talk about the 26th anniversary and the drive behind surviving some bumps along the way… How do you feel about MWG’s 26th anniversary? “I’m in awe and pressured at the same time. Given the fact that we’re the first club in Korea to last this long, many people are paying attention to us, and I also feel the weight on my shoulders to pave a new path. I also want to add that the annual celebration of MWG’s birthday is not about showing off our history; it’s rather an event for us to thank the people and the DJs who have come through the venue throughout the year. I want to thank all those people by saying ‘Thanks to your support, we’ve survived another year.’”

those venues to operate as a club by designating them as ‘dance permitted establishments’. The problem was that in order to comply with their standards, the venue had to be equipped with grade 1 safety facilities, which required a huge amount of funding for fire protection, electricity, and more. The sum was around 30 grand, but we couldn’t afford to pay it with such short notice. So, the clubbers and DJs voluntarily participated in the ‘self-salvation’ party and donated money, allowing us to operate in Hongdae. The people behind MWG are the first-generation DJs and clubbers who’s been with us for the past 26 years, and our policy to never give in to the mainstream influence is our commitment to those people that we’ll never break.” As a person who’s witnessed the local underground scene as well as the Hongdae scene for a long time, do you have any hopes or wishes for the scene? “I mostly wish that all of us could support each other with an open mind. Cooperation is the key to surviving against capital-driven businesses in a tiny market. It’s sometimes a fresh experience to meet various DJs and clubbers of diversified taste, but I do miss the strong bond that we had in the 90s. I hope for a scene where senior DJs get their respect, and in-turn provide support for the up-and-coming acts. Moreover, I wish everyone who loves this scene would stay a little bit more open and think out of their boxes.” djmagasia.com

The Top 100 DJs poll 2019 has finally landed and what a year it’s been. We’ve new winners, a whole host of new entrants, and more ups and downs than Super Hans on a trampoline. Over the following pages, our team of writers has profiled each and every one of the 100 most popular DJs in the world right now. Read on to find out what they’ve been up to over the past 12 months, and flip the mag over for our breakdown of this year’s Alternative Top 100 DJs in association with Beatport.

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Nina Kraviz climbs 37 places Pic: PAOLA KUDACKI

GEO LIST Europe’s No.1:

Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike

North America’s No.1: Marshmello

South America’s No.1: Alok

NERVO, Highest placing women

Asia’s No.1:

Alison Wonderland, Highest Climber

Carta

Top 100 Analysis

Australasia’s No.1: Timmy Trumpet

Africa’s No.1: Black Coffee

Garrix’s reign ends as sibling duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike retake the top spot

he DJ Mag Top 100 DJs poll is back and not only bigger than ever, but more diverse than it’s been in years. In yet another record-breaking year, a whopping 1.3 million people cast their vote for their favourite DJs — that’s up 100,000 on our 2018 poll. Once again Top 100 DJs partnered with UNICEF, the world’s leading children’s organisation. Thanks to the kind donations of voters and DJs over the past three years, we have now raised over €112,000 for UNICEF. With this money UNICEF has been able to provide 150,000 life saving vaccinations to children in danger. It’s all change at the top this year, with Belgian brothers Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike reclaiming the No.1 spot — congrats boys! — from Martin Garrix following his three-year reign. Meanwhile, David Guetta jumps up two places to claim the bronze medal, and Armin van Buuren holds steady in fourth place, making this his 18th consecutive year inside the top five and claiming the Highest Trance award again in the process. Right behind him comes masked DJ Marshmello, climbing all the way from No.10 to make his first appearance in the top five, and Don Diablo — once again the Highest Future House DJ — is up one more spot into sixth. Dutchmen Tiësto and Afrojack both drop places but remain in the top 10, and Steve Aoki rounds off the list by climbing back up one place. The biggest change is Hardwell, who drops nine places down to No.12; however, given he’s currently on sabbatical taking some time for himself this isn’t so surprising, and given all the talk of around mental health and the pressures of stardom this year we wish him all the best. Moving down the poll and Brazilian favourite Alok is up two to No.11 — will he finally break the top 10 next year? R3HAB, W&W and Lost Frequencies each drop places, while KSHMR and Eric Prydz both climb three spots. The rest of the teenies is formed of three new additions in the form of Timmy Trumpet (up a whopping 20 spots to No.13, his highest placement yet), DJ Snake (up eight to 16) and Scotsman Calvin Harris (up 21 to 19th place). Skrillex is unmoving at No.21, scooping the Highest Bass award once again in a year that’s seen him open his already teeming net of collaborators even further. Brit trance trio Above & Beyond are right behind him, hauling themselves up a huge 29 places, while NERVO remain the highest placing women in the chart at No.24. At the tail-end of the twenties, Headhunterz

holds on to his Highest Hard trophy despite dropping one spot — his nearest competitor, Angerfist, this year down to 34th place. In 35th comes the mighty Carl Cox, taking the Highest Techno gong again. Coxy is up 18 places, leading the charge for a new influx of house and techno artists. In fact, 2019 sees more house and techno artists in the Top 100 than there has been in almost a decade. Elsewhere, Drumcode boss Adam Beyer is up 31 places, just pushing into the top 50, while Claptone is up four and takes Highest House for the third year in a row. Nina Kraviz climbs a massive 37 places into 60th, while Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Paul Kalkbrenner and Solomun remain in the poll too. South Africa’s Black Coffee makes a welcome return after yet another successful season at Hï Ibiza, and there’s a host of new additions: rowdy tech-house lads FISHER — this year’s Highest New Entry — and Solardo join the poll, as do Belgian techno spinner Charlotte de Witte, South Korea’s Peggy Gou, and masked German Boris Brejcha. The addition of de Witte and Gou shows another step in the right direction when it comes to gender diversity in the Top 100. Mariana BO and MATTN have both gained ground rapidly this year — climbing 19 and 21 places, respectively — and Aussie-born bass DJ, Alison Wonderland, claims this year’s Highest Climber award after scooting up a colossal 52 places. Other artists making double-figure leaps up the poll include ATB, Mike Williams, Ferry Corsten, Breathe Carolina, Deorro, Carl Nunes, Cedric Gervais, Lucas &

New Entries

Steve, and Andy C, who takes home Highest Drum & Bass once again. Swedish House Mafia are up 21 places too, though Steve Angello has taken a hit and Axwell Λ Ingrosso have dropped out altogether. Overall, there are 11 new entries (one more than in 2018), six reentries — the highest being Belgium’s Yves V, at No.56 — and five non-movers. Votes came in from 179 different countries, with the most votes recorded from the USA once again, followed by mainland Europe — the UK, Netherlands, Belgium and Germany leading the charge. Latin America is close behind, where fans from Mexico and Brazil, in particular, have been voting in droves. In addition to Facebook and Google, the SMS voting mechanism continued to open up voting to anyone with a mobile phone, with around 15% of all votes coming from this login in 2019. This is perhaps best reflected in the increase of voters from China, which is now second behind India in terms of Asian voting regions. Elsewhere, votes came in from countries such as Monaco, Yemen, Sudan, Syria, and Iraq — virtually every country in the world. Over the following 59 pages we’ve profiled the DJs who’ve charted, and put together a list of the next 50 who almost made it. As always, we’ve posed some topical questions to everyone in the poll; read on to find out who submits their setlists and who’s tackling the gender imbalance head-on, how they’re making changes to be more eco-friendly, how they think we can improve the mental health crisis gripping our scene, and what their guilty pleasures are now.

VOTES CAME FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES

179

Re-Entries

Non-Movers

1.3 MILLION VOTES CAST

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01. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike

34. Bassjackers

68. Da Tweekaz

02. Martin Garrix

35. Carl Cox

69. Miss K8

03. David Guetta

36. Blasterjaxx

70. 3 Are Legend

04. Armin van Buuren

37. Nicky Romero

71. deadmau5

05. Marshmello

38. Wolfpack

72. Carta

06. Don Diablo

39. ATB

73. Carl Nunes

07. Oliver Heldens

40. KURA

74. Charlotte de Witte

08. Tiësto

41. Danny Avila

75. Warface

09. Afrojack

42. Swedish House Mafia

76. Cedric Gervais

10. Steve Aoki

43. Tujamo

77. Yellow Claw

11. Alok

44. Alison Wonderland

78. Lucas & Steve

12. Hardwell

45. Martin Jensen

79. Andy C

13. Timmy Trumpet

46. Cat Dealers

80. Peggy Gou

14. R3HAB

47. Vintage Culture

81. Deniz Koyu

15. KSHMR

48. Adam Beyer

82. Robin Schulz

16. DJ Snake

49. Mariana BO

83. Vicetone

17. Eric Prydz

50. Zedd

84. Tom & Collins

18. W&W

51. MATTN

85. Boris Brejcha

19. Calvin Harris

52. Kygo

86. Marco Carola

20. Lost Frequencies

53. Claptone

87. Paul van Dyk

21. Skrillex

54. Mike Williams

88. Solardo

22. Above & Beyond

55. Diego Miranda

89. Thomas Gold

23. DVBBS

56. Yves V

90. Black Coffee

24. Nervo

57. Will Sparks

91. Paul Kalkbrenner

25. Quintino

58. Steve Angello

92. Daddy’s Groove

26. The Chainsmokers

59. Ferry Corsten

93. Julian Jordan

27. Alan Walker

60. Nina Kraviz

94. Rave Republic

28. Vinai

61. Alesso

95. Sub Zero Project

29. Headhunterz

62. Breathe Carolina

96. D.O.D

30. Fedde Le Grand

63. FISHER

97. Henri PFR

31. Vini Vici

64. Illenium

98. Florian Picasso

32. Ummet Ozcan

65. Deorro

99. Swanky Tunes

33. Angerfist

66. Richie Hawtin

100. Solomun

67. Diplo

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The

Alternative

List!

Coxy leads the charge as techno takes over the Beatport-associated Alternative Top 100 DJs poll…

ow in its second year, we thought it high time we shout about our Alternative Top 100 DJs poll a bit more — so this year, we’re giving you two mags in one with our double cover special. Bargain! Launched in 2018 in associated with Beatport, the list is generated by combining Top 100 DJs voting data with techno and house sales data from the world’s largest online electronic music shop. The result, as we saw last year, is a vastly different chart — with only a few artists crossing over into the flagship Top 100 DJs list. Last year, techno icon Carl Cox topped the list, and as you’ll have seen on our reverse cover — or on the flip, if you wanna be all DJ about it — Coxy has done it again!

GEO LIST Europe’s No.1: Carl Cox

Asia’s No.1: Peggy Gou

Africa’s No.1 Black Coffee

North America’s No.1: Richie Hawtin

South America’s No.1: Ricardo Villalobos

Australasia’s No.1: FISHER

Right behind him is Drumcode boss, Adam Beyer, who leapfrogs enigmatic birdman Claptone to take silver. Russian boundary-pusher Nina Kraviz storms up four places into fourth place, and larger-than-life tech-house lad FISHER is up a whopping 20 places to round off the top five. The list continues with two more giants of techno, veteran Richie Hawtin and next-gen star Charlotte de Witte, South Korea’s Peggy Gou (up 40 places!), and ‘high-tech minimal’ DJ, Boris Brejcha, who lands straight in at No.9, claiming the Highest New Entry award in the process. Ibiza favourite Marco Carola closes out the top 10. Elsewhere in the poll, we have two more non-movers (other than Coxy at No.1), with Manchester tech-house duo Solardo holding steady in 11th place and Danish romantic techno master Kölsch (and his hat) refusing to budge from No.20. Figure label boss Len Faki claims the Highest Climber gong, hauling himself up 49 places into 46th. Unsurprisingly, given the poll is still in its infancy, there’s been a lot of dramatic movement this year, most obvious in the 27 new entrants. Newbies include James Zabiela, Deborah De Luca, Guy J, Purple Disco Machine, Michael Bibi, La Fleur, Rebekah, Helena Hauff, Fatima Hajji, DVS1, and Perc, who closes out the poll at No.100. What’s been overwhelmingly clear is a lean towards techno overall, with many of the tech-house and house DJs present last year dropping out of the chart in 2019. With Beatport consistently reporting techno as the highest-selling genre for several years in a row now, and the rapid expansion of brands like Drumcode, Awakenings, Time Warp and Resistance into world-conquering techno institutions, the Alternative Top 100 DJs poll has shifted to reflect this global trend.

27 NEW ENTRIES 03 NON-MOVERS

This year saw 14 artists crossover between the normal and Alternative polls, meaning there’s more house and techno acts in the Top 100 DJs than there has been for almost a decade. As the worlds of EDM, techno and house continue to collide at major festivals, and more young fans become interested in the latter styles, this number is likely to rise even further. The Alternative Top 100, meanwhile, will continue to represent those DJs who are often absent from the main EDM-dominated list, but as the years go on, they could begin to look increasingly similar. Only time will tell.

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01. Carl Cox

34. Erick Morillo

68. Steve Lawler

02. Adam Beyer

35. James Zabiela

69. Adriatique

03. Claptone

36. Jeff Mills

70. Michael Bibi

04. Nina Kraviz

37. Dave Clarke

71. Laurent Garnier

05. FISHER

38. Chris Liebing

72. Gorgon City

06. Richie Hawtin

39. Guy Gerber

73. Sam Paganini

07. Charlotte De Witte

40. Dubfire

74. Paula Temple

08. Peggy Gou

41. Nicole Moudaber

75. Chris Lorenzo

09. Boris Brejcha

42. Eats Everything

76. Nic Fanciulli

10. Marco Carola

43. Jay Lumen

77. Hernan Cattaneo

11. Solardo

44. Pan-Pot

78. La Fleur

12. Black Coffee

45. Deborah De Luca

79. Bicep

13. Paul Kalkbrenner

46. Len Faki

80. Ilario Alicante

14. Solomun

47. Nastia

81. Billy Kenny

15. Sven Väth

48. Maya Jane Coles

82. Roger Sanchez

16. Maceo Plex

49. The Martinez Brothers

83. Rebekah

17. Fatboy Slim

50. Guy J

84. Dennis Ferrer

18. Green Velvet

51. Skream

85. Dixon

19. Amelie Lens

52. Disclosure

86. Alan Fitzpatrick

20. Kölsch

53. Claude VonStroke

87. Paco Osuna

21. CamelPhat

54. Danny Tenaglia

88. M.A.N.D.Y

22. Loco Dice

55. Purple Disco Machine

89. Denis Sulta

23. Seth Troxler

56. David Penn

90. Helena Hauff

24. Jamie Jones

57. Ricardo Villalobos

91. Andres Campo

25. Hot Since 82

58. Patrick Topping

92. Cristoph

26. Tale Of Us

59. Gui Boratto

93. Monika Kruse

27. Mark Knight

60. Joseph Capriati

94. Jack Back

28. Sasha

61. Stephan Bodzin

95. Fatima Hajji

29. Kerri Chandler

62. Dax J

96. Pete Tong

30. Ellen Alien

63. Enrico Sangiuliano

97. Andrea Oliva

31. Joris Voorn

64. Danny Howells

98. DVS1

32. The Black Madonna

65. ANNA

99. David Morales

33. John Digweed

66. Radio Slave

100. Perc

67. Carl Craig

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THE 6 MOST ECCENTRIC ACTS OF THE DECADE Words: KEVIN KANG IN TODAY’S INTERNET, CELL PHONE, SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD, WE LITERALLY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF DISCOVERING NEW ARTISTS AT OUR FINGERTIPS. SO, IT’S NO SURPRISE TO FIND YOUR NEXT FAVORITE ARTIST VIA A RANDOM VIDEO THAT YOU STUMBLED UPON ON YOUTUBE. THAT BEING SAID, OUT OF ALL THE ARTISTS IN THE WORLD, WE AT DJ MAG ASIA HAVE COMPILED THE 6 MOST UNUSUAL ACTS WHO HAVE BEEN GRACING THE SCENE WITH THEIR ONE-OF-A-KIND MUSIC AND PERFORMANCE. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET’S DIVE IN.

SALVATORE GANACCI

EATS EVERYTHING

Meet the biggest troll of EDM...

Your grandma’s favorite DJ.

It’s already 2 minutes into Salvatore’s set at Tomorrowland Belgium 2019. The speakers had finally started to play a heavy-hitting banger after a lengthy announcement, yet we still don’t see the DJ on stage. Then the camera zooms into a guy booing in the crowd who looks strangely familiar. Is that… who we think it is? And, yes, the man himself just casually emerges from the crowd and takes the stage by storm, dropping bass heavy tunes and driving everyone into a frenzy.

The Lunar New Year is the biggest holiday in East Asia. It is also the time when your grandmother spoils you with that second plate of food you wish you’d never have eaten. While for most of us it’s hard not to gasp at the overwhelming amount of food on the table, there’s a DJ who might be able to eat everything—well, that’s exactly what his moniker suggests.

For fans of Salvatore, it was nothing new. In fact, the artist is well known for his bizarre behavior on stage, which some may refer to as trolling. And they do have a point— half of the time he’s not even mixing, busy showing off some weird, exotic dance moves in front of the decks. But if you do watch the footage, you can obviously tell that he is really there with the crowd, sharing the same excitement and energy of the dance floor. The man may be a troll, but he’s always managed to entertain the crowd with his unique antics and energy. I mean really, who can resist the energetic, joyful vibe that oozes from him in every show? 32

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JACQUES The guy who brought back reverse Mohawk hair. ‘Tout Est Magnifique’ is Jacques’s first EP, which translates to English as ‘Everything Is Wonderful’. As the title reads, the album embodies the philosophy of the French producer/DJ Jacques. With the belief that everything can be beautiful, the artist makes music from daily life objects around us. From the sound of clacking typewriters to pouring water, the genius with the reverse Mohawk hair records all kinds of sounds from your everyday life, makes a loop out of it, and turns it into a groovy track. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself bopping your head to his oddly catchy beats. Besides creating incredible music videos, the artist also tours around the world, impressing the audience with his mindblowing performances. Jacques has also graced the stages at Sonar, Boiler Room and many other significant events in Europe.

Eats Everything, aka Daniel Pearce, is an English producer/DJ based in Bristol. Like his gluttonous name implies, the man has a big appetite for quality music, which is why his lengthy discography includes many delicious tracks including his breakthrough hit ‘Entrance Song’ as well as a number of critically-acclaimed releases via Dirtybird, Hypercolour Records, and more. The artist has also won the Best DJ award at DJ Mag’s Best of British and has been gracing the world with his skillful mixes, one that tastefully blends house and techno. Besides spinning at some unusual, but perhaps not surprising venues including two fish and chip shops and a bakery, the established DJ has been performing on the stages of world-class festivals and he is also a key part of Ultra’s RESISTANCE.

GYŌSEN ASAKURA Aka Techno Monk

MARC REBILLET

We’ve already covered a few eccentric acts, but just in case you’re still not surprised, here we have an artist who I’m sure will blow your mind. His name is Gyōsen Asakura aka techno monk, the one and only priest in Japan who built an actual Buddhist techno temple. With Above & Beyond releasing ‘Flow State’, an album fully dedicated to yoga and mindfulness, and the rising trend of wellness events in music festivals, techno has surely taken on a spiritual edge in recent years. Gyōsen Asakura takes this trend to the next level, as the DJ-turnedBuddhist priest celebrates the Buddhist concept of “pure land” with techno music. The event which he dubbed “Show-On-G Memorial Service” takes place twice every year at Shō-onji temple in Fukui city. Psychedelic lightshows, IDM music, and eyeopening Zen aesthetics are all part of this unorthodox ceremony, which is accompanied by traditional Buddhist chants as well as breakbeats of the priest’s own composition. While Asakura’s modern interpretation of celebrating the “pure land”—a term in Buddhism referring to a heavenly world filled with bright lights—may raise some eyebrows, his unconventional practices are gaining recognition around the world, attracting more visitors to the temple and raising awareness in Buddhism among Japan’s youth.

Internet’s ‘Loop Daddy’. Hailing from Texas, Marc Rebillet aka Loop Daddy is a musical comedy improviser and internet sensation. The man who built his reputation through online videos of himself making ‘off-the-fly’ tracks via his loop station, is now living the dream of every bedroom producer—touring around the world with his prized Boss RC-505 loop station.

CLAUDE VONSTROKE The man behind the iconic Dirty Bird sound. Barclay Crenshaw, better known as Claude Vonstroke, is one of the giants in the dance music scene. While he may seem like a normal guy to be on this list, the American DJ/producer’s music is quite different from the norm. It’s not an overstatement to say that Vonstroke is the man behind the Dirtybird sound, which boasts a funky blend of bass and house music that many describe as “booty house.” There’s this easily approachable vibe that makes his joyous brand of dance music resonate throughout the world whilst maintaining its unique color.

Last year was a significant one for Marc Rebillet. The major turning point came in early 2019, when his videos went viral on various social media channels. He now has more than 150,000 subscribers on YouTube and more than half a million on Facebook. It’s quite astounding to see how the artist earned global recognition, especially since his videos aren’t the most well-crafted, neat looking ones that you normally come across. And yet, his popularity makes sense as his songs are laden with silly humor that involves yelling monologues to the camera and singing about outrageous topics. Not to mention his spontaneous and creative live performances. There is just so much to like about this artist.

Aside from running things at his Dirtybird imprint, the artist is also known for his love of birds, which you can obviously tell from his albums released under the titles ‘Beware Of The Bird’, ‘Bird Brain’, and ‘Beat That Bird’. On top of that, he also has pet chickens at his LA home in the Bird Streets.

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Words: KEVIN KANG

ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR MUSIC FESTIVALS 2020

is going to be one hell of a year for festivalgoers around the world. From Ultra to Tomorrowland, there are so many exciting events to choose from, many of them brimming with eye-popping aesthetics and a lineup of top-notch artists from all around the world. So, while it may be too early for festival

season, why not use this time to prepare yourselves for the events ahead? Whether you’re a seasoned festivalgoer or a newbie, it wouldn’t hurt to get a few tips about proper festival behavior. Here we have compiled a list of tips on how to have the most fun at this year’s festivals.

2. DRESS APPROPRIATELY

1. DRINK WATER I can’t stress this one enough. Folks, whatever you do at a festival, make sure you always stay hydrated. Dehydration is, in fact, one of the top conditions seen in medical tents at summer music festivals around the world. From partying hard in the heat to drinking alcohol, there are a number of factors in festivals that could seriously contribute to dehydration. Hence, it is crucial that you top up your H20 levels to make up for the water you’ve lost through drinking and sweating. The symptoms of dehydration include feeling thirsty or tired, headaches, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, peeing little. So do watch out for the symptoms and make sure that you’re well hydrated. If you don’t feel better after rehydrating, or have severe symptoms of dehydration, seek emergency medical attention immediately. Music festivals have you dancing literally all day, and while many people tend to get carried away by the excitement of festivities, always remember that you must take care of yourself and your buddies. So, if you don’t want to have a miserable time getting IV fluids while everyone’s out there enjoying the heck out of the festival, make sure you stay hydrated.

While dressing up for festivals is big part of the fun, there’s a time and place for everything. Wearing the right kind of shoes or clothing is key for a good festival experience. However, every year, at every festival, there are those who are not dressed appropriately. Let’s make sure we don’t make the same mistakes they did. One of the main issues is footwear; high heels, flip-flops, or barefoot may not be the best idea for festivals. I mean think about it, you’ll be walking around and dancing almost all day. You’ll also be surrounded by a large crowd, which makes it likely for your feet to get stepped on. So, the least you can do is wear something comfortable. Costumes are more than okay, and it’s actually a great way to kick it up a notch. But there’s sometimes some ignorant people out there who might wear or bring outrageous stuff that could hurt those dancing nearby or offend others. So, while costumes are great, just be careful not to go overboard with it. Lastly, make sure you bring accessories that not only make you look good, but are useful as well, such as hats and shades which offer protection from the hot sun.

3. DRINK RESPONSIBLY Festivals are an amazing place, and with loud music and high-octane energy, people get easily carried away and do irrational things. That’s why it’s important that you know your limits—especially when it comes to drinking. Whether you’re already a seasoned festival veteran, or you’ve finally hit the legal drinking age, make sure you’re not drinking over the safe limit. It’s a known fact that many people use festivals as an opportunity to indulge in alcohol, and things can get ugly pretty fast when you have a group of intoxicated people in one place. So, whenever you’re drinking at a festival, be respectful to the others around you who want to enjoy the music. Be responsible.

4. RESPECT THE ARTIST It probably goes without saying, but music should be one of the main reasons why you go to a music festival. So that means paying attention to the music, and not talking through the show and ruining it for everyone around your vicinity. You might not like the artist, or you might not be feeling the music, but there’s no need to be rude about it in front of all the other fans who are there to listen. Also, it wouldn’t hurt to read the timetables and find out more about the artists prior to the show. Who knows? You might discover your next favorite artist.

5. PARTY SUSTAINABLY There are rising concerns surrounding the environmental impacts that festivals have. Last year, a BBC investigation revealed that an estimated 23,500 tones of waste are produced by music festivals each year. The research also showed that major festivals in the US including Coachella, Desert Trip, and more are generating around 100 tons of waste each festival day. While the figures are daunting, many festivals have begun their journey to hosting a more sustainable, greener event. But, even if you don’t attend the world’s greenest festival, there are things you can still do as a festivalgoer to make a difference. Last year’s Glastonbury festival saved millions of plastic waste thanks to its organizers who banned the sale of plastic water bottles on site. So, take a reusable water bottle to reduce the amount of plastic used. Also, pick up your trash and use the bins! Don’t forget to recycle. There are so many more ways to party sustainably, so if you’re conscious about protecting the environment, encourage your friends and those around you to keep it green.

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DANCE MUSIC IN

Words: KEVIN KANG

VIDEO GAMES

It was when the huge “Marshmello” logo flashed on the screens in Pleasant Park, the mysterious super star DJ Marshmello appeared on stage. Boasting massive hologram dancers and colorful lighting, the colossal event on that day set a new record as 10.7 million people witnessed the show. That’s more than the entire population of Seoul city, which the city’s government last estimated to have 10.17 million people. If you were scratching your head trying to figure out how millions would fit in a single park, rest assured. In fact, the show was hosted in a virtual world of Fortnite, a popular online video game that has become a global phenomenon. Over the past few decades, video games have gone through numerous changes, eventually seeping deeper into our lives as well as music. Artists today showcase new music through games, put on live in-game performances, and do many more things via games that we would’ve never dreamt of in the past. Here, we bring you the four masterpieces that delivers some of the greatest music in video game history.

WIPEOUT A futuristic anti-gravity race fueled by driving techno music It could be said that the 90s kids had “early education” to club music through video games. The introduction of CD technology allowed numerous types of dance music to enter the sphere of video games. Along with the aforementioned Streets of Rage series, Wipeout is another game that contributed to the adoption of dance music in video game soundtracks. The game was developed by Psygnosis(later owned by Sony), a video game developer based in Liverpool, England. Boasting a futuristic design, Wip3out takes place in the future where players control anti-gravity ships and use weapons to shoot down their contenders in the race. Like Streets of Rage, Wipeout is also widely known for its phenomenal soundtracks. With the CD technology, various artists from a non-engineer background could create music for games without having to understand any programming techniques—thanks to which the soundtracks of Wipeout features a wide range of talented artists; vigorous techno 36

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productions of composer Tim Wright (a.k.a. CoLD SToRAGE), as well as numbers from some of the UK’s finest artists including The Chemical Brothers and Orbital all shines through in the futuristic atmosphere of the game. The soundtracks were a huge hit and have been released via CD and vinyl in 1996. The unique aesthetics and soundtracks brought huge success to the franchise, and in an attempt to differentiate their product from Nintendo, their biggest competitor in the market, Sony launched a promotional campaign to associate Wipeout with club culture. From the package designed to resemble dance music LPs to installing Wipeout booths in clubs, the game quickly became a go-to post club activity for many club-going, music-buying audience. The commercial success of the game also opened the doors for licensed music, starting an era where artists could promote their music through video games. Wipeout Omega, a remastered edition of the previous two titles in the series, was released in 2017. The game features enhanced graphics and stunning soundtracks produced by an A-list team of artists including the likes of Boys Noize, Knife Party, and The Prodigy. If the cold winter days have got you down, a thrilling anti-gravity race might be just what you need.

STREETS OF RAGE SERIES The game that defined the beat ‘em up genre The ‘80s and ‘90s, which could arguably be called the golden era of video games, has seen the rise of various new genres. The crème de la crème, however, is the beat ’em up games. Beat ’em ups take place in scrolling levels, and usually features combat between the protagonist and a large number of opponents. But even among Technos Japan’s Double Dragon, Capcom’s Final Fight, and all the other beat ‘em up masterpieces of the ‘80s and ‘90s, there is one in particular that holds a special place in our hearts. And that game is the Streets of Rage series. The game spawned two sequels in the ‘90s, and centers on the story of three ex-cops fighting against the evil mastermind Mr. X, who is the boss of a crime syndicate that runs the city. Three main characters of the original Streets of Rage—Adam, Axel, and Blaze—quit the force to rid the city from the rule of mobsters. In addition to bare knuckle combat, players can also fight with drainpipes, knives, and many other weapons that they pick up from the streets. From vivid characters to next level combat, the Streets of Rage series were probably why some of us ‘80s and ‘90s kids slipped out of classes in school. Aside from its aesthetics, the game’s mind-blowing soundtrack left an indelible mark in the history of video games. The soundtracks were created with the hardware of Sega Genesis, and boasts an eclectic blend of house, techno, and trance that transcend the boundaries of video game music at the time. The Yamaha FM chips inside the hardware allowed music producers to save low bitrate samples up to 16mb. What’s interesting is that this technical limitation led to the creation of

a unique, “crunchier” sound—the nostalgic sound which instantly sends one on a trip down memory lane. It would be an understatement to say that the soundtracks of this game take club music of the time to another level. Created by musicians Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima, the soundtracks match perfectly with the game’s diverse stages, one that ranges from the street outside the Pine Pot store all the way to the hallway leading to Mr. X’s office. Koshiro once said in an interview that while developing Streets of Rage, he was deeply into electronic music, most notably house and techno. And it was this love that encouraged him to introduce dance music to video games. The musician also revealed that he tried to reference the percussive sounds and timbres of Roland rhythm machines to recreate the sound of club music. Laden with TR-808 and 909-ish sounds resonating in every corner of the game, the soundtracks are reminiscent of the early days of acid house at the Hacienda as well as Detroit techno giants such as Derrick May and Juan Atkins. Upon its release, the game’s soundtracks instantly charmed the world, earning the titles “the best video game music” and “the sound ahead of its time”. Koshiro, who also produced the soundtracks of Shinobi, Castlevania, Sonic, and many more, is currently touring around the world with Kawashima to perform live sets of Streets of Rage soundtracks in large-scale festivals including Sónar and Red Bull Music Festival. There have been countless attempts to create another sequel of the legendary game that defined the beat ‘em up genre. While most of them didn’t see the light of day, a team of French game developers called DotEmu finally continued the legacy last September by releasing the next sequel—Streets of Rage 4–in 25 years. The game gathered serious attention before its release, and it was the first entry in the series to adopt animated graphics. Numerous giants of the video game music industry including Koshiro produced the music, gracing us with another exceptional soundtrack of the game. If Throwback Thursday isn’t too passé for you, how about celebrating it with a game of Streets of Rage?

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MORTAL KOMBAT Not for the faint-hearted! Besides the classic gems mentioned above, there is another game that I highly recommend you play if you’re a fan of dance music. And it is the Mortal Kombat series. Developed by Midway Games’ Chicago studio, the game became one of the most successful franchise in the history of fighting games and it also spawned a movie, animated TV series, comic book series, and a card game. Mortal Kombat takes place in a fictional universe where warriors fight over the fate of their realm. In line with its universe consisted of multiple realms, players can choose characters of various races including humans, demons, aliens, and even cyborgs. In its sequel, players can also play with DC villains including Harley Quinn and Joker; as well as choose from other iconic pop culture characters such as Alien, Predator, Terminator, and more. And if that wasn’t enough, the game released a Sub-Zero skin of Dimitri Vegas, the winner of 2019 DJ Mag Top 100 DJs, captivating legions of EDM fans across the globe. As you’ve already noticed from the Dimitri Vegas skin, Mortal Kombat is another game that has been deeply associated with dance music. After the game’s release, a techno band who goes by the name The Immortals produced an album in the theme of the game. The album features theme songs for each character along with the iconic soundtrack ‘Techno Syndrome’, which a lot of people remember for the “Mortal Kombat!” scream. Another soundtrack album was dropped in 2011 to celebrate the ninth installment in the series, and Skrillex produced the heavy-hitting banger ‘Reptile’s Theme’ for the game’s character Reptile. Aside from Skrillex, other big names including Tokimonsta, Felix Cartal, and 9th Wonder participated in the album titled ‘Mortal Kombat: Songs Inspired by the Warriors’. Released in the early ‘90s, Mortal Kombat is also known for its graphics. The game’s developers adopted motion capture technology, which allowed them to create a game far more immersive and realistic than its counterparts. But before you get into the game, I must warn you: this game incorporates fierce and gruesome fighting. Blood splatters everywhere, and its easy to see your character behead the opponents. On top of that, there’s also something called the fatality system, which allows the player to brutally finish off their opponents with low health. From Joker handing his opponent an exploding cake to Arnold Schwarzenegger blowing his enemy into pieces with his shotgun, there are some seriously bizarre ways to finish your opponents—which is one of the main factors behind the game’s popularity. You can find fatality compilation videos on Youtube, and in case you’re wondering, there’s also fatalities of Dimitri Vegas. Of course, the game’s violence became an issue, and it contributed to the creation of ESRB, an age and content rating system for video games in America. If you’re not immune to movies like Tarantino’s ‘Kill Bill’, maybe this is not the game for you.

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GTA 5 The game we all know and love It was another day at the LSX, the international airport located at the Southern end of Los Santos. Dave, a promoter for the newly opened club downtown, was waiting outside to pick up DJ Solomun, the headliner of the day’s show. Just as when everything was going so well, he receives an urgent phone call from Solomun saying that his pilot passed out. Panicking, Dave shouted over the phone, “Solly! Get up there and do something…push some buttons! That’s what you do for a living!” Solomun takes the controls, attempting for the first time in his life to land a plane. What seems like a sequence from an action movie is actually a scene from GTA 5 Online’s ‘After Hours’ update. Thanks to the myriad of games that surfaced alongside advancements in technology, video games became a platform where artists could promote and showcase new music. Club culture, too, has often been associated with video games, spreading out across the world. Amongst all the games, I want to introduce GTA 5 Online, which released an update that gives the players a chance to run a club in-game. Set in a crime-filled city of Los Santos, the main goal of the game is to climb up the ladders of crime by building your reputation through all sorts of illegal activities. However, the open world system of the game sets it apart from its counterparts as players are no longer confined to the guidelines or quests and are free to enjoy the game in their own way. Through the ‘After Hours’ update, players can purchase clubs in various locations of the city and hire worldfamous DJs to play at their club. (The club is actually a front for other criminal enterprises, but hey—its GTA) What’s interesting is the details of the game: players can embellish the interiors, hang out with celebrities in the VIP zone, and show off some dance moves which changes to the beat. Rockstar Games, the developer of the franchise, has also casted real-life DJs for the game. GTA 5 ‘After Hours’ feature four superstar DJs—Solomun, Tale of Us, The Black Madonna, Dixon—and they all rock the crowd with their stellar performances on stage. Using motion capture technology, the DJs in the game connect with the audience, and turn the knobs on the mixer like they would in reality. Solomun has also released a music video created with the game titled ‘Customer is King’, and Tale of Us released new tracks via the game. Aside from running the club, GTA allows players to listen to various kinds of music via its in-game radio station. Players can cruise through the city while bopping their head to producer Flying Lotus’ Flylo FM, Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide FM, and many more. The ‘After Hours’ update also added a new station titled Los Santos Underground, which features DJ sets of four DJs. Sick and tired of your day-to-day life? How about a trip to Los Santos?

