Electric Zoo Festival 2010

Written by Mandy Harris

Bigger, better, and back with vengeance. Electric Zoo 2010 was just that—a complete zoo of wild animals—party animals—all gathered together for one love and one cause; to show their loyalty and pay homage to dance music. Trance, house, techno, dubstep, tech house, acid house, pick your poison and it was readily available. Techno is my drug.

At least five times more crowded then last year, the numbers don’t lie. Dance music is making its comeback to New York in a very big way. From Studio 54 to Limelight to Tunnel to Exit to Sound Factory to the Zoo, the fanatical neon outfits, bizarre masks, and unfathomable clubbing paraphernalia were all on display once again. Saturday was part one of the two-day decadence and the lineup in the sunday school tent was hard to beat. Joris Voorn, Claude Vonstroke, Steve Bug, Reboot, Paco Osuna and Ritchie Hawtin, just to name a few.

The sun was shining and a slight end-of-summer breeze rustled through the tents of dancing heads. It was a fine day for a music festival and it was clear as day that the electronic stars were all in line. After fighting the masses to get through the dusty gates, Claude Vonstroke hit the decks with his Detroit meets San Fran, techy, Dirtybird sound. He played a solid set and stayed true to his hum by finishing off with a new sultry version of “Who’s afraid of Detroit”. A pleasant start to what will follow…the one and only, Reboot. He is one of the most in demand new artists and a startling talent who seemed to appear overnight and take the world by storm. His productions are so unique and high quality that the controversial question has often been raised—what planet is he from?

His live set showcased organic Cadenza melodies that awed and stunned—the first timer. Unfortunately, it was almost the exact same track list as his live WMC set from March. Although a bit of a letdown for the Reboot connoisseur, you can’t really blame him for the demanding booking schedule that undeniably keeps him out of the studio. We know he is capable of greatness but for those of us crazy enough to travel miles and miles to hear Reboot spin, we expect variety and crave the unexpected twists that the first timers get to experience. You get the point…so on to Paco Osuna. His consistency is ever present and his rhythmic and progressive beats can make even the most lackluster buzz kill of a human being spring blissfully back to life. Although impressive, the highlight of the day for many was Richie Hawtin’s closing set. The Minus veteran once again reminded us why he is a king. The minimal sound waves pulsed through the crowd like electro-shock-therapy and his relentless buildups and breakdowns closed day one with the fire that so many try to replicate but can never quite duplicate…except maybe his moniker, Plastikman.

Day two opened with a renewed spirit and a second wind. It was quite clear upon arrival that many zoo-goers from day one just couldn’t hang. The lines were shorter and the island less crowded but the lineup was equally, if not more impressive then the latter. In the sunday school tent, Matthias Tanzmann, Martin Buttrich, and David Squillace were warming up back to back, spinning groovy afternoon deepness that settled the mind and body from fear of tiredness and yesterday’s liquor. They complimented each other’s strong points and put forth an immense demonstration of harmonious tunes. A grand opening to another day of debauchery.

When Marco Carola got on, the party really got started. His set was nothing short of amazing. He has the uncanny ability to tease the audience by killing the lows, sucking the atmosphere completely out of the room, then blasting the highs, adding reverb and blips to make one feel like they’re in a black hole with the sound on mute. He brings back the lows little by little, louder and louder until the highs peak and the music drops. The black hole spits you out into a rapid flurry of sound and motion and the effects stroke each individual nerve for a full-on body high. No, I’m not tripping on acid right now. Marco’s performance was one to remember. He is a true talent and a smooth one at that. He ended his set with the single hit of a kick drum. Simple, bold, and effortlessly flawless.

After a great set by Victor Calderone who stayed true to his dark NYC underground sound, John Digweed took to the decks to close down the weekend with a bang. Expecting trance from the seasoned veteran turned out to be a monstrous mistaken assumption. Digweed is on a level all his own. A melting pot of progressive, techno, ambient, and hints of the good side of trance, his colossal build-ups paired with a mammoth light show and surround sound, engulfed even the weariest partygoer. He did what every other DJ did but magnified each element 100 times to put on a hell of a show. He solidified his legendary status and was the ideal finish to a beautifully epic weekend.