Thai Wake Park (TWP) was taken over by a Sunn storm last weekend as Bangkok's most loyal lovers of house and techno convened to celebrate Kolour In The Park -- The Weekender.
This year's park instalment by the Kolour "krew" came back bigger and 100 times better than its pilot festival last year, with more stages, more international and local deejays and a whole extra day for partygoers to chillax in the sun, eat, drink, dance and listen to some of the finest and most cutting-edge electronic music. This was not just a music festival, but a total experience and getaway -- a time for rest, relaxation, art-appreciation and the sharing of good times with friends and loved ones, on land or on wakeboards.
Whatever kind of week the festivalgoers had had, rest assured that by the time Friday came, they were either already heading towards the site to check into one of the many nearby hotels the Kolour krew had carefully picked out or they were picking out their outfits and planning their adventure for the following day. Located roughly 50 minutes from central Bangkok, the Kolour krew organised shuttle buses that left from BTS Ekamai every two hours starting at 11.30am-5.30pm on both days, for those who weren't willing to drive or cab it.
Those who arrived at noon on either of the days would have felt the scorching heat of the sun and maybe would have regretted it if they weren't willing to cool off with a swim in the lake or with a quick wakeboarding sesh. Most started arriving at 3pm on both days, immediately to be rewarded with two free drinks, a large outdoor dance space, a waterfront view and the most contemporary sounds to date in house and techno.
Perfect for getting the crowd going was the internationally acclaimed American DJ and producer Kimball Collins, a now-frequent resident deejay in Bangkok some of Bangkok's clubs (notably Glow) and one of the first Americans to ever jet-set his way to play at London's prestigious Ministry of Sound. When he spun in the deep-tech-house original version of Spiral Eyes (Bedouin, Patter Drama), many gathered in front of the main stage to bask in his seductively progressive and minimal sound.
Festival-goers chilling at the Main Stage last Sunday.
The crowd was a sight for sore eyes, beautifully adorned in festival fashion: raving shoes with multicoloured flashing lights or strappy gladiator sandals, brightly coloured crop tops, hot pants, board shorts, faces plastered in glitter and paint, purple hair, red hair, dreadlocks -- a sea of real Kolour if you will.
Watching the sunset was in itself reason enough to attend. Sheer magnificence, many will confirm. The main headliner on Saturday was German house producer and DJ, Oliver Koletzki, performing on the main stage. Although he cheekily swanned in almost two hours late, the man immediately lifted the crowd's spirits. Diehard fans may have been disappointed when they didn't hear some of his older and more well-known songs, (50 Ways To Love Your Liver, Arrow and Bow and Bring Me Home, to name a few), but this was purely because he was pumping in the most contemporary sounds in house music, the crowd happily lapping it up.
The beautiful smile and incredibly talented spinning skills of Thailand's very own Isan-born and internationally famous Nakadia brought dancers to new heights in the early hours of Sunday morning. If her music didn't touch you (impossible), her charisma and charm onstage would have. As a lady who has put Thailand on the world stage for electronic music, Nakadia is a force to admire, especially coming as she does from humble beginnings. According to Sunju Hargun, one of Thailand's biggest local deejays and the enigmatic pioneer of Asia's underground music scene, the set by German beauty Julietta was in every way the highlight of the wee hours of Sunday morning. By this time, dancers had relocated to the Sunn Stage, located right on the waterfront under a perfect crescent moon. The party stopped at 3am.
Sunday kicked off to a slower start as many nursed hangovers and sought some extra shut-eye. Locally based Vancouver-born Slomororo, part of the Dark White duo kicked off with some wavy electronic hip-hop mixed in with 70s disco and R&B. When asked exactly what he was playing, Slomoro smiled and admitted that this music was "genre-less". When he spun in a remix of Whitney Houston's I Wanna Dance With Somebody, the day was reawakened for everyone who was at the water stage. The party continued.
The trippy sound of Melbourne-born Uone was a new experience but definitely underground and the perfect warm-up for Sunday's main headliner, Berlin-based and renowned duo Booka Shade, who performed a highly anticipated live set with electronic drums and a sparkling star-speckled visual backdrop that made you feel you were travelling through space. "Take your protein pills and put your helmet on," the voice of David Bowie echoed from the speakers in a beautiful rework of Space Oddity. Classic.
Sunset on the waterfront.
Annoyingly, there was always a bit of a queue for the ladies when they needed the loo, so perhaps next year more toilets? The food was definitely gourmet but the choices limited. Luckily, Kiki Made, the Korean/Japanese-fusion and guilt-free munchie maker was a huge hit. It was refreshing to have a truly healthy and hearty option for food; her Lime Chicken Salad Bowl and Korean Eggplant Nachos were killer. Also, a slight calamity for those who didn't receive the email/facebook posts about the ATM on site being broken. Whoops!
But, this weekender had everything an international festival should offer, while at the same time catering to a more Bangkok-centric crowd, many of whom, let's face it, wouldn't even dream of camping, let alone glamping. The Kolour krew has added a unique music festival that will put Thailand on the international stage, giving worldwide electronic-music lovers another reason to visit our country and make a holiday out of it.