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M I A M I R E V I VA L WINTER MUSIC CONFERENCE RETURNED IN FULL FORM.

s usual, Miami welcomed us with pleasant temperature. We are feeling excited. After having lunch and meeting up with a few colleagues, after relaxing on the quiet beaches of the Mid-Beach area over the weekend, we head to a new edition of the Winter Music Conference. Starting on Tuesday 26, the Faena Forum hosts the coming together of the electronic music industry, offering opportunities for gaining insights and learning from the most knowledgeable. This dynamic event, founded in the mid 80â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, returns to Miami after a severalyear hiatus. We walk in the sun for a few blocks up to the accreditation entrance and get our badges after waiting in line for a few minutes. Divided into three levels, the Faena Forum is getting ready to host four days of activities that will

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see hundreds of artists and influential industry professionals exchanging ideas and exposing the details of an evergrowing scene. Clad in white with red and black accents, the whole building seems to be in tune with the upcoming activities. At 1 pm on that very first day we attend a talk that sounds really interesting: Nik Kinloch and Kevin Lewandowski from renowned platform Discogs chatting with WMC co-founder Bill Kelly to discuss the vinyl revival in one of the five rooms in the venue. We get soak in the words and time flies by. There is a great range of options, with hundreds of live panels and demonstrations. For us, dance music lovers, it feels like Disneyland. After gaining a lot of information and experiencing the revival of one of the top electronic music brands, everything falls into placeâ&#x20AC;Ś

How was last year’s comeback?

The conference made its comeback in 2019. With panelists such as Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Laiback Luke and Nicole Moudaber, brands like Beatport and an interesting program, Winter Music Conference gave some content back to a week that claims again its place as the quintessential meeting of the industry. With the strength of three decades of history, Winter Music Conference has managed to reinvent itself and returns this 2020 with a grid of rich and interesting activities. Before going to see what they put together, we sat down to chat with its director, David Ireland, and one of its original founders, Bill Kelly…

David Ireland: “We were delighted with how the 2019 reboot came together; a lot of industry professionals and brands came out to support, and that made a huge difference. There is such a long-standing love and nostalgia for this brand amongst people who have been in this scene/ business for the last 35 years. Everyone wanted WMC back, so we had to deliver in a big way. While many of us old-schoolers have our own version of WMC from back in the day, it was essential for us to format this updated version for today’s generation of students, industry hopefuls, young professionals, and aspiring artists. We came up with four brand pillars that we thought reflected the current and more expanded sense of the industry - Music, Technology, Education, and Culture. Our programming reflected all aspects of these new pillars, from our educational sessions for DJs/Producers to our curated panel series with The Verge that focused on Tech and how it relates to music. The reimagining of WMC left a lot of people super excited about Miami again, so we were thrilled and can’t wait until 2020.” What was the best about 2019’s WMC? Bill Kelly: “The Faena District was one of the most profound changes to the WMC With in-house facilities that enable attendee’s efficient access to all the panels, workshops, and networking possibilities present across several sites.

Activations at the MMW Oasis at the Generator will allow MMW and WMC to expand into 2020 with even more social and networking functions, which is the bedrock of this conference.” David Ireland: “I would second what Bill said about Faena, it brought a new prestige and artistic factor that the conference hasn’t had in years. Overall though, I think what I was the most excited about was the people we got to participate. From world-class artists like Carl Cox and Nicole Moudaber to thought leaders like Douglas Rushkoff, the content was very compelling, diverse, and thought-provoking.” How was the Ultra support on this one? David Ireland: “Ultra is such a different event that we are almost entirely different organizations in some respects, which is how it should be anyways. It’s nice to have the structure that they provide, but we primarily operate as a separate business unit, and they are rather hands-off. WMC must keep its sovereignty as it’s a place for the entire industry, and it should remain agnostic, or it would lose its credibility.” If you have to find some coincidences between the state of dance music in 1985 when WMC began and today, will you find any? David Ireland: “I was skateboarding and listening to punk rock in 1985, so I’ll leave this one for Bill to answer.”

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Bill Kelly: “The commonality is that dance music is a constant, despite the evolution in technology and the handing down of knowledge to each new generation. The truth is that; expression of unity and family through music and dance will always transcend generations.” And the main differences? Bill Kelly: “Technology.” Why did you think WMC needed to be back in this week? Bill Kelly: “The WMC provides the balance for Miami Music Week and Ultra, bringing together the DJs, artists, business people, and music fans to have access to all or portions of the week, which interests them.” David Ireland: “I would concur with Bill on this one. Since WMC started losing market share, Miami Music Week (as it became known post-WMC) shifted into more of a consumer-facing event that was no longer a place for business. What

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hurts the most is that our business needs something like WMC, as there is no US-based electronic music conference. So it seems a lot of the industry is finally excited again about being.” What would be the main difference between this conference and others that are popping around the world? Bill Kelly: “The fact that in one week, you have the opportunity to party and dance, go to educational panels, meetings, and workshops are unique to the WMC, Miami Music Week, and Ultra. It is the perfect trifecta! Amazing backdrops of the Atlantic Ocean and sands of Miami Beach, coupled with the vibrant energy of downtown, separate the conference from any other in the world.” David Ireland: “WMC is the only one that is focused on both the US and International markets, especially Latin America and Asia. We are also right at the beginning of the festival season, so it allows brands, labels, artists, etc. to cue up the first chunk of their year.”

How important is for the scene to have places like this to spread what’s going on? David Ireland: “We understand that social platforms and online communication are how word travels, but there is no substitute for being there and experiencing something first hand. Electronic Music events are not meant to be experienced through your phone; there is no substitute for hanging out in person, hearing and seeing a track destroy a dance floor for the first time, etc. The heartbeat of our industry is experiential; sharing a smile is significantly more potent than clicking “like.” Who is coming to the WMC? Is there a specific crowd that you can pinpoint? Is it people from the industry? Are there random curious people heading there? David Ireland: “WMC, and now MMW Oasis, both will attract a mix of industry professionals, brand execs, students, aspiring artists/DJs, and international business people looking to connect with the US market. The WMC is a conference for people that want to be in or adjacent to the world of electronic music culture.”

WHAT TO DO AT THIS YEAR’S WMC 1

Hit the MMW Oasis at Generator, which is right next-door to the Faena Forum. The Oasis will host nightly networking events with Beatport, Next Music, Ingrooves, and more. Open to badge holders and invited guests.

2 Use your Plus or Pro badge to hit up some of the best parties in Miami for free. We officially kick it off with the Epic Pool party with Louie Vega and David Morales. There are 20+ free events that come with your badge - use it wisely.

6 If you are looking for a more intimate night out and don’t want to go too hard, check out the MMW Oasis after-hour parties going until 2 am at Generator with rotating talent and surprise guests. Open to badge holders and invited guests. 7 The Epic Pool party official WMC opening event on Tuesday with Louie Vega and David Morales - to satisfy your deep house cravings with an incredible views.

3 Hit the Guitar Center pop up store in the WMC Exhibition Hall to check out the hottest new gear from all the top DJ and production gear brands.

8 Feel like doing some classic WMC stuff? Hit up La Sandwicherie on 14th street and if you are really daring grab a late night cocktail at the infamous dive bar Mac’s Club Deuce. If you end up here, you are probably going to see the sunrise.

4 If you happen to get a Pro badge, make sure to catch a mentor session with some of our favorite artists and industry veterans. Ask the questions you’ve always wanted to in these intimate workshops.

9 If you are a craft beer person, DO NOT miss J Wakefield Brewing in Wynwood, amazing beers with a Star Wars motif that will make your inner nerd smile.

5 If you haven’t been, take Friday off to hit up Wynwood to see some of the best street art in the country and don’t miss The Taco Stand for some amazing Mexican food.

10 Don’t forget to take a morning beach walk or swim to start your day at least once. Always an amazing experience to swim in the ocean as the sun comes up!

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Words: KEVIN KANG

INAUGURAL EDITION OF DJ MAG MIDDLE EAST MUSIC CONFERENCE 2020 ANNOUNCED OVER 50 INDUSTRY EXPERTS AND ARTISTS WILL CONVERGE AT ABU DHABI TO PRESENT TALKS, WORKSHOPS AND MORE FOR THE INAUGURAL EVENT…

DJ MAG MIDDLE EAST announced its round of programming, label partners, and more for its inaugural edition of DJ Mag Middle East Conference, which will take place at Abu Dhabi in March 2020. The event will span across two days during Abu Dhabi Music Week and its premiere event, Ultra Abu Dhabi. According to the freshly launched regional arm of UK electronic music publication DJ Mag, the conference will center on the theme of “the electronic music scene on the Middle East” and feature over 50 industry experts and artists who will present talks, workshops, and Q&A sessions with the focus of providing the attendees with crucial insight into the prospects of the industry in the region. DJ Mag Middle East’s programing will offer diverse opportunities for aspiring musicians, promoters, and newcomers seeking to discover more about the industry. For details of the program, see below. PROGRAM OVERVIEW Spread out across two days and joined by over 50 top-notch industry experts and artists from around the world, DJ Mag Middle East Conference will feature 8 sessions from industry panels, 2 masterclass sessions, 4 tech sessions, 4 demo drop sessions, and two networking sessions.

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INDUSTRY PANELS

MASTERCLASS & TECH SESSIONS

DAY 1

KEYNOTE: UNDERSTANDING THE MIDDLE EAST DANCE MUSIC ECO-SYSTEM

TECH SESSION 1: SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO

DJ Mag Middle East Music Conference welcomes all attendees to the inaugural edition. The keynote will feature an opening speech by a key figure in the industry, and influential experts in the region will explain the key facts about the music scene in the Middle East.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MUSIC: KNOWING WHAT’S HOT IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The Middle East might be the next big market in the realm of dance music. With bigger festivals like Ultra Abu Dhabi coming its way, more and more people are now interested in the region. If you want to break into the market and take a piece of the action, you need to know what works and what doesn’t. We talk about the music scene in the Middle East – the past and present – and what to expect in the future of this growing scene.

THE GOLDEN PLAN BEHIND THE WORLD’S BEST CLUBS

What are the key ingredients of a great club? Would having the best sound system and production be all? What about the programming? The resident DJs? The sales team? DJ Mag Middle East invites some of the key individuals who have done their part to achieve greatness and ask them to share their experience as a nightlife expert.

THE DANCE MUSIC INDUSTRY NOW AND ITS ROOTS

History might not have been your favorite subject to study at school, but this just might be the best lesson you will enjoy during our conference. The conference covers the history of dance music, how it has evolved since the early raving days, and how the legendary players in the scene came to. Seasoned gurus from the dance music scene describe what it was like back in the days and share their perspectives on the modern musical landscape.

DAY 2

SO, YOU’RE AN ARTIST?

We see many young aspiring producers and DJs trying to make it to the top. However, pursuing your career as a professional musician offers you quite the challenge. It’s not just about talent, but also understanding the industry, marketing and promotion, and even sometimes knowing the right people. DJ Mag Middle East Music Conference sheds light on the behind the scenes of making it as an artist and how to kickstart your career in the first place.

WHAT WE’RE LISTENING TO NOW

Did you ever wonder what other people listen to? Especially the people who run the most influential music labels in the world? DJ Mag Middle East have a sneak peek into their playlists, find out what their guilty pleasure song is, and ask what kind of sound they’re looking for when signing a track to their label.

THE PERFECT SHOW: HOW AGENTS AND PROMOTERS WORK TO MAKE THE BEST SHOWS In the ever-changing dance music scene, the basics to making a good show never change. Or does it? The conference will ask some of the most respected agents and promoters what they think is vital in making a good show, and what makes a good show the best show that they look forward to in the future.

RHYTHM IS EVERYTHING: TECHNO IS TAKING OVER THE WORLD

Carl Cox, Charlotte De Witte, Amelie Lens, Richie Hawtin, Adam Beyer, Solomun, Dubfire, Nic Fanciulli, and the list goes on. Judging from their tour dates, it seems the whole world is currently in love with techno. Despite the global EDM-phenomenon that has swept the festival and club scene for the past decade, the techno scene has still been going strong and now even stronger than ever. The renowned artists and individuals from the scene guide us through the current techno landscape, and discuss their views on why the techno craze is a thing.

A Technical master introduces different speakers, soundcards, and other various producing hardware.

TECH SESSION 2: DJING EQUIPMENT

A Technical master introduces different mixers and DJing equipment. DAY 2

TECH SESSION 3: SETTING UP YOUR STUDIO

A Technical master introduces basic producing software and explains the significant traits.

TECH SESSION 4: THE FUTURE IS NOW (DAY2)

This session will focus on creative ideas on music performance, technology and creative practice. How technology can be used to create hybrid DJ and Live performances utilizing equipment from both the DJ and production world.

MASTERCLASS

A renowned DJ/Producer artist explains how a good track is made and what young producers should work on.

NETWORKING & DEMO DROP DEMO DROP

Major music and recording labels will have separate booths to listen to local artists’ productions and provide feedback on their work.

NETWORKING SESSION

DJ Mag Middle East will host networking sessions after the conference on each day. The attendees of the conference can also interact with the panelists and other industry experts, which would help them to connect with their counterparts from different parts of the world.

RECORD LABELS

To help and inspire the young aspiring artists, DJ Mag Middle East will be working with various well-known music and record labels including the likes of Spinnin’ Records, Armada Music, STMPD Records, Protocol Recordings, Barong Family, Toolroom, and Monstercat. Hosting in collaboration with these labels, there will be demo drop sessions where the local producers and artists can present their tracks or productions and get feedback from the professional A&R managers.

To find out more about DJ Mag Middle East and Music Conference 2020, visit their social channels. www.djmagme.com djmagasia.com

LIVING & LIFESTYLE

‘IT’ ITEMS THAT HIT THE SPOT Source: www.nanoleaf.me Words: TIFFANY KIM

rom numerous worldwide festivals to clubs located in some the hottest districts in international cities, or simply in any place with dance music, it’s easy to spot people singing along in unison and sharing the festive spirit. The love for music alone is enough to create the strong bond and a sense of unity among those who share the same passion. And this passion is often embedded in the lifestyle of music fans. Here are some of the favorite items of serious music lovers.

LIGHTING PANELS THAT DANCE TO THE MUSIC!

Source: www.fatboy.com

BOOM BOOM! A BETTER WAY TO ENJOY THE THROBBING BASS! What if there is a way to enjoy your woofer speakers to its full potential? Try Fatboy’s bean bag chair, which allows you to feel the vibrations of the bass resonating through the floor. For dance music enthusiasts, bass sounds are the highlight of listening to dance music. The chairs come in catchy, vivid colors and are filled with beans, which is good for the environment. It is also extremely comfy to lounge in these chairs as it follows the contours of the body. Not to mention the simple, convenient design that satisfies people’s various tastes. Filled with polypropylene and polyurethane, and protected by flexible polyurethane on the outside, the chair stays soft and is durable. Fatboy chairs come in various shapes such as circle, sack, and hexagon. What’s more, it also has products for outdoors and pets. If you’re a music lover looking to buy a chair, make sure you check it out.

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What if you could install sound-sensitive lighting panels in your room or studio? If you’re a bedroom producer or a music lover who simply don’t have the time for clubs and festivals, listen up! Dubbed as the “It” item, smart lighting, and the last word in interior lighting, Nanoleaf’s game-changing lighting panels are the next big thing. Other than the lights that dance and react to your favorite tunes, the panels could also be controlled via Apple and Android smartphone apps as well as Siri. The product supports up to 16 million colors, and the panels can be set to different shades and hue. In case you get tired of looking at the same colors, the app allows users

to automatically cycle through colors via its free downloadable color patterns. Not only is Nanoleaf smart lighting, but it also looks smart. The unique appearance of the lighting panels earned them CES Innovation award, Red Dot design award, SED and more. The LED panels can be connected to each other on any side, allowing you to customize the size and shape to your own taste. In addition to these amazing smart functions, the product is also easy to assemble and can be easily held in place with adhesive stickers. So if you’re a dance music lover wanting to tastefully decorate your home, Nanoleaf might be just what you need.

LIVING & LIFESTYLE Source: www.moro.co.kr

Source: www.diodo.co.kr

WHAT TIME IS IT? ASK THE DJ! Besides from showing time, wall clocks are capable of adding an elegant touch to the wall, which is why they are known for being an item that is both practical and stylish. Wouldn’t a wall clock of timeless elegance add to the joy of checking the time? Here we have something that might catch your attention. Moro Designs is known for making wall clocks of various designs. Among which, there is one in particular that might catch the attention of avid music fans, and it is the DJ wall clock that comes with a turntable, headset, and equalizer bars. The unique wall clock would probably be the first thing you see in the morning, and it looks like as if the DJ from last night is telling you whether it’s still good to stay in bed for another five minutes. Using silent movement, the clock ticks without any noise that might disturb your sleep and it also offers lifetime warranty on the movement, meaning that you can exchange it as long as you cover the cost of delivery. Assembling even the smallest pieces by hand, the brand manufactures products of the best quality. Aside from the clock, all of its products can be attached with adhesive wood stickers.

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, WHICH MIRROR IS THE FAIREST OF THEM ALL? Every morning, Snow White’s stepmother, the evil queen, stares into the magic mirror and asks, “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?” Come to think of it, I was always bothered that the queen would use her magic mirror just to ask who’s the fairest—shouldn’t a real magic mirror come with additional features? For instance, how about a mirror that plays music, tells you the time, date, temperature, and helps you become the fairest of them all with the ideal make-up lighting? DO LED produces mirrors that comes with magical features. It’s quite easy to come across mirrors with lighting, but never before have we seen a mirror with a speaker. This magical mirror boasts two 3W speakers, 20 levels of volume control, and is capable of blasting out sound richer than any normal Bluetooth speakers out on the market. The mounts in the back provides space between the walls, keeping the sound level intact. Another cool feature via touch sensor allows you to switch between different modes as well as check the date, time, room temperature, and volume on the bottom right display. This product is also fully waterproof; hence you can also have it installed in your bathroom. Now that’s what I call a magic mirror.

Source: Amazon, Pinbeam

IT’S TIME TO FREE YOUR FEET FROM THE DANCE FLOORS When it comes to decorating your home, there is nothing better than rugs that can transform ordinary spaces while adding to the cozy atmosphere. Besides, who wants to rest their feet on a cold floor after dragging their exhausted body from the busy dance floors in festivals and clubs? Pinbeam’s rugs come in various designs and patterns, and among them there’s one unique rug that calls for the attention of music enthusiasts. Embroidered with a big vinyl in the center, the Pinbeam vinyl rug comes with

flannelette fabric surface, which makes it absorbent and dry quick. The bottom of the rug is made with anti-skid polyester rubber with PVC dots to prevent shifting and skidding. So do check this out if you feel sorry for your feet; they’ve been working hard for all these years trying to keep you busy on the dance floor. Even if you haven’t been dancing the night away, the soft fabric of the rug touching your feet will certainly help you ease the day-to-day stress.

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LIVING & LIFESTYLE

Source: www.kompakt.kr

MY BAG, THE ‘IT’ BAG FOR MUSIC LOVERS! There’s another reason as to why Kompact bar, a record bar launched by a group of promising designers in Seoul, became a cool hangout in Garosugil—and that would be its line of nifty merchandise. Among the goods boasting simple and neat designs, the editor’s choice is a 12-inch vinyl sized tote bag. Made with sturdy canvas fabric, the bag can store up to maximum 40 vinyl records. The bag has ‘Every Damn Day’, ‘Now Playing’ printed in Kompact font on the side, which would make anyone feel like they’re about to head off to a hip club for a DJ gig. The new and upgraded edition of the bag will be out in March. Let’s look forward to it!

Source: www.flazzystore.com

EXPRESS YOUR TASTE IN MUSIC WITH THIS DDJ PHONE CASE! We live in a world where you might not carry a handbag but have your mobile phone with you 24/7. So, yes, a nice little phone case could be a good investment for your happiness. And we’ve found an item that would put a smile on your face and bring small but genuine happiness to your life. Flash Store’s DDJ phone case comes in a design that reflects your taste in music, allowing you

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to hold a DDJ in your hand. The details of the DDJ are all in there, as the case shows even the smallest elements of the DJing device such as the mixer, knobs, pads, faders, and more. In addition, the case provides complete protection of the phone, and comes in 89 versions including Apple iPhone, Samsung Galaxy, LG V, Motorola Moto, Google Pixel, and Whawei P.

LIVING & LIFESTYLE

Source: www.lego.com

A CUTE LEGO TOY THAT TAKES YOU TO A YEAR-ROUND POOL PARTY There’s nothing better than Legos which can add cute touches to even the smallest of spaces. Andrea’s Pool Party from the Lego Friends range brings the joy and excitement of summer pool parties to your home. Pretend you’re Andrea, the main host, and invite people to your Lego pool party, mixing hip dance tunes in the rotating DJ booth. Or imagine that

you’re Stephanie, and picture yourself enjoying all the fun features. The pool party playset comes complete with a bubble pool, slide, waterfall, wave machine, diving board, juice bar, aquarium, lockers, and a bathroom. On top of that, anyone can easily build their creation with the help of instruction which is also available via the Lego Life app.

Source: www.jdsound.co.kr

A COMPACT MINI DJ GEAR THAT FITS IN YOUR POCKET! There’s a DJ equipment about the size of two smart phones! JD Sound’s Monster GO DJ is a portable DJ controller and a music production studio that is easy to carry and control. Good things do indeed come in small packages, and this is notably true of the GO DJ which comes with an auto sync function that automatically matches the different BPMs of two songs, and a cool scratch performance feature which allows you to show off your scratching

skills via its touch screen. There’s also an equalizer function, which is a crucial part of DJing, and an auto cross mode for novice DJs. What makes this item special is that it even supports a recording function, allowing you to record your playing and produce music. If you want to make the most out of any moment of inspiration, just take out Monster GO DJ from your pocket. Is it too good to be true? Simply visit the website of JD Sounds.

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Words: ARIEL JO

JOCKEY JOURNAL

In an era of slow-building careers, Jonas Blue is an anomaly. Amassing an armory of platinum-plated hits with almost 9 billion global streams and 47 million singles sales to date –certified platinum over 120 times around the world– the 5 x BRIT Award nominee has become a mainstage DJ, pop powerhouse and critically acclaimed songwriter. As if proving this, he has been touring the world, and he is also known to have a lot of shows in Asia. He has traveled to Japan in March, and all tickets have been sold out. He also has been confirmed to perform at Bangkok S2O Songkran Music Festival in May. DJ Mag Asia is happy to share the travel story of one of the biggest names of electronic music scene.

e world’s The on-the-road diary of th top DJs treading the globe

E U L B S A N O J

FOOD

one of my is definitely Asian food nd Japanese Ramen favorites, a for lunch has got to d noodle soup y number 1 dishes, an be one of m e best when eaten it’s always thot and of course in is fresh and h Tokyo the classic spot Japan! In original Ippudo Ramen one of the e one we go to is in houses – thShibuya, If you really Ebisu near w about Ramen and want to knonate the Japanese are how passio eck out a documentary about it ch en Heads” that made called “Ram te it even more! And me appreciawouldn’t be right to go of course I d not eat Sushi, the ve to Japan anost memorable Sushi I’ is best and m o was at Tunaki which had in Tokyu, I was with my team also in Ebis nd tour manager) and (Manager a m from my Japanese the core teaeat memory, the sushi label – a gr enal! was phenom

BIRTHDAY

, iza season st, peak Ib e last u g u A y rl there. Th y is in ea My birthda end up celebrating closest friends y ys m a t lw h a g azing I u so over an am ars I’ve bro s, couple of yeout with me. We take ie rt a p pool and family ve it up for a week, and my friends, villa and li od, DJ Sets from me . It isn’t lost on amazing fo estly no place like it position making There’s honcky I am to be in this friends and me how lu ories with my closest of this life, those these mem idst all the craziness you forever. family. Am ments that stay with are the mo

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TRAVEL

ng a lot of time in is in full flow I’m spenditoo. Key travel items le edu sch r tou the en Wh ng a lot of work in flight the air, so I end up doi se Quiet Comfort 35 (Series II) Wireless Noise Bo my be t them, comfort for me would literally cannot fly withou Cancelling Headphones, ling long haul so my usual attire is a nice is everything when travelbe KITH with a fresh pair of Jordan 3’s, also tracksuit, and it’s got tod it’s got to be the latest Mercedes Viano for when I’m on the groun fort levels, and of course having a great tour of the road transport com the world of difference, my team are some manager with me makes ing a friend on the road who’s also handling my closest friends so hav ly is essential. everything professional

SHOPPING find some really special items Travelling the world gives me the opportunity to alooza I managed to sneak Lollap for Paris in was for my wardrobe, last time I most amazing jacket, actually a quick trip into Louis Vuitton and picked up the shopping of course is NYC – I for place great er anoth s, jacket for thing I have a they did with Jordan collab the jacket me Supre new rare was hunting for a also a funny shopping it, get to lyn Brook into far and ended up traveling quite st small sneaker coole the found we memory was in Seoul, South Korea and after for a while, when been had I ns Jorda of pair rare a had they store and someone and less than 5 the guy in the store said he had my size he called e the store with 2 Jordan outsid er scoot a on up minutes later a guy showed that’s a delivery! boxes strapped to the back of the scooter – now

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KOR

WHAT’S HOT IN KOREA?

Words: ARIEL JO, KEVIN KANG

밑에서부터 쌓아가는 순수 언더그라운드 레이블, 다보탑 레코즈 한국을 넘어서 해외까지 얼마 전 ‘17회 한국대중음악상 댄스&일렉트로닉 앨범’ 부문에 언더그라운드

프랑스와 러시아 감성이 섞인 라운지 바, 라스푸틴 붉은 빛과 푸른 빛이 어우러져 있는 환상의 공간

클럽 음반이 대중음악상 후보에 올랐다. 순수 언더그라운드 클럽 음반이 대중 음악상 후보에 오른 것은 국내 일렉트로닉 음악 씬에서 대단히 주목할만한 일

프랑스 유명 라운지 바, 카바레의 브랜드 라스푸틴이 지난 해 서울 강남 한복

이다. 후보에 오른 음반은 국내 레이블 다보탑 레코즈(Dacotab Records)에

판에 상륙했다. 그 동안 한국에서는 접해보지 못했던 프랑스와 러시아 양식

서 매년 발매하는 ‘국보’라는 컴필레이션 시리즈 중 3번째 음반인 ‘국보 3호’다.

이 접목된 화려한 분위기를 가졌다는 라운지 바의 등장 소식에 오픈 전부터

테크노의 장인이자 대한민국 대표 DJ라고 불리는 바가지 바이펙스써틴

‘대체 이 곳은 어떤 곳인가’ 하는 궁금증을 자아냈다.

(Bagagee Viphex 13)이 2014년 설립한 다보탑은 테크노와 하우스에 중점

러시아 제국을 파국으로 몰고 간 요승 라스푸틴(Rasputin)의 이름을 딴 이 라

을 두는 한국의 독립 레이블이다. 한국의 레이블임을 알리고자 지어진 이름

운지 바는 이름의 명성만큼 화려한 인테리어를 자랑한다. 붉은 조명이 빛을

‘다보탑’은 밑에서부터 하나하나 쌓아 하늘을 향하여 완성체를 만드는 탑을 상

발하는 라스푸틴의 입구를 통과하면 마찬가지로 붉은 빛을 내는 샹들리에와

징한다. 다보탑은 한국의 우수한 아티스트를 발굴하고 세계 아티스트들과 교

함께 라스푸틴의 초상화가 반겨준다. 샹들리에는 푸른 빛을 띄는 디스코 볼

류하며 성장하는 추세에 있다.

과 함께 라운지 바의 천장을 장식하는데, 붉은 빛과 푸른 빛이 어우러져 환상

특히, 한국의 우수한 아티스트를 발굴하는 능력이 대단히 뛰어나다. 그 중 가

적인 분위기를 연출한다.

장 눈에 띄는 아티스트는 다보탑의 대표 프로듀서라고 할 수 있는 피에르 블

음악 또한 남다르다. 음악은 1부와 2부로 나눠져 있는데, 1부는 늦은 저녁시

랑쉐(Pierre Blanche)다. 일산에 뿌리를 둔 한국 로컬 듀오 피에르 블랑쉐는

간부터 자정까지 딥하우스와 멜로딕한 테크노 위주로 진행되고, 2부는 대중

2018년 말 곡 ‘Ares’를 다보탑에서 발매했고, 이 곡은 전 세계에 데드마우스

적인 선곡의 테크하우스 위주의 음악이 흘러나온다. 특히 주말에는 두 프로그

(deadmau5)에 의해 전 세계에 울려 퍼졌다. 테크노의 왕 칼 콕스(Carl Cox)

램 중 어느 한쪽에도 치우치지 않고 모두가 즐길 수 있는 인하우스 컨텐츠를

또한 그들이 리믹스한 ‘Belocca’의 ‘Behind The Mask’를 플레이 한 바 있다.

운영 중이다. 국내 테크노씬의 탑 DJ Mushxxx를 포함하여 바가지 바이펙스

2020년 6주년을 맞은 다보탑. 새해부터 그들은 활발한 활동을 펼치고 있다.

서틴(Bagagee Viphex 13), 아프로디테(Afrodite), 에릭 서(Eric Seo) 등 로컬

영국 출신 테크노 아티스트 드레이언(DREIAN)의 신년앨범 ‘Vibrations EP’

디제이들이 이미 이곳에서 공연을 펼친 바 있다.

발매를 시작으로 최근 주가를 높이고 있는 안드레 시그노리(Andre Signori)

라스푸틴은 오픈 전부터 모든 테이블 예약이 다 차기 때문에 사전예약은 필

가 리믹스하고 바가지 바이펙스 서틴이 리믹서로 참여한 앨범 ‘Toxic Society’,

수이다. 이 곳 칵테일은 인근 라운지 바 중에서도 상당히 평이 좋은 곳이니 음

프랑스 출신 다크 테크노 아티스트 텐 테크(Ten Tech)의 ‘The Legend’ 등이

료를 즐기러 방문하기에도 좋다. 라스푸틴은 월요일을 제외한 화요일부터 일

발매되었다.

요일까지 오픈한다.

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다재다능한 멀티플레이어, MARCUS L 제주도에서 멋진 밤을 보낼 수 있는 라운지 바, 웨이브 제이 제주 도심 속에서 펼쳐지는 두 가지 무대

한국 테크노 씬의 주역을 만나보자 마르셀 데트만(Marcel Dettmann), 아멜리 렌즈(Amelie Lens), 니나 크라비 츠(Nina Kraviz) 등을 비롯해 불과 몇 년 사이에 한국을 찾는 세계적인 테크노 아티스트의 수가 부쩍 늘었다. 이와 같이 거물급 아티스트의 발걸음이 끊이질

작년 크리스마스 이브, 제주도 도심에 새로운 라운지 바가 오픈했다. 이제 오

않는 한국의 댄스 음악 씬은 현재 테크노의 매력에 흠뻑 빠져 있다고 해도 과

픈한지 4개월째 되는 이 라운지 바는 관광객뿐만 아니라 제주도민까지 누구

언이 아니다. 그리고 한국의 핫한 테크노 씬을 거론할 때 빼놓을 수 없는 사람

나 편안하게 즐길 수 있는 곳으로 매일 밤마다 펼쳐지는 뜨거운 공연에 대한

이 있다. 바로 마커스 엘(Marcus L)이다.

소문이 자자하다. 이 라운지 바의 이름은 웨이브 제이. 제주도를 간다면 꼭 한

클럽 파우스트(faust)의 디렉터, 베억하인(Berghain)의 무대에 오른 첫 한국

번 들러야 할 곳이다.

인, 아메니아(Ameniia) 레이블의 수장 등, 프로듀서/DJ 마커스 엘의 이름 뒤

제주 국제공항에서 그리 멀리 떨어져 있지 않은 이 곳은 제주의 핫플레이스

에는 갖가지 수식어가 따라붙는다. 서울 출생인 그는 20대의 절반을 영국에

라고 불리는 누웨마루 거리에 위치해 있다. 웨이브 제이는 제주 시내를 한눈

서 수학하며 음악과는 거리가 있는 업계에 종사했지만, 후에 베를린 여행을

에 볼 수 있는 3층에 위치해있는데 문을 들어서자마자 보이는 보랏빛 조명 빛

계기로 전자음악에 대한 방향성을 잡게 되었다고 한다.

이 야경에 아름다움을 더해 준다. 특이하게도 무대는 2개인데 서로 마주보

하우스와 테크노를 넘나드는 선곡으로 서울의 댄스 플로어를 후끈하게 달구

고 있는 구조다. 이 구조는 웨이브 제이가 자랑하는 두 가지 프로그램을 상

는 것 외에도, 마커스는 한국의 테크노 씬 최선두에 있는 파우스트를 운영하

징하기도 한다.

고 있다. 매주 주말마다 멋진 로컬과 해외 라인업을 섭외해 수많은 클러버들

오후 8시부터 오전 1시까지, 웨이브 제이의 왼쪽 무대에서는 라이브 라운지

의 마음을 사로잡는 것은 물론이고, 작년에는 테크노/하우스 페스티벌인 옴니

프로그램이 진행된다. 불후의 명곡에 나와 실시간 1위도 하였던 문명진, 슈가

(Ømni) 페스티벌을 런칭해 마르셀 데트만, 슬램(Slam), 팬폿(Pan-Pot)등 여

맨에 출연한 이수훈, 전자현악밴드 바이올렛 등의 아티스트들이 피아노와 드

러 거물급 아티스트들을 초청했다.

럼, 섹소폰 등 라이브 음악과 함께 무대를 장식한다. 매 주 다른 다채로운 구

마커스는 다양한 행사 기획과 클럽 운영으로 바쁜 스케줄 속에서도 뮤지션으

성의 라인업이 라이브 라운지 프로그램을 채우며 손님들의 발걸음을 다시 재

로 작품을 선보이고 있다. 2018년에 공개한 데뷔 EP ‘Telstar’는 공개 이후 타

촉하게 한다.

