Electric Zoo 2011 Recap
The increasingly massive electronic dance music festival, Electric Zoo, once again plundered Randall's Island, New York City this past Labor Day weekend with an impressive lineup of trance, house, and techno artists. Organizers Made Event once again expanded the festival to three days, attracting some 25,000-30,000 fans daily. Over 100 artists played live sets across the Electric Zoo area, which included four venues. Additionally, an array of local vendors served gourmet grub and libations to the hungry and thirsty; for the weary there were on-site massage stalls; as well as massive VIP area with premium cocktails and a pop-up of Bushwick, Brooklyn-based restaurant Roberta’s.
On Friday afternoon, BT spun a live set with surprised singer Jess taking the Main Stage. As evening came, trance artist Markus Schulz played at the Hilltop Arena atop a gigantic LED screen. Another highlight was undoubtedly Moby who rocked the main stage with legions of fans pulsating to the beat. In the end, trance legend Tiësto stole the show with euphoric remixes of Sonique's "It Feels So Good" and Delerium's "Silence." His fanciful display of pyro, lights, and fog certainly ended day one on a high note. For those revelers who didn't want to stop the party, Electric Zoo hosted official after parties all three nights at Pacha. Headliners included Fatboy Slim, Dirty South, Roger Sanchez, Kyau & Albert, and Funkagenda.
Saturday saw Sander van Door take to the Main Stage, where his mega-hit "Love Is Darkness" got the masses grooving. Rocker Tommy Lee joined DJ Aero for a drum-fueled dance act on the Red Bull Riverside tent. "The energy in New York is awesome! We love it here!" remarked Lee backstage. Skrillex proved that his brand of dubstep has gained extreme popularity, judging by how packed the Hilltop Arena was. Much of the crowd stayed at the tent for performances by Dirty South and ATB, but a great deal flocked to catch trance superstars Above & Beyond (see photo below) and dance to their symphonic anthems "Thing Called Love" and a remix of Daft Punk's "One More Time." House king David Guetta (see photo above) all but shut down the festival with his turn at the Main Stage. "I was here two years ago and this was a tiny thing! What the fuck happened to New York?" the DJ blurted out before playing a slew of his top hits ("Gettin' Over You," "When Love Takes Over," "One Love"), as well as experimenting with some new beats.
The third day was a marathon of the best in house, trip-hop, electro-funk, and melodic trance. Artists such as Hardwell, Fake Blood, Michael Woods, Calvin Harris, Diplo, Boys Noize, and Richie Hawtin kept the energy high. Electro-pop duo Chromeo, backed by three sultry dancers, performed a stupendous live mix of their top hits including "Bonafied Lovin'," "When the Night Falls," and "Don't Turn the Lights On." Afrojack made his first Electric Zoo appearance after Chromeo on the Main Stage. The 23-year-old Dutch sensation gave the crowd what it demanded, playing one of the best sets of the entire weekend. The minute his mega-hit "Take Over Control" dropped, the earth shook.
The festival came to a close with Armin van Buuren's addictive trance beats: "My set will remain very true to trance and my sound," the producer promised in his trailer before taking center stage. To that end, DJ's number-one artist exemplified why he truly is the best of the best. Van Buuren's spectacle rivaled that of Tiësto's fanfare; the perfect ending to a fantastic festival.
Review by Benjamin-Émile Le Hay
Featured image and Armin van Buuren from BSKphoto.com via Plexi PR
Images of David Guetta and Above & Beyond by Cullen Winkler
