THIS POST IS MAD BELATED!!!! ZoukOut 2014 happened last December from the 12th to the 13th. Though I'm often at Zouk, this year was my first year at ZoukOut! I often receive exclamations of disbelief or surprised expressions when I tell people I haven't been to ZoukOut. I am just disinclined to join in throngs of sweaty people in non-airconditioned areas, or so I thought.... Anyway last year I decided to give it a go because of the possibility that Zouk might be shut down (remember the whole being denied rental of the location issue?) but mostly because the lineup was AMAZING.
Day 1 FACE: SUPER STOKED!
Here's the lineup. I didn't give two hoots about the Moon Stage; the Star Stage acts were the ones which enticed me to go!
For Day 1 I really wanted to go for Hong and Richie Hawtin. Maya Jane Coles, Dubfire and Nina Kraviz for Day 2!
With Cormac, Ann and Adriel!
YEAAAAAAAA. My photos are all blurry. Hahahahahaha I apologise in advance :3
Thank you for accompanying me to 7-11 to get a sandwich, friends! And yes, that was my dinner for the entire night... *-*
Cormac kept asking more and more people to get into our group shot...
Lol
Hong was on!!! :D
Went to drink with my brothers for a bit
My elder brother posted this on FB and one of his friends commented "Ah bengs and ah lian. Gangsta family" LOL
Popped over to Star Stage to find our cousin and I think Above & Beyond were playing then... Heard Sun & Moon being played.
Adriel and the rest preferred the DJs at the Star Stage so basically I was at the Moon Stage by myself most of the time!
photo credit: Colossal Photos
See, here's the proof. LOL. While browsing through the ZoukOut album I realised that.. I was the only one who was alone in the photos. Hahahahhahahaha. Evidently I am a loner.
Even this girl, with whom I have a photo, is a stranger. LOL. She just happened to be standing nearby and one of the Colossal crew asked us if we wanted a photograph.
Hahahaha I'm kidding luh it was really alright to just be dancing alone at the Star Stage, sipping my gin&tonic. Also I had Rino close by to keep a lookout for me!
(: Thank you grumpy cat.
Also, bumped into other friends as well, like Benny and Max heh. Thankfully some of my friends also love the music I love!
I was really surprised that I enjoyed Magda's set a lot because I don't really listen to her sets and music, but I only belatedly discovered that she's part of the Minus crew (the label that Richie Hawtin owns) and she played this monster of a tune, which is my favourite tune for the entire festival:
Play with me! by Matador, who also is part of the Minus crew. Richie Hawtin played the same track during his closing set as well! This track is so ENERGISED it made me feel like I was running on high octane.
While I attempted to shazam/soundhound tracks, my slow Internet connection was unable to search for tracks.... So in a bid of desperation, I took to recording the tracks I liked! I must have gone home with about 20+ recordings.
Here're a few more that I liked:
I think Magda played these!
Techno all the way baby. *beams*
I think Richie Hawtin also played this track, but I'm not entirely sure if it was him:
This baby was played as well (:
I ended Day 1 with this FB update: "Zoukout day 1: hong, magda, loco dice, richie hawtin. Got dropped on my arse onto the sand. Feet are aching from dancing to all that good music. That is all. DAY 2 TMRW!!"
To which Adriel commented "#pickupfail Literally" LOL. Some dude tried to carry me but I resisted and hence floundered and ended up on the sandy ground. He bought me a gin&tonic to make up for all the sand getting into my phone crevices and bag.... Actually, it's pretty tiring dancing on sand! The dancefloor keeps moving and shifting hahahaha.
Day 2 arrived! Went to Amara Resort for a bit because Adriel wanted to find his friends and I got to meet more people! Hanging out with Adriel's pretty cool 'cos he's such a social butterfly and many of his friends are really cool to chill out with as well. (:
Then... I got a hot dog from 7-11 as my dinner again. I realised for the amount of alcohol I was having, I was definitely not having enough food ;_;
With Adriel, Ann and Juju!
Cutieeeeeee
Cutiessssss
I've never heard Damian Lazarus play live, but he played this track that night and I almost died of happiness!
First heard this on Pete Tong's Essential Selection radio show :D I REALLY LIKE IT! I let Nick listen to it and he said "I couldn't get past the first 30s of Indian music" -- I like it for how folksy it is man!!!
He also played this funky track. I really dig how Damian Lazarus plays his set because you can really tell that he's enjoying himself immensely - he's dancing around, grooving away with his arms and swaying to the music! (:
And the ever sophisticated Nina Kraviz. Who played these two awesome techno tracks:
WE MADE IT TO SUNRISE!!!
Whilst leaving, the bunch of them walked past the Star Stage and spotted me so we snapped a photo together!
And yes, I was still on my g&ts till 7am in the morning hahahahaha
With Hong before he started his sunrise set! (: It ran a little late 'cos Nina Kraviz had arrived slightly late.
With the Boss man of Colossal Photos, Afiq! I'm so happy to have met him in my life. There're a few select persons whom you just know in your heart are positive figures for you in your life and Afiq's really one of those persons for me! I really cherish the advice he gives me about life and work; he works really hard and has a good head on his shoulders. :D
One more with Rino!
Hehehehe :3
One with Nicholas! (: I'll never forget how the two of us first met (in Zouk, of course), HAHAHAHAHA
Captioned this photo: "SO HAPPY. I don't think anyone quite understands, but electronic music and dancing is quite a solitary experience for me. I'd go with friends and if they enjoy the same music I do, it's good. If they don't, I just go ahead for myself. It's nice to have that connection with people whom love the same music I do. But more importantly, that connection with the DJ makes me the happiest. The way they pick the tracks, the way they dance, how they smile - it all makes me really fucking happy. I'm quite the loner when it comes to electronic music and dancing. I like to explore different genres of music and discover tracks that are so deep, hard and raw that sometimes, no one gets it. This is my first ZoukOut experience, and it is really really awesome. Zouk was the one whom opened my eyes to electronic music, and for that I'm thankful. The people at Zouk are really passionate as well, which makes for a better experience for punters like me. So happy for this, really. So glad for these two memorable days, yay!"
I can't begin to describe the extent of gratitude I have for Zouk, and the Zouk team to be honest! It's the first place that exposed me to electronic dance music, and I'll forever hold a special place in my heart for it.
My initial worries of the festival being overcrowded, disgustingly warm and full of queues and sweaty people were all rather unfounded. At the Star Stage where most acts are underground, the crowd is smaller. With the breeze and (extremely) light attire (ahem, bikini, shorts), it doesn't really get very warm. The queues for drinks and toilets were all bearable! I managed to top up my g&t pretty regularly. (:
To top things off, I didn't have to fight crowds to return home; on the first night, we copped a lift from my brother's friend, and on the second day, my elder brother came to fetch me!!!
:D Hehe love you kor.
Got home such a happy but tired girl at 9ish in the morning with BREAKFAST awaiting my ferocious appetite (thank you again kor!!!), fell asleep for a couple of hours, then woke up and took a hour and half long's bus journey to Nick's place to hang out. It was a good bus ride with good mellow music.
That really was a brilliant weekend. My favourite Asian festival so far! (: Can't wait for this year's!!!
I write about my everyday experiences & pen down my thoughts in this lil' space.
I read, listen to music, have a passion in language, love makeup and most of all, I observe. I really like learning.
I love making a difference.
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