이틀 곡 ‘Telstar’가 GTA 온라인 애프터 아워(GTA Online: After Hours)에서

오전 1시부터는 완전히 다른 애프터 라운지 프로그램이 펼쳐진다. 웨이브 제

딕슨(Dixon)의 셋에 수록되어 화제를 모으기도 했다. 앨범은 오리지널 2곡과

이 오른쪽 무대에는 보랏빛 조명을 흡수한 투명한 디제이 부스가 자리잡고 있

리믹스 2곡으로 구성되어 있으며, 빠르게 진화해가는 서울의 격정적인 분위

고 CDJ와 턴테이블이 구비되어 있다. 레지던트 DJ인 DJ 벨라(DJ Bella) 가 톡

기를 테크노에 담았다.

톡 튀는 사운드의 음악으로 흥을 돋우기 시작하면 술이 오른 사람들이 일어나

다양한 포지션에서 활발하게 활동을 이어가고 있는 마커스의 행보도 주목할

비트에 몸을 맡겨 춤추기도 한다. 특별한 날에는 디제잉과 함께 퍼포먼스 공

만하다. 2월에는 파우스트의 유럽 투어를 성황리에 마무리했고, 작년에 이어

연도 준비되어 있다고 하니 제주 여행 중 특별한 추억을 만들고 싶다면 웨이

두 번째로 베억하인의 무대에 올랐다. 상반기에는 SPFDJ의 레이블 ‘INTER-

브 제이에 가보는 것을 제안한다.

PID SKIN’에서 신보 발매 예정을 앞두고 있으며, 아티스트는 이에 관해 “새로 운 스타일의 테크노 앨범이 될 것” 이라고 밝혔다. 또한 홈 레이블인 아메니 아에서 새로운 EP도 준비중이라고 하니, 앞으로도 마커스 엘이 들려줄 소식 에 귀를 기울여 보자.

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진정한 세계 여행가 DJ SNAKE는 현재 아시아에서 가장 인기 있는 디제이다. 그를 만나 어떻게 세계를 누비게 되었는지 들어보았다. “지난 10년은 정말 엄청난 시간이었다”, DJ 스네이크(DJ SNAKE)로 알려진 윌리엄(WILLIAM)이 말했다. 지난 10년간 그의 음악은 진정한 발전을 이뤄냈고, 그의 이름은 전 세계에 널리 알려졌다. “처음에는 영어를 전혀 할 줄 몰랐고, 스튜디오 바닥에서 잠을 자곤 했다. 결국에는 앨범이 수백만 장 팔리며 세계 투어를 하게 되었다” 이어서, “돌아보면, 이제는 흐릿한 기억들이다”, 스네이크가 수평선을 응시하며 이야기했다. 댄스 음악 역사에서 성공적인 아티스트로 명성이 자자한 그의 커리어를 되돌아보았다.

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히트 메이커 DJ 스네이크의 음악은 2010년 초부터 바이러스처럼 퍼지기 시작했다.

프랑스 감성

‘Turn Down For What’부터 ‘Lean On’까지, DJ 스네이크는 지난 10 년을 통틀어 가장 아이코닉한 곡들을 만들었다. “지금 돌아보면, 참신한 사운드로 시작해 다양한 곳에서 받은 영감들이 더해지고, 그렇게 완성된

악적인 환경에서 자란 윌리엄은 어린 시절부터 소리에 이끌렸다.

음

곡이 올바른 시기에 공개되었다고 생각한다”, 그가 말했다. “유행을 타지

“엄마 집에는 항상 음악이 있었다”, 그가 추억에 잠기며 말을

않으면서도 참신한 곡을 만들려고 했다. 아티스트는 곡을 만들고 유행을

이었다. 아랍 음악, 프랑스 음악, 옛날 모타운(Motown) 바이닐까지,

정하는 것은 사람들이지만, 당시에 나는 완성된 곡들이 특별하다는 촉이

윌리엄은 어린 나이부터 전 세계의 사운드에 둘러싸여 있었다.

왔다.”

그래서였을까, 그는 학교를 관두고 명망 있는 레코드 샵에서 일하기 시작했다. “당시에는 내가 음악을 업으로 삼을 수 있을지 몰랐다. 하지만

새로운 영향을 받고, 협업하는 것은 그의 일상에 아주 중요한 부분이다.

어떤 음악적인 움직임의 일부분이 되고 싶다는 생각이 컸다.”

“앞으로 10년은 내가 지금까지 배운 모든 것을 새로운 방식으로 적용하는 것이 관건이라고 생각한다. 진화해야만 한다. 변화 없이 항상 같은

시카고, 뉴욕, 런던에서 건너온 새로운 사운드를 듣고, 사람들이 프랑스

방식으로 반복하는 것은 아티스트로서 생을 마감하는 것이다.” 그렇기에

아티스트의 음악을 구매하는 모습을 보는 것 외에도, 그는 수입된

스네이크의 앨범에는 다양한 색깔이 공존한다. “모든 콜라보레이션은

바이닐이 도착하는 것을 보고 샵에 방문하는 모두와 이에 대해 이야기를

특별하다”, 그가 열정적으로 설명했다. 협업 과정은 다양한 방식으로

나누곤 했다. “마치 음악을 위한 가판대 같은 곳이었다. 소셜 미디어가

시작한다고 한다. 그가 파일을 먼저 보내면, 협업하는 아티스트도 파일을

등장하기 훨씬 전부터, 사람들은 바이닐의 아트워크, 색상, 아티스트

보내는 식이다. “어떤 사람이 갖고 있는 에너지나 이미지가 그 사람과

등의 주제들로 대화를 시작해 다음의 트렌드는 무엇이고, 어떤 것이 바뀔

함께 작업해보고 싶다는 생각을 들게 한다”, 그가 말했다. 그리고 새로운

것이며, 세계에서 어떤 일이 일어나고 있는지에 대해 이야기를 나눴다”,

시도를 두려워하지 않는 스네이크의 협업에는 한계가 없다. “항상 이 음악

그가 설명했다. “수입된 바이닐은 마치 세계 곳곳에서 어떤 일이 일어나고

씬을 좋아하지만, 음악을 장르로 구별하지 않는다. 나는 내가 좋아하는

있는지 알려주는 엽서 같은 존재였다. 그리고 우리는 모두 새로운 작품에

것을 좋아할 뿐이다. 유명하든, 유명하지 않든 그것은 크게 중요하지

목말라 있었다. 몇 시간동안 같은 앨범을 반복해 듣고, 그에 대해 이야기를

않다.” 최근 몇 년간 스네이크가 시도하고 있는 레게톤 음악에 대해

나누곤 했다.”

질문하자, 그는 대답을 미뤘다.

당시에 프랑스 듀오 다프트 펑크(Daft Punk)는 댄스 음악 역사상 가장

그는 음악을 보편적인 것으로 바라보고, 그가 받은 다양한 음악적 영향

위대한 아티스트로 부상하기 직전이었다. 같은 프랑스 사람인 스네이크는

또한 같다고 이야기한다. “우리는 이제 세계적으로 모두 연결되어 있고,

그들의 사운드에 심취했고, 다프트 펑크는 그에게 지대한 영향을 주었다.

서로 쉽게 연락을 주고받을 수 있다.” 그는 협업 과정과, 사람과 컨택하는

“사실 설명할 필요도 없지만, 그들의 혁신적인 음악, 디자인, 접근법,

일이 얼마나 쉬워졌는지에 대한 생각을 밝혔다. “음악만이 아니다.

익명성, 그 모든 것이 규칙을 무시했고, 그럼에도 이들은 변함없이

예술, 패션, 비디오, 영화 등 모든 것이 해당된다! 영감이 떠오르면 함께

건재하다. 바로 그것이 위대함이라고 생각한다”, 스네이크가 말했다.

작업할 누군가에게 바로 연락을 취할 수 있고, 그들 또한 내가 어떤

다프트 펑크 외에도, 그가 평생을 나고 자란 고향, 빛의 도시 파리에서

사람인지 정확하게 알 수 있는 세상이다. 앞으로 세상이 보여줄 가능성도

있었던 일은 그에게 큰 영향을 미쳤다고 한다. “파리는 나의 고향이다.

무궁무진하다고 생각한다. ”

내가 자란 곳이고, 나에게 모든 것을 준 장소이다. 내 인생에서 가장 힘든 시기 또한 파리에서 보냈다. 이 도시에서 수도 없이 많은 것을 배울 수 있었고, 지금은 이때 얻은 교훈을 세계에 선보이고 있다. 프랑스 사람인 것이 자랑스럽고, 앞으로도 늘 그럴 것이다”. 프랑스에 대한 그의 자부심은 모두가 알 정도로 상당하다. 아마도 이런 자부심이 그가 프랑스에서 기념비적인 건축물 중 하나인 개선문 위에서 공연하게 된 계기가 아닐까 싶다. 그렇다면 그는 어떻게 많은 이가 선망하는 위치에 올라설 수 있었을까?

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자신감 DJ 스네이크는 수많은 히트곡과 협업 곡을 발표하는 와중에도 지난해 새 앨범을 공개했다. 앨범 ‘Carte Blanche’는 팬들에게 많은 사랑을 받았고, 아티스트의 폭넓은 가능성을 보여주었다. “나는 항상 팬들을 위해 앨범을 만든다. 히트곡을 제작하기 위해 싱글만 고집하는 것은 내 스타일이 아니다. 나는 내가 좋아하는 곡을 만든다. 개중 몇 곡은 라디오나 스트리밍 횟수가 상당하지만, 나에게는 모든 곡이 같은 의미로 다가온다. ‘Carte Blanche’는 내가 추구하는 모든 것을 하나의 작품으로 묶어 발표한 일종의 믹스테입이다.” 트래비스 스캇(Tracis Scott), 저스틴 비버(Justin Bieber), 스크릴렉스 (Skrillex), 옐로우 클로(Yellow Claw)등의 아티스트들이 함께한 전작 ‘Encore’와 마찬가지로, 지난 앨범 또한 다수의 거물들이 참여했다. J

아시아에 대한 애정

발빈(J Balvin), 오즈나(Ozuna), 좀보이(Zomboy), 챠미(Tchami)가 참여한 앨범에 대해 스네이크는 다음과 같이 소개했다. “내가 좋아하면,

아시아에서 지난 몇 년간 변화를 보인 것이 있다면 바로 베뉴다.

계속하는 거야.” 예술의 맥락에서 지난 앨범의 타이틀 ‘Carte Blanche’

헤드라이너로 빈번하게 등장하는 DJ 스네이크는 더 이상 작은 클럽에서

는 ‘아티스트가 전권을 잡고 제작하다’라는 뜻이 있다. 그리고 이는 그의

만나보기 힘든 존재가 되었다. “그렇다, 작은 베뉴에서의 공연도 당연히

신념과도 맞닿아 있다. “프랑스어로 ‘Carte Blanche’는 하고 싶은 모든

그립다.” 5만 명의 관중들 앞에서 공연하는 것이 잘못되었다는 것은

것을 할 수 있는 자유를 뜻한다. 이는 내가 음악을 대하는 태도이기도

아니지만 소형 베뉴의 공연에는 다른 종류의 즐거움이 있다. 그리고

하다. 나는 누군가의 지시를 받고 싶지 않고, 내가 좋아하는 것을 한다.

스네이크는 이와 같은 즐거움을 계속 이어 나가려고 한다. “클럽에서

이렇게 만든 작품을 사람들이 좋아하길 바라지만, 항상 모든 사람을

음악을 틀고 있다. 적어도 일 년에 다섯 번 정도는 클럽 공연을 하고 있다.

만족시킬 수는 없다. 솔직하게만 임하면 다른 일들도 잘 풀릴 것이라고

몇 시간 동안이나 계속 음악을 틀게 되는 클럽만의 멋진 바이브가 있다.”

생각한다. ‘Carte Blanche’는 일이나 삶, 그리고 음악을 발표하는 것에 대해 내가 느끼는 심정이다…”

그리고 그가 방문하는 클럽에는 아시아 클럽들이 항상 순위권에 자리해 있다. 그에게 아시아의 클럽은 항상 흥미로운 장소라고 한다. 스네이크는

스네이크의 신념은 그의 공연에서도 엿볼 수 있다. 그의 다양한 색깔은

지난 몇 년간 아시아에 꾸준히 방문하며, 팬들에게 엄청난 열기를

모든 셋에서 분명하게 드러난다. 홍콩의 크림필즈(Creamfields)에서

선사했다. “아시아의 모든 페스티벌을 좋아하지만, 중국에서의 클럽

콜롬비아의 비욘드 원더랜드(Beyond Wonderland)까지, 스네이크는

공연은 나를 항상 놀라게 한다. 중국에 방문할 때마다 에이전트를 통해

그의 능력에 자부심을 갖고 있다. “특정 지역을 위해 셋을 바꾸지 않는다.

방문 일정을 잡는다. 갈 때마다 에너지가 뜨겁다.”

사람들은 DJ 스네이크를 섭외했고, 있는 그대로의 나를 보고 싶어하기 때문이다.” 그가 설명했다. DJ 스네이크의 공연을 어디서 접하건 100%

스네이크는 지난해 하이난성에서 개최된 ISY 뮤직 페스티벌(ISY Music

그를 경험할 수 있다니 희소식이다. 물론, 공연마다 약간의 차이는 있다.

Festival)에서 새해 이브를 맞아 음악을 틀었고, 시안(Xian)의 슈퍼

예를 들어, 페스티벌에서 한 시간은 다양한 음악을 믹스하기에 부족할

마이애미 클럽(Super Miami Club)과 그의 넘버원 휴양지인 푸켓의

수도 있다. 하지만 스네이크는 짧은 시간의 공연도 훌륭하게 소화하는

일루젼 클럽(Illuzion Club)에서도 공연한 경험이 있다. “매년 푸켓에서

아티스트다. “나는 내 커리어 전체의 곡을 틀고 싶고, 잘 섞이지 않는

휴가를 보낸다. 그곳의 분위기, 물, 사람, 음식 모두를 좋아한다.” 그의

신곡을 선보이는 것도 좋아한다. 하지만 그런 곡을 믹스하는 것이

커리어 덕분에 스네이크는 전 세계를 누비고 있다. 그리고 세계는 지난

어렵지는 않다. 일정한 흐름에 따라 셋을 구성하고, 대체로 잘 흘러가는

몇 년간 그의 음악에 몸을 들썩이고 있다. 성공이라고 쓰여진 백지수표

편이다.”

(Carte Blanche)를 보는 듯하다.

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소셜 미디어에 대한 소신 “소셜 미디어와 인터넷이 모두에게 노출될 수 있는 기회를 제공했다고 생각한다. 그리고 아주 좋은 현상이라고 생각한다. 하지만 동시에 주의가 분산되기도 쉽다. 다른 사람들이 무엇을 하고 있는지 보는데 시간을 쏟다 보면 방향성을 상실하게 된다. 타인에 대한 생각에 지나치게 빠질 위험성이 있다. 특히 어린 나이에는 사람들이 이룬 것을 보고 쉽게 생각할 수도 있고, 스튜디오에서 힘든 시간을 보내다가 본인을 깎아내리기 쉽다. 하지만 실상은 그렇지 않다. 아무도 본인이 실패한 날의 기록을 포스팅하지 않는다. 자신에 대한 의문이나 힘든 시기에 대해 포스팅하는 사람은 아무도 없다. 정보를 조사하고, 아티스트 및 영화 감독에게 영감을 받고, 여가 시간에 보고 웃을 거리를 찾는 등 자신이 인터넷을 좋은 방향으로 사용할 수 있을 정도로 강한 사람이라면 그렇게 하길 바란다. 하지만 인터넷이 본인에게 부정적인 영향을 준다고 생각하면 사용을 멈춰라. 음악은 본인에게서 나온다. 결코 인터넷을 뒤져서 나오는 것이 아니다.”

DJ SNAKE 5대 명곡 “BIRD MACHINE” 내 인생을 바꿔놓은 곡이다. 당시에는 한 달 안에 팔릴 만한 곡을 쓰지 못하면 다른 일자리를 구해야 하는 막다른 길에 놓여있었다. 스튜디오에서 쓴 곡을 모두에게 보내고 또 보냈다. 마침내 디플로(Diplo)에게서 답변이 왔고, 이후 모든 것이 변했다.

“LET ME LOVE YOU” 사람들이 알던 나의 사운드에서 벗어난 곡이었고, 라디오에서 세계적으로 내 음악이 알려지는 계기가 되었다. ‘Turn Down For What’과 ‘Bird Machine’ 외에 다른 스타일의 곡도 선보일 수 있다는 것을 증명한 곡이다.

“TURN DOWN FOR WHAT” 세계적으로 히트친 내 첫 번째 곡이다. 다양한 장르에 걸쳐 내 이름을 알린 곡이기도 하다. DJ 프리미어(DJ Premier) 리믹스도 정말 큰 의미로 다가왔다. 평생 전자음악을 고집하지 않고, 어떤 장르에도 묶이지 않겠다는 내 신념을 보여준 곡이다.

“MAGENTA RIDDIM” 이 곡은 아랍 라디오 쇼를 듣다가 영감을 얻어 만들게 되었다. 라디오 생중계에서 비트 위에 프리스타일로 랩을 하는 쇼였는데, 이를 듣고 집에 돌아가서 만든 곡이 세계적으로 엄청난 사랑을 받게 되어 놀랐다. 인도에서 뮤직 비디오를 촬영했고, 곡의 분위기가 영상에 그대로 녹아있다. 요즘도 여전히 모든 셋에서 틀고 있는 곡이다.

“TAKI TAKI”

DJ SNAKE만의 패션철학

이 곡은 전 세계에 비트를 보낸 후 보컬 파일을 전달받고, 아티스트들이 작업에 참여하며 다시 모두에게 전달하는 여정이었다. 이 과정만 해도 몇 개월의 시간이 소요되었고, 곡과 영상을 함께 만들고 완성 전까지 비밀로

“나는 파든 마이 프렌치(Pardon My French) 옷을 자주 입는 편이다.

하는 것도 상당히 어려운 일이었다. 처음으로 라틴 보컬과 함께 작업한

무대 위에서나 투어 도중에 입을 옷을 직접 제작한다. 색상과 모양으로

곡이었고, 전 세계를 넘나들며 작업한 과정이 상당히 인상적이다. 당시,

여러가지를 시도해보는 편이다. 나만의 브랜드가 있기에 팀과 함께

1절에 스페인어 가사를 배치하면 사람들의 흥미를 사기 어려울 것이라는

공개 전까지 다양한 시도를 하곤 한다. 그리고 항상 내가 먼저 모든 옷을

경고를 받았다. 하지만 곡이 어떻게 나와야 할지에 대한 확신이 있었고,

확인한다. 옷감의 질감과 착용감을 우선순위로 생각하고, 많은 시간을

결국 내 생각이 옳았다. 신념대로 행동하고, 이를 통해 사람들이 틀렸음을

할애하고 있다.”

입증할 때의 기분은 최고다.

djmagasia.com

KOR

CLUB MWG OF KOREA ONE OF THE OLDEST CLUBS IN ASIA 26주년을 맞이한 한국 최초의 언더그라운드 클럽, MWG(명월관) 명월관이여, 영원하라! Words: TIFFANY KIM

djmagasia.com

MWG 오픈 당시 이렇게 오래 지속될 것이라고 생각했는지? “94년에 황금투구라는 이름으로 클럽을 오픈하고, 지금의 자리로 위치를 옮기면서 명월관으로 이름을 바꿨다. 명월관은 국내에서 최초로 클럽이라는 명칭을 사용하고, 클럽에 대한 개념을 전파하는 데서부터 시작했다. 그리고 황금투구 시절부터 지금까지 다섯 차례나 대표가 바뀌었으며, 나는 2010년부터 다섯 번째 대표로 역임 중이다. 초창기부터 명월관을 사랑해온 멤버이기에 늘 두 팔 벌려 “ 명월관이여 영원하라”라고 외쳐왔으나, 빠르게 변화하는 트렌드와 점차 더욱 세분화되고 있는 취향들, 크고 작은 위기를 마주할 때마다 한치 앞은 알 수 없다는 생각이 들곤 한다. 하지만, 명월관의 수장으로 자리를 지키는 한 명월관만의 정체성을 고수하는 것, 이것만은 반드시 지켜나갈 것이다.” 한국 1세대 언더그라운드 클럽 MWG(구 명월관)가 2020년, 올해로 26번째 해를 맞이했다. 대한민국 내 클럽 문화가 처음 생겨난 홍대 씬을

지금까지 MWG를 운영하면서 어려움도 많았을 것 같은데, 가장 큰

대표하던 명소 대부분이 이제는 문을 닫았고, 여전히 힙 플레이스로

위기를 꼽는다면?

꼽히는 이태원에서도 언더그라운드 클럽으로 이름을 날리던 곳들이 작년에만 몇 차례 폐업을 알렸다. 독일 베를린에 위치한 세계적인

“사실 매일이 위기이다.(웃음) 그래도 꼽아보자면, 2016년 3월 초 열린

테크노 클럽 베억하인(Berghain)도 아직 20살 생일을(2004년 오픈)

‘명월관 자력갱생 파티’에 대해 이야기하고 싶다. 명월관은 근린지역에

맞이하지 않았다는 점을 고려한다면, 26년간이나 언더그라운드

위치해 ‘일반음식점’ 허가로 운영되었다. 당시 언론과 여론에 뭇매를

클럽의 정체성을 지켜온 MWG의 존재는 실로 대단하다. 더욱이

맞은 세금을 아끼려는 행태가 아닌, 일반 음식점만 허가가 가능한

MWG는 대한민국 최초의 일렉트로닉 뮤직 클럽으로, 스테이지 쇼 위주의 사교장소로 인기를 끌던 나이트클럽 문화에서 클럽이라는 개념으로 처음 전환시킨 곳이자, 지금의 한국 내 대형 클럽 및 페스티벌의 음악감독이 된 1세대 디제이들이 대부분 거쳐간 곳이다. 매년 MWG의 생일파티를 자발적으로 찾는 디제이들의 라인업만 보더라도 홍대의 낡고 작은 클럽, MWG의 어마어마한 깊이를 짐작할 수 있다. 대한민국의 음악 씬을 이끄는 내로라하는 디제이들의 추억이 켜켜이 쌓여, 아우라를 내고 있다고나 할까? “대한민국 클럽의 자랑! 명월관 무려 25주년이다!! 내가 114살까지 살아서 꼭 명월관 100주년 파티에서 음악 틀면 좋겠다” 지난해 MWG 25주년 기념 파티를 앞두고, 대한민국 대표 디제이 바가지 바이펙스써틴(Bagagee Viphex13)이 인스타그램을 통해 밝힌 소감이다. 100주년을 맞이하는 그 날이 올 수 있을까? MWG가 올해로 26번째 해를 맞이하기까지 겪었던 크고 작은 위기들, 이를 극복할 수 있었던 원동력 등 MWG 김은희 대표를 만나 이야기를 나눠봤다. MWG가 26번째 해를 맞이했다. 소감이 어떤지 듣고 싶다.

지역에 위치해 있었기 때문이다. 홍대 일대의 대부분의 클럽이 그러했고, 마포구는 특별조례를 만들어 일반음식점 허가로도 ‘춤 허용

”감동과 동시에 부담감도 가지고 있다. 그 동안의 대한민국 내 사례가

업소’로 지정되면 클럽 영업이 가능하도록 했다. 문제는 1종에 준하는

없기 때문에 지켜보시는 분들도 많고, 개척해 나가야 한다는 사명감도

안전 시설을 갖추어야 했는데, 소방, 전기 등 대대적인 공사비용이

가지고 있다. 덧붙여 매해 MWG 생일 파티를 주최하는 것은 MWG

필요했다. 대략 3천만 원 수준이었는데 그런 큰 돈을 갑작스럽게

가 오래되었음 알리려는 것이 아니라, 1년 동안 MWG를 찾아주신

마련할 여력이 없었다. 그러자 클러버들, 디제이들이 나서 ‘자력갱생’

관객과 DJ분들에 대한 감사의 마음을 전하는 자리로 기획해오고 있다.

파티에 참석해 자발적으로 후원금을 냈고, 명월관을 홍대에서 계속

“지난해도 여러분들 덕분에 한 해 잘 버텼습니다.” 라고 감사 인사를

영업할 수 있도록 해주었다. 지금의 명월관을 지켜나가고 있는 것은

꼭 전하고 싶다.”

26년을 함께해 온 1세대 디제이들과 클러버들이며, 절대 대중성에 타협하지 않겠다는 확고한 명월관의 원칙은 그분들을 배신하지 않겠다는 단단한 약속이다.” 오랜 시간 언더그라운드 씬, 그리고 홍대 씬을 지켜봐 온 선배로서 앞으로의 소망, 또는 바람이 있다면? “열린 마음으로 서로를 응원하고, 지지하기를 바라는 마음이 크다. 정말 작은 시장에서 자본력에 맞서기 위해서는 상생이 매우 중요하다고 생각한다. 다양화된 취향만큼이나, 다양한 디제이들과 클러버들을 마주하며 신선한 자극을 받을 때도 있지만, 90년대의 끈끈한 유대감이 그리울 때가 많다. 선배 디제이를 존중하고, 후배 디제이를 배려하는 모습들을 바라는 바이며, 이 씬을 사랑하는 모든 사람들이 확고부동한 고정관념에서 조금은 벗어나기를 소망한다.”

djmagasia.com

KOR

6인 6색, 개성 강한 아티스트 총집합! Words: KEVIN KANG

인터넷, 핸드폰, 소셜 미디어가 주를 이루는 요즘, 다양한 아티스트를 발견할 수 있는 가능성은 무궁무진하다. 이제는 유튜브(YOUTUBE)에서 우연찮게 발견한 비디오를 통해 좋아하는 아티스트를 찾는 것도 매우 흔한 일이 되었다. 그래서 디제이 맥 아시아는 세상에 많고 많은 아티스트 중에서도 개성이 초 강력한 6인방을 모아봤다. 그들의 음악만큼이나, 개성 강한 퍼포먼스로 이 씬을 더욱 풍성하게 하는 아티스트들이 궁금하지 않은가? 바로 만나보자.

SALVATORE GANACCI

EATS EVERYTHING

EDM의 최강 트롤을 만나보자

할머니가 뽑은 최고의 디제이

2019년도 벨기에의 투모로우랜드(Tomorrowland) 에서 살바토레 가나치(Salvatore Ganacci)의 셋이 시작한지 2분이 경과했다. 긴 안내방송 이후 마침내

JACQUES

동아시아 문화권에서 설날만큼 중요한 명절은 또

역 모히칸 머리 유행을 부활시킨 장본인

권하는 음식에 많은 이들이 고통받는 날이기도 하다.

없다. 그리고 설날은 할머니들이 배가 터질 때까지 우리 대부분은 식탁 위에 놓인 엄청난 양의 음식에

스피커에서 묵직한 뱅어가 흘러나왔지만, 무대에는 디제이의 그림자도 보이지 않는다. 그러자 카메라가

‘Tout Est Magnifique’는 자크(Jacques)의 첫 번째 EP

기겁할지도 모르겠지만, 여기 이 모든 것을 먹어 치울

관중들 속에서 무대를 향해 야유를 외치고 있는

이며, 모든 것은 아름답다는 뜻을 담고 있다. 이름처럼

수 있는 대식가 디제이가 있다.

한 낯익은 얼굴의 남자에 줌인한다. 설마가 사람

앨범은 프랑스 프로듀서/DJ 자크의 철학을 담고 있다.

잇츠 에브리띵(Eats Everything)으로 잘 알려진

잡는다고 했던가? 그렇다, 우리의 주인공 살바토레는

아티스트는 모든 것이 아름다울 수 있다는 신념으로

대니얼 피어스(Daniel Pearce)는 브리스톨을 기반으로

관중들 속에서 자연스럽게 걸어 나왔고, 무대 위에

우리 주변의 일상적인 물건들을 활용해 음악을 만든다.

활동하는 영국의 프로듀서/DJ이다. 식탐 어린 이름처럼

오르자마자 강력한 음악을 선사하며 모두를 뒤흔들어

타자기 소리부터 물 붓는 소리까지, 역 모히칸 머리를

아티스트는 진짜배기 음악에 대한 갈망이 대단하다.

놓았다.

한 이 천재는 일상 속의 모든 소리를 녹음하고, 룹을

그래서 그런지 그의 디스코그래피 또한 히트곡

살바토레의 팬이라면 그리 놀랍진 않은 일이다.

만든 뒤에, 이를 그루비한 곡으로 완성시킨다. 자크의

‘Entrance Song’을 비롯해 더티버드(Dirtybird),

아티스트는 공연 도중 선보이는 갖가지 기행으로

이상하리만치 캐치한 비트는 듣는 이들의 고개를 절로

하이퍼칼라(Hypercolour)에서 발매 이후 평단의

명성이 자자하고, 많은 이들은 이런 그의 행동을

끄덕이게 한다.

극찬을 받은 맛깔 나는 곡들로 가득하다. 이에 더해

트롤링이라고 부른다. 사실 그럴 만도 하다. 셋 내내

놀라운 뮤직 비디오를 제작하는 것 이외에도,

아티스트는 디제이 맥(DJ Mag)의 베스트 브리티시

좀처럼 믹스를 하지 않는 모습도 보이고, 덱 앞에서

아티스트는 세계를 순회하며 관객들에게 그의 특별한

디제이 어워드(Best British DJ Awards)를 수상한

기괴하고 복잡미묘한 춤을 추기도 한다. 하지만 영상을

무대를 선사하고 있다. 자크는 소나르(S nar), 보일러

경력도 있으며, 하우스와 테크노를 능수능란하게

본다면 알 것이다. 살바토레는 공연 내내 관중들의

룸(Boiler Room)과 더불어 유럽의 명망 있는 무대에서

조화시키는 믹스로 명성을 떨치고 있다. 두 개의 피쉬

열기를 진정으로 공유하며 그들과 함께하는 모습을

공연을 펼치기도 했다.

앤 칩 숍과 빵집을 포함해 몇 곳의 이상하지만 납득이

보여준다. 트롤이라고 부를 수도 있지만, 살바토레는

가는 베뉴에서 음악을 튼 것 이외에도, 잇츠 에브리띵은

항상 그의 기묘한 행동과 에너지로 관중들을 즐겁게

세계적인 페스티벌 무대에서 공연을 펼치고 있으며,

하는 아티스트다. 누가 그의 에너지와 흥을 거부할 수

울트라(Ultra) 브랜드의 레지스탕스(RESISTANCE)

있을까?

핵심 멤버로도 활동하고 있다.

djmagasia.com

GYŌSEN ASAKURA 별칭 테크노 스님

MARC REBILLET

벌써 기묘한 아티스트를 몇이나 소개했는데, 아직도

인터넷의 ‘룹 대디’

놀라지 않은 분들을 위해 여기 확실하게 신선한 충격을 줄 아티스트를 소개한다. 그의 이름은 교센 아사쿠라

텍사스 출신인 마크 레비에(Marc Rebillet), 자칭 룹

(Gy sen Asakura), 별칭 테크노 스님이고 일본에서

대디(Loop Daddy)는 음악 코미디언이자 인터넷의

유일하게 테크노 불교 법당을 운영하고 있는 스님이다.

핫스타다. 룹 스테이션을 통해 즉흥적으로 곡을

어보브 앤 비욘드(Above & Beyond)가 요가와

만드는 영상으로 유명세를 탄 마크 레비에는 현재

정신수양에 대한 앨범 ‘Flow State’를 발매하고, 음악

그가 아끼는 보스(Boss) RC-505 룹 스테이션과 함께

페스티벌에서 웰니스 이벤트가 트렌드로 떠오르고

세계를 순회하며 모든 베드룸 프로듀서들이 꿈꾸는

있는 시대에서 테크노 또한 영적인 요소들과 여러

삶을 살고 있다.

교집합을 꾸려나가고 있다. 교센 아사쿠라 스님은

작년은 마크 레비에에게 아주 뜻 깊은 한 해였다. 2019

이 트렌드에서 최선두를 달리고 있다. 과거 디제이로 활동한 경력이 있는 스님은 불교에서 말하는 극락의 개념을 테크노로 풀어낸다. 그가 ‘Show-On-G

CLAUDE VONSTROKE

년 초에 그가 올린 영상들이 다양한 소셜 미디어를

아이코닉한 더티 버드 사운드의 창시자

구독자와 50만의 페이스북(Facebook) 구독자를

통해 입소문을 탔고, 그는 현재 150,000명의 유튜브 보유하고 있다. 그의 영상들은 우리가 흔하게 접할 수

Memorial Service’라고 이름 붙인 이 행사는 후쿠이시 (Fukui)에 위치한 쇼온지(Sh -onji)에서 매년 2회

클라우드

더

있는 깔끔하고 공들인 작품이 아니기에, 그의 세계적인

개최된다.

잘 알려진 바클레이 크렌셔(Barclay Crenshaw)는

인기가 더욱더 놀랍게 다가온다. 하지만 카메라를 보고

다소 정도와 벗어나 있는 행사는 싸이키델릭한 조명,

현 댄스 음악 씬의 거물 중 하나이다. 이 리스트에

혼잣말을 외치고, 갖가지 말도 안 되는 주제에 대해

IDM 음악, 불교적인 미가 가득하며, 염불과 스님이

오르기엔 평범한 인물처럼 보일진 몰라도, 이

노래하는 그의 우스꽝스러운 유머감각을 고려하면

직접 작곡한 브레이크비트가 함께한다. 극락은

미국 프로듀서/DJ의 음악은 일반적인 범주와 궤를

그의 엄청난 유명세도 수긍이 간다. 이외에도,

불교에서 밝은 빛으로 가득 찬 천국 같은 세계를

달리한다. 많은 이들이 부티 하우스(Booty House)

즉흥적이지만 천재적인 라이브 공연 또한 그의 인기에

뜻한다. 아사쿠라 스님이 현대적으로 재해석한 극락은

라고 일컫는 더티버드의 사운드는 베이스와 하우스를

한 몫하고 있다. 올해에는 끝이 없는 마크 레비에의

몇몇 이들에게 다소 낯설게 다가올 수도 있지만,

펑키하게 조화시키는 것으로 정평이 나 있다. 이와

매력에 푹 빠져보자.

이미 세계적으로 많은 이목이 행사에 쏠리고 있다.

같은 더티버드의 사운드 뒤에는 바로 본스트로크가

더 나아가 행사는 더욱 많은 방문객이 사찰을 찾도록

있다고 해도 과언이 아니다. 그의 흥 넘치는 음악에는

하고 있으며, 일본의 젊은이들에게 불교에 대한 관심을

본래 색깔을 유지하면서도 세계적인 입맛을 사로잡는

높였다고 한다.

특유의 친화력이 존재한다.

