For regular festival-goers, it might seem like ZoukOut’s heyday is over with the seemingly disappointing lineup that seems to be plaguing Asia’s only dusk-to-dawn party these few years. Three years ago, all the EDM heavyweights from the big room and house scene like Hardwell and Zedd filled up the ranks, but this year, the clubber will probably only recognise Axwell /\ Ingrosso and marshmello. You might have considered going to other festivals in the region to get your festival fix now that Neon Lights is taking a break this year, but have you seen ZoukOut’s massive lineup this year?
Just because you haven’t heard of the other 90% of the names on this year’s ZoukOut lineup doesn’t mean you should give it a pass. The lineup goes beyond big room – into hip hop, trance, techno and even hardstyle (no it’s not siam diu music, trust us). Who knows, you might just discover some new artists along the way!
Of course, we’re all looking forward to Axwell /\ Ingrosso and marshmello, because their songs are what you’ll probably hear at Zouk 10 times a night. Robin Schulz, DJ Snake (who came up with last year’s festival anthem, ‘Middle’) and Yellow Claw are all DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ favourites, and they’ll be sharing the stage with a ton of rising stars. Expect a totally different set from Flume‘s set at Laneway Festival last year, but he’ll still lean towards the futuristic/ experimental side because that’s what we like him for.
Not forgetting the trance fans – Gui Boratto from drum and bass act The Sect is all set to take you to a deeper level of raving. This is the kind of music that is best enjoyed when you’re really high, but we all know that isn’t really an option here. So grab a cold one and lose yourself in the music. Rising techno DJ Amelie Lens is set to be making her debut in Singapore with her heart-throbbing beats. There’s no chanting of any sort in trance or techno, which means you’ll love Gui Boratto and Amelie Lens if you hate all those ‘EH-WAH EH-WAH’ punters.
America has Far East Movement and Dumbfoundead, Bangkok has Thaitanium, and the rest of Southeast Asia has 88risingcrew‘s explosive lineup who is putting hip hop onto the forefront of our regional music scene. Everything from their cutting-edge music to their music videos are a work of art – you won’t want to miss the entire 88risingcrew’s appearance at ZoukOut if you are into hip hop. Keith Ape, the South Korean rapper who is part of the Underwater Squad and behind the hit viral song ‘It G Ma’ promises a hard-hitting performance. If you missed Rich Chigga when he was here for Ultra Singapore in June, you can catch him again (although here’s us hoping that he won’t perform ‘Who That Be’ twice in a row because he has released new music since then). Chinese hip hop group Higher Brothers who burnt Cherry Discotheque to the ground with their beats last month will also be taking the stage alongside Japanese-Australian musician Joji.
Singapore will be represented by Zouk’s house DJs – no surprise here, really. But instead of Hong who usually helms the Zouk main room on weekends, you’ll see a different side as Ferng, Hong’s soul alias, is set to spin. If you realise that you can’t handle all the hip hop and trance, you can be reassured that Lincey, LeNerd and Zouk’s newest resident DJ, Nash D will also be dropping their big room tunes for all you basic clubbers. We’re assuming that either Ghetto or Lincey will be taking the sunrise set, so you might want to stay for that, and then regret it the next day when your body clock is all screwed up.
Other than music, ZoukOut has a whole ton of other activities lined up. The food is always a major highlight (there is nothing more shiok than slurping down a bowl of ramen especially if it rains), and this year, you’ll be able to enjoy the festival from new heights. The newly opened AJ Hackett Bungy Jump will be open for revellers, who get discounted bungy jumps and access to the skybridge, where you’ll get a bird’s eye view of the whole festival. Since they won’t let you fly your drone, just head up to the viewing tower yourself to get that top-down shot!
ZoukOut 2017 is happening on 8 – 9 Dec at Siloso Beach, Sentosa. Visit ZoukOut.com for ticketing details, the full lineup and more info.
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