After two solid days of euphoric dancing at Electric Zoo Festival, we must admit to a moment of weakness at around 1am Monday morning when, an hour off Randall’s Island, it was declared time to embark on the journey into Brooklyn towards what promised to be another 8 or so hours of hair shaking, foot stomping, and hand waving with our dearest of friends – the 4×4. However, courage was mustered and reserves of strength summoned, as there was, to put it frankly, no way in hell we were going to miss a line-up so incredible our level of excitement rivaled that of a small child on Christmas morning.
After a quick nap in the cab, a wrong turn or three, a gallon of Redbull, and a couple of nervous looks over the shoulder (where are we?), a mysterious man told us to take a right at the end of the alley, and we were there. A thumping bassline poured out of a large white tent bordering on the canal, as did countless ecstatic music lovers who could not have cared less about the lateness of the hour or their own disheveled state.
Sascha Funke, Alexi Delano, Kiki, Steven Letigre, and residents Taimur & Fahad all played stellar sets, not allowing for a moment’s rest as they poured wave after wave of beats into and out of the tent. We must admit however, that to our ears and corporal sense of rhythm, Bpitch Control headmistress Ellen Allien and young prodigy Nicolas Jaar respectively claimed the crowns as that morning’s king and queen of the electronic realm.
Taking the reigns at 6am, Ellen Allien pushed every audience member to maximum levels of aural bliss with her set of original productions and signature blend of darker and more primal techno that can be felt reverberating in your very bones. Her ability to communicate with her audience also took her set to the next level, as eye contact made here and a smile imparted there created an emotional bond with individuals, as if she was playing just for you. Nicolas Jaar stepped in at 10am, playing an extremely special live set to an exhausted but rapt crowd. While we were fairly convinced that our feet would actually begin to fall off if we kept up the dancing, Nico soon made us forget all about our physical pain as he played a beautiful array of tunes, all of which could not have been more perfect for the bright and sunlit morning that the night, and us with it, had transcended into.
As we finally made our way back to civilization, to reality, and to our beds, we were surrounded by nothing but massive grins and big hugs from friends new, old, and yet to be made. As always, we look forward to the next Blkmarket and ReSolute adventures, and are thrilled to welcome Esthetik to our roster of event organizations to follow doggedly into many mornings to come.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY FROM THE NIGHT’S BEAT DRIVEN MAYHEM.
