SPONSORED – A few years ago, Fedde le Grand immortalized his love for Detroit perfectly into auto-tune: “Put your hands up for Detroit, our lovely city.” Forget Detroit. Now it’s Bangkok’s turn to raise the roof.
Thailand is the latest destination for the electro house legend, along with a troupe of the world’s hottest DJs and producers, for Road to Ultra. Started on Miami Beach in 1999, the Ultra Music Festival is the largest and most successful independent electronic festival to date. Over the last 16 years, there have been events across five continents in countries like Spain (Ibiza), Argentina, Korea and South Africa.
Earlier this year, Bogota, Colombia held its first Road to Ultra. Now Thailand is next and it happens to be perfect timing. Just a few months ago, Ultra’s flagship festival in Miami was a landmark, selling out with over 165,000 partygoers raving on the waterfront.
Now Road to Ultra Thailand’s generating a lot of buzz for its all-star line-up, starting with 18-year-old deck prodigy Martin Garrix. You may not know this young Dutchman by name, but you’ve probably lost your marbles to his breakthrough hit “Animals”.
The track famous for its infectious (and downright creepy) beat drop has topped the dance charts in more than 10 countries, even scratching Garrix on the vinyl of electronic music history – he’s the youngest DJ ever to reach number one on Beatport. Pretty impressive for a teenager that taught himself to play at eight years old, inspired after watching Tiësto’s set the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Athens.
Joining Garrix on stage is another DJ prodigy, Alessandro Lindblad better known as Alesso. Alesso started producing in 2006 at the tender age of 16. He rose to fame rather quickly for his deep and progressive remixes of fellow Stockholm natives like Avicii and Swedish House Mafia. But 2013 was a banner year, after playing to a wild and trippy crowd of over 180,000 at the world-renowned Tomorrowland.
Dutch electronic dance duo W&W diversifies the festival line-up with its signature serving of electro with a side of trance. The crowd at Ultra in Miami definitely ate it all up (even begging for seconds) in March:
And of course, you know Fedde le Grand already. Believe it or not, that is the real name of the Dutch DJ and producer who catapulted to international fame for his fist-pumping anthem “Put Your Hands Up 4 Detroit”. He’s since become an institution in house music, remixing Madonna, will.i.am and Coldplay, and helping to launch the careers of other DJs like Nicky Romero and Danny Avila. There may be a lot of young and exciting blood on stage at this festival, but one thing is fore sure: Fedde will show exactly how it’s done by a master.
Rounding out the Road to Ultra Thailand crew are a few of Bangkok’s own electronic heros, local artists like DJs Sunzone, Oatawa, Kolour One and Funky Gangster. DJ Sunzone is one of Land of Smile’s most established DJs, working the floors of nightclubs from Bangkok to Chiang Rai for over 20 years.
Don’t miss all the artists, from Martin Garrix to Fedde le Grand, at the first Road to Ultra festival on Friday, September 26 at BITEC Bang Na. Tickets are THB 2,500 and are available on Amiando and Thai Ticket Major.