본스트로크(Claude

Vonstroke)로

‘Beware Of The Bird’, ‘Bird Brain’, ‘Beat That Bird’ 라는 이름으로 발매한 앨범을 보면 짐작할 수 있듯이, 아티스트는 더티버드 레이블을 운영하는 것 외에도, 애조가로 널리 알려져 있다. 게다가 그는 현재 LA의 버드 스트리츠에 위치한 그의 집에서 애완 닭도 기르고 있다고 한다.

djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

PHU QUOC, VIETNAM

KOR

Words: ARIEL JO

EPIZODE VIETNAM

2020 NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 순수한 섬 푸꾸옥에서 펼쳐지는 11일간의 페스티벌

오

후 5시 47분, 2019년 베트남의 마지막

로코 다이스(Loco Dice), 르하(Lehar), 에이전트

그 중 단연 눈에 띄는 것은 에피조드의 명물인

해가 졌다. 다홍빛으로 물든 구름과 함께

오브 타임(Agents of Time), 피드레스(Fideles),

살바도르 달리의 환상의 코끼리(Salvador Dali’s The

빨갛고 동그란 태양이 지평선에 맞닿았다. 해변에

아고리아(Agoria), 부치(Butch), 조지아 안지우리

Elephants) 조형물이었다. 가느다란 다리를 가진

있는 사람들은 바다 저 너머로 사라져가는 해를

(Giorgia Angiuli), 잇츠 에브리띵(Eats Everything),

4마리의 코끼리들은 파도 위에 설치되어 있어 마치

바라보면서 한 해를 기억하고 마무리했다. 등 뒤로는

패트릭 토핑(Patrick Topping), 버즈 오브 마인드

코끼리들이 바다에서 헤엄치다 해변으로 올라온

잔잔한 테크노 음악이 나왔고 몇몇 사람들은 음악에

(Birds of Mind) 등이 포함되었다. 디제이맥

것만 같았다.

맞춰 춤을 추었다. 태양이 완전히 바다 너머로

아시아는 푸꾸옥을 테크노의 섬으로 만들어버린

사라졌을 때, 사람들은 박수를 치며 소원을 빌었다.

에피조드를 직접 확인하기 위해 푸꾸옥의

에피조드는 총 4개의 스테이지, 메인 스테이지

백사장으로 향했다.

(Main Stage), 프리스비 스테이지(Frisbee Stage), 에그 스테이지(EGGS Stage), 쉘 스테이지(Shell

베트남 푸꾸옥은 남국의 정취를 온전히 느낄 수 있는 아름다운 섬이다. 한국의 제주도나 일본의

풍성함이 자리잡은 베뉴

Stage)로 구성되어 있었다. 화려한 LED조명을

오키나와처럼 현지인들도 선망하는 휴양지로

에피조드는 푸꾸옥섬 서쪽의 선셋 소나타 비치 리조트

자랑하는 메인 스테이지는 4개의 스테이지 중 가장

꼽힌다. 남북으로 48km에 이르는 기다란 섬은

(Sunset Sonata Beach Resort)의 긴 해변에 자리

큰 규모를 자랑했고 12월 31일 카운트다운을 하는

맑고 투명한 바다와 99개의 산이 어우러진 천혜의

잡았다. 숙소가 모여있는 곳과는 거리가 있어 택시를

장소이기도 했다. 언제든지 하늘로 떠오를 것 같은

자연환경을 가지고 있다. 물론 아직 채 발굴되지

타고 이동을 했다. 택시 가격이 저렴해서 부담은

UFO처럼 보이는 프리스비 스테이지는 말 그대로

않은 순수미를 자랑하는 섬이기에 비행 노선도 많지

없었지만, 중앙선을 자유롭게 넘나드는 총알택시는

프리스비 모양을 하고 있었으며 장난스럽게도 영국

않고 섬 안을 둘러볼 수 있는 교통편도 넉넉하지

에피조드의 어느 순간보다 손에 땀을 쥐게 했다.

출신의 테크노 DJ 벤 UFO(Ben UFO)가 뜨거운

않지만, 이 곳에서만 볼 수 있는 아름다움들을

컨테이너 박스를 개조하여 만든 티켓 부스에서 입장

무대를 선보이기도 한 곳이었다. 6개의 계란 모양의

감상하다 보면 그런 불편함 쯤이야 얼마든지 감수할

밴드를 받고 게이트를 통과했다. 그 순간 부드러운

조형물들이 설치되어 있는 에그 스테이지는 강한

수 있겠다는 생각이 든다.

모래알들이 샌들을 뚫고 들어와 발을 간질였고

비트의 댄스 플로어를 자랑했고 조개 껍데기 모양을 한

끝없이 펼쳐진 바다가 눈이 부시게 반짝였다.

쉘 스테이지는 마치 실내에 있는 것처럼 느껴졌으며 더욱 풍성한 사운드를 즐길 수 있었다.

순수한 섬 푸꾸옥에는 그 정취를 그대로 담은 페스티벌이 매년 개최되고 있다. 2016년 처음으로

넓고 공허할 수도 있는 해변을 짧은 시간에

개최한 에피조드 페스티벌은 올해 4회를 맞이하여

색다른 분위기로 연출하기는 쉽지 않았을 것이다.

메인 스테이지와 프리스비 스테이지 사이에 있는

2019년 12월 27일부터 2020년 1월 7일까지

에피조드는 깔끔한 화이트 톤과 대나무의 길쭉한

거대한 대나무 구조물은 만남의 장소 역할을 했으며

개최되었다. 11일간의 페스티벌 라인업에는

선을 활용한 무대로 전반적인 통일감을 주었고,

취한 상태에서 길을 잃을 수 있는 위험한 장소이기도

제이미 존스(Jamie Jones)와 칼 크레이그(Carl Craig),

거대 조형물로 공간에 활기를 불어넣었다.

했다.

djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

날이 어두워지면 은은하게 빛을 내는 조형물들이 또 다른 아름다움을 만들어냈다. 공간을 채우고 나누는 연출에서 내공이 느껴졌다. 단순히 미적인 느낌에만 치중했다는 관객들의 의견도 있었지만, 공간 연출과 곳곳에 숨어있는 작은 공간들이 특유의 아늑함을 선사했다는 점을 높이 살 만하다. 음악으로 물든 새해 에피조드는 어떻게 보면 불친절한 페스티벌이다. 당일 공지되는 세부 타임테이블, 공개되지 않는 그들만의 이벤트, 걷기 힘든 모래사장. 그럼에도 에피조드가 방문한 모든 사람들에게 긴 여운을 주는 이유는 뭘까? 그 이유는 온전히 음악일지도 모른다. 테크노 음악 특유의 몽롱함에 여타 페스티벌과는 다르게 평온한 분위기가 더해져 우리 마음에 더 큰 자극을 주는 것일 수도 있다. 에피조드의 하루는 오후 4시부터 시작한다. 24시간동안 멈추지 않는 스케줄 탓에 하루의 기준이 무의미하지만, 보통 타임테이블의 첫 순서가 그렇다. 프리스비 스테이지에서 프라하 출신의 하우스 DJ 브루노 커티스(Bruno Curtis)의 셋이 시작 되었고, 브루노 특유의 그루비하고 멜로디컬한 사운드와 함께 오후 5시 47분 2019년의 마지막 해가 졌다. 해가 지고 조명이 빛을 바랄 때, 모스크바 출신의 하우스, 테크노 DJ 콜포드(Kolford)가 메인 스테이지 무대에 올랐다. 메인 스테이지의 사운드 시스템과 조명 효과는 그의 몽환적인 사운드를 더욱 풍성하게 만들어 주었다. 에피조드의 2019년 마지막 셋은 이비자에서도 유명한 베를린 출신의 테크노 DJ 유앤미 (youANDme)가 장식했다. 세계적으로도 유명한 DJ 답게 그의 셋은 2019년 한 해를 보내기 충분했다. 12시가 다가올 무렵, 메인 스테이지는 카운트다운을 함께 하려는 사람들로 발 디딜 틈이 없었다. “3, 2, 1 해피 뉴 이어!”

이슈인 친환경 문제에 있어서 에피조드도 발 벗고

진행됐고, 인도 출신의 명상 강사인 푼누 싱 와수

이어서, 이탈리아 출신의 프로듀서 겸 DJ 르하

나섰다. 에피조드는 매일 해변에 버려지는 쓰레기를

(Punnu Singh Wasu)가 힐링 음악과 함께 선보이는

(Lehar)의 웅장하고 멜로디컬한 분위기의 테크노

청소했고 페스티벌 내에서 플라스틱 사용을

명상 프로그램을 준비했다. 메인 스테이지에서는

셋으로 새해가 시작되었다. 그 자리에 있던 모든

금지했다. 캔에 담긴 물을 판매하는 베트남 회사

오후 4시 30분마다 요가 마스터 사라 라말호(Sara

이들이 옆에 있는 사람들과 포옹을 하고 새해를

beWater와 스폰서 제휴를 맺기도 했고

Ramalho)가 하사(Hatha) 요가 클래스를 진행하며

기념했다.

‘플라스틱이냐 지구냐 (Plastic or Planet)’과 같은

관객들에게 릴렉스할 수 있는 시간을 제공했다.

강의도 준비했다. 친환경을 강조했던 에피조드의

이외에도 따뜻한 차를 마시며 다도를 즐길 수 있는

짧았던 카운트 다운이 지나고 사람들은 흩어져

행사장 내에서는 쓰레기를 찾아볼 수 없었고 관객들

티 세레모니(Tea Ceremony)와 몸을 알록달록

자신들만의 새해를 기념했다. 어떤 이들은 해변을

또한 이러한 가이드라인에 공감하며 함께했다.

꾸미며 나 자신을 되돌아 볼 수 있는 바디 아트(Body

바라보며 맥주를 마셨고 또 어떤 이들은 푸드코트

Art) 등의 프로그램으로 관객에게 폭 넓은 즐길

옆 작은 해먹에서 물담배를 즐기기도 했다. 하지만

또 다른 특별함은 컨셉 마켓(Concept Market)이다.

새해에도 춤추는 것을 멈추지 않는 사람들도

모스크바에 기반을 둔 국제 예술 및 패션 커뮤니티인

많았고 디제이맥 아시아 또한 그랬다. 프리스비

컨셉 마켓은 개인 디자이너들이 모여 주얼리, 의류,

에피조드, 그 자체만으로 특별했다. 특히 베트남과

스테이지에서는 독일 레이블 Giegling의 쇼케이스

타투, 메이크업 등을 관객에게 선보이고 판매하는

베트남 음악 씬에서는 더욱 그랬다. 올해 96개국의

무대가 장장 8시간 동안 펼쳐졌고 몰리(Molly)

곳이다. 쉽게 보지 못한 다양한 상품들이 모여 있는

관객들이 에피조드에 참가했고, 이 숫자는 이 행사가

와 콘스탄틴(Konstantin), 파퀴타 고든(Paguita

컨셉 마켓은 스테이지에서 놀다가 지친 관객들에게

얼마나 성장했는지를 보여주는 숫자였다. 불과 몇

Gordon)등의 DJ들이 선사하는 셋에 취해 우리는

볼거리와 즐길거리를 제공하는 장소였으며 소셜

년 전만해도 베트남에서 이러한 음악 페스티벌을

2020년 첫 태양이 뜰 때까지 무대를 떠나지 않았다.

미디어를 위한 사진을 찍기 좋은 장소였다. 실제로

개최할 수 있을 것이라고는 상상을 못했기에 그

많은 여자들이 화려한 조명 아래서 셀카를 찍는 것을

의미는 더욱 특별하다. 2019년 마지막 해를 보며

목격하였다.

간절히 소원을 빌었던 것처럼 이제는 세계적인

특별함이 더해진 페스티벌 올해로 4회를 맞이하는 에피조드 페스티벌은

거리를 제공했다.

페스티벌로 거듭나려는 에피조드가 베트남 음악은

지난 해의 단점을 보완하고 새로운 면모를 보였다.

에피조드는 다양한 프로그램들도 다뤘다. 매일

물론 베트남 로컬 DJ와 프로듀서의 성장에 큰 도움이

일렉트로닉 댄스 음악 씬에서 요즘 떠오르는

오후 2시마다 예술관련 다양한 워크샵 프로그램이

되기를 소망해본다.

djmagasia.com

CHN

WHAT’S HOT IN CHINA?

Words: ARIEL JO, GLORIA LIN

万里长城上举办的音乐节在中国北京举办的Techno音乐节

KOR SHANGHAI 一亚洲首家SUPER LOUNGE品牌带来空前时尚交际新体验坐落于上海静安区核心地段的KOR Shanghai，于12月

在中国北京,见证大陆规模的历代级音乐节再次回归。

21日起试营运。作为theLOOP团队旗下最新的Super

以中国历代王朝为了阻止北方游牧民族的侵略而建立

Lounge项目，KOR Shanghai延续 KOR 系列一贯的

的万里长城为背景展开的“Great Wall Festival”将

品牌理念，致力为宾客打造上海繁华中心的顶级交际

于2020年5月1日至3日举行，吸引了中国电子音乐迷的

与餐饮娱乐场所。

关注。

KOR Shanghai沿袭KOR系列品牌之元素与精神，将

长达30个小时的“G reat Wal l Festival”犹如举办

Super Lounge的顶级体验于上海呈现。KOR是亚洲

场所的规模一样, 演出阵容十分豪华。包括Techno

唯一Super Lounge品牌，于 2016 年在台北创立首间

的圣地Berghain的超级明星Ben Klock在内，Chris

KOR Taipei之后，三年内不断优化品牌内涵，以独特的

Liebing，Marcel Dettmann，Dave Clarke等已确

空间设计与灯光营造创造出兼有优雅与愉悦的社交场

定出席该音乐节，“Techno女王”Nina Kraviz曾在中

所，更将世界顶尖的调酒与料理元素带入，并以时尚音

国首次亮相的舞台上有过长达4小时的表演。

乐与款待服务贯穿流程，形成独一无二的体验模式。

在“Great Wall Festival”上，除了音乐演出外，还将

不同于充斥着电音的场所，KOR力求为宾客提供极致

进行短程马拉松活动。5公里长的跑程也可看作是为了

的夜生活体验。借由珍稀烈酒收藏，国际水准调酒技

更好地享受表演舞台而做的热身运动。阵容公布和购

艺，米其林星级厨艺，以及镀金VOID Acoustics音响

票等更详细的内容，可以在Great Wall Festival网站

系统，让宾客无论在味觉，听觉，视觉或任何感官体验

(greatwallfestival.com)上查询。

上，皆能得到无与伦比的享受。并且在每一次来到KOR 后，都能在文化上及社交上得到新的满足与交流，与志同道合的伙伴们建立更加紧密的关系，享受专属于品味人士的私密聚会场所。 theLoop团队旗下的每一个品牌，都是基于长达20 年的夜生活产业经验，并结合本地文化精髓，融入现代化设计理念而成。KOR Shanghai的开业让所有热爱夜生活的人们都为之振奋，KOR系列第二间Super Lounge，KOR Shanghai以上海悠久的独特的交际文化为灵感，巧妙地融合时尚与经典海派元素。在申城为寻找时尚交际场所的人士与旅行者，提供优质的夜生活服务。

djmagasia.com

网易放刺FEVER与Point Blank 携手打造中国首家权威电音学院

获得 ‘第一人’ 称号的中国香港DJ YAKO

网易放刺电音制作学院将成为孕育中国电音人才的摇篮

第一位与Monstercat签约的华人DJ

网易旗下的电音品牌放刺FEVER与全球顶尖电音制

如果你对亚洲电子音乐领域感兴趣的话，就可能听说

作学院Point

过YAKO。下面介绍一位来自中国香港的DJ，同时也是

Blank合作开设的中国首家权威电音学

院——网易放刺电音制作学院于2019年9月10日，正式

正在准备进军国际的DJ。

宣布学院全面开学。它不仅是Point Blank在华开设的

出生于香港的DJ YAKO在香港LEVELS夜店工作，16岁开

首家分校，也是大中华区首家 Ableton 官方认证培训

始做卧室制作人(bedroom producer)，很早就开始了

中心。

音乐生涯。不久后，他成为夜店的常驻DJ，彰显出卓越

在占地总面积达60 0 0平方米的网易放刺杭州电音制

的实力。之后成为在Creamfields主舞台演出的第一

作学院内，设有DJ

教室，音乐制作教室，音乐产业教

位中国DJ，开始在国际舞台上受到关注，去年在EDC

室，录音/混音室，练习区，表演区，休闲区等功能区域，

拉斯韦加斯主舞台上，通过和Carta以B2B形式表演的

开设包括音乐制作，DJ技能，流行歌曲演唱，音乐产

联手舞台，成为第一个站在EDC拉斯韦加斯主舞台的

业等在内的6大系列共21门分类培训课程。DJ教室内

香港DJ。通过这些活动，他于去年11月与世界顶级厂

配有27种不同型号的DJ设备，制作教室则标配iMac

牌“Monstercat”签约，成为首位与“Monstercat”

和最新音乐制作软件，满足学员从课上学习到课下练

签约的中国艺人。

习的全部软硬件需求。此外，学院还是设有配备两台

最近，他在Monstercat与Tokyo Machine合作了电音

SSL（Solid State Logic）模拟调音台的全国最先进的

house风格的‘BadBoi’ ，还与LaidbackLuke，Pyrodox

录音棚之一。网易放刺杭州电音制作学院的专业导师

一同出了‘Keep on Rockin’的Remix版本，并在今

团队拥有着丰富的教学经验和从业经历，目前在中国

年1月与美国的Bass DJ Nitti Gritti一起发行了新单

内地仅有5人拥有Ableton官方认证导师资格，其中3

曲‘Shenzhen’ ，正在积极地活动着。

名任职于网易放刺杭州电音制作学院。去年11月，学院还邀请到格莱美提名音乐人Tommy D作为明星导师造访网易放刺电音制作学院，开设大师班，与学员进行一对一交流。目前，网易放刺杭州电音制作学院正致力发展文凭课程，成为具备提供学士学位和硕士学位资质的电音学院。未来，我们将看到越来越多来自网易放刺杭州电音制作学院的优秀毕业生们出现在中国乃至全球的电音舞台上。

djmagasia.com

CHN

真正的世界旅行家 DJ Snake是目前亚洲最受欢迎的DJ。听他讲述是如何游走世界的。 “过去10年真的是非常重要的十年”, 以DJ Snake一名被熟知的威廉(William)如此说道。在过去十年里,他的音乐取得了巨大的发展,他的名字被全世界所熟知。 “一开始我根本不会说英语, 经常在录音室地板上睡觉。最后做到专辑销量达到数百万张, 开始在世界巡演,”他说。 “现在回头看,都是些模糊的记忆”, Snake凝视着水平线说。作为舞曲音乐历史上成功的DJ，让我们一起回顾他赫赫有名的职业生涯吧。

djmagasia.com

热曲制造机 DJ Snake的音乐从2010年初开始像病毒扩散一样流行

法国感性

在

开来。从‘Turn Down For What’到‘Lean On’ ，DJ Snake在过去的10年里创作了最代表性的歌曲。“现在回过头来看，我觉得是以崭新的音效开始，加上从不同

音乐环境中长大的威廉，从小就对声音很敏感。“

的地方获得的灵感，这样完成的歌曲恰好在适当的时期

妈妈的家里总是有音乐”，他回忆道。从阿拉伯音

被公开，”他说。“我本想创作一首不追流行却很新颖的

乐，法国音乐到Motown公司的黑胶唱片，威廉从小被全

歌曲。DJ创作歌曲，虽然定义流行趋势的是大众，但当

世界的音乐所围绕。也许正因为如此,他选择退学，开始

下我会有一种完成的歌曲都很特别的感觉。”

在一家有名的唱片店工作。“当时我不知道音乐能成为我

不断受到新的影响，合作是他日常生活中非常重要的一

的主业，但我想成为某种音乐活动的一部分。”

部分。“我认为，未来十年，关键是以新的方式适用我迄

除了听来自芝加哥，纽约，伦敦的新音乐，看人们购买法

今所学的一切。必须得与时俱进。若一尘不变，总是重

国艺人的音乐外，他看到进口的黑胶唱片到达后，会经

复同样方式的话，就是自行结束DJ 生涯。”因此，Snake

常和到店访问的人们交谈。“这里就像是为音乐而设的

的专辑中包含很多不同的风格。“所有的合作都很特

售货亭。早在社交媒体出现之前，人们就开始以黑胶唱

别，”他热情地解释说。据悉，合作过程以多种方式开

片的艺术设计，色彩，艺术家等主题展开对话，讨论下

始。他首先发文件给合作艺人，合作艺人也会发文件给

一个流行趋势是什么,什么将改变，世界上发生了什么事

他。“有些人所拥有的能量和形象让我想和他一起工

情。“他说。”进口的黑胶唱片就像是一本明信片，告诉

作。”他说。而且，Snake并不惧怕新的尝试，他的合作

我们世界各地正在发生什么事情。而且我们对新的作品

没有界限。“我喜欢音乐，且不限定音乐体裁。我只是喜

都很渴望。在几个小时里，我反复听着同一张专辑，就此

欢我喜欢的东西。有没有名，那并不重要。”当被问及近

与他人进行交流。”

年来尝试的雷击顿音乐（Reggaeton）时，Snake推迟

当时，法国的 Daft Punk即将成为舞曲音乐史上最伟大

了回答。

的艺术家。同为法国人的Snake深深陶醉于他们的音

他认为音乐是普遍的，他说他受到的各种音乐影响也是

乐，Daft Punk对他产生了极大的影响。“其实也没必要

同样的。“现在我们在世界上都是连结在一起的，相互

说明，他们创新的音乐，设计，接近法，匿名性,所有东西

之间的联系也很便捷。”他感叹合作过程以及与人接触

都无视规则，尽管如此,他们还是一如既往的健在。我想

变得日益便捷。“不只是音乐。艺术，时尚，视频，电影等

这就是一种伟大”Snake说。除了Daft Punk之外，据说

等，都是如此! 只要灵感浮现，就能马上联系到一起工作

在他出生长大的故乡，在被称为‘光之城’的巴黎经历的

的某个人，他们也能准确地了解到我。我认为今后世界发

事情对他影响很大。“巴黎是我的故乡。这是我长大的

展的可能性也是无穷无尽的。”

地方，也是给我一切的地方。我人生中最艰难的时期也是在巴黎度过的。在这个城市里，我学到了很多东西，现在，我向世界展示了当时所学到的。我为自己是法国人感到骄傲，今后也会一直这样。” 他对法国的自豪感是众所周知的。也许正是这种自豪感成为了他在法国具有里程碑意义的建筑之一的凯旋门上演出的契机。那么，他是如何登上众人憧憬的位置的呢?

djmagasia.com

自信感 DJ Snake在发表众多热门歌曲和合作歌曲的同时，在去年还发表了专辑。专辑《Carte Blanche》深受歌迷喜爱，展现了艺人广泛的可能性。“我经常说我为歌迷们制作专辑。为了创作出热门歌曲，只坚持制作单曲，这不是我的风格。我只是创作我喜欢的歌曲。其中几首歌的广播和流媒体播放次数相当多，但对我来说，所有的歌曲都具有同等的意义。《Carte Blanche》是将我所追求的一切，归结为一部作品发表的一种混搭形式。” 就像与Tracis Scott，Justin Bieber，Skrillex，Yellow Claw 等一众大牌合作的旧作‘Encore’一样，上张专辑也有众多大牌的参与。关于J Balvin，Ozuna，Zomboy，Tchami 参与的专辑，Snake这样介绍到。“我喜欢的话，就会继续下去。”在艺术的脉络下，上张专辑的主打歌‘Carte

对亚洲的热爱

Blanche’带有“艺人全权制作”的意思。而且这也与他的信念相契合。“在法语中，‘Car te Blanche’意

如果说亚洲过去几年的变化，那就是公演场地。作为头

为能做自己想做的事情的自由。这也是我对待音乐的态

牌频繁登场的DJ

度。我不想听别人的指示，我只做我喜欢的事情。虽然

到。“是的，我当然也很怀念在小场地的表演。”不是说

希望人们喜欢我创作的作品，但不可能满足所有人。我

不喜欢在五万名观众面前表演，但小型公演别有一番乐

认为只要坦诚面对，其他事情也会迎刃而解。‘Carte

趣。Snake也在努力延续这种乐趣。“我现在也会在夜店

Blanche’是我对工作，生活和音乐的感受...”

打碟，一年至少有五场夜店演出。只要有可以让我持续

Snake的信念,在他的演出中也可以看出来。他多变的风

播放几个小时音乐的氛围。”

格在演出中体现得淋漓尽致。从香港的Creamfields到

他经常会访问亚洲的夜店。对他来说，亚洲的夜店很有

哥伦比亚的Beyond Wonderland，Snake为他自身的

趣。在过去的几年里，Snake坚持来亚洲，为粉丝献出巨

能力感到骄傲。“我不会为了特定地区而改变表演。人们

大的热情。“亚洲的音乐节我都很喜欢，尤其在中国的夜

邀请DJ Snake，是希望看到自己真实的一面。”无论在

店演出总让我惊喜。去中国的日程都是通过代理人制定

哪里，观看DJ Snake的演出，都能100%感受到原汁原

的，每次去都带着满满的能量与热情。”

味的表演，这真是个好消息。当然，不同的演出也都有一

Snake去年在三亚举办的ISY音乐节上迎接新年的演出，

些差异。例如,在音乐节上，一小时可能不足以混合多种

在西安 Super Miami夜店，在他最爱的普吉岛上的Illuz-

音乐。但Snake是一位能在有限时间内献上精彩演出的

ion夜店都有过演出经历。“我每年都在普吉岛度假。那

艺人。“我想播放我所有的歌曲，也喜欢展示还没混好

里的气氛，海，人，饮食都很喜欢。”托工作的福，Snake

的新歌。不过，将这些歌曲混搭起来并不难。只要掌握

已经走遍了全世界。在过去的几年里，世界被他的音乐

好一定的走向，基本上就没有问题。”

所震撼。仿佛看到了写有“成功”的空白支票。

djmagasia.com

Sn a ke现如今在小夜店已经很难见

您认为社交媒体对音乐重要吗? “我认为社交媒体和网络给了大家一个曝光的机会。而且我觉得这是一个非常好的现象。但同时也容易分散大众的注意力。如果一直花时间去观察别人在做什么，就会丧失方向性。也可能导致过于在乎别人的看法。尤其是在年纪小的时候，误以为其他人取得的成就是轻而易举的，而自己却在录音室里艰难创作，很容易妄自菲薄。但事实并非如此。没有人会上传自己的失败经验，也没有人会上传对自己的质疑或是正经历的艰难时期。通过网络收集信息，从其他艺人及电影导演那里获得灵感，在业余时间获得愉悦等，但愿你是一个内心强大，能控制自己把网络用到好的方向上的人。但如果你认为

DJ SNAKE 五大名曲

网络对自己有负面影响，那就停止使用吧。音乐出自本人之手，绝不是从网上搜出来的。”

“BIRD MACHINE” 这是一首改变了我人生的曲子。当时，如果一个月之内写不出有收益的歌的话，我就走投无路了，得另找别的工作了。我把在录音棚里写的歌到处投递。终于，Diplo 回应了我，之后一切都变了。

“LET ME LOVE YOU” 这是一首脱离了人们原先对我的认识的歌曲，也是我的音乐通过广播节目被全世界所熟知的契机。除了‘Turn Down For What’和‘Bird Machine’之外，这首曲子也证明了我还可以呈现其他风格的歌曲。

“TURN DOWN FOR WHAT” 这是我真正意义上的第一首热门歌曲，也是通过不同风格的音乐，让我的名字被大家记住的歌曲。DJ Premier 的Remix也具有很大的意义。这首歌体现出我并不单单执着于电子音乐，不拘泥于任何音乐体裁是我的信念。

“MAGENTA RIDDIM” 这首歌是在听阿拉伯广播节目时得到灵感而创作的。在广播直播中，偶然听到了在Beat基础上以自由风格进行说唱的表演，回家后制作出的这首歌曲没想到竟受到了全世界的喜爱。在印度拍摄了音乐录影带，歌曲的氛围完全融入在影像中。在我最近的演出中依然会播放这首歌曲。

“TAKI TAKI” 这首歌经历了先是在全球范围公开beat后收到主唱文

与众不同的时尚

件，再由艺人们共同参与制作，再次传达给大家的一段旅程。仅此过程就需要几个月的时间，同时制作歌曲和影像，完成之前的保密工作也是相当不容易的。这是第

“我经常穿Pardon My French的衣服。无论是在舞台上还是在巡演过程中，都会亲自制作要穿的衣服，会去尝试各种颜色和形状。因为有自己的品牌，所以会和团队一起在公开之前不断进行试验。总是我第一个确认所有的衣服。我花在衣服上的时间很多，并把衣料的质感和穿着感放在首位。”

一次与拉丁歌手一起创作的歌曲，跨越全球的创作过程给我留下了相当深刻的印象。当时，有人质疑说将西班牙语歌词放在第一节，会很难引起人们的兴趣。但我却对这首歌很有把握，结果也证明我的想法是正确的。按照自己的信念行动，并以此来证明其他人错了的那一刻，心情好极了。 djmagasia.com

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CLUB MWG OF KOREA ONE OF THE OLDEST CLUBS IN ASIA 迎来26周年的韩国最早的地下夜店-MWG(明月馆) 明月馆, 永存! Words: TIFFANY KIM

djmagasia.com

MWG开业当时，你有想过能坚持这么长时间吗？

2020年，韩国第一代地下夜店MWG(旧明月馆)迎来了第26个年头。代表了韩国夜店文化的弘益大学街区的商店大多已经结束营业，在仍被称为“hip place” 的梨泰院，因地下夜店出名的地方仅去年就几次宣布停业。要知道位于德国柏林的世界著名的Techno夜店 Berghain还没有迎来20岁生日(2004年开业)，26年来一直坚守‘地下夜店’本质的MWG，实在是非常了不起的存在。更何况，MWG是韩国最早的电子音乐夜店，是曾以舞台表演为主的社交场所而备受欢迎的夜总会文化首次转化为‘夜店’概念的地方，现在已成为韩国大型夜店及音乐节的音乐总监，也就是韩国第一代 DJ们大部分都在这里成长起来。DJ们每年都自发地来参加明月馆的生日派对，仅从他们的阵容就可想而知，坐落于弘大看似陈旧不起眼的明月馆意义非凡。引领了韩国音乐，现如今在业界数一数二的DJ们在这里留下很多回忆，明月馆可以说是自带光环。 “韩国夜店的骄傲! 明月馆足足25周年了!! 我希望我能活到114岁，在明月馆100周年派对上为大家播放音乐。” 这是去年明月馆25周年纪念派对前夕，韩国著名DJ Bagagee Viphex13通过Instagram发表的感想。 100周年的那一天真的会到来吗? 下面就MWG迎来第26 周年之前所经历的大大小小的危机，以及克服这些危机的原动力等，与MWG的金恩熙代表进行了交谈。 MWG迎来了第26周年。想听听你的感想。 “感动的同时也有压力。因为之前在韩国没有这样的案例，所以也受到很多人的关注，也肩负着开拓前进的使命感。此外，每年主办MWG的生日派对并不是为了宣告MWG已经存在很久，而是为了借此向这一年内来过 MWG的观众和DJ们表达感激之情。我们想传达的是多亏了大家的支持，这一年又坚持过来了。”

“1994年，最初取名为“黄金投球”开业的夜店，然后移至现在的地址，并更名为明月馆。明月馆是韩国国内最早使用“club”一名的，自此“club”的概念开始形成。从‘黄金投球’开始到现在已经换了五次代表，2010年开始我担任了第五任代表。从初期开始我就是热爱着明月馆的一员，总是张开双臂高喊“明月馆,永存”，但是面对迅速变化的趋势和逐渐细分的取向，每当遇到大大小小的危机时，总觉得前途未卜。但是，作为明月馆的运营者，是一定会坚守住只属于明月馆的本质，这个是肯定的。” 到目前为止，经营明月馆的过程中应该也遇到过很多困难，遇到的最大危机是什么? “事实上,每天都是危机。(笑) 一定要选的话，我想谈谈在2016年3月初举行的“明月馆自力更生派对”。明月馆位于邻近地区，持有“一般餐饮”的许可经营。当时被舆论媒体热议的逃税问题，真不是出于这个目的，而是因为那里是只允许经营一般餐饮的地区。弘益大学

一带的大部分夜店都是如此，麻浦区制定了特别条例，即使持一般餐饮许可证只要被指定为“允许跳舞的营业场所”，夜店就可以营业。问题出在必须具备一级安全设施，需要投入消防，电力等大规模的工程费用。大约是3000万韩元，当时没有能力马上筹备这么一大笔的钱。于是，夜店的会员，DJ们挺身而出，来参加“自力更生”派对，主动捐款，让明月馆在弘大得以继续营业。坚守现在的明月馆，是为了与明月馆一同度过26年的第一代DJ及观众们，绝不向大众性妥协是明月馆的坚定原则，也是我对他们的承诺。” 长久以来，作为地下夜店以及见证了弘大夜店发展的前辈，今后有什么愿望吗？ “希望大家以开放的心态相互支持，相互应援。我认为，真正要在小市场与资本对抗，相辅相成是非常重要的。和多样化的取向一样，面对不同的DJ和会员们，虽然有时会受到新鲜感的刺激，但很多时候也会怀念90 年代那时彼此之间的亲密感。尊重前辈DJ，照顾后辈 DJ，希望所有热爱这一行的人都能够摆脱那些顽固的固有观念。” djmagasia.com

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6人6色, 个性十足的DJ总集合! Words: KEVIN KANG 在以网络, 手机, 社交媒体为主的当今社会, 发掘出各色各样的艺人的可能性是无穷无尽的。当下，通过Youtube偶然发现的视频, 找到自己喜欢的艺人也变得非常常见。因此, DJ Mag亚洲汇集了全球众多DJ中个性十足的6位。就像他们的音乐一样, 以个性十足的表演让音乐界更为丰富多彩的DJ, 难道不令人好奇吗? 马上带大家认识他们。

SALVATORE GANACCI

EATS EVERYTHING

一起认识EDM的最强Trolling

奶奶眼中的最佳DJ

2019年，在比利时Tomorrowland电子音乐节，Salvatore Ganacci的表演时间已经过去了两分钟。在长时间的介绍之后，终于响起了很炸的音乐，但舞台上连

JACQUES 让莫西干发型复活的罪魁祸首

在东亚文化圈，再没有比春节更重要的节日了。春节也是被奶奶们用各种食物投食到撑爆肚皮的受难日。我们大部分

“Tout est magnifique”是Jacques

人可能会因为餐桌上的大量食物惊恐万

DJ的影子都没有。这时，摄像机对准了观

的第一张EP，寓意一切美好。如其名，

分，但这里有可以把这些东西全部吃掉

众席中对着舞台大声喝倒彩的一位面熟

专辑蕴含着法国制作人/DJ Jacques

的大胃王DJ.

