Ever since I first moved to New York, Cielo has been one of my favorite nighttime destinations, not only due to the Funktion One system and sleek aesthetics, but because the artists that are booked there represent the highest standard of electronic musicianship, and they in turn draw out the best of the city’s audiophiles. This past Thursday was no exception, with Giant Step bringing Ben Watt in to make the sunken dancefloor pulsate to his particular brand of deep house. Local favorites Sleepy & Boo started the night off right with a stellar set of deep house tunes, warming up the eager crowd’s ears and bodies, as everyone quickly realized no one was leaving early that night.

Ben Watt settled in around 1am, gazing from piercing blue eyes out over the glass barrier before the DJ booth, and onto the room that was packed wall to wall with upturned faces and hands in the air. His set was exemplary of his long and successful career, as a musician, songwriter, producer, DJ, and label owner. The progression of his set and the choices he made in his track selections, while encouraging movement on the floor, was also wise and insightful, demonstrating his far-reaching understanding of music across many genres, as well as his bountiful experience in and around the industry.

It was an honor and a privilege to, if only for a few hours, cross paths with such a prolific and visionary man; an true artist in a time when so many have forgotten their integrity and let creativity and progress take a back seat to fame and financial glory. I can only hope that more artists will follow in his footsteps, and turn their careers into meaningful contributions to the development of music.

Check out the full photo gallery HERE.

Its been over a week and we still haven’t recovered from the Electric Zoo music festival. For the first electronic music festival in New York City, we would say it was a success. With a great selection of music from DJs in house and dance, The Electric Zoo proved to be more than a festival. It was an event that gathered a dance and music culture from the tri-state area, and bringing along its taste-makers from parts of the world - including New York’s own Danny Tenaglia and Roger Sanchez. With four stages, there wasn’t a moment where a stage was empty, yet the crowds were manageable and one could move about with ease. With some sun, it seemed like an oasis on a playing field for dance and music lovers – made more apparent as the night fell and draped the sun underneath the city skyline to massive lighting effects on the stages.

Packed with an audience that knew their music, the DJs met them in return with their A-game – hooking the crowd along with every notch of beat thrown their way. Roger Sanchez, the Queens native, sent the audience into a frenzy with his rendition of Fat Boy Slim’s “Right Here Right Now.”  With a remarkable set list, English DJ, Ben Watt created some excitement with his take on MGMT’s “Kids” and Kaskade’s “Move for me”. Always a crowd favorite, Steve Aoki delivered by keeping the crowd on their toes and jumping throughout his set. Like the Rockstar-DJ he is, Steve commanded from the stage and fueled the audience with a barrage of beats combined with his touch of sound effects – all while making use of the great sound system in place by playing with the channels. With a vocal break in his hard set to The Bloody Beetroot’s “Warp”, Steve hopped on his table, and with extremity, screamed in tune with the track.

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If you’re looking for one last hurrah this summer, look no further than the Electric Zoo, New York’s biggest electronic music festival happening this labor day weekend. The massive line-up of over 50 artists includes Armin Van Buuren, Steve Aoki, Danny Tenaglia, Ben Watt and Deadmau5 on Saturday; David Guetta, Richie Hawtin, ATB, Steve Bug and Markus Schulz are playing on Sunday.

The festival, which will take place at NYC’s own Randall’s Island Park, is easily accessible by public transportation. Tickets are still available, $70 for single day passes and $130 for both days. For more information or to view the set times, visit the Electric Zoo’s official website.