的男子。难道是为了搏眼球? 是啊，我们

的人生哲学。他坚持‘一切都可以是美

以“Eats Everything”闻名的Daniel

的主人公Salvatore Ganacci从观众席

丽’的信念，利用我们身边的日常物品

Pearce是主要在布里斯托尔活动的英

中自然地走出来，一上台就带来强烈的音

创作音乐。从打字机的声音到倒水的声

国制作人/DJ。就像贪食小孩的名字

乐震撼全场。

音，这位留着莫西干发型的天才将日

一样，他对音乐的渴望也非常强烈。

对于Salvatore的粉丝来说，这并不是令

常生活中的所有声音录下来，做成音乐

也许正因为如此，他的音乐作品集包

人吃惊的行为。他因演出中各式各样的奇

素材，再将它制作成一首干净利落的歌

括热门歌曲‘Entrance Song’，还

异举动名声大振，许多人称他这种行为

曲。Jacques的奇特beat让听众不自觉

有‘Dirtybird’和‘Hypercolour’

叫“Trolling”。其实也确实如此。打碟时

地跟着节拍点头。

发行后都受到了广泛好评。不仅如此，

始终不混音，在设备前还跳着怪异，复

除了制作令人惊艳的音乐录影带，他

他还曾获得过“DJ Mag”的最佳英国DJ

杂，美妙的舞蹈。但是如果看视频的话就

还在世界各地巡回演出上为观众献

奖，擅长将“House”和“Techno”融

会知道，整个演出过程中，Salvatore真

上他的特别舞台。Jacques还曾与

合使他名声大噪。除了在薯条炸鱼店和

正地与观众分享着激情，与他们互动。称

Sónar，Boiler Room在欧洲著名的舞台

面包店等几家奇怪又完全能够理解的公

之为Trolling也无妨，但Salvatore是一位

上同台表演。

演场所之外，Eats Everything在国际性

以其奇特的行动和能量为观众带来欢乐

音乐节的舞台上进行演出，还是Ultra 旗

的DJ。谁又能抵挡住他的能量与兴致呢?

下RESISTANCE舞台的核心成员。

djmagasia.com

MARC REBILLET

GYŌSEN ASAKURA

网络上的Loop Daddy

号称Techno高僧

来自得克萨斯的Marc Rebillet，自称

已经介绍过前面几位奇妙的DJ，目前还

“Loop Daddy”，既是音乐喜剧演员，

不觉得惊讶的话，为你们介绍下面这位

又是网络炙手可热的明星。Marc Rebil-

给人新鲜冲击的DJ。他的名字叫Gyōsen

let通过音乐合成器即兴创作歌曲的视频

Asakura，被称为“Techno高僧”，是

而出名，他现在和自己爱不释手的Boss

在日本唯一经营Techno佛教堂的高僧。

RC-505 Loop station（音乐合成器）一

Above & Beyond发行了关于瑜伽和精

起进行世界巡回演出，过着所有卧室制

神修行的专辑‘Flow

作人（Bedroom Producer）梦寐以求

State’，在音乐

节上Welleness活动成为流行趋势的时

的生活。

代，Techno也与灵性要素形成了多种交

去年对于Marc Rebillet来说是意义非

集。Gyōsen Asakura高僧处于这个趋势中的最前沿。过去曾作为“DJ”活动过的高僧用Techno诠释了佛教中所说的极乐概念。由他命名为“Memorial Ser-

CLAUDE VONSTROKE 著名厂牌 Dirty Bird的创始人

凡的一年。2019年初,他上传的视频通过各种社交媒体广为流传，他目前拥有 150,000名YouTube订阅者和50万Facebook订阅者。他的影像不是我们经常

vice”的活动，在位于福井(Fukui)的地

以“Claude Vonstroke”而为人所熟知

接触到的那种干练但费劲心思的作品，

方,每年举办两届。

的Barclay

Crenshaw是当今舞曲音乐

正因如此他所获得的人气更加惊人。不

多少有些脱离正轨的活动，迷幻的灯

的重量级人物之一。也许被列入这份名

过，从他看镜头自言自语，根据各种不

光，IDM音乐，充满佛教韵味，念佛和

单的他看起来平凡无奇，但这个美国制

像话的主题唱歌的搞笑幽默感来看，他

高僧亲自作曲的Break beat伴随我们。

作人/DJ的音乐打破了一般的认知。被很

巨大的名气也让人首肯。除此之外，即

极乐是指佛教中充满光明的像天国一样

多人称为“booty house”的Dirty Bird

兴的现场表演也是他拥有人气的一大原

的世界。Asakura高僧用现代手法重新

的音乐是将bass和house融合变得funky

因。今年让我们一起沉醉于Marc Rebil-

诠释的极乐，也许对一些人来说多少有

化。可以说,在Dirty Bird音乐的背后就是

let无穷的魅力吧。

些陌生，但已经引起了全世界的广泛关

Vonstroke本人也不为过。他那充满兴

注。进一步说，该项活动让更多的访客

致的音乐中保持着本色，具有抓住世界

来寺庙参观，提高了日本年轻人对佛教

口味的独特亲和力。

的兴趣。

通过以“Beware of the Bird”，“Bird Brain”，“Beat that Bird”命名的专辑可以看出，除了运营 Dirty Bird厂牌之外，他是有名的爱鸟之人。而且据说他现在在位于洛杉矶The Bird Streets的家中养着宠物鸡。

djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

PHU QUOC, VIETNAM

CHN

Words: ARIEL JO

EPIZODE VIETNAM

2020 NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 在纯粹的富国岛举行的为期11天的音乐节

傍

晚5时47分，迎来2019年在越南的最后一次日落。伴随着被染红的云彩，红彤彤的太阳直抵地平线。海边的人们注视着在大海的另一边渐渐下沉的太阳，为这一年画上句号。背景流淌着缓缓的电子音乐，一些人随着音乐翩翩起舞。当太阳完全消失在海平面时，人们鼓掌许愿。越南富国岛是一个充满南国风情的美丽的岛屿。像韩国的济州岛和日本的冲绳一样，这里是当地人都向往的休养地。小岛南北长达48公里，清澈透明的海水和99 座山交相辉映，拥有着得天独厚的自然环境。由于该岛还尚未被开发，纯粹至极，因此该岛的航线也不多，岛上的交通也不那么便捷。尽管如此，欣赏着此地独有的美景，会觉得这种不便是完全可以接受的。在纯粹的富国岛上，每年都会举行充满本土气息的音乐节。2016年首次举办的 Epizode Festival于今年迎来第4届，从2019 年12月27日开始到2020年1月7日结束。为期11天的阵容包括: Jamie Jones，Carl Craig，Loco Dice，Lehar，Agents of 76

djmagasia.com

Time，Fideles，Agoria，Butch，Gior gia Angiuli，Eats Everything，Patrick Topping，B i r d s o f M i n d 等。为了亲眼确认把富国岛打造成“电音之岛”的 Epizode，DJ Mag亚洲来到了富国岛的沙滩。富饶的位置 Epizode位于富国岛西侧的Sunset Sonata Beach Resort的长海岸线上。离住处有一段距离，我们便打车前往。虽然出租车价格低廉，没有负担，但是自由穿梭于场地中线的出租车令人手心冒汗。在集装箱改造成的票务展位上，我们拿到入场手环开始入场。那一刻，柔软的沙粒钻进了凉鞋，脚底心痒痒的，一望无际的大海依旧那么耀眼夺目。要在这么短的时间内把宽阔空荡的海滩转换成别样的氛围，并不是件容易的事。Epizode利用简洁的白色和竹子的细长线条，使整体舞台形成统一感，巨大的造型物给空间注入了活力。其中，最引人注目的是Epizode的著名雕塑-萨尔瓦多·达利的大象(Salvador Dali’s The

Elephants)。腿尤为细长的四只大象被安放在海浪上，就像大象在海里游泳后刚上岸一样。 Epizode由4个舞台构成，包括主舞台 (Main Stage)，飞碟舞台(Frisbe Stage) ，蛋舞台(EGGS Stage)，贝壳舞台(Shell Stage)。拥有华丽LED照明的主舞台在4 个舞台中规模最大，也是12月31日跨年倒数的场所。看上去像是随时会飞向天空的 UFO一样的飞碟舞台，顾名思义形似“飞碟”，恶作剧一般的是英国籍的电音DJ Ben UFO将在这里上演热烈的表演。内有 6个鸡蛋形状造型物的‘蛋舞台，包括强烈节奏的舞池，贝壳形状的‘贝壳舞台’ 感觉就像在室内一样，可以享受到更佳的视听效果。位于主舞台和飞碟舞台之间的巨大的竹子建筑物充当了会面的场所，也是在醉酒状态下容易迷路的危险场所。天黑时分，隐隐发亮的雕塑又创造出了另一种美感。在填满，分隔空间的功能之外，增添了别样风情。虽然也有观众认为只注重了美感，但我认为，空间的调度和隐藏在各个角落的小空间都展现了特有的温馨。

ON THE FLOOR

沾染音乐的新年不管怎么看, Epizode都是不太友好的音乐节。当天才公开的演出时间线，还有不提前公开的特别活动，难以行走的沙滩。尽管如此，Epizode给所有来访者留下久久的余韵的原因是什么呢? 原因也许完全来自于音乐本身。电子音乐特有的朦胧感，与其他音乐节所不同，更增添了一种平和的气氛，反而可能会对我们的心理产生更大的刺激。 Epizode的一天从下午4点开始。因为24 小时不间断的日程安排，一天’的标准变得没有意义，但通常第一个出场时间就是如此。布拉格的House DJ Bruno Curtis 的表演在飞碟舞台开始了，伴随着Bruno 特有的旋律感十足的音乐，傍晚5时47分迎来了2019年最后一次日落。夕阳西下，正期盼着照明的灯光时，来自莫斯科的 House,电音DJ Kolford登上主舞台。主舞台的音响系统和照明效果使他梦幻般的音乐更加丰富多彩。 Epizode 2019年的压轴表演，由柏林的著名电音DJ YouANDme献上。不愧为世界著名的DJ，他的表演让我们毫无遗憾地与 2019年告别。临近12点时，主舞台挤满了准备跨年倒数的人们。“3，2，1新年快乐!” 接着，伴随着意大利的制作人兼DJ Lehar 气势恢宏的旋律，新的一年开始了。在场的所有人与身边的人互相拥抱，一同迎接新年。短暂的倒计时之后,人们分散开来，以各自的方式迎接新年。有的望着海边喝啤酒，有的在美食广场旁的小吊床边享受水烟。新年里，跳舞的人也不乏少数，DJ Mag亚洲也是如此。在飞碟舞台，德国厂牌Giegling的Showcase舞台长达8 个小时，Molly和Konstantin，Paguita Gordon等DJ们倾情奉献的舞台让人沉醉其中，直到2020年第一缕太阳升起为止，我们一直没有离开舞台。

倍加特别的音乐节今年举办的第4届的Epizode音乐节，弥补了去年的缺点，呈现出崭新的面貌。在电子舞曲界，最近热门的环保问题上，Epizode也积极响应。Epizode每天清扫被扔到海边的垃圾，并禁止在音乐节上使用塑料。还与销售罐装水的越南 beWater公司签订了赞助协议，还准备了“塑料还是地球(Plastic or Planet)” 的讲座。在崇尚环保的Epizode活动场所内，看不到垃圾，观众们也认同这样的准则一同遵守。另一个特别之处是概念市场(Concept Market)。以莫斯科为基础的国际艺术及时尚社区“概念市场”是由独立设计师们聚在一起，向观众展示并销售珠宝，服饰，纹身，化妆等。汇集了难得一见的多种商品的概念市场是给在观看舞台后疲惫的观众们提供看点和乐趣的场所，也为社交媒体用户提供了拍照的好场所。在这里，我目睹了很多女性在华丽的灯光下自拍。

Epizode还组织了各种节目。每天下午2 点都会进行与艺术相关的各种研讨会，印度的冥想师Punnu Singh Wasu准备了与治愈音乐一起展示的冥想节目。在主舞台，每天下午4时30分,瑜伽大师Sara Ramalho都会进行Hatha瑜伽班，为观众提供放松身心的时间。除此之外，还为观众准备了喝着热茶享受茶道的品茶典礼(Tea Ceremony)和将身体装扮得花花绿绿，回顾自我的身体艺术(Body Art) 等节目。 Epizode，本身就很特别。特别是在越南和越南的音乐界更是如此。今年有96个国家的观众参与了Epizode，这个数字足以说明这个音乐节的成长与发展。仅在几年前，我还不敢想象能在越南举办这样盛大的音乐节，所以它的意义更加特别。就像看着2019年最后的落日许下心愿那样，希望目标成为全球性音乐节的Epizode对越南的音乐，对越南本土DJ和制作人的成长能起到很大的帮助。 djmagasia.com

JPN

WHAT’S HOT IN JAPAN?

Words: DJ MAG JAPAN

翠月(ミツキ – MITSUKI) 新たな音楽酒場が渋谷で注目を浴びる

RYUZOがプロデュースを担当する他、DJとしても活動するア

PHARIEN ニューリリース「HOW IT GOES」

DJバーとして注目を浴びる。

日本人初のSpinnin’ アーティストからの新曲

ブースにアート作品として配置され、オレンジに光る月が照ら

Spinnin’ Recordsとの専属契約を発表し、若い世代を中心

リメンタル、アンビエントといった多様なジャンルの音楽を聴

才能Amero（アメロ）がコラボ曲「How It Goes」をリリー

昨年、7月23日東京・渋谷の道玄坂上に新たな音楽酒場『翠月（ミツキ – MITSUKI）』がオープンした。

ートディレクターYOSHIROTTENが内装デザインを手がけた年に1度しか咲かないともいわれる花、月下美人が入口やDJ

す上質な空間では、ディスコ、ソウル、ハウス、テクノ、エクスペきながらお酒を楽しむことができる。さらに、クラブでは味わ

えない良質なお酒を提供し、日本人から外国人、観光客と多くの客が足を運ぶ場所になるであろう。

翠月 (ミツキ – MITSUKI)

住所: 東京都渋谷区道玄坂 1-22-12 長島ビル B1F 営業時間: 21:00 - 29:00 定休日: 日曜日

www.mitsuki-tokyo.com

djmagasia.com

に人気沸騰中のPharien(ファリエン)とスウェーデンの若き

ス。楽曲は、フューチャー・トランスでキャッチーなボーカル

をメロディックに包み込む仕上がりとなっている。既に、Yes

V, Lucas & Steve, Mike Williams など名だたるDJにサポートをされ、早くも今年話題の曲、間違いなし。Pharienは

今後の活躍が最も期待されている日本人アーティストの１人である。

福岡のシーンも熱い！ SKINK RecordsからリリースするKombを始め、福岡から海外に向けたアーティストの輩出が活発にアジアの玄関口でもある福岡のクラブシーンは中規模クラブ

WOMB 06S FINALを迎える

が多く存在し、これまでにも各クラブが海外アーティストを

時代の終わりは時代の始まり

たが、2019年辺りからは海外アーティストの招集だけでは

時代の終わりは時代の始まり。 The end of an era is the beginning of a new one. このフィナーレに伴い、過去19 年の時間の中で最高のラインアップが一夜に揃った。誰もが

待ちわびた、『ドラムンベース界の救世主』Sub Focusが10

年振りに06Sに降臨。また、DJ A K iがファイナルに最もブ

ッキングしたかった男、『タトゥーをまとう暗黒の帝王』Audio、ウィーンを拠点に活動しヨーロッパと日本を橋渡しした重要人物、Disaszt。DJ AKiはノルウェーより盟友 YUUKi MCが駆けつけ3年振りの最強タッグのパフォーマンスでファイナルパーティーを最高潮に燃え上がらせた。

19年間の歴史と情熱が凝縮され、全てが1つになった夜となった。

多数招集することで、ダンスミュージックの普及に努めてきなく、福岡からも海外に通用するアーティストを輩出する活動が活発になってきている。

2020年にShowtek主宰のSKINK Records からリリースをしたKombは、ShowtekだけではなくTimmy Trumpet

やWill SparksといったHard Dance系のアーティストから多くのサポートを受けておりこれからの活躍に福岡中が注目と期待を寄せている。

最近ではそのKombを始めとする福岡の若手アーティストた

ちが集まり国内では類を見ないダンスミュージックにおける

マスタークラスを開催した。Spinnin’ Recordsと初のサインを成し遂げたPharienをゲストに迎えたマスタークラスは、

福岡だけではなく大阪などからも参加者が殺到し、世界を目指す若者達の底上げに貢献した。

オランダでもブレダという田舎町から数々のスーパースターを輩出しているように、東京だけではなく福岡にも可能性に

秘めたアーティストが多数存在している。これを読んだあなたもこれから是非福岡で活動するダンスミュージックアーティストに注目してほしい。

djmagasia.com

JPN

真の世界旅行者

DJスネーク(DJ Snake)は現在、アジアで最も人気のあるDJだ。そんな彼に会い、どのようにして世界を掌握できたのか聞いてみた。 “この10年間は本当に凄い時間だった”DJスネーク(D J S n a ke)で知られる、ウィリアム(William)が放った言葉。この10年間、彼の音楽は真の発展を果たし、彼の名は全世界に広く知られるようになった。“初めは英語をまったく話せなかったし、スタジオの床で寝ることも多々あった。結局のところアルバムが数100万枚売れてから、全世界をツアーするようになった”と彼は言った。“振り返ってみると、今ではもうかすかな記憶だ”スネークが遠くを見つめながら語った。ダンスミュージックの歴史上、成功したアーティストとして名声を浴びた彼のキャリアを振り返ってみた。

djmagasia.com

ヒットメーカーフランスの感性

音

DJスネークの音楽は2010年の初めからウイルスの様に広がり始め

た。‘Turn Down For What’から ‘Lean On’まで、 DJスネークはこれまでの10年の間、今までで最もアイコニックな曲を作りあげた。“今

振り返ると斬新なサウンドから初め、様々なものから見出したアイデ

楽に囲まれた環境で育ったウィリアムは、幼い頃から音に惹か

ィアが付け足され、その様にして完成した曲が良いタイミングに公開

話を続けた。アラブ音楽、フランス音楽で昔のモータウン(Motown)

とした。アーティストが曲を作り流行を決めるのは人々だが、その時私

た。だからか彼は学校を辞め、名望あるレコード店で働き始めた。“当

新しい影響を受け、協業することは彼の日常の中でとても重要な部分

事でも、音楽にかかわっていたいという想いが大きかった”

で適用させることが課題だと思う。常に進化しなければならない。変

き、人々がフランスアーティストの音楽を買っていく姿を見ること以外

いうことだ” だからこそスネークのアルバムには多様な色彩が共存す

して語り合ったりもした。“まるで音楽のための購買店の様な場所だっ

作業の過程は様々な方法で始まるという。例えば彼が相手にファイル

ワーク、色彩、アーティスト等の話題で話を始め、次の流行はなんであ

だ。“その人が持っているエネルギーやイメージが、その人と一緒に作

いて話し合った。” 彼は語った。“輸入されたレコードはまるで、世界各

レンジを恐れないスネークの協業に限界はない。“私は常に音楽界を

だった。そして我々は皆、新しい作品を渇望していた。何時間も同じア

好きなだけだ。有名だったり、そうじゃなかったり、それは大して重要

当時、フランスデュオのダフトパンク(Daft Punk)はダンスミュージッ

ミュージックについて質問すると、彼は返事を後送りにした。

ランス人だったスネークは彼らのサウンドに聞き惚れ、ダフトパンク

もまた同じだという。“私たちは今も世界中が互いに繋がっていて、お

革新的音楽、デザイン、大衆性、匿名性、その全てが法則を無視し、そ

ュニケーションをとる事がどんなに簡単になったかについて考えを述

っている。”スネークが語った。ダフトパンク以外にも、彼が一生を暮

該当する。アイディアが浮かべば、一緒に作業する誰かにすぐ連絡を

響を与えたのだという。“パリは私の故郷だ。私が育った場所であり、

ことが出来る世界だ。これから先、世界が見せてくれる可能性は無限

れていた。“母の家には常に音楽があった”彼は追憶に浸りつつ

されたのだと思う”と彼は言った。“流行に流されず、斬新な曲を作ろう

レコードと、ウィリアムは幼少の頃から世界中のサウンドに囲まれてい

が完成させた曲たちは特別なんだと直感した”

時は、私が音楽で生きていくなど想像もできなかった。しかしどんな

だ。“これからの10年は、私がこれまで学んだ全てのことを新しい方式

シカゴ、ニューヨーク、ロンドンから渡ってきた新しいサウンドを聞

化なく同じ法則を繰り返すことは、アーティストとしての生を終えると

にも、彼は輸入したレコードが届くとショップに訪れる皆と、これに関

る。“全てのコラボレーションは特別だ” 彼が熱心に説明した。共同

た。ソーシャルメディアが登場するはるか前に、人々はレコードアート

を先に送ると、協業するアーティストもファイルを送り返すという方法

り、どんなものが変わり、世界でどの様なことが起こっているのかにつ

業してみたいという気持ちにさせる。”と彼は語った。そして新たなチャ

国にどんな事が起こっているのかを教えてくれるハガキのような存在

愛しているが、音楽のジャンルは区別しない。私は私が好きなことが

ルバムを繰り返し再生し、それに関して話し合ったりしていた。

ではない。”ここ数年間、スネークがチャレンジしているレゲエトーン·

ク界の歴史上、もっとも偉大なアーティストに浮上していた。同じくフ

彼は音楽を普遍的なものとして見つめ、彼が受けた数々の音楽的影響

は彼に多大な影響を与えた。 “事実、説明するまでもないが、彼らの

互い簡単に連絡を取り合うことが出来る” 彼は協業過程と、人とコミ

れでもなお彼らは今も変わりなく健在だ。まさにそれが偉大さだと思

べた“音楽だけではない。芸術、ファッション、動画、映画など全てに

らし育った故郷、光の都市パリでおこった全ての事が、彼に大きな影

とることも出来るし、彼らもまた私がどんな人物なのかを正確に知る

私に全てを与えてくれた場所だ。私の人生で最もつらい時期もパリで

大だと思う゛

送った。この都市で数え切れないものを学ぶことができ、今はこの時

に得た教訓で世界に通用している。私がフランス人であることが自慢であり、これから先もずっとそうである”

フランスに対する彼の愛国心はファンならば誰もが知っている。おそらくこの様なプライドが、彼がフランスの記念碑的な建造物の1つである凱旋門の上で公演するきっかけになったのではないかと思う。なら

ば彼は、どの様にして多くの者が羨望(せんぼう)する今の位置に到達することが出来たのだろうか？

djmagasia.com

自信 DJスネークは数多くのヒット曲とフィーチャリング(Feat.)曲を発表

するなか、昨年アルバムも公開した。アルバム ‘Carte Blanche’はフ

ァンたちにたくさんの愛を受け、彼の幅広い可能性を見せてくれた。“

私は常にファンたちのためにアルバムを作っていると言っている。ヒット曲を製作するため、シングルだけに執着するのは私のやり方ではない。私は私が好きな曲を作る。その内の何曲かはラジオやストリーミング回数が相当だが、私には全ての曲が同じ意味として受け取れ

る。‘Carte Blanche’は私が求める全てを、１つの作品に込めて発表した一種のミックステープだ”

トラビス·スコット(Travis Scott)、ジャスティン·ビーバー(Justin Bieber) 、スクリレックス(Skrillex)、イエロークロウ(Yellow Claw)などのアーテ

また多くの大物たちが参加した。J·バルビン(J Balvin)、オズナ(Ozuna)

アジアに対する愛情

関して、スネークは次のように説明した。“私が好きである限り、ずっと

アジアでここ数年の間変化を見せたものがあるとすれば、それはまさ

ィストたちと一緒に製作した前作‘Encore’と同じく、今回のアルバムも

、ゾンボーイ(Zomboy)、チャミー(Tchami)が参加したこのアルバムにやるんだ” 芸術の脈絡(みゃくらく)で前回のアルバムタイトル‘Carte

Blanche’は‘アーティストが全権を掴み製作する’という意味がある。そしてそれは彼の信念とも重なっている。“フランス語で ‘Carte Blanche’ は、やりたいことを全てできる自由を意味する。それは音楽に対する私

の態度でもある。私は誰かの指図を受けたくないし、私が好きなこと

をやりたい。この様に作った作品を人々が好きになってもらいたいが、

常に全ての人を満足させることはできない。しかし誠実に取り組めば、他のことも全てうまくいくと思う。‘Carte Blanche’は仕事や生活、そして音楽を発表することに対する私の心情だ…”

スネークの信念は、彼の公演でも見ることができる。彼の多様な色は、

全てのセットではっきりと現れる。香港のクリームフィールド(Creamfields)でコロンビアのビヨンド·ワンダーランド(Beyond Wonderland) まで、スネークは自身の能力にプライドを持っている。“特定地域のた

めにセットを変えることはない。人々はDJスネークを呼び、あるがままの私を見たがっているからだ”と彼が説明した。DJスネークの公演をど

こで見ようが、100%彼を体験できるとはいい知らせだ。勿論、公演によって若干の違いはある。例えばフェスティバルでの1時間は、多くの音楽をミックスするには足りないかもしれない。しかしスネークは、短

い時間の公演も見事に生かせるアーティストだ。 “私は自身のキャリア全ての曲を流したいし、あまりリミックスされていない新曲を披露するのも好きだ。そんな曲たちをミックスするのはそれほど難しいことでは

ない。時折一定の流れに合わせてセットを構成すれば、大抵うまく流れてくれる” 82

djmagasia.com

しくべニュー(会場)の位置や規模だ。ヘッドライナーとして頻繁に登

場するDJスネークは、これ以上クラブで見ることは難しい存在となった。“小さな会場での公演は当然とても恋しい” 5万人の観衆の前で公演することが嫌になったのではない、小型会場公演ならではの違う楽

しさがあるのだ。そしてスネークは、その様な楽しみをずっと続けてい

こうとしている。“今でもクラブで音楽を流している。少なくとも1年に 5回ぐらいはクラブ公演している。何時間もの間ずっと音楽を流すクラブだけのかっこよさがあるんだ”

そして彼が訪れるクラブの内、アジアのクラブは常に上位に位置す

る。彼にとってアジアのクラブは、常に興味深いところだという。スネークはここ数年アジアに訪問し続け、ファンたちに凄まじい熱気を与えた。“アジアの全てのフェスが好きだが、その中でも中国のクラブ公

演時には毎回驚かされる。中国に訪問するたびエージェントを通して日程を決めるが、その度とても熱いエネルギーを感じる”

スネークは昨年、ハイネケンが開催したISYミュージックフェスティバ

ル(ISY Music Festival)で新年を迎える音楽をかけ、シアン(中国)のスーパーマイアミクラブ(Super Miami Club)と、彼のナンバー１休養地であるプーケットのイリュージョンクラブ(Illuzion Club)でも公演し

た経験がある。“毎年プーケットで休暇を過ごす。そこの雰囲気、水、

人々、食べ物、全てが大好きだ” 彼のキャリアのおかげでスネークは全世界を楽しんでいる。そして世界はここ数年間、彼の音楽によって踊ら

されている。まるで、成功と書かれた白紙の小切手(Carte Blanche) を見ているようだ。

音楽にソーシャルメディアがどれだけ重要だと思うか？ “ソーシャルメディアとインターネットが、全ての人々に平等な機会を

与えたと思う。そしてこれはとても良い現象だ。しかしそれと同時に注意が分散されやすい。他の人々が何をしているかを見ることばかりに時間を費やしてしまうと、自身の方向性を見失うことになりかねない。他人に対する考えに、はまり過ぎる危険性がある。

特に幼い年頃には、人々が苦労し成し遂げたことを簡単だと思うかも

しれないし、スタジオでつらい時間を送る自分を惨めだと考えやすくなる。しかし実際はそうではない、だれも本人の失敗した日の記録は

投稿しないだろう。自身に対する疑問や、つらい時期を投稿する人は誰もいない。

情報を調べ、アーティストや映画監督に感銘を受け、休みの時間に見

DJ SNAKE 5大名曲

て笑うものを探すなど、ネットを本人の好きな方向に利用できるほど

強い人ならばぜひそうしてほしい。しかしネットが本人に否定的な影

響を与えると思うならば、今すぐ使用を止めよう。音楽は本人からにじみ出るものであり、決してネットを探して出てくるものではない。”

“BIRD MACHINE” 私の人生を変えた曲だ。当時1ヶ月以内に売れる曲が作れなかった

ら、違う仕事を探さなければならないという、人生の分かれ道に立たされていた。そしてスタジオで作った曲をあらゆるところに送り続け

た。そしてなんとディプロ(Diplo)から返事が来て、その後すべてが変わった。

“LET ME LOVE YOU” 皆が知っていた私のサウンドから離れた曲で、ラジオで全世界に私の

音楽を知ってもらえるきっかけとなった。 ‘Turn Down For What’

と ‘Bird Machine’ 以外に違うスタイルの曲も作れることを証明できた曲だ。

“TURN DOWN FOR WHAT” 世界的にヒットした私の初めての曲だ。様々なジャンルを通して、私の

名前を知らせた曲でもある。DJプリミア(DJ Premier)リミックスもま

た大きな意味をもってやってきた。これから一生、エレクトロミュージックに限られずにどんなジャンルにも束縛されないという、私の信念を表した曲だ。

“MAGENTA RIDDIM” この曲はアラブのラジオショーを聞いていたら、急にアイディアが浮か

んで作った曲だ。ラジオの生放送で、ビートを流しそこにフリースタイルでラップを披露するショーだった。これを聞き家に帰って作った曲が、世界中にたくさん愛されて驚いた。インドでミュージックビデオを

撮影し、曲の雰囲気がそのまま動画溶け込んだ。最近でも未だに全てのセットで流している曲だ。

“TAKI TAKI” この曲に関しては、曲自体が世界中を旅したと言っても過言ではない

独特なファッション “私はパードン·マイ·フレンチ(Pardon My French)の服をよく着てい

る。舞台上やツアーの途中に、私が着る服を直接製作する。色彩とデザインを色々試すほうだ。私だけのブランドがあるため、チームと一

緒に公開前までたくさんの試行錯誤したりする。そしていつも私が先に、全ての服を確認する。服の質感や着用感を優先順位に考え、多くの時間を服に費やしている”

だろう。ボーカルのファイルが戻ってきたと思えば、すぐさま皆に送って皆が編曲をする。何カ月もかかるプロセスだった。そうして出来上

がった音源を一つにまとめ、ミュージックビデオと合わせる。発表前に音源が流出しないようにする過程ですら大変だった。ラテンのボーカ

リストで作曲したのも初めてだったし、世界中を周りながら完成させた点が非常に印象に残る。当時は歌詞にスペイン語を入れてしまうと聞き手の興味が薄れてしまうとも言われた。でも、この曲がどういう

風に完成されるか予想はついていたし、結果その予想通りになった。自分を信じて突き進んで、その結果人々の間違いを証明できた瞬間は最高の気分だった。

djmagasia.com

JPN

CLUB MWG OF KOREA ONE OF THE OLDEST CLUBS IN ASIA 26周年を迎えた韓国元祖アンダーグラウンドクラブ、ＭＷＧ(明月館)よ、永遠なれ！

Words: TIFFANY KIM

djmagasia.com

して企画してきた。“昨年も皆様のおかげで1年を無事越すことができました。 ”と感謝の言葉を心を込めて伝えたい。 ” ＭＷＧオープン当時、こんなに長く持続できると考えていたか？

韓国第1世代アンダーグラウンドクラブＭＷＧ(旧明月館)が、今年2020年に26回目の年を迎えた。大韓民国内のクラブ文化が初めて生まれたホンデ(地域名)を代表とした名所のほとんどが閉店し、未だホットポッププレイスに数えられるイテウォン(地域名) でも、アンダーグラウンドクラブとして名をはせた店たちも去年だけで数店閉業した。ドイツベルリンに位置する世界的有名ななテクノクラブであるベルグハイン(berghain)もまだ20歳の誕生日を(2004年開業)迎えていないという点を考慮すると、26年間もアンダーグラウンドクラブの本質を守ってきたＭＷＧの存在は特別であり偉業だ。さらに、ＭＷＧは韓国で最初のエレクトロミュージッククラブとして、ステージショーを中心とした、社交場として人気があったナイトクラブ文化からクラブという概念に初めて転換させた場所でもあり、今の韓国内大型クラブ及びフェスの音楽監督になった第1世代ＤＪの大多数が通った所だ。毎年、明月館の誕生日パーティーを自発的に訪れるＤＪ達の顔ぶれを見ただけでホンデの古く小さなクラブ、明月館の歴史の底知れない深さを感じさせられる。韓国の音楽界を引っ張っていく代表格であるＤＪたちの思い出を含んだオーラを放っているというべきか？

“94年に黄金兜というネームでクラブをオープンし、今のこの場所に移して明月館と名前を変えた。明月館は国内初のクラブという看板を使い、人々にクラブに対する新しい概念を伝えることから始めた。黄金兜時代から今まで5回も代表が変わり、私は2010 年から5回目の代表を務めている。設立当初から明月館を愛してきたメンバーであるため、常に両腕を広げ“明月館よ永遠なれ”と叫んできたが、すさまじい速さで変動するトレンドや、段々と細分化されていく人々の趣向、毎度大小の危機を迎える度、一寸先は闇だった。しかし、明月館のトップであるからには明月館だけの存在意義を固守すること、これだけはずっと守り抜いていきたい。 ” 今まで明月館を運営しながらたくさんの困難を乗り越えてきたと思う、その中でも最大の危機を一つ選ぶとしたら？ “実のところ毎日が危機だ。 (笑)それでも一つ選ぶとしたら、 2016 年3月初めに開かれた“明月館、後援金パーティー”の話をしたいと思う。明月館は近隣地域に位置していて‘一般飲食店’許可で運営してきた。しかし当時我々は、マスコミや世論に袋叩きにされていた「税金対策」としてではなく、一般飲食店だけが許可申請が可

“韓国クラブ界の自慢！明月館がなんと25周年！！俺が114歳になるまで必ず生きて、明月館100周年パーティーで音楽をかけたいな！” 昨年、明月館25周年記念パーティーを目前にし、韓国代表ＤＪバガジー·バイペックス·サーティン(Bagagee Viphex13)がインスタグラムを通して明かしたメッセージだ。果たして、明月館が100周年を迎える日が来るだろうか？ＭＷＧが今年26回目の年を迎えるまでの大小様々な危機、これを克服できた原動力等をＭＷＧのキム·ウンヒ代表取締役に会って話を聞いてみた。 MWGが今年で26回目の年を迎えた。これに今の気持ちを聞かせてほしい。 “感動と共にプレッシャーも感じている。韓国内ではこのような前例が無いため、これを見守っている方々も多く、そのような立場でこれから開拓していかなければならないという使命感も常にもっている。さらに毎年、ＭＷＧ誕生日パーティーを主催しているのはＭＷＧの長寿を知らせようとしているわけではなく、 1年間ＭＷＧを訪れてくれる観客とＤＪ達に対する感謝の気持ちを伝える場と

能な地域に位置していたためだった。ホンデ一帯の大部分のクラブがそうであり、マポ区(地域名)は特別条例を作り一般飲食店許可でも‘ダンス許可業者’として指定されればクラブ営業を可能にした。しかし、問題はその許可を得るためには規定基準の安全施設を備えなければならなく、消防、電気等の大々的な工事費用が必要だった。費用はおよそ300万円ほどだったが、そのような大金を急に準備できる余力はなかった。そんな時、クラブ愛好家や、ＤＪ達が‘後援金パーティー’に参加し自発的に援助金を出し、明月館をホンデでずっと営業できるよう支えてくれた。今の明月館を守っていくのは、 26年間を共にしてきた1世代ＤＪ達とクラブ愛好家達であり、決して大衆性に妥協しないという確固たる明月館の原則は、その人たちを裏切らないという固い約束だ。 ” 長い間、アンダーグラウンド界、そしてホンデを見てきた先輩としてこれからの期待、または抱負は？ “広い心で互いを応援し、また支持することを期待する気持ちが大きい。この業界は本当に小さな市場で、資本的問題に立ち向かうためにはお互いに助け合う事がとても重要だと思う。今の多様化される趣向に比例し、多様なＤＪ達やクラブ愛好家達に時折新鮮な刺激を受けるときもあるが、 90年代の堅い結束感を懐かしむことも多い。先輩ＤＪを尊重し、後輩ＤＪを配慮する姿を期待し、この業界を愛するすべての人々の確固不動な固定概念を、我々が少しでも無くせることを抱負にしてみたい。 ”

djmagasia.com

六人六色、個性豊かなアーティストここに集結！ JPN

Words: KEVIN KANG

インターネット、スマホ、ソーシャルメディアが主な現代、世界中の多種多様なアーティストを発見する可能性は以前に比べ大幅に広がった。今では、ユーチューブ(Youtube)で偶然発見した動画を通して自分の好きなアーティストを見つけることもめずらしくなくなった。そこで、ＤＪマッグアジア(DJ Mag Asia)は全世界数多くのアーティストの中でも、超強烈な個性を持つ６組を集めてみた。彼らは個性豊かな音楽とパフォーマンスでこの業界を盛り上げている、そんなアーティスト達はどのような個性を持っているか気になるのではないか？それでは早速いってみよう。

イーツ·エブリシング

サルバト－レ·ガナッチ

お婆さんが選んだ最高のＤＪ

EDM界最強の問題児

2 0 1 9 年、ベルギーのトゥモローランド (Tomorrowland)でサルバトーレ·ガナッチ

ジャック

東アジア文化圏で正月ほど重要な祝日は他に

ない。そして、その正月とはお婆さんたちにお腹

が破裂するまで食べさせられ、多くの者が苦し

(Salvatore Ganacci)の公演開始２分が経過

逆モヒカンの流行を復活させた張本人

む日でもある。私たちのほとんどは、食卓の上に

重低音が流れてきたが、しかしその舞台上には

‘Tout Est Magnifique’はジャック(Jacques)

るかもしれないが、その全てを食べ尽くしてしま

した。長い案内放送の後ついにスピーカーからＤＪの影も形もなかった。すると急にカメラが観

の初のEP(コンパクト盤)であり、全ては美しい

並べられたすさまじい量の料理に少し身が引け

う大食いＤＪがいる。

衆の中、舞台に向かって野次を飛ばしてるどこ

という意味が込められている。名前通りこのア

かと思っただろうか？そのまさかだ、我らが主人

ックの哲学を詰め込めている。彼は全てのもの

ストルを中心に活動する英国のプロデューサ

て舞台に上った途端、強烈な音楽をかけ、その

常的なものたちを活用して音楽を作る。キーボ

アーティストは、本物の音楽というものに対す

これは、サルバトーレのファンならばさほど驚く

ン頭のこの天才は日常にある全ての音を録音し

る奇行(きこう)で名声を高め、多くの人々は彼の

い)な曲として完成させる。ジャックの独特な個

ールの様なおかしな行動)と呼ぶ。実際にそう呼

かされる。

ない姿もみられ、デッキの前で奇怪で複雑な踊

すること以外にも、世界各国を巡り観衆を前に

るように、サルバトーレは公演中ずっと観衆の

クはソナール(Sónar),ボイラールーム(Boiler

てくれる。トロールだとも言えるが、サルバトー

公演を繰り広げている。

か見覚えのある１人の男にズームインした。まさ公サルバト－レは観客の中から何気なく出てき会場全員を沸かせた。

ことではない。このアーティストは公演中に魅せ

この様な奇抜な行動を見てトローリング(トロばれるだけあり、セット中まったくミキシングし

りを踊ったりもする。しかし、映像をみればわか

熱気を本気で共有し、彼らと共にする姿をみせ

レは常に彼自身の不思議な行動とエネルギー

で観客達を楽しませてくれるアーティストだ。そのような、彼のエネルギーとテンションをいった

い誰が拒むことができるだろうか？

djmagasia.com

ルバムは、フランスのプロデューサー兼ＤＪジャは美しいという信念で、私たちの周りにある日ードを打つの音から水を汲む音まで、逆モヒカ

ループを作った後、それをグルービー(かっこい性を含んだビートを聞く者たちは、自然とうなず

イーツ·エブリシング(Eats Everything)で有

名なダニエル·ピアース(Daniel Pearce)はブリー兼ＤＪだ。その食欲にぴったりな名前のこの

る渇望もそれに引けをとらない。だからか、彼

のディスコグラフィーでありヒット曲のエントラ

ンス·ソング(Entrance Song)を初めとする、ダーティーバード(Dirtybird),ハイパーカラー

(Hypercolour)と、発売後絶賛を浴びた名曲ば

かりだ。さらに、彼はＤＪマッグ(DJ Mag)のベス

彼の驚くべきは、ミュージックビデオを自主製作

トブリティッシュＤＪアワード(Best British DJ

彼の独特な舞台を見せてまわっている。ジャッ

ノを熟練の手際で調和させるミックスで名声を

Room)に加え、ヨーロッパの名望ある舞台でも

ップスショップ、パン屋を含めた数ヶ所で、何か

Awards)を受賞した経歴もあり、ハウスとテク上げている。彼は過去２つのフィッシュアンドチ

おかしいがなぜか納得のいくステージで音楽をかけたこと以外にも、イーツエブリシングは世界

的なフェスの舞台で公演を繰り広げ、ウルトラ (Ultra)ブランドのレジスタンス(RESISTANCE)

メインメンバーとして今も活動している。

朝倉行宣

マーク·レビエ

別名テクノ僧侶これまで奇妙きてれつなアーティストをいく人

ネット界の‘ループ’親分

も紹介してきたが、まだまだ驚いていない方たちのために、ここらで確実に新鮮な衝撃を与えて

テキサス出身のマーク·レビエ(Marc Rebillet)、

くれるアーティストを紹介しよう。彼の名は朝倉

自称ループ親分(Loop Daddy)はミュージック

行宣(あさくらぎょうせん)別名テクノ僧侶、日本

コメディアンでありネット界のスターだ。ループ

唯一のテクノ仏教法団を運営している住職だ。

ステーションを通して即興で曲を作る動画で人

アバヴ＆ビヨンド(Above & Beyond)がヨガ

気を得たマーク·レビエは、現在彼が大切にして

とメンタルカルチャーに対するアルバム、フロウ·

いる、ボス(Boss) RC-505 ループステーション

ステート(Flow State)を発売し、ミュージック

と共に世界を回りながら、全てのベッドルームプ

フェスでウェルネスイベントが流行りだした最

近、テクノもまた霊的要素などさまざまな接点

をあみ出している。この朝倉行宣住職は、このト

レンドの最前線を走っていて、過去にＤＪとして

ロデューサーたちが夢見る人生を送っている。

クラウド·ボンストローク

念をテクノで読み解く。彼が、照恩寺テクノ法要

伝統的なダーティーバードサウンドの創始者

この行事は福井市に位置する照恩寺で毎年２

クラウド·ボンストーク(Claude Vonstroke)

活動した経歴のある彼は仏教でいう極楽の概

(Show-On-G Memorial Service)と名づけた

回開催される。

多少、仏教の道と離れたこの行事はサイケデリ

でより知られた、バークレイ·クレンシャー

(Barclay Crenshaw)は現ダンスミュージッ

ックな照明、ＩＤＭミュージック、仏教的な美で

ク界大御所の内の1人だ。その地位がなければ

が調和する。極楽は仏教で明るい光で満たされ

ューサー兼ＤＪの音楽は一般的な範囲から大

溢れ、念仏と彼が直接作曲したブレイクビート

た天国のような世界を意味する。朝倉住職が現

代的に再解析した極楽は数々の人々に多少の疑念を与えるかもしれないが、すでに世界中の

多くの関心がこの行事に集まっている。さらにい

えば、行事はより多くの人々がお寺に訪問し、今の日本の若い世代にも仏教に対する関心を高

めようとしている。

ただの平凡な人物に見えども、この米国プロデ

きく外れている。多くの者からブーティハウス

昨年はマーク·レビエにとって、とても意味深い

１年だった。2019年初め、彼が投稿した動画

は様々なソーシャルメディアを通して噂になり、彼は今現在、150.000人のユーチューブ登録

者と50万のフェイスブック(Facebook)登録者

を保有している。彼の動画は、誰でも自然に受

け入れられるような綺麗で見やすい作品では

ないため、彼の今の世界的人気にさらに驚かされる。しかし、カメラを見ながら独り言をつぶや

き、様々なありえない主題に対して歌を歌う彼

の馬鹿らしいユーモア感覚を考慮すれば、彼の凄まずい人気も納得がいく。

それ以外にも、即興的かつ天才的なライブ公演

(booty house)だと呼ばれるダーティーバー

もまた彼の人気に追い風を吹かせている。今年

調和させたと人々に認められている。これと同じ

はまってみてはどうだろうか。

ドのサウンドは、ベースとハウスをファンキーにく、ダーティーバードのサウンドの裏にはボーン

は、底知れないマーク·レビエの魅力にどっぷり

ストロークがあるといっても過言ではない。彼

の興奮が溢れ出るような音楽には、本来のスタ

イルを維持しつつ世界に通用する特有の浸透力が存在する。

‘Beware Of The Bird’, ‘Bird Brain’, ‘Beat

That Bird’という名で発売したアルバムをみれ

ばわかるように、彼はダーティーレイブルを運

営すること以外にも、愛鳥家としても広く知られ

ている。さらに彼は現在、ＬＡのバードストリー

トに位置する彼の家で愛用ニワトリも飼っているという。

djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

PHU QUOC, VIETNAM

JPN

Words: ARIEL JO

EPIZODE VIETNAM

2020 NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 純粋な島、フーコックで繰り広げられる11日間のフェスティバル

午

後5時47分、2019年ベトナムの日が落ち

る。紅色に染まった雲と共に、丸い太陽が

地平線と重なった。海岸に佇む人々は、海の向こう

(Fideles) アゴリア(Agoria) ブッチ(Butch) ジ

ョージア·アンジウリ(Giorgia Angiuli) イーツ·

エブリシング(Eats Everything) パトリック·トッ

に消えていく陽を眺めながら今年1年を思い返す。ピング(Patrick Topping) バード·オブ·マイン

の(Salvador Dali’s The Elephants)造形物だ

った。細長い足を持つ４頭の象たちは波の上に設置されていて、まるで象たちが海で泳ぎながら海岸に辿り着いたように思えた。

背後からはテクノが流れ、人々はあちらこちらで音

ド(Birds of Mind) 等が参加した。 DJマッグ

うへ消えた時、人々は拍手しながらそれぞれの願い事を祈願する。

ードを直接確認するためにフーコックの白い砂浜

に向かった。

メインステージ(M a i n S t a g e )、フリスビーステ

ベトナム、フーコックは南国の情趣を直に感じら

豊かさ溢れる会場

なLED照明を自慢とするメインステージは４つの

楽に合わせて踊っていた。太陽が完全に海の向こ

れる美しい島だ。日本の沖縄や、韓国の済州島の

アジアは、フーコックをテクノの島に変えたエピゾ

エピゾードは合計４つのステージで構成される。ージ(Frisbee Stage)、エッグステージ(EGGS

Stage), シェルステージ(Shell Stage)だ。豪華

エピゾードはフーコック島西側のサンセット·ソナ

ステージの中で最大規模を自慢とし、12月31日

Resort)の長い海岸に位置する。宿泊施設が集ま

も空に浮かび上がりそうなUFOの様に見えるフ

のカウントダウンを行なった場所でもある。今に

様に現地の人々も羨望する休養地。南北48ｋｍ

タビーチ·リゾート(Sunset Sonata Beach

の山とが合わさった天に恵まれた自然環境をも

っている場所とは少し距離があり、タクシーで移

リスビーステージは、名前の通りフリスビーの形

いる島であるため、飛行路線も少なく、島の中を

担にはならなかったが、中央線を自由に行き来す

ン·UFO(Ben UFO)が熱いステージを繰り広げ

にいたる長いこの島は清らかで透明な海と、 99も

っている。もちろん未開発の純粋さを自慢として見て周れる交通網も十分とは言えないが、ここで

動した。タクシーの価格はそれほど高くはなく負

る弾丸タクシーはエピゾードでの出来事の中でも

をしていて、偶然にもイギリス出身のテクノDJベた所でもあった。6つの卵の形の造形物が設置されているエッグステージは、強烈なビートのダン

しか見ることのできない美しさを目の当たりにす

っとも緊張し手に汗握る瞬間だった。コンテナを

ろう。

もらいゲートを通過する。その瞬間、滑らかな砂

純粋な島フーコックでは、その情趣をそのまま

目の前に終わりの見えない海がまぶしく輝いた。

テージとフリスビーステージの間にある巨大な竹

る。2016年に初めて開催されたエピゾードフ

とても広く、また虚しくもあるこの海岸を短期間

いたが、酔った状態だと迷子になる可能性がある

日から2020年1月7日まで開催された。11日

易ではないはずだ。エピゾードは気持ちのいいホ

れば、そのような不便などすぐに忘れてしまうだ

感じることができるフェスが毎年開催されてい

ェスは、今年で4回目を迎え、2019年12月27

改造して作ったチケットブースで入場チケットを

で全く異なる雰囲気に変貌させるというのは容

ワイトトーンと竹の長い線を活用した舞台で、全

イス(Loco Dice) レハール(Lehar)、エージェン

に活気を与えた。その中でも断然目に止まるの

ト·オブ·タイム(Agents of Time) フィードレス

djmagasia.com

テージはまるで室内にいるような錯覚をさせ、よ

メインスの粒がサンダルの隙間に入り込み足をくすぐり、り豊富なサウンドを楽しむことができた。

間のラインアップはジェイミー·ジョンス(Jamie

Jones)とカール·クレイグ(Carl Craig) ロコ·ダ

スフロアーを自慢とし、貝殻模様をしたシェルス

の構造物は出会いの場としての役割を果たして危険な場所でもあった。

日が暮れるとやんわりと光りだす造形物たちが、

般的な統一感をかもしだし巨大な造形物で空間

これまでとは別の美しさを作り出した。この場の

は、エピゾードの名物であるサルバドール·ダリ象

ことができた。ただ単純に美的感覚にのみ特化し

空間を満たし分ける演出からは匠の技を感じとる

ON THE FLOOR たという観客の意見もあったが、空間演出と、所

々に隠れている小さな空間たちが独特な落ち着

きを感じさせた。

音楽に染まった新年

エピゾードはある意味で不親切なフェスだ。当日

に告知されるタイムテーブルの詳細、知らせてくれない彼らだけのイベント、歩きにくい砂浜。それ

でもなおエピゾードを訪問したすべての人々に長い時間、素敵な余韻を与えられるのはなぜだ

ろう？その理由はシンプルに音楽なのかもしれな

い。テクノ特有の朦朧としたフェスとは相異なる平穏な雰囲気が加わり、私たちの心により大きな独特の刺激を与えているのだろう。

エピゾードの一日は午後４時から始まる。24時間ノンストップのスケジュールのため、一日の基

準は無意味だが、大体タイムテーブルの順序はこ

んな感じだ。フリスビーステージでプラハ出身の

ハウスDJブルノ·カーティス(Bruno Curtis)のセ

ットが始まりブルノ特有のグルービーでリズム感

のあるサウンドと共に午後5時47分、2019年最

後の日が落ちた。日が暮れ照明が光りだすとき、

モスクワ出身のハウス、テクノDJ コールフォード

(Kolford)がメインステージの舞台に上がった。

メインステージのサウンドシステムと照明効果

は、彼の幻想的なサウンドをより豊かに表現して

くれた。

エピゾードの2019年最後のセットは、イビザで

も有名なベルリン出身のテクノDJユーアンドミー(youANDme)が幕を飾った。世界的に有名な DJなだけあり、彼のセットは2019年の1年を共

に見送るには十分だった。12時に近づく頃、メイ

ンステージはカウントダウンをしようと集まった人々で賑わい、足場もないほどだった。 “３, ２, １ハッピーニューイヤー！”

るゴミを掃除し、さらにフェス内でのプラスティ

瞑想講師であるプンヌ·シン·ワス(Punnu Singh

売するベトナムのビーウォーター(beWater)と

グラムが開催されていた。メインステージでは午

(Plastic or Planet)’という講義も用意した。環

ホ(Sara Ramalho)がハサ(Hatha)ヨガ教室を

でごみを見つけることは困難で、観客もまたこの

これ以外にも温かいお茶を飲みながら茶道を楽

これに続けてイタリア出身のプロデューサー兼

ック使用を全面禁止した。缶に詰まった水を販

セットで新年の幕が開かれた。その場にいた全員

スポンサー提携したり、‘プラスティックか地球か

短いカウントダウンを終えた人々は、散り散りに

DJレハール(Lehar)の豪快でリズミカルなテクノ

が横にいる人々とハグをして新年を祝った。

境にやさしくを強調していたエピゾードの会場内

なり、自分たちだけの新年を迎えた。ある人は海

ようなガイドラインに共感していた。

コートの傍にあるハンモックで水タバコを楽しん

他とは異なる特別なコンセプトマーケット

岸を見つめながらビールを飲み、ある人はフード

でいた。しかし新年になっても踊りを止めない人

(Concept Market)。モスクワを基盤にした国際

々も多く、DJマッグアジアもまたそれであった。芸術及びファッションコミュニティーであるコン

フリスビーステージではドイツチームのギーグリ

セプトマーケットは個人デザイナー達が集まりジ

Wasu)がヒーリング音楽と共に行なう瞑想プロ後4時30分になるとヨガマスターのサラ·ラマル

行い、観客達にリラックスできる時間を提供した。

しめるティーセレモ二―(Tea Ceremony)や、体

を可愛く装飾し、自分自身を見返すことができるボディーアート(Body Art)等のプログラムも観客に幅広い楽しみを提供した。

エピゾードは、フェスそのものが特別だった。ベト

ング(Giegling)のショーケース舞台が8時間も

ュエリー、衣類、タトゥー、メイクアップ等を観客

ナムとベトナム音楽シーンは特にそれだった。今

スタンティン(Konstantin)、パグータ·ゴードン

まっているコンセプトマーケットは、ステージで遊

う事実は、この行事がどれほど成長したのかを我

トに酔い、私たちは2020年の初日の出を見るま

る場所であり、ソーシャルメディア用の写真を撮

で、ベトナムでこのようなミュージックフェスを開

のあいだ繰り広げられ、モーリー(Molly)とコン

(Paguita Gordon)等のDJ達が繰り広げるセッ

で舞台を離れることはなかった。

スペシャル感が増したフェスティバル

今年で第4回を迎えるエピゾードフェスは、去年

の欠点を補い新しく生まれ変わった。ＥＤＭ業界

で最近話題の環境問題に、エピゾードも一肌脱

いで進み出た。エピゾードは毎日海岸に捨てられ

に施し販売するところだ。希少で多様な商品が集

び疲れた観客達に、目で経験する楽しみを提供す

るにはうってつけの場所でもあった。実際に多くの女性達が豪華な照明の下で自撮りしている場面を多数目撃することができた。

エピゾードでは多様なプログラムも用意されてい

た。毎日午後2時になると、芸術関連の多様なワークショッププログラムが行われ、インド出身の

年96カ国の観客達がエピゾードに参加したとい

々に見せてくれるに十分だった。たった数年前ま催できるとは想像できなかったため、その数字の意味はさらに特別なものになった。2019年最後

の日を見ながら祈願成就を願ったように、これか

らは世界的なフェスティバルに名乗り出たエピゾ

ードが、いつかベトナム音楽はもちろんベトナムの

ローカルDJとプロデューサーの成長に大きな力になれるよう願っている。

djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

PHU QUOC, VIETNAM

Words: ARIEL JO

EPIZODE VIETNAM

2020 NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION 11 days of festivities spread out across the picturesque island of Phu Quoc...

t was 5.47 pm in Vietnam when the last sun of the year started to fade away. Lighting the clouds to a beautiful shade of scarlet, the blazing sun touched the horizon. Whilst gazing at the sun sliding into the sea, people at the beach recalled and celebrated all the great memories of the year. Gentle techno music accompanied us from behind, and some people started grooving to the music. When the sun had finally disappeared into the sea, everyone clapped, making their wishes for the New Year. Located in Vietnam, Phu Quoc is a majestic island that offers a truly unique experience of its tropical atmosphere. Like Jeju island in Korea or Okinawa in Japan, the island is also a popular tourist destination for the locals. At 48 km in length, the long island boasts beautiful sceneries surrounded by crystal clear water and its 99 mountains. The pristine, untouched nature of the place means that there aren’t enough flights to the island or transportation to venture out, but the unmatched beauty of the scenic island makes it all worthwhile. The pristine island of Phu Quoc is also host to an annual festival that captures the allure of the scenic destination. First held in 2016, the Epizode festival marked its fourth edition this year. Spanning over 11 days from December 27, 2019 to January 7, 2020, the festival’s lineup featured the likes of Jamie Jones, Carl Craig, 90

djmagasia.com

Loco Dice, Lehar, Agents of Time, Fideles, Agoria, Butch, Giorgia Angiuli, Eats Everything, Patrick Topping, Birds of Mind, and more. DJ Mag Asia went to the white sandy beaches of Phu Quoc to witness the festival that turned the island into a techno haven. A VENUE FULL OF CHARM Epizode was set in the long beach of Sunset Sonata Beach Resort, located west of the island. The venue was far from the residential area, so we traveled by cab. The fare was quite cheap, but the reckless taxi driver kept us on the edge of our seats, more than any other moment in Epizode as he constantly crossed the centerline. After picking up our bands at the ticket booths made from renovated container boxes, we passed through the gates of Epizode. As we set foot in the festival grounds, soft sands got into my sandals and tickled my feet, and the sparkling ocean stretched out like infinity before us. It wouldn’t have been easy to transform the wide, empty beach into a unique space. The festival produced a sense of unity through its neat white theme as with its stages which were constructed with long bamboos. There were also large sculptures that breathed life into the event, the best of which was ‘The Elephants’—Epizode’s iconic sculpture of Salvador Dali’s painting. The sculpture of four elephants with their long, brittle legs stood

in the waves, which looked as if they were returning to the beach after a good swim. The Epizode festival consisted of four stages: Main Stage, Frisbee Stage, EGGS Stage, and Shell Stage. Adorned with colorful LED lightings, the Main Stage boasted the biggest size out the four stages and it was also the place where the countdown to the New Year took place on December 31. Looking like a UFO ready to soar into the sky at any moment, the Frisbee Stage appeared to be true to its name as it was literally shaped like a frisbee. Naturally, it was also the very place where the British techno DJ Ben UFO performed on stage. There were 6 egg-shaped sculptures installed on the EGGS Stage, which featured heavy-hitting beats that kept the dance floor busy. The Shell Stage provided a cozy indoor-ish atmosphere in its shell shaped stage and featured rich sound systems. There was also a massive bamboo structure located between Main Stage and Frisbee Stage that served as a rendezvous spot, but at the same time it became a quite dangerous place for people to get lost while intoxicated. As the day grew dark, the gleaming sculptures provided another wonderful eye-candy. The stellar productions had effectively divided and embellished the spaces, which looked like the work of a seasoned pro. While some say that the productions were blindly focused on its

ON THE FLOOR aesthetics, to me it seemed like the spatial design brought a unique sense of coziness via its small, hidden spaces scattered around the venue. CELEBRATING THE NEW YEAR WITH MUSIC In a way, Epizode is not the most guest-friendly festival. With timetables that are announced on the day, closed-door events for insiders, and the beaches that require long walks, one can’t help but wonder how Epizode still manages to enchant the visitors. To me the answer is simple: music. The hazy soundscapes of techno coupled up with the calm, peaceful vibe of the event could be the reason why Epizode holds a special place in my heart. The day of Epizode starts from 4 in the afternoon. Considering that the party goes on for 24 hours non-stop, it’s kind of pointless to divide the party into separate days, but that’s what they usually consider as the start time of the day. DJ Bruno Curtis hailing from Prague came up on Frisbee Stage, and accompanied by Bruno’s groovy, melodic soundscapes, the last sun of the year faded away at 5.47 pm. As the sun fell and the lights illuminated the stage, DJ Kolford—house/ techno DJ from Moscow—took the Main Stage. The sound systems and lightings of the Main Stage highlighted the artists’ trippy soundscapes. Epizode’s last set of 2019 was graced by youANDme, the Berlin-based techno DJ who is also a popular figure in Ibiza. The world-class DJ’s set was more than enough to wrap up the year. As it got closer to midnight, the Main Stage was swarming with people who came for the countdown. “3, 2, 1…Happy New Year!” The New Year kicked off with Italian DJ/Producer Lehar’s sublime melodic techno set. Everyone at the scene hugged the person next to them and celebrated the New Year. After the short countdown, people scattered to celebrate the New Year in their own way. Some people drank beers while gazing at the beach, and the others enjoyed their hookah in the small hammock by the food court. But there were also those who didn’t stop dancing even for the New Year. And, of course, amongst them was the staff of DJ Mag Asia. The Frisbee Stage showcased German label Giegling’s show for 8 hours straight, and blissfully intoxicated by the music of DJs Molly, Konstantin, Paguita Gordon, and more, we remained at the stage until the first sunrise of 2020. A FESTIVAL THAT OFFERS ITS OWN DISTINCT FLAVOR Marking its fourth anniversary this year, the Epizode festival has improved last year’s shortcomings and presented a new image of its brand. It has also joined the eco-friendly movement, which is one of the hot issues of the electronic dance music scene of today. For the entire duration of the event, Epizode cleaned up

trash on the beach and banned the use of plastic inside the festival grounds. On top of that, it has also signed a sponsorship with beWater, a Vietnamese company that sells canned water, and have put together lectures on sustainability such as ‘Plastic or Planet’. The festival grounds of the environmentally conscious brand were completely free of trash, and the participants also willingly followed these guidelines. Another unique element of the festival was Concept Market. An international art and fashion community based in Moscow, Concept Market is a marketplace for independent designers to showcase and sell off their goods and services including jewelry, clothing, tattoos, make-up, and more. The marketplace featured a wide range of rare products, and it was an interesting attraction for people who were already worn-out by hours of intense dancing. Not to mention that it was a great spot to take pictures for your social media, and we saw a lot of girls take selfies under the bright lighting. Epizode also covered a variety of programs. There was a number of art-related workshop programs conducted every day at 2 pm,

and a meditation program accompanied by soothing music was organized by the Indian meditation guru Punnu Singh Wasu. The Main Stage provided the participants some time to relax through a yoga class conducted by yoga masters Sara Ramalho and Hatha every day at 4.30 pm. From Tea Ceremony courses where you can learn and enjoy warm tea, to Body Art programs that allow people to paint their bodies in all sorts of colors while reflecting on themselves, the festival also provided additional entertainments for the participants. Epizode was truly special in its own way. And it was especially so for Vietnam and its music scene. People from 96 countries flocked to Epizode this year, and the numbers show how much the festival has grown over the years. The festival’s success is even more meaningful as just a few years back, no one could imagine how a music festival of its size could thrive in Vietnam. Like how I made my New Year wishes while looking at the last sun of 2019 fade away, I wish that the soon-to-be international festival would provide a strong foundation for Vietnamese music as well as the growth for the local DJs and producers. djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

THAILAND

Words: RODRIGO AIRAF

WONDERFRUIT FESTIVAL 2019

MORE THAN EVER, KEEP AN EYE ON THIS FESTIVAL Thailand is so fucking cool.

s I stepped into the fields of Pattaya City to check out the Thai well-liked Wonderfruit festival, I felt that an apotheotic adventure would follow. From the way the festival was planned, it is ensured that each participant’s experience will be unique, especially for those staying at the camp. With hundreds of activities spread over almost five uninterrupted days, not everyone was able to follow tribal performances or do an indigenous medicinal Rapé workshop, but that’s fine: at Wonderfruit the stimuli overload is like a ludic compass, gently inviting you to embark on a different flow, with no room for boredom and in the midst of a very cool crowd. The focus of the event is to prove, by exercising creativity, high production quality and fruitful partnerships that it is possible to hold an event of extraordinary beauty both structurally — for example, with stages made of recyclable or reusable materials — as well as socially, by proposing the coexistence of small communities within a major festival. “For us, enjoying music is not just standing in front of a stage, it’s about how that experience relates to you. We are not a music festival, we would do it differently if we were”, says Pranitan ‘Pete’ Phornprapha, founder. In its pop-up city of about 100 acres, a space that has doubled in size since 2018 and which production guarantees will want to expand in 92

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future editions (thus making at least double the current 20,000 visitors) I could feel, quite subjectively, its wide communal functioning. Downtown would be Solar Stage, designed to bring enough shade to shelter sleep-deprived ravers and where most artistic performances began; the “main square” would be around the photogenic Molam Bus, Wonderfruit’s postcard; the high-tech clubber region has created its atmosphere between Sing Sing, Polygon and Rabbit Role; “Sunday Fair” found itself on a very cute mini-farm located next to the Theatre of Feasts gourmet kitchen hollow; the cool “neighborhood” was Living Village, and so on.

logic of most internationally renowned festivals. With more and more local artists combined with international choices of moderate greed, public attention is drawn to more authentic experiences. “As we move forward, we want people to trust that there is interesting music here, to be waiting for elements of surprise but not necessarily drawn to a single name. We want to make sure that Wonderfruit is always the headliner”, explains Montonn ‘Jay’ Jira, cofounder of the festival.

From Wonderness (area for mindfulness activities) to the diverse culinary hubs scattered throughout the festival, the uniqueness of each of Wonderfruit’s areas would not have been possible without careful and strategic use of that tropical terrain, keeping the event committed to its ethos to be a platform for positive social influence through a global celebration. In addition to avoiding “dead spots” with plenty of places for rest, food and art, one of the decisions that the producers were most proud of this year was to retire the main stage to make way for Living Village, a huge space with stages like the comfortable Creature Stage, the good-vibe Ziggurat, psychedelic places like the Woven House and probably the greenest grass in the field.

To get an idea, the most we ever came close to watching a headliner was during Acid Pauli’s set, long awaited by the audience thirsty for his mystical sounds on a Sunday morning - and rightly so, this German DJ is one of the best, a great researcher. This curatorial tactic of the festival, designed to escape the trap of becoming dependent of big artists, has further strengthened its personality as Wonderfruit gets a lot right in its programming. Personally, I can rarely entertain the idea of watching in the same festival the futuristic jazz band GoGo Penguin, the holistic songwriter Maarja Nuut, the ever-entertaining Four Tet, countless Asian DJs (who’ve absolutely ruled, by the way), and even Daddy G , former Massive Attack member. In Wonderfruit this is possible, all within a transformative, inclusive and, definitely, very attractive context.

In practice, since its first year so far, Wonderfruit’s lineup has followed the opposite

With technology integrated into nature rather than superimposed on it, it is striking that

ON THE FLOOR dancing havens like Polygon stage achieved such a fantastic look from a simple combination of bamboo and long LED lamps. Likewise, Wonderfruit’s social media communication seemed to be quite right in convincing audiences to immerse in their projects, as with Forbidden Fruit, the stage touted as the festival’s queer and hedonistic den — and so it was — or The Quarry, a large house and techno dance floor hidden in the middle of the forest that, though not explicitly featured on the official map, whoever found it could enjoy Collisions, a selection of artists by Craig Richards that presented acts like Floating Points and Sonja Moonear. As the night unfolded, Wonderfruit progressed to a more adult mood, and the stages demonstrated a primary path to disco, house music, tech house and more esoteric sub-strands like “alkemy tech”. Many artists I didn’t know before, such as the duo Shade Seoul, the crew La Mamie’s and English DJ Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy shone as bright as the full moon that drove those early hours, as well as interesting performances by Daniel Merlot (with the show House of the Unholy Ritual) and Rival Consoles — this one as a part of Erased Tapes Records’ showcase. Still at night, sometimes the music became repetitive for those who decided to jump from one stage to another more often. There was certainly room for more styles of music, but the chosen lineup has not failed to respond to the conceptual positioning that the festival did since its announcement. Anyway, it was possible to find jazz going on in some places, besides obligatory stops like the fun Havana Social Club, stage with Latin music and pop music classics, and SOT, with hip hop, rap and the like. In 2019, the production painted even clearer tones for sustainability. The most prominent action was to ban the use of disposable plastic cups, a step that may have a new chapter in subsequent editions, according to the founders, when confronting beverage cans. For other purposes, Wonderfruit has made a commitment to reduce carbon emissions and forged interesting partnerships with organizations such as Mae Fah Luang, focused on reforestation, and companies like Indorama, that recycles plastic. Interestingly, the brands that supported the festival (from Häagen Dazs to Perrier) could not turn the stage set into Times Square. “You don’t see the logos around the festival, right? We started this and the brands accept it”, says Pete. “In the end, it has to be a commitment to what we want to do here, we want them to promote what they are doing in sustainability and to show that they care about it.”

space, sewage treatment, garbage, transportation model, types of products sold, carbon emissions, among others”, she says. According to her, at Wonderfruit free water, a lineup that transports more local artists (reducing CO2 emissions), reused scenography with materials such as bamboo and wood, smaller stage sizes (which saves energy), selectivity for food suppliers and even “bio-friendly” detergent are all examples of sustainability actions visible at the festival. This year more than ever, Wonderfruit impressed its identity and demystified the misperception that it is Burning Man’s teenage child. In particular, it was one of my favorite festival experiences ever. It makes sense for an event like this to happen in a fantastic country like Thailand. Creativity on every level, a strong purpose that makes sense nowadays and the evident international projection are already nurturing Wonderfruit as one of the most sought after festivals in the world. Asked if there is concern about the impending peak around Wonderfruit and whether this hype would undermine the event’s essence, Pete told us: “We don’t have this mindset. As long as we’re creating things… the music, the areas, we’ll get weirder year after year. We want to challenge people. This is what excites us.”

Carol Soares, a Brazilian researcher and co-creator of the OCLB course about festivals, worked at Wonderfruit with the English team from A Greener Festival, a non-profit organization that proposes solutions for events to reduce environmental impact. “There are several parameters we analyze at a festival, such as djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

Words: ARIEL JO

DJ MAG ASIA PARTIES AT AMSTERDAM DANCE EVENT DJ MAG ASIA PRESENTS THE PRE PARTY Held 15 October at club Escape... Following last year’s event, DJ Mag Asia returns to ADE (Amsterdam Dance Event) once again. Marking its 24th anniversary this year, the festival/conference is recognized as one of the most significant events of the electronic dance music scene around the world, and this year’s event took place from 16 to 20 October. From those working in the music industry to artists and fans from all around the world, up to 400,000 people—almost half of the city’s entire 850,000 population— flocked to the city during ADE to share their visions about the present and future of dance music. Launched in October last year, DJ Mag Asia is marking its first anniversary this year, and has unveiled three special parties to celebrate this occasion. DJ Mag Asia has put together an official pre-party held the day before ADE, a collaborative party with the new label CONECTD, and an official afterparty to celebrate the end of the 94

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festivities. The three parties were each held in different venues, and featured exciting DJ performances of Asian artists back to back with their non-Asian counterparts. The first DJ Mag Asia pre-party started off at Escape—a venue wellknown for being one of the biggest clubs in Amsterdam. Conveniently located in Rembrandtplin, the heart of the city, the place is a popular nightlife destination among many clubbers of the city. At 11pm, the party hasn’t even started yet, and the entrance of Escape was already packed with people waiting to get in. Many people in the crowd were busy getting their pre-game drinks, warming-up for the big night. The pre-party began with the b2b set of New York-based producer/DJ Ares Carter and Japanese DJ TJO. A b2b stage, which features two or more DJs behind the decks taking turns to play their music, is a clear indicator of the DJ’s skills as well as

ON THE FLOOR

their abilities to work as a team. It also carries the message of harmony through world-class artists teaming up with their Asian counterparts— who rocked the dance floor with fresh combinations of styles throughout their set. Among which, the b2b stage of Florida-based K?d and Korea’s DJ Soda clearly stood out as they entertained the crowd with seamless transitions of each other’s styles, making it one of the most harmonious performances of the night. Finally, the special guest everyone was wondering about appeared on stage with Daft Punk’s ‘One More Time’. Netherland’s finest house DJ, Fedde Le Grand came up on stage in his trademark denim jacket, and everyone was convulsing with

joy. Just like a world-class artist, he seemed to know how to make everyone dance. Joined by other fellow DJs who had finished their set, the artist closed the night with a one-of-a-kind performance that truly connected with the crowd. Successfully wrapping up the celebration of ADE 2019, the pre-party showcased various performances and it was also an event that connected top acts and festival authorities from Korea, China, and Japan as well as their European and American counterparts to communicate and network. Almost resembling a small-scale ADE, the pre-party hosted by DJ Mag Asia ended on a high note while preparing for the next day’s big event.

DJ MAG ASIA PRESENTS: THE MODERN SILK ROAD An epic night at Suzy Wong hosted by CONECTD on 20 October.

their insights of the future trend.

Among various conferences on Asian markets held in ADE 2019, K-pop-themed conference hosted by CONECTD got in the limelight. Founded on an ethos to function as a modern ‘silk road’ that connects the East and the West, CONECTD met with numerous EDM fans around the world at a conference hosted in De Baile. In this event titled ‘K-pop Meets EDM: The Greatest Match Introducing CONECTD’, speakers and EDM fans from all around the world conversed about labels and their future directions. By sharing each of their perspectives on the bridge between K-pop and EDM, the five speakers at the event presented

Numerous EDM industry authorities who are targeting the Asian market took part in the conference, and even after the meeting, many people showed vested interests in the Asian market, K-pop, and CONECTD. On Sunday, the last day of ADE, DJ Mag Asia hosted another special party—an event that brought together CONECTD, artists, fans, and EDM industry authorities with interests in Asia, allowing them to share deep conversations and enjoy music.

Bustarow, Moti, Time Thal, Loopers, Yaksa, and many more talented DJs played music through the night. The dance floors weren’t spacious but people still found empty spaces and enjoyed the party. Gathered at the tables to the side were industry affiliates from Asia networking with their foreign counterparts, who were also joined by DJs who had finished their set. Hosted with the title of ‘The Modern Silk Road’, the party truly lived up to its name as it connected numerous people from different areas. “Aside from K-pop, we also plan to lead the trend by hosting collaborations between foreign DJ/producers and Asian artists, and also provide opportunities to talented artists”, Han Moon, the founder of CONECTD said. Just like these words from the founder, the party marked the beginning of their movement and hence became the first step of CONECTD. We genuinely look forward to their amazing new projects in the future.

Located in the heart of Amsterdam, Suzy Wong is a club well-known for its various kinds of concept parties. The venue’s signature red lights illuminated the entire area, while the DJ booth was adorned with greeneries. The sound system, needless to say, was also amazing. The highlight of the venue was its comfy sofas and the candles placed on top of the tables, which set the intimate mood for anyone to share their innermost stories. It was definitely the kind of unique place DJ Mag Asia and CONECTD were looking for. djmagasia.com

ON THE FLOOR

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

DJ MAG ASIA PRESENTS THE AFTER PARTY Held 20 October at club Nova...

OUR ADE RUN On the last day of ADE, DJ Mag announced the results of their Top 100 DJs Poll at AMF (Amsterdam Music Festival). 3 years consecutive winner Martin Garrix finally stepped down the throne for the new number 1 DJs—Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. The conclusion of AMF marked the end of all official ADE programs. But the people were hardly settled-down from the excitement of the festivities. On Sunday night, the bars located on the main street of Leidseplein were bustling with people indulging in drinks, and bars and clubs along the street were still playing festival music. Despite the cold, rainy weather, many people were still out enjoying the lingering excitement of the festival. At the same time, club Nova—a venue sitting in a small alley of Leidseplein square—was getting ready to greet them. Upon entering its thick metal gates, a special night in Amsterdam unravels at club NOVA—a venue that hosted DJ Mag Asia’s after party to celebrate the end of the festivities. Living up to its reputation, club NOVA was definitely a hot venue. Combined with the sleek interior lit up by dark but soft lightings, the stellar sound systems of the venue provided a mesmerizing atmosphere. Adding to the charm was the centerpiece of the venue: the dreamy lightings behind the sofa, which was inspired by the smallest hotel in Paris. Just like the pre-party, DJ Mag Asia’s after party also featured a b2b stage. 18 artists including those who performed at the preparty—Rayray, DJ Soda, Ksuke, DJ TORA— were listed for the line-up. These artists 96

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were also joined by talented acts featured on DJ Mag Asia’s Jockey Journal page. As artists who have shared their stories from tours in Asia, Brooks, Third Party, and Justin OH rocked the crowd with a stellar performance. These three artists who have all praised the energy of their Asian fans, celebrated the last night of ADE with DJ Mag Asia. The events of DJ Mag Asia have deeply resonated with numerous people at ADE, and their magazines were distributed at ADE conferences, shows, meeting rooms, and multiple venues throughout the city. ADE 2019 was another stepping stone for DJ Mag Asia to move forward and evolve. So do look forward to what we have in stores for the 25th edition of ADE in 2020.

TUESDAY 15

ASIA PRE PARTY AT ESCAPE CLUB WEDNESDAY 16

CLOSE DGTL AT NDSM WAREHOUSE THURSDAY 17

FLOATING POINTS BY DJ MAG AT CLAIRE

SPECTRUM AT MUSIKGEBOW FRIDAY 18

GLITTERBOX AT LOFT AMSTERDAM SATURDAY 19

DJ MAG TOP 100 DJS AWARDS AT AMSTERDAM ARENA SUNDAY 20

THE MODERN SILK ROAD BY CONECTD AT SUZY WONG

ASIA AFTER PARTY AT NOVA

Techno REVIEWS

Jacksonville

Machines Of Loving Grace Inner Shift Music 8.0

‘Machines…’ is Chris Lyth’s first release on Inner Shift Music in four years, but it was worth the wait. Veering from the breakbeat-led title track to the glorious minimal meets deep house of ‘Sebastopol Road’ — which has a beautiful vocal sample — Lyth also focuses on dancefloor techno. In his world, that comes to life in the form of the swirling, chugging grooves of ‘Neptune.

KAS:ST

Hold Me To The Light (Tale Of Us Remix)

TOBIAS

Afterlife

1972

8.0

Ostgut Ton 9.0

A shining light in today’s techno scene, Tobias music creates music that works both on the dancefloor and the living room. With a minimalistic approach, it’s made with some rolling snares, a kick, and a couple of strings. As always, Ostgut seems to be defining how techno should sound. A nice piece by one of the veterans of the label.

Kölsch

Jay Lumen

Kompakt

Footwork

Shoulders Of Giants 6.5

Following on from last year’s collaboration single with Sasha titled ‘The Lights’, Kölsch is back with new material—this time with a two-track EP ‘Shoulders Of Giants/ Glypto’ on the esteemed techno label Kompakt. The title number ‘Shoulder Of Giants’ opens with gentle orchestrated sounds accompanied by heavy bass and refined kick drums. The song takes a different turn at the breakdown where ethereal string sounds add a rich emotional layer. Once again, Kölsch proves that he’s the master of house/techno.

Thomas Schumacher Feist

Drumcode 8.5

Drumcode starts 2020 with a sterling EP from genre hero Thomas Schumacher, his first on the label after a long association with Adam Beyer. Hands in the air moment for ‘Feist’, a heavy techno bomb aimed to explode in the dancefloor. Synth stabs well placed over a roller coaster of sounds to improve Drumcode’s catalog. 98

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Generation 7.5

Footwork’s owner Jay Lumen returns home with the new EP ‘Generation’. As a hefty melodic main stage weapon, the title song unleashes a rolling and smouldering groove to force you on a journey into the colourful world of techno. Sophisticated and industrial, ‘Generation’ says Jay Lumen all around it.

Various Artists

From Portland To Phibsboro (Via Harolds Cross) Lime Street 8.5

Dublin label Lime Street puts its focus on the local and the global for this split release. Wav Fuzz from Portland drops the raw, jacking ‘Feeling U’, while OBW goes deeper with the As One-esque soundscapes of ‘Primitive People’. The flipside belongs to Dublin duo Tapes Jamaican, whose warbling bass, dusty drums and swirling melodies on ‘Friday Nite’ and ‘Untitled’ prove that they are one of the most talented acts to come from Dublin.

Tale of Us delivered a stadium-ready remix of ‘Hold Me To The Light’ by the Parisian duo KAS:ST. Taking the Afterlife theatrical sound to a whole new level, this is a retrospective tune that will certainly take you on a trip during any set from the Italians. Not surprising but effective.

Various Artists Innate 03 Innate 9.0

What started off life as a blog dedicated to documenting underground music has diversified into a fully-formed label that now attracts techno’s brightest talent. This third instalment is testament to Innate’s status: Reedale Rise drops a beautifully fragile breakbeat track underpinned by tonal bleeps, while Perseus Traxx ventures into a new dimension with the acidsoaked ‘Drifting In Space’. Fittingly though for Innate, it’s the newer acts who shine the brightest: Ewan Jansen’s ‘Sinders’ is a superb serving of dubbed-out house/techno, while label owner Owain K goes down a similar route for the sleek and hypnotic ‘Teifi’.

Lone

Not Seeing Is A Flower EP Ancient Astronauts 8.0

Lone’s latest release is a diverse affair; it veers in styles from the smoky beats of

‘Boketto’ into the chugging, acid-soaked title track. But the real standout here is ‘Glyphic’: it sees Lone apply an everything but the kitchen sink approach, which kicks off with a deep chord-led groove that includes tribal chants and mournful piano keys, before building into an acid-led climax. It shows that he’s one of the most inventive producers out there.

Gonno / Nick Hoppner Lost

Ostgut Ton 8.0

‘Lost’ is an excellent, left of centre collaboration between Gonno and Panorama Bar’s Nick Hoppner; in particular, ‘Bangalore’, with its layered textures and swathes of percussion, makes for an expansive, utterly hypnotic piece of contemporary techno.

Lost Trax

Surface Treated Delsin 8.0

The mysterious Lost Trax return to Delsin with an EP that puts a focus on their Detroit techno influences. The sweet melodies on ‘Interstate (Halfway Home Mix)’ resound to a crisp, snaking rhythm, while the title track follows a similar trajectory, as acid-flecked percussion crashes in over an ominous, Suburban Knightstyle bass. While ‘De Laye’ sees Lost Trax lean on dub techno influences to craft a cavernous groove, there is a return to electro on the murky ‘Still’.

Cignol

Guidance Release Distant Worlds 8.0

Consolidating a remarkable run of form, which includes work for Lunar Disko and Furthur Electronix, Cignol delivers the ninth EP on Distant Worlds. ‘Guidance Release’ and ‘Galactic Neighbourhood’ orbit UR’s ‘Final Frontier’ sphere, spraying acid gurgles over breathtaking drops and rolling 808s. ‘Modularity’, with its beefy bass and straight kicks, sees Cignol at his clubbiest, but this release impresses most when he travels to the farthest reaches of the 303-drenched electro-techno cosmos.

TECH HOUSE REVIEWS Iglesias Where?

Of Unsound Mind 7.5

Igelesias’ EP ‘Where?’ has finally been released. The album’s track ‘Where?’ has been causing waves way ahead of its release as it graced the dance floors of major clubs in Europe and it was also played by the BBC Radio 1 host Pete Tong. According to Iglesias, the track was based on a spark of inspiration and was created in just 2 hours. Thanks to his solid inspiration, this number boasts a high-octane energy from start to finish. Taking the tech house trend to the next level, ‘Where?’ surely has what it takes to accompany the highlight of every dance floor this year. The fact that Skream released this track via his Of Unsound Mind imprint is a testament to its great potential.

Audiojack

Public Disorder EP Gruuv 8.5

Here’s a hard-hitting milestone release for Gruuv. Their 100th is a split package containing two originals from the label heads Audiojack, with the deeper, bass-heavy ‘Public Disorder’ and the housier ‘Forward Into Riddim’ complemented by a techier roller from Josh Butler and a pacy speed garage cut from Seb Zito.

Robert James

Revenge Of The Wasp EP Body Movement 9.0

Signing 2019 off with only his second tune (and only original) of the year, the inaugural label release from Robert’s Londoncentric party of the same name, Revenge Of The Wasp, showcases his diverse style, as he touches upon breaks, electro and deep house to form a strong EP that’ll delight ravers from many different corners of the scene. He drafts the indemand Voigtmann on ‘Break Mode’ for a haunting, punchy, wobbling bass cut.

Monki

I Woke Up ft. Wayne Hernandez Hottrax 8.0

Monki teams up with jazz singer Wayne Hernandez for a scintillating Hottrax debut. ‘I Woke Up’ is a big room bomb, hinged on a Donna,

Giorgio, Italo disco-inspired arpeggiating bassline and kick combo, but Hernandez’s mix of spoken and wailing vocals makes this an especially memorable track. PBR Streetgang maintain the Italo vibe with two killer revisions, and Hottrax/Creations regular David Berrie brings things back home with an intimate bassbumping remix.

Neverdogs

Stop & Repeat EP Decay Records 8.0

Stepping away from Bamboleo, their burgeoning imprint, Neverdogs return to the astute Decay Records with a solid four-track EP comprised of two originals and two remixes. The eponymous opener and flip-side joint, ‘Day One’, are both wellbalanced, deep and technically groovy. (Andre) Butano & (Demian) Muller combine for a driving, deep and trippy re-work of the lead track, while Berlinbased Brits The Willers Brothers supply a signature revision of the flip, delivering a saucy, hypnotic groove.

Rich NxT NXT006

NxT Records 9.0

Oscillat co-owner Malin Genie and premier tech-house producer Argy were given carte blanche with the NxT catalogue for this threetrack remix package. Malin chose the ballsy ‘Attery’, switching it from idiosyncratic bass-oomph to a cooler, atmospheric bass roller. Argy expands on the insular bass and perc pumper ‘Sauna De Plastico’, adding space amid the percussion, bass and beats. It’s an epic, technoid tripping masterpiece, and if you’re a vinyl head, then you’ll be treated to the (sellout) original on wax.

Jay de Lys & Agar Bling Bling Elrow Music 8.0

The Italian Agar and the Argentinian Jay de Lys have worked together to deliver two huge tracks, ‘Bling Bling’ and ‘Hit In’. The one that gives the name to the EP has been a staple in Loco Dice’s sets, being played all around the world in the last few months. Up-to-date and perfect to show how underground house music is in 2020, ‘Bling Bling’ trap

JAMES SOLACE ‘Mind Music EP’ Hot Creations 9.0

Burnski returns to his James Solace alias for his Hot Creations debut: his first release under the name was an incredible remix of Seff ‘Needle To The Groove’ on Hottrax 18 months prior. Worth the wait? Most definitely! He shifts out four tip-top dancefloor ready tracks, the highlight being ‘Keep On’, with its infectious, swelling synth bass progression atop a crafty tech-house loop. That will be topping dance charts without a doubt. vocal sample works perfect on the dancefloor.

Ninetoes

‘Volar La Pluma Remixes’ Head To Toe 8.0

Ninetoes’ tribalistic summer heater receives two extra hot remixes to see you through the cold winter months. Tech-house titan Andrea Oliva retains much of the percussive flair and joyous vocal rhythms, reducing the tech bounce in favour of a more driving groove. Amine Edge & Dance strip, chop and re-imagine the original as something raw and bumpy, opting to lengthen the breakdowns and simplify the drops with some extra bass wiggle.

Toman

Afterhours With You EP Drumma Records 10

This fast-rising talent made ears prick up in 2019 with releases on Meta, PIV, Moan, and remixed Sante on AVOTRE. His latest effort sees him

shift gears on Chile’s Drumma Records, with three balanced, yet bold originals and one excellent counterpart remix from Drumma heads Felipe Venegas and Fco Martinez. Toman opens with the title track, impressing with tight, clear layers of bass, percussion and rhythmic effects and hits — enough to groove along with for the next 12 months. He maintains energy on the rolling bubble bass of ‘No Strings Attached’, and delves deeper on ‘She Jazz’. Too good from Toman.

Harry Romero & Joeski Sex Poem

Nothing Else Matters 8.5

Danny Howard’s Nothing Else Matters imprint brings together two legendary artists. Harry Romero and Joeski debut on the label with ‘Sex Poem’, a bomb aimed at the dancefloor. This tech house roller builds through percussive rhythms and mesmerizing hypnotic vocals. With its infectious bassline, you’ll hear this one on the dancefloor. djmagasia.com

House REVIEWS

Meduza

Born To Love ft. Shells Defected Records 8.0

Italian trio Meduza took the world by storm with the hit ‘Piece of Your Heart’ last year. That’s why Defected team looked at what was next for the dance music group. Finally, ‘Born To Love’ found its home on Simon Dunmore’s platform, a place where house lives. As a classic piece of house music, Meduza keep up the good work with this new one. Deserves some attention.

DUCK SAUCE Smiley Face Duck Sauce 8.0

Duck Sauce are back! It’s been 6 years since the duo comprised of A-Trak and Armand Van Helden dropped a record. In the past, they’ve released some goofy, chart-topping disco hits—one that includes the band’s iconic 2010 hit ‘Barbra Streisand’. The duo’s recent effort taps into the catchy, disco/house energy that they’ve always been known for. There’s more to come from this euphoric duo so stay tuned.

Mall Grab Sunflower

Looking For Trouble 8.5

Mall Grab aka Jordan Alexander starts 2020 on a high note with his ‘Sunflower’ EP. As a former poster boy for lofi house, the artist shifts away from his groovy tunes to thumping, dance-floor friendly techno numbers on his recent effort. The album is laden with rave, hardcore atmospheres suitable for the peak time. From the euphoric rave feels of ‘Hidden Worlds’ to the high-octane energy of ‘Switchblade’, the artist manages to channel his positive energy throughout the entire album.

Caribou

Never Come Back City Slang 9.0

Dan Snaith has been leading a busy life, releasing a slew of tracks under his Daphni moniker; which only left us craving more for Caribou— his other project. Well, it looks like our thirst for Caribou’s music will finally be sated. The artist dropped 100 djmagasia.com

‘Home’ and ‘You and I’ right after sharing the news of his upcoming studio album. Now, Snaith is giving us the latest taste of his muchanticipated album with another pre-release track titled ‘Never Come Back’. “‘Never Come Back’ was the first track from ‘Suddenly’ that I finished. It came together very quickly and was one of those tracks that is a lot fun to make,” Caribou says. The artist said that his recent effort already made the list of his top electronic tracks of 2020.

Eris Drew

Fluids of Emotion Interdimensional Transmissions 9.0

Debut EP from one of the main artists of dance music’s underground. The title track is spacey and swinging, a potential set-stopper in the right DJ’s hands. Cosmic melodies that build slowly as the rhythm shuffles whit lots of psychedelia and a deep bassline. Robotic and percussive, the whole aura makes it an instant classic. A new era for Eris Drew starts as 2020 progresses.

Donald’s House Rainbow Gelato

Touch From A Distance 9.5

A masterful release from siblings Jim and Pete Isaac from Melbourne, aka Donald’s House, their second for Nick Höppner’s Touch From A Distance. ‘Marimbanana Loaf’ from their ‘Dan’s Dancing’ EP remains one of the finest releases this year. This four-tracker is no less exceptional. ‘Rainbow Gelato’ is laden with irresistible Korg M1 chords, and a grunting, propulsive bassline, breaking down to its barest percussion before riding back triumphant. ‘Pseudo Affogato’ echoes the classic sounds of Tevo Howard, while ‘Piano Parfait’ rides Italo pianos to glory. Untouchable.

‘Gubrist’ builds bleeps and tones to a shattering crescendo. Watch this grasp terraces next summer.

Cormac

Perfect Time Correspondant 8.5

A rare excursion on wax for Panorama Bar resident Cormac here, on Jennifer Cardini’s Correspondant. His original cut is a murky, mucky slo-mo groove, woozy and weird, hollow percussion cutting through the haze. LA’s Eagles & Butterflies turns in two sturdy re-rubs, his ‘Main Mix’ working in a surging bassline and an epic break, retaining the breathy vocals. The ‘Rave Mix’, meanwhile, hurls in layers of brassy synths and Vangelis vibes come the final act. Very pleasing.

Maurice Fulton & Peggy Gou Jigoo

Gudu Records 8.5

Bubbly and airy, ‘Jigoo’ is the collaboration between Gudu owner Peggy Gou and iconic producer Maurice Fulton. As part of the latest EP, this song is a good example of what both producers con provide to the dancefloor. Messy at times, ‘Jigoo’ presents a daring melody that, at least, it will work for at the after party.

Jules

Justin Martin

Innervisions

What To Do

Fool 9.0

An indisputable big room anthem from Zurich producer and Watergate regular Jimi Jules on the eminent Innervisions (it tore up the place at the label’s showcase at Sónar in the summer). With a dark, enveloping hoover bass, urgent keys and Jules’ breathy vocals (“Just a fool, just a fool in your eyes”), this is moody and magnificent. On the flip, ‘My Father Was A Master’ takes a similarly foreboding tack, with added rave stabs.

Needs 9.0

Dirtybird affiliate Justin Martin leaves the nest to embark on a journey with the launching of his own label What To Do, aiming for a more serious, deep-seeded sound. This song has been a fan favorite in his DJ sets for almost two years and now he’s got the samples cleared to start his plaformt with a bang. Heavy synths with a dark edge. Raw for the dancefloor.

Bass REVIEWS

Mono/poly

Stacking Ones 20/20 LDN

7.0 Already established as something of an unsung hero of the Caliadjacent beat scene, Mono/ Poly’s new single for 20/20 LDN merges some of that sundrenched attitude with some frank and hard-ass drum work. Both ‘Stacking Ones’ and the flip ‘Teach You All A Lesson’ are big, loud and direct, but no one is looking for subtlety in a club setting. You can’t turn up to minute harmonic shifts, innit.

Bengal Sound Young Skeleton

Innamind Recordings

9.0 It’s not a cuss to say in print that Bengal Sound’s latest two-tracker for Innamind is something of a simple pleasure. It’s more that the lad’s ability to make a rather staunch and straightforward, head-nodding, halfstep beat sound refreshing is an absolute touch. On both ‘Young Skeleton’ and ‘Coroners’, he’s mining his own sound with a clutch of delightfully obtuse sample sources. Swirls of strings propel ‘Young Skeleton’ into a screwface slurry, while ascending jazz loops pepper ‘Coroners’ with soul. Basically yeah, he’s operating in the slip-stream of bonafide dons like Commodo and making those weirdo monster neck snappers.

Pinch

Border Control

Berceuse Heroique

7.0 The Tectonic boss breaks the semblance of radio silence with a three-tracker for the Berceuse Heroique label, which certainly shows a harsher, aggier, more greyscale side of Pinch’s production. It’s all wonderfully bruised and brutal, with the tracks landing somewhere between dubstep, techno and a squall of noise. Rather importantly, each of the cuts share a collective breath that sounds like a cloud of static scuffing up everything it touches.

Gerra & Stone Breach SGN:LTD

7.5 From the first two dark and deadly rollers, into ‘Reasons’ —

liquid which can be described as no less than sublime — it was hard to pick which track to highlight from this LP. But we’ve decided to go for the finale, ‘Breach’, because for us it’s everything drum & bass should be. This track encapsulates the early Shogun vibe, that this label’s big brother used to carve the arrow that forever pierced our heart. Melancholy and menace come through the bass, while smooth, sexy touches of light subtly decorate the melody

The Caracal Project Charmes

NËU Music

7.5 The first time we heard these guys, we were so gassed. We’re talking capital G-A-SS-E-D, seriously, if we were a canary we’d be on the cage floor. There’s just something remarkably fresh about them, unafraid to blend styles and step out of formulas, keeping the genre moving forward. ‘Charmes’ is an odd mix of musicality, from the swing in its stepping beat and the 16-bit computer game-style FX, and the serious funk brought in through jazzy clicks and well placed glitches.

Fade Black

Sane ft. Leo Law Critical Music

7.5 This is the first single taken from Fade Black’s forthcoming EP on Critical, and it’s really not what we expected. This tune is signed and sealed with all the hallmarks of the imprint — sinister lowend, itchy, shuffling drums and minimal, fizzing static buzz — but the soulful sing-along vocals and bright, uplifting tone of the synths channel a hybrid of melancholy liquid and sinister tech. Stick your flag in guys, you’ve got it conquered.

DJ Hazard

I Am Darkside Playaz

8.0 It’s been five long years since we heard anything solo from the studio of the undisputed king of jumpup. With this release, we get a taste of his take on the modern jump-up sound. This track uses ongoing uneasy-on-the-ear high pitches on top of devilishly dark undertones and hard-stepping percussion, a tongue-in-cheek vocal sample

HENRY GREENLEAF Patent EP Glasstalk 9.0

If there’s a buzzword for this review, it should be ‘scale’, in that Henry Greenleaf’s productions — whether they’re lithe and feathery like ‘Inch’ or chunky and bruk like ‘Tare’ — have a very grandiose sense of it. And frankly, it’s fucking wonderful to hear someone doing bits with one eye on precision production, the other on groove and the third eye on scope. Any comparisons to Mickey Pearce feel justified in terms of the drum syncopation, but where Pearce has his tongue in cheek, Greenleaf feels a little more serious, twisting sheets of noise absolute into walls of sonic impact on cuts like ‘Caved’. (think Let It Roll Opening Show), and demonic, clownish jerking synths to bring that familiar mix of fury, f ilth and humour.

Stompz

Blow My Mind Souped Up

7.0 Souped Up is def initely a label that’s done bits this year. From relatively unknown, to one of the more ferociously followed. Yep, there’re people about with tattoos of angry looking pumped up tins of Campbells, but when you consider its output, it’s hardly surprising. At its core, ‘Blow My Mind’ is a creepy atmospheric roller brought down to far murkier depths with the sound of the moment; that loud, domineering foghorn.

Samba Winona

Deep Medi Music

9.0 Sometimes being put on by a label such as Deep Medi is

enough to boost your profile, but it’s actually thanks to SoundCloud’s continuous play feature that Samba’s nut-soup four-tracker for Mala parades its way into these here review pages. ‘Snakes. Egos’ is precisely my kind of harshly high-pitched, woefully discordant bleepy jam, but the flutey bits on the title track ‘Winona’ properly hurt me too.

Miracles

Memory Ha 48k

8.0 A sharp blend of the weightless grime aesthetic filtered through a desire to explore negative space gives Miracle’s ‘Memory Ha’ EP a buoyancy that is very hard to dislike. Take a cut like ‘Creepy Touch’: cloudy synth lines ripple at the peripheries before dissipating into pools of reverb, vocal samples are snatched and delayed, and the drums are staccato and punchy. The whole release rolls at this calm and content slower momentum. djmagasia.com 101

Trance REVIEWS from his ‘Metamorphoses’ LP continue to play tactical as hell. ‘Kosmos’ is celestial trance done differently. Bags of atmosphere, but without any big statement-like drops, it still has ether to burn, while never losing sight of the dancefloor. ‘Two Tigers’ has even more club pulse about it, with quick two-note stabs elevating its myriad acid lines. The police sirens and poolball FX are an attentiongrabber too!

will inevitably overclock it at some point. It won’t be on Kearnage’s ‘Floorlicker’ though, whose remorselessly driving techno-trance backing is further amped by a chanty, hooky, chopped-to-ribbons vocal. With its sensorypummelling bass, acerbic mainline and out-there vocal, ‘New Jack City’ on Clandestine might be a precipice step closer though.

Paul Van Dyk

‘Voyager Ii’

Duality

VANDIT Records 8.5

TINLICKER

‘Bird Feeder/The Walk‘ Anjunabeats 8.0

Tinlicker’s third since jumping Anjunadeep’s rails and landing on the ‘Beats’ side of the tracks. Wasting not a runtime second, ‘Bird Feeder’ putters, chugs, grooves and beguiles its way through six minutes of highly effective progtrance engagement. Underpinned by bassy roll, well-written sub-melodies, mellow 303 and nifty beat dropouts/bring-backs, it retains its edge throughout. If that sounds good, check ‘The Walk’ while you’re at it. Leaner and more linear, but no lesser a track for it.

Gabriel & Dresden ft. Jan Burton Keep On Holding (ilan Bluestone & Maor Levi Mix) Anjunabeats 8.0

With producer, singer and remixer firepower that’s hard to argue with, this is a consummate appetite whetter for 2020’s ‘Remedy’ album. After the slower, cooler original, Bluestone & Levi naturally give ‘Keep On Holding’ a big push up the tempo and tone scale. In the transition, Jan Burton’s vocal loses little of its wrought angst, making this as good in the delivery as it was in its reckoning.

Anske

‘Space Howl EP’

Coldharbour Recordings 8.0

New three-pack from Lithuania’s Ankse. EP leader ‘Space Howl’ keeps its keel murky and authentically moody, while its mainline flies. No mean contrasting feat considering. ‘Back In Time’ has rhythmic drive, 102 djmagasia.com

sprung bass and a lead note arrangement every bit as good as ‘Howl’s. ‘Mistika’ is a touch more mainline, but by the time you’re there, likely you’ll already be convinced of this EP’s merit.

Aly & Fila

‘Te Espero Aqui’

Future Sound Of Egypt 8.5

Long have I waited for a single from ‘It’s All About The Melody’ that would challenge ‘Beyond The Light’s alleclipsing title track. ‘Te Espero Aqui’ (or ‘I Wait For You Here’) isn’t it, but it’s the closest we’ve come by far. The track finds the sweet spot between A&F’s main set pace and the warmth and feel of a trancer that has early Chicane written all over it. You’ll be thinking ‘Ibeefa’ before you know it.

Estiva

Kosmos/Two Tigers Statement! 8.5

Each designed to showcase Estiva’s range, the EPs taken

Straight up for the club, the new Paul Van Dyk’s song rips open with a hard dance floor beat but as all good trance will do a stirring synth melody washes over bringing with it a river of emotion. As a part of his next studio album, ‘Guiding Light’, this one explores a sea of emotions, honoring van Dyk’s legacy.

Ascension

Someone (Giuseppe Ottaviani Remix) Armind 8.0

Nicely played revision of a lesser-remixed classic here. Messing with Joanna Law’s vocals would’ve been foolhardy, and Giuseppe leaves them cut-glass clear, but adds a bleepy melancholic topline to emphasise ‘Someone’s lyrical lament.

Eximinds Eridanus Garuda 7.5

Twenty-nineteen was the year Garuda wiggled its toes back into the trance pond. December’s ‘Out Of Sight’ from Solis & Sean Truby was impressive fare, and here, Eximinds (seemingly ditching the last of their trouse affectations) lend the label a persuasively energetic firestarter.

Stoneface & Terminal ‘Floorlicker/New Jack City’ Kearnage Recordings 8.0

In their two-man crusade to give trance a subversive kick up the keister, SF&T

Solarstone & Robert Nickson Pure Trance Recordings 9.0

As ‘Voyager II’ is to Solarstone’s ‘3’ LP, the sole purpose of an album’s intro track is to settle you in. No whitecaps or waves, ‘Voyager II’s piano-pondering proggy cruise is exactly as you’d anticipate it. Right up until the break, anyway. There, out go the conventions and it’s swept up into the most momentously carrying leadline Richard and Robert could get away with. A Money Shot in any other month.

Darren Tate & Neptune Project

‘The Cosmos In You’ Mondo 8.0

A pairing with much promise, borne out almost entirely by the release itself. For max effect, ‘Cosmos’s galactic elements are cannily held back. When delivered though, that ether gathers fast, and its top-of-the-drop moment is as strong as any this month.

Golden Girls

‘Kinetic (Genix Remix)’ Anjunabeats 8.0

Likely, your predicted appreciation curve for Genix’s ‘Kinetic’ treatment will run thus… bored, unimpressed, less unimpressed, impressed, relieved, excited and finally thrilled. The intro set up is prosaic in the extreme, and the drop into a flat reprise of ‘Kinetic’s untreated riff abrupt. From there though, Genix rapidly layers in sympathetic effects and transitional sub melodies, which apex with superbly executed 303, buoyed by bassy drive.

EDM POP REVIEWS

Dislclosure

Know Your Worth ft. Khalid RCA Records / Sony Music 7.5

Disclosure reunites again with Texas singer Khalid for his new single, ‘Know Your Worth’. Following their latest collaboration ‘Talk’, they needed to do something to meet those expectations. Even though is not the case, Disclosure demonstrate their bright, bubbly and groovalicious production style.

Porter Robinson Get Your Wish Sample Sized 8.5

The first single from Porter Ronbinson’s second studio album ‘Nurture’. With elements of 2000s era Japanese animation soundtracks, Robinson wrote, produced, and provided vocals for the track, pitching them to sound more femenine. This is the kind of song you’d expect from the producer. On point.

Major Lazer

Soca Storm EP Mad Decent 7.5

‘Soca Storm’ includes three new songs of the group, collaborating with soca singers Mr. Killa and Zeek. The whole EP is focused on the Caribbean musical genre called soca, a genre close to dancehall, a well-known movement for the music group. A nice surprise from Diplo & friends…

Kygo

Forever Yours Universal Music 8.0

When Sandro Cavazza showed Avicii an early version of something he was working on, the Swede heard something special. Just before going up to the Ultra mainstage, he touched up what he had been given and turned the draft into one of the ten tracks he debuted

that night. Four years after that debut, the song has been officially released by Norwegian Kygo.

E”D”M

Don’t Doubt Your Vibe Emo G Records 7.5

Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk went into the studio to record his first ever dance music song and we have to say we are quite surprised. ‘Don’t Doubt Your Vibe’ is exactly what he did on this one. Interesting progressions over some nice and well placed vocals. To hear during a trip to Mars, maybe?

Elton John

(I Gonna) Love Me Again (Purple Disco Machine Remix) Virgin EMI Records

FELIX JAEHN

German DJ and producer Purple Disco Machine had the honor of remixing one of the great artists of modern music. The remix presents the characteristic funky sounds of Purple Disco Machine without too many alterations from the original.

Universal Music

8.5

Halsey

You Should Be Sad (Tiesto Remix) Capitol Records 8.0

Tiësto puts his touch on ‘You should Be Sad’ by Halsey, adding pulsing synths to the backdrop and heightening the BPMs, all while retaining the acoustic elements. Dutch super star waved some electronic layers over the top, with a progressive backdrop that paves the way for his thypical bigroom signature.

Oliver Heldens Take A Chance

Thank You (Not So Bad) ft. VIZE 9.0

German producers VIZE and Felix Jaehn teamed up to deliver their take on the original song ‘Thank You’ from Dido. The Universal Music release adds pulsating bass lines and groovy synths to bring the song into the new decade. With both tropical and dark elements at the same time, it’s an interesting way to recreate a classic.

seventies with his particular touch, combining future bass with some old school flavor.

progressive drop binds everything together to create a feelgood dance-pop ballad.

KSHMR & Hard Lights

Botnek

Dharma Worldwide

Hexagon

Over and Out 8.5

This is the latest hardstyle track from KSHMR in collaboration with Malaysian DJ/producer Hard Lights and vocals by Charlott Boss. It’s a playful single built for all the major festivals KSHMR has lined up this year. Interesting to mix within some more melodic beats.

Heldeep Records

Nicky Romero

Oliver Heldens messing around with disco beats. A kinetic cut that radiates disco and house influence, with a vocal sample that loops colors into a snaredriven, bass-accented beat structure. A homage to the

Protocol Recordings

7.5

Stay 7.5

Dutch DJ and producer Nicky Romero is showcasing his softer side with this romantic new single. With nostalgic vocals and gentle, the soft,

Take Me Higher 8.0

Great song by Don Diablo’s label. This new track by legendary duo Botnek is fire. Piano driven, it has melodias and mayhem all together. Aimed strictly for the biggest main room possible.

Ben Ambergen Riddim

Fanfare Records 8.5

Future house at its best. Ben Ambergen shows us how to produce a catchy song with crystal clear piano sounds and the freaky use of synth parts. Add some vocals there and the atmosphere is created! djmagasia.com 103

Further Listening

CLAUDE VON STROKE Freaks & Beaks Dirtybird

8.0 It’s interesting that in the early days of Dirtybird, it embodied the sound of house and techno loosening its tie and embracing a sense of fun. Over the past decade, it’s evolved into something else. While not held in quite the same regard by dance music’s cultural gatekeepers, it remains an important label, leading a vibrant new generation of US house music. Claude VonStroke positions ‘Freaks & Beaks’ as a celebration of Dirtybird’s 15th anniversary; as such, it’s fittingly celebratory, a dancefloor-focussed affair that’s free of pretensions, baked with that same sense of fun (by now a familiar aesthetic). ‘Freaks Don’t Fail’ sets the tone early with its sweaty, hands-inthe-air party vibes, loaded up with bottom-end bass injections to assist its party grooves and wonky synth stabs cascading up and down the melodic spectrum.

Moon Boots

Against All Logic

Lane 8

Attlas

Anjunadeep

Other People

This Never Happened

Mau5trap

Bimini Road 8.5

Brooklyn-based music producer/ DJ/keyboardist Moon Boots returns with a sophomore album on Anjunadeep. Known for his unique brand of soulful house, the artist graces us with refreshing dance floor gems that include inspirations from disco, R&B, and jazz. ‘Bimini Road’ embodies the artist’s shift away from conventional dance floor tunes to more laid-back, full-on songs and ballads. The album features collaborations with talented vocalists including Nic Hanson, Steven Klavior, and Little Boots.

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2017-2019 7.0

Nicolas Jaar returns to his dancefloor alias, swapping out the mid-tempo crowd-pleasers for a set of surprisingly stern techno filled with distortion. After the release of his predesecor ‘2012-2017’, the producer goes the other way, with samples and digital noise going the hard path. With each track flowing into the next. It presents an identity for Against All Logic that transcends the previous mid-tempo crowdpleasers. Seems like a new era for Chilean-american Nicolas Jaar.

Brightest Lights 8.5

Seems like Lane 8 found lot of inspiration when working on big projects like this one. As in his last to LPs, he presents several collaborations with just a couple of artists, bringing electronic trio Arctic Lake twice and Poliça three times throughout the album. If you are looking for bright melodies, this is where you should stay. 13 tracks with the already tested winning formula: soothing and hypnotic melodies along emotional vocals, leaning towards progressive house where, it seems, he feel more comfortable.

Lavander God 9.0

Melodic house and downtempo electronica from the mau5trap affiliated Attlas. As a clear example of his emotional sound, this ‘Lavender God’ release goes even further on his exploring, delving on soft structures and velvet landscapes. It even have some nice dancefloor gems like ‘Sinner Complicated’, a techno peaktime banger to shake us a little between all those melodies.

Further Listening

Boris Brejcha

Caribou

Squarepusher

Recondite

Ultra Music

City Slang

Warp Records

Ghostly International

Space Diver

Suddenly

8.0

German sensation Boris Brejcha is back on his favorite format. ‘Space Diver’ is his ninth album and goes the same path he’s been walking on the last few years, evolving from quirky and glitchy minimal to a more upbeat blend of house, techno and trance. Using trance-like melodies to add character and emotion to each of the records, the album presents as a cohesive piece of work. Twelve tracks that flow together well and expand his discography for the live shows.

9.0

‘Suddenly’ sees Caribou take us on a trip through the last 30 years of Caribou’s musical life. ‘Sunny’s Time’ is grime-infused with a stripped-back piano instrumental. ‘New Jade’ is a stirring, late 2000’s shoegaze tune while ‘Home’ — with its chopped-up samples and four-tothe-floor production — sounds like it belongs on an early ’90s New York house record. Obscure samples fill the holes within this project, while restrained singing throughout allows for rest and recuperation before diving back into the pockets of frenetic energy. Effortlessly melding together UK funky, garage, house, shoegaze and indie-pop, it toes the line of each genre without dipping into any completely. With ‘Suddenly’, Caribou may have created a near-perfect project and his strongest album to date.

Be Up A Hello 7.0

Since the release of Squarepusher’s last album, ‘Damogen Furies’, there’s been a swell of appreciation for the kind of weird electronics he specialises in. Music that was once considered odd now commands the spotlight, IDM tracks pepper the playlists of club DJs, and artists are springing up who owe more than a small debt to Squarepusher’s earlier innovations. As if to show the greenhorns how it’s really done, ‘Be Up A Hello’ finds him returning to his original blend of influences. If the absurd ‘Oberlove’ has a tongue-in-cheek quasi classical tilt to its squiggly melodies and d&b rhythms, then ‘Nervelevers’ will delight fans of records like 1997’s ‘Hard Normal Daddy’: it’s a pulse-quickening storm of frantic acid bleeps and junglist drums. Bar two beatless pieces, the album is all splintered breakbeats and frenetic machine melodies. A fun, hair-raising ride.

Dwell 8.0

A second album in as many years for Lorenz Brunner, he returns to Brooklyn’s Ghostly International following previous long-form excursions on Dixon & Ame’s Innervisions, Acid Test, the acidorientated spin-off of LA’s Absurd Recordings, and last year with longstanding collaborators Plangent. Title track ‘Dwell’, opening proceedings, finds its twinkling atmospherics at odds with a sense of foreboding. ‘Nobilia’ is gruff and brooding, a languid percussive break underpinning spooky lilts of synth with peculiar echoes of G-funk. Meanwhile, tracks like ‘Black Letter’ and the driving ‘Mirror Games’ are swelling and propulsive, arranged immaculately. The majestic ‘Surface’ slows things, a slow-motion electro loop with ricocheting wood blocks coupling with warm, enveloping pad chords. ‘Cure’, with its mournful music box melody, encapsulates the mood of ‘Dwell’ most neatly. Pure electronic melancholy delivered with poise and patience.

WEHBBA

Straight Lines And Sharp Corners Drumcode

8.5 The adventures behind his field recordings taken for the album, mixed with the incredibly thoughtprovoking concept would make for a great discussion, as he uses his own audio clipping taken from the New York subway, construction sites and jazz clubs to establish an organic and relatable quality throughout the LP. The album’s 13 cuts represent a myriad of musical references close to Wehbba’s heart, running parallel with the organic sensibilities of his field recordings. Reflecting his life as the artist, Wehbba’s LP highlights a cycle of perception and projection as the São Paulo native studies the morphing of genres through his own musical filter.

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TECH NEWS

THE FUTURE IS COMING

2020 is developing and a lot of new equipment has been announced. This year’s NAMM Show, the music-making world’s time to shine that shows off new kit, studio gear, software updates and oddities to thrill, saw huge announcements from some of the biggest brands such as Denon DJ, Pioneer DJ, Korg, Universal Audio, Akai, Behringer and many, many more. DJ Mag Tech staff picked a handful of their fave announcements to see what will happen over 2020.

KORG

org were one of the first to jump on the New Year new gear bandwagon with the Wavestate, something of a remake of the original Wavestation, a classic vector synth from the ’90s. Built in a familiar form, the Wavestate looks similar to the popular analogue Minilogue and Monologue synths, but is fully digital. The synth features an epic 64-voice polyphony – over four layers – with the familiar joystick from the Wavestation letting you morph between layers – up to 14 FX can also be applied at once. Elsewhere there’s the usual features you’d expect from a synth of this type like envelopes, LFOs and a filter that can be switched into MS-20, PolySix, and a few other options through the menu. On top there are manual modulation controls for Pitch, Sample, Timing etc. Of course, it’s not obligatory to program an ever-evolving patch – there’s gigabytes of samples like

PIONEER DJ

hile the nxs range has been the focus of Pioneer DJ’s flagship output for a while now, they dropped something completely different in the form of the six-channel DJM-V10 mixer. Along with the two extra channels, the mixer also features a three-band isolator on the masters – the channels are upgraded to four-band EQs – a new effect called Shimmer, the ability to reroute FX into unused channels, re-designed EQ, new filter and effects. The filter now has a dedicated LFP and HPF button that operates across the whole range of the knob, rather than the classic Pioneer DJ single knob for both HPF and LPF. Color FX have been replaced by ‘Built-in FX’, with the usual Dub Echo, Long Delay, Short Delay and Reverb now operating in parallel rather than as an insert. That means that the effect is introduced underneath the dry audio signal from the player or turntable, though 106 djmagasia.com

they can be changed back to an Insert with the Master FX button. The Built-in FX can then be routed into their own channel and be treated like any other input for filtering, EQing, compressing etc. You can even send only the affected signal to the standard Beat FX for more sound sculpting. There’s a dual headphones option now back to backs, with dedicated cue, mix and level options for each headphone port and booth EQ helps shape the sound of the booth, tweaking out any harsh mids or piercing highs from a less-thanideal booth monitor. The compressor knob on each channel doesn’t offer any more controls than ‘amount’ but is designed to boost ‘unmastered’ tracks or give a synth, sampler or drum machine some extra power to match up with mastered tracks.

bells, pianos, guitars and synths which can be used in a traditional way too. The Japanese company also had a huge announcement in the form of a remake of the classic ARP2600, slightly overshadowed by Behringer announcing the same thing a few days later. The iconic mono, semimodular synth is most famous for being the sound behind R2D2 in the original Star Wars movies, and more recently, the sound of ‘Inspector Norse’. The synth is famous for its lush tones and filters, as well as its flexible modulation options. The new Korg ARP2600 is a true recreation, with added MIDI DIN and USB ports, as well as adding the ARP3260’s duophonic keyboard, and a new arp and sequencer. Korg have also released a full-size remake of their classic MS20 mono synth, nearly seven years after the first mini rebirth.

TECH NEWS

DENON DJ

enon DJ’s PRIME range is quietly whipping up a storm with innovative features across their SC player, all-inone units and portable DJ devices. During this year’s NAMM they released a total of four new Denon DJ products: the SC6000 PRIME player, X1850 mixer, PRIME 2 two-channel all-in-one unit and the surprise Denon DJ PRIME GO, a portable, battery-powered DJ device for wireless mixing. The list of features is extensive across all products but it’s safe to say while the SC5000 and X1800 mixer impressed us first time around, the SC6000 is a much more mature device, with the Engine OS and Engine PRIME software all improving substantially. With a new and improved 10.6-inch touch screen, WiFi and ethernet internet connectivity for streaming as well as the new version of their Engine OS media player platform, the SC6000 builds on what was a landmark launch for Denon DJ a few years back with the Prime range. Previous features like a slot for SATA hard drives, dual-layer ability to output two tracks from one deck – with separate RCA outs for each layer - the 8.5-inch jog wheel with a central screen, eight performance pads and what Denon call ‘bestin-class’ time and pitch stretch algorithms. The new player also has a feature where you can preview tracks without loading them on the deck, directly from the browser.

The four-channel X1850 mixer features four dedicated filter knobs, as well as a Sweep FX option per channel, with Dub Echo, Noise, Wash Out and Gate. There’s an updated OLED screen, with 16 effects that use an FX frequency knob to assign the FX to a specific frequency range only. There’s an updated quantise option on the X1850 that ensures the LFO modulation is in line with the beatgrid on the Prime player and while the touch strip was present on the previous version of the X Prime mixer, the 1850 adds a 3/4 timing option. The coloured cue buttons align with the jog wheel colour of whichever deck is plugged in to each channel to make it clearer what channel is playing from what deck. There’s a new MIDI Out DIN port to help sync external hardware with the Prime range, with two USB ports to connect the mixer to a laptop running Serato DJ Pro and the X1850 can be used a fivechannel audio interface. Round back there’s the usual line and phonos ins for each channel, as well as a five-port Ethernet hub to get up to four devices and a computer talking to each other. There’s a master out over unbalanced RCA and balanced over XLR and a send and return for external hardware FX. Denon DJ’s roadmap for their DJ products is impressive and may finally see a genuine contender to Pioneer DJ. As always when industry standards are challenged, it’s the consumers who benefit so we’re looking forward to more innovation and lower prices.

AKAI

kai Pro’s continued revamp of the MPC range, with last year’s Live and X building on the standalone legacy of the range. This year, they added to the line with the MPC One, their cheapest standalone yet. Featuring the same OS as other standalone MPCs, the One does away with battery power to drop the price, but also adds more handson control than the popular Live. It features all the usual audio editing and sampling options you’d expect from the range, builds on the popularity of the MPC Live, expanding the buttons and controls on the unit, but lowering the price. The device features a

seven-inch multitouch screen along with Q Link which maps whatever parameters are on screen to a set of four control knobs. The One features 4GB of internal storage – 2GB of which is loaded with samples – and SD card and USB slots take care of the rest. Akai have sacrificed the battery powered aspect of the Live assumedly to make the One more affordable so you’ll need to plug it in to use it. Round back there’s MIDI DIN in and out plus four CV/ Gate ports, USB A for storage and USB B for connecting to a computer, quarter-inch TRS outs and TRS ins for sampling.

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TECH NEWS

Words: MICK WILSON

THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING The Technics turntable is back, this time with DJs in mind

nce upon a time there was the humble turntable, a non-assuming piece of kit that facilitated the art of the DJ. However, over the years, it slowly went the way of the dinosaur and gradually started to disappear from their natural habitat of the DJ booth, replaced by the now domineering Pioneer DJ CDJ. However, in recent times the stories of extinction have been truly exaggerated as the turntable didn’t quite disappear off the face of the earth. In fact, manufacturers kept the turntable on their production line. Nevertheless, one notable name was missing: Technics. And it wasn’t until a few years ago that they finally decided that their legacy in DJing culture was something that couldn’t be ignored, and so they went about bringing the 1200 series out of retirement and re-establishing their relationship with the DJ community. In fairness, DJs hadn’t fallen out of love with Technics and many were still using the Mk2 model and the other variants that came after it, such is the reliability and love for the 1200/1210 even after they had been put to bed. Even though other companies had been releasing their take on the turntable, it was still Technics that was in demand among the vinyl and turntablist purists. Who would have thought a few years back that we would be doing a feature product review on a Technics turntable? In fact, the category for Best DJ Turntable in our Tech Awards has recently been reinstated. The road back for Technics wasn’t all smooth sailing – at one stage many had thought the 108 djmagasia.com

company had alienated themselves from the DJ scene when the first new model, the 1200GAE, was announced. DJs went crazy about the news but it transpired that this deck, that had all the styling and looks of what had come before, wasn’t actually intended for DJ use and was priced way out of the pocket of the average DJ. On top of that, a misinterpreted statement from the head of Technics stating that the deck wasn’t for DJs was jumped on and used as a full-face insult to the community. However, this was taken out of context – the new deck was an exercise in what the company could do by introducing an audiophile piece of equipment to the marketplace and yes, it wasn’t intended for DJ use, but as we know now the new technology that went into this deck was being adapted for use in a DJ specific turntable – the

SL-1210 MK7. The promotion and the marketing may have been misplaced but the intention was never in doubt. Technics were never going to abandon the core group that had elevated its turntable to legendary status and were working on how the new technology could be adapted and utilised in the MK7, keeping it at an affordable price but still offering the standards that were introduced in the GAE. Technics have been on a march introducing the new deck globally, staging various roadshows and promo campaigns to ramp up the attention to the new turntable. DJ Mag Tech got the lowdown on the next generation turntable first-hand at a recent gathering, which featured none other than techno giant and Cocoon head honcho Sven Väth, who’s been working

TECH NEWS

AT A GLANCE SL-1210MK7 technics.com

Build Quality

9.0

Ease Of Use

9.0

Features

9.0

Value For Money

8.0

Sound Quality

9.0

HYPE

closely with Technics on the MK7 turntable. The turntables have been supplied to his Cocoon events and are now on his tech rider. Sven is known for his vinyl-only DJ sets and of course has been dependent on the 1200/1210 turntable to deliver his signature sets: “It is important that I have a deck that can operate to its optimum in any set-up – nowadays a vinyl set-up is quite fragile. In the ’80s and the ’90s it wasn’t so, but now it is different as some clubs and events don’t know how to set-up a turntable correctly. This is vital for any DJ who is using turntables to deliver their sets. Achieving as close to a vibration-free environment is optimum, I am a DJ, I am not scratching, but I need a deck that I can play around with and know it’s going to work and the MK7 offers just that. The design and the way it works, while it is simply a case of turning it on, finding the next record for the mix and mixing has to be right. When I mix, I use the pitch control to control the speed of the vinyl, I don’t have huge differences in the BPM of the music that I am selecting – if I find the right pitch then essentially, I don’t have to touch the deck anymore. Sometimes when decks were not calibrated right it would cause a problem; when you touch the deck it was accelerating or slowing down. Small things, but with the MK7 and the

new technology these things have been ironed out, the voltage is right, the power is right, there are no defects when using them.” Checking out the deck, it might not be obvious to see what has been done in terms of all the improvements, but one area that has been worked on is the overall stability of the deck. The new MK7 offers better dampening in the horizontal and stiff movement in the vertical — this is essential for a DJ turntable so that when DJs are hands-on, working the deck, the vinyl and cartridge are not being compromised by unnecessary movement. Examining the new turntable further, it’s clear from the motor ensemble that this is a completely new technology over the ones before, and there is a marked difference in the newer versions, with the MK7 having part of the motor built into the platter. Speaking to the design team, all these new developments came about as new ideas had to be used to build the new turntable, it wasn’t just a case of using the old schematics. It was essential that the new deck retained the aesthetics of the familiar and trusted design, while still being innovative and firmly built for the future.

The king of all turntables is back – the SL-1210MK7 is the real deal. GRIPE

Protective cover doesn’t have a permanent fixing to the deck. The SL-1210MK7 is back where it belongs as a tool for DJs. Technics have delivered the new turntable with a wealth of new features and innovations.

8.8

The SL-1210MK7 is in no doubt a great turntable, taking the lead from what came before it, while giving DJs a tool that sits comfortably with everything that’s currently going on in the world of DJing. New features and innovations will make this turntable as loved as the previous incarnations of the 1200/1200. Will it reclaim its crown at the top of DJ turntable culture? Only time will tell. djmagasia.com 109

EVENT CALENDAR 2020 FROM MARCH TO JUNE

The complete guide to spring music festivals & concerts in Asia! Words: ARIEL JO

estival and concert are a simple concept of bringing people together to have a good time. There are tens of thousands of them around the world, but if you had to create an Asia festival bucket list for 2020 what would it look like? Well, we have the best music events across the Asian region. These are the events in Asia you simply have to make time for ultimate Asia music event bucket list in this summer.

MARCH [FESTIVAL]

WANDERLAND MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL, PHILIPPINES

[CONCERT]

ABOVE & BEYOND IN SINGAPORE & INDONESIA WHERE? Marquee Nightclub Singapore / Omnia Dayclub Bail Indonesia WHEN? March 6th & 7th HOW MUCH? Various prices HIGHLIGHTS: The electronic trio are due to release Acoustic III by the summer of 2020 on their Anjunabeats imprint, will take the album on a full live tour kicking off in April. Before that, they will visit Singapore and Indonesia on the first week of March showcasing their new songs. [Singapore: Mar 6th, Indonesia: Mar 7th] www.aboveandbeyond.nu [FESTIVAL]

KOLOUR IN THE PARK, THAILAND WHERE? Thai Wake Park, Thailand WHEN? March 7th HOW MUCH? 1,200 – 2,100 THB HIGHLIGHTS: The 2020 installment will be the festival’s 6th anniversary and will feature breathtaking sounds and visuals. The lineup includes Black Coffee, Gioli & Assia, Artbat and Running Touch. www.kolourinthepark.com 110 djmagasia.com

WHERE? Filinvest City Events Ground, Alabang, Philippines WHEN? March 7th – 8th HOW MUCH? 5,500 – 30,000 PHP HIGHLIGHTS: Dubbed as ‘The Coachella of Philippines’, Wanderland is Manila’s biggest annual indie music and arts festival. They prides itself in bringing in anticipated international indie bands with homegrown indie acts on the same stage to cater to a diaspora of music tastes. Joji, Foals, Sabrina Claudio, Ben&Ben and more confirmed for the lineup. wanderlandfestival.com [CONCERT]

JONAS BLUE IN JAPAN WHERE? Tokyo, Yokohama, Japan WHEN? March 10th – 12th HOW MUCH? Various prices HIGHLIGHTS: Multi-platinum hit maker, main stage DJ and pop powerhouse, Jonas Blue, is set for a special run of live dates in Japan. [Tokyo: Mar 10th -11th, Yokohama: Mar 12th] jonasblue.com [FESTIVAL]

SÓNAR, HONG KONG WHERE? Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong WHEN? March 28th HOW MUCH? 780- 980 HKD HIGHLIGHTS: Magnetic Asia is delighted to announce that Sónar Hong Kong will make its hugely anticipated return on 28 March, 2020, with UK superstar Stormzy confirmed to close the SonarVillage in one of just four Asian dates announced today as part of his World Tour. sonarhongkong.com

APRIL [FESTIVAL]

ROAD TO TOGETHER FESTIVAL, THAILAND WHERE? BITEC, Bang Na, Bangkok, Thailand WHEN? April 10th HOW MUCH? TBA HIGHLIGHTS: Before the awesome drops you need to have the buildup! That is where the Road to Together Festival 2020 comes in! DJ Snake has been announced as the headliner for the festival. www.thailanddjfestivals.com

[FESTIVAL]

WHERE? Pecatu Indah, Bail, Indonesia WHEN? April 10th HOW MUCH? 900,000 – 2,500,000 IDR HIGHLIGHTS: The red-head DJ CNNCT from WE ARE CONNECTED Festival and a bunch of world-class TOP DJs is set to heat up the stage with tons of feel-good electronic dance music! Announced DJs include #1 DJs in the World: Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Alan Walker, Alison Wonderland, Don Diablo, and Jonas Blue. www.weareconnected.id

WHERE? The Meadow, Gardens By The Bay, Singapore WHEN? April 10th – 18th HOW MUCH? 158 – 278 SGD HIGHLIGHTS: A music extravaganza that sets itself apart from other festivals in this part of the world, immerse yourself into a world re-imagined, as The Meadows at Gardens By The Bay is transformed into a prison of art and music for two weekends in April. Martin Garrix, DJ Snake, Nicky Romero, Slushii will give you an experience to never forget. www.hydeout.sg

WE ARE CONNECTED, INDONESIA

HYDEOUT, SINGAPORE

[FESTIVAL]

WHERE? Sarawak Cultural Village, Kuching Sarawak, Malaysia WHEN? April 10th – 11th HOW MUCH? 200 – 400 MYR HIGHLIGHTS: The first ever Borneo Music Festival Live 2020 will be held on April 10 and 11, at the Sarawak Cultural Village. Experience a whole new level of music performances with Alan Walker, DJ Soda, DJ Alexis Grace, Nicole Chen, DJ Venom C and Priscilla Abby. facebook.com/BMFL2020

WHERE? Urban Yard, Bangkok, Thailand WHEN? April 11th – 13th HOW MUCH? 1,500 – 6,500 THB HIGHLIGHTS: Soak up this summer and enjoy a comprehensive lineup of world’s top artists. In 2020, the festival returns under the concept of ‘SOUTHEOLOGY: The Mysterious kingdom’, an astonishing blend of culture and music festival experience and will be held for 3 consecutive days and nights. www.siamsongkran.com

BORNEO MUSIC FESTIVAL LIVE, MALAYSIA

SIAM SONGKRAN MUSIC FESTIVAL, THAILAND

[FESTIVAL] [FESTIVAL]

TRUE2TRANCE TREE OF LIFE, TAIWAN

S2O SONGKRAN MUSIC FESTIVAL, THAILAND

WHERE? Xingfu Shuiyang Park, New Taipei City, Taiwan WHEN? March 28th HOW MUCH? 1820 - 2400 TWD HIGHLIGHTS: True2Trance is back with an all-new concept: The Tree of Life. Start hyping yourself up now, because this spring New Taipei City will welcome 7 international acts including for 9 hours of nothing but trance music! www.facebook.com/spunite.true2trance

WHERE? Show DC, Bangkok, Thailand WHEN? April 11th – 14th HOW MUCH? 1,000 – 7,500 THB HIGHLIGHTS: It’s hot, it’s wet, and it’s wild! Dress for battle and get soaked in the water splashing madness of the annual S2O Songkran music festival. Fill the summer’s hottest nights with blasts of cool water with the biggest names including Martin Garrix, Zedd, Don Diablo and Jonas Blue. www.s2ofestival.com

[FESTIVAL]

WHERE? ChangChui, Bangkok, Thailand WHEN? March 28th – 29th HOW MUCH? 500 THB HIGHLIGHTS: A showcase of Thailand’s electronic music scene. 10 stages showcasing different genres of Electronic Music, designed with a theme reflecting ‘Roaming in Pluto’. www.dontrifestival.com

WHERE? Circuit Makati Event Ground, Manila, Philippines WHEN? April 18th HOW MUCH? TBA HIGHLIGHTS: Metro Manila’s most extravagant colour party and EDM rave is returning for its 5th anniversary! Boasting cheap ticket prices and a slew of talent from home and abroad, Chroma Music Festival invites you to a day rammed full with paint throwing mayhem set to a soundtrack of first-rate beats. facebook.com/chromamusicfestival

LEOP PRESENTS DONTRI FESTIVAL, THAILAND

CHROMA MUSIC FESTIVAL, PHILIPPINES

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MAY [FESTIVAL]

[FESTIVAL]

WHERE? TBA WHEN? May 1st – 2nd HOW MUCH? TBA HIGHLIGHTS: This premier electronic dance music festival brings you 2 full days of ludicrosity on a whole new level in the bustling city of Bangkok. It’s surely an event you wouldn’t want to miss! www.togetherfestival.net

WHERE? Palawan Green, Sentosa, Singapore WHEN? May 30th – 31st HOW MUCH? 29 - 149 SGD HIGHLIGHTS: AIA Glow Festival 2020 is a festival like no other. Be part of an unforgettable weekend that’s filled with illuminating lifestyle experiences designed to leave you happier and healthier than when you arrived. Two Door Cinema Club to perform at the festival! www.glowfestival.sg

TOGETHER FESTIVAL, BANGKOK

[FESTIVAL]

GREATWALL FESTIVAL, BEIJING WHERE? The Great Wall of China, Beijing, China WHEN? May 1st – 3rd HOW MUCH? 580 – 780 CNY HIGHLIGHTS: Party in one of the world’s most unique locations! Great Wall Festival is a 30 hour techno party in the shadows of the Great Wall of China, inviting some of the genre’s biggest names to this unique location for a festival like no other. www.greatwallfestival.com

[FESTIVAL]

VECTOR DJ FESTIVAL, KOREA WHERE? Daegu, Korea WHEN? May 9th – 10th HOW MUCH? 79,000 – 230,000 KRW HIGHLIGHTS: Coming to Daegu for the first time, Vector DJ is a brand-new EDM festival designed to indulge Korea’s enormous rave community. Some of the acts slated for the event’s debut include fan favourites Vinai, Robert Falcon, Brooks, Crisis Era, Rave Republic and Da Tweekaz. www.vector-dj-festival.com

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AIA GLOW FESTIVAL, SINGAPORE

JUNE [FESTIVAL]

[FESTIVAL]

WHERE? Pattaya, Thailand WHEN? June 5th – 7th HOW MUCH? 4,500 – 8,000 THB HIGHLIGHTS: The Festival will return for its 3rd year to offer the ultimate gay dance festival getaway on June 5th – 7th 2020 in the famous beach city – Pattaya, Thailand. It boasts 4 massive events with world-class productions, Asia’s only gay Waterpark Day party, beach party, the best international DJs on the scene. www.circuitfestival.net

WHERE? Jamsil Olympic Stadium, Seoul, Korea WHEN? June 20th – 21st HOW MUCH? 100,000 – 160,000 KRW HIGHLIGHTS: Ultra Korea is coming back home! That’s right, for the 9th edition, Ultra Korea will be making its way back to Seoul’s Olympic Stadium. Reserve your tickets early to make sure you don’t miss out on this year’s lineup of world-class artists, unrivaled production and first-rate special effects. www.ultrakorea.com

[FESTIVAL]

WHERE? Jamsil Olympic Stadium / Seoul Land, Korea WHEN? May 30th - June 7th HOW MUCH? 99,000 – 198,000 KRW HIGHLIGHTS: The outdoor EDM festival, World DJ Festival 2020 Korea, has been confirmed to be held 3 weeks in total starting with Formular-E Korea C WDJF Pre Festival on April 30. The main Festival will be held on May 30th – 31th and June 6th -7th at Seoul Land. Madeon and Nicky Romero have confirmed for the lineup. www.wdjfest.com

WHERE? TBA WHEN? June 27th – 28th HOW MUCH? 66,000 – 198,000 KRW HIGHLIGHTS: 5TARDIUM is a new concept music festival designed to fulfill all your fantasies and imaginations. Celebrating its 7th anniversary, the festival has announced a stacked lineup with world-class EDM artists including Don Diablo, Knife Party, Mitis and Virtual Riot. www.5tardium.com

CIRCUIT FESTIVAL, THAILAND

WORLD DJ FESTIVAL, KOREA

ULTRA KOREA

MERCEDES-BENZ PRESENTS 5TARDIUM, KOREA

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Words: ARIEL JO, KEVIN KANG

MARTIN SOLVEIG Martin Solveig is a popular name in both the EDM and non-EDM world. Besides from collaborating with world star pop icons including Madonna, the man boasts a rich catalogue of ear worms such as ‘Intoxicated’, ‘+1’, and many more that earned him global attention. From feel-good vibes to anthemic qualities, his unique fusion of electronic and pop is why his music caught the ears of mainstream audiences around the world. Judging from his 2011 single titled ‘Big in Japan’, and his shows in Asia, the man does seem to have a close connection to Asia. Martin Solveig and Drake-signed, OVO artist, Roy Woods have dropped massive new single ‘Juliet & Romeo’, out now via Positiva. Find out more about the artist below.

THE TRACK THAT REMINDS YOU OF YOUR CHILDHOOD?

“There is one very obvious answer to this question, it’s a French track by France Gall and Michel Berger called ‘Il Jouait Du Piano Debout’, it’s probably the first song I remember listening to because my mum used to blast it in the car especially. It’s a fantastic song, it’s rare that the song of your childhood is very high-quality pop music but this really is the case. He is probably the second or third best-ever pop music writer and producer in France, he was active from the late ‘60s to the end of the ‘80s, I think he died around the late ‘80s, beginning of the ‘90s. Otherwise my grandparents were huge Beatles fans and they would play all The Beatles songs and it was really a party when we were listening to The Beatles, so my love for The Beatles goes way back to the very early days of my life.” THE FIRST RECORD THAT YOU EVER BOUGHT?

“The first 12-inch I bought was Deee-Lite ‘Groove Is In The Heart’. And I was so proud of this record, it was really something for me and I really loved the tune a lot and I loved the video as well, which was very psychedelic and very funny. It was a good starting point because it has a bit of disco, a bit of hip-hop, a bit of dance music.” WHAT DO YOU LISTEN TO THAT ISN’T DANCE MUSIC?

“Well, I’m going to reverse your question. Everything I listen to is not dance music. But there is one thing that you can consider dance music that I listen to a lot, and he’s probably my favourite contemporary artist — his name is Four Tet. And I recently bought 114

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all his vinyls and it is also the name that came out in my Spotify report of the artist that I listen to the most. I don’t know if there’s a distinction between dance music and electronic music, it’s probably more on the experimental side of things than on the pop side of things. Outside of dance music I listen to so much African music, classical music, jazz, rock. I listen to Björk, I listen to so many different things. It’s an endless list.” THE TRACK THAT’S GUARANTEED TO MAKE YOU CRY?

“There is one song that makes me cry and that is Björk ‘All Is Full Of Love’. It’s a very emotional tune for me and the video, which is of two robots kissing, really touched me very deeply and it became something very important to me. So this song is extremely emotional for me.” WHAT’S AN ALBUM (OR ARTIST) THAT YOU’RE CURRENTLY INTO?

“I would say that the last album that I’ve been listening to a lot is the last Kanye album. I think he’s a genius, a little bit crazy, but the music of Kanye West — the way he goes album after album, innovating, still having a very strong personality and imprint on a community, and also experimenting so much and keeping track so that he doesn’t lose everyone — is great.”

THE RECORD IN YOUR COLLECTION THAT YOU MOST TREASURE?

“I have a couple of massive things in my 12’’ collection, because I actually brought these to play them. I could say Ruffneck for example, the track that was produced by Masters At Work, ‘Everybody Be Somebody’. But I will say the original press of Daft Punk, with ‘Da Funk’ on one side, ‘Rollin’ & Scratchin’’ on the other side on Soma Records. And if I’m right — and I think I am — this is the very first press of a Daft Punk record, and it actually happened before ‘Homework’. I think it was their first 12-inch under this name and at that time on the weekend I was helping in a record store and I remember the amount of vinyls of this record that we sold was ridiculous compared to anything else that we had.” YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE TRACK OF ALL TIME?

“I’m going to say ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ by The Beatles. This is how you can see how mainstream I am with my taste and how I am in the middle of everyone’s love for music. I think that the most important music artists of all time would be The Beatles. I would say that this one is massive and very important to me and maybe a little bit more personal than the biggest hits of The Beatles. And it is a record that I would definitely not get tired of listening to.”