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Rain or shine, Ultra Beach Bali 2022 lit up The Island of Gods
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Future peaks: Dutch DJ Oliver Heldens predicts that, post-pandemic, peak-time techno music and its crossovers will become the future trend in the global EDM scene. (Rukes/Ultra Beach Bali) (Rukes/Ultra Beach Bali)
F
em>Featuring the world's disc jockeys (DJs), the fourth edition of the beachside music festival delivered an elated message: That Indonesians, after two years of pandemic-related restrictions, are ready to dance again.
It was sundown on Sept. 29, and the weather was not looking good. The crowd started murmuring about the overcast skies and the faint rumbles of thunder. Some of the festival goers had even started running for cover. Such an atmosphere is never an ideal scenario for any music festival -- let alone the type of festival in which the crowd is supposed to let loose.
Then, Indonesian DJ trio Weird Genius -- electronic dance music (EDM) triad consisting of Reza Oktovian, Eka Gustiwana and Gerald Liu -- decided to throw in the unexpected: A high-energy, pumping spin on “ブルーバード” (Blue Bird) by Japanese pop-rock duo Ikimono-gakari -- a song famously known as the opening theme of the third season of Japanese anime series, Naruto: Shippuden.
And just like that, the crowd started losing their minds, forgetting about the poor weather.
Such was merely an example of the spirit of this year's Ultra Beach Bali: An EDM-focused beachside music festival that took place in Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel, Kuta, Bali, from Sept. 29 to 30.
This fourth edition of the festival also marked its return to its offline format, featuring some of the high-wattage DJs such as Weird Genius, DJ Raiden, Oliver Heldens, Alesso, Black Tiger Sex Machine and many more. Be it rain or shine, the DJs were more than amped up to rise to the challenge, resulting in one of the most euphoric music festivals in recent memory.
Put a spin on it
All the performing DJs of this year's Ultra Beach Bali seemed to have a shared mission: Each of them would prove that any kind of music can be spun into a raving piece of dance-teria.
American DJ John Summit brought the crowd to the noughties with his spin on Black Eyed Peas' 2005 hip hop masterstroke "My Humps", bringing along bikini-clad dancers collectively known as Ultra Angels. On a different stage, South Korean DJ Miu brought forth the so-called girl power by mashing up Madonna's 2005 disco jam "Hung Up", Zedd and Hayley William's 2012 EDM ballad "Stay the Night" and Yeah Yeah Yeahs' 2009 dance-rock hit "Heads Will Roll".
With his signature electronic drum pads, Pinoy DJ Tom Taus conjured romantic nostalgia with his remix of The Temper Trap's 2008 indie rock ditty "Sweet Disposition" -- a song that was made famous by the 2009 American rom-com feature film 500 Days of Summer.
Besides the well-recognized anime soundtrack, Weird Genius continued amusing its buoyant crowd with a mega-mix that consisted of, to name a few, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us", Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" and the trio's latest, original EDM number "Lonely".
South Korean DJ and record producer Raiden -- an artist known for EDM hits such as "Yours" featuring his country natives CHANGMO, CHANYEOL and LeeHi -- also took to the stage to showcase his bass-drop mastery. The female audience, in particular, was swooning by his rearrangement of Shouse's "Love Tonight".
Speaking to The Jakarta Post after his set, Raiden expressed his excitement to finally perform in Bali after a pandemic-related absence. "It's been, I think, three or four years since [the last time] I came here, and I really wanted to come [to Bali] this time," he chuckled.
Besides Bali's vibe that Raiden described as "between 'chill' and 'party'", the DJ also enthused about the "spiritual vibes" he often experiences on the Island of Gods -- not to mention the "K-poppers" he noticed enjoying his set, he remarked amusedly.
"I saw some of the K-pop fans, so that was a big difference compared to my previous time [performing]. So, yeah -- I really enjoyed it," he added.
Dancing Dutch
Just like the previous editions of Ultra Beach Bali, Dutch DJs continued asserting their dominance on the stage -- to name a few: Afrojack, Chico Rose, DubVision, Fedde Le Grand and Oliver Heldens. The latter, in particular, left the crowd astonished with an anthem trance version of the originally-subdued Billie Eilish and Khalid's duet, "Lovely".
Oliver Heldens, also known by his other alter ego, HI-LO, acknowledged how Dutch DJs have ushered in a "mainstream" impact on the global EDM scene in recent years -- especially considering how "such a small country" can produce "so much talent”, he later enthused.
"Also, from very early on," he explained to the Post, "there's already been a good infrastructure for DJs to start in [in the Netherlands]. And from there, you know, every generation would inspire the next generation. And within no time, we would have superstar DJs like Tiësto and Armin [van Buuren]."
As if there had been a historical reenactment as well, the Indonesian DJs kept the Dutch DJs on their toes with the former's very own party prowess -- courtesy of EDM acts such as Sunset People Project, Syndromatic, LTN, Osvaldo Nugroho and Remy Irwan. The latter, recognized as one of the veteran DJs in the Indonesian underground dance music scene, commended the festival's organizers for having the homegrown DJs onboard as well.
"This is my first time being here [joining Ultra Beach Bali festival] and, perhaps, this year's edition accommodates so many local talents. That's why I feel that we should support this year's festival," said Remy to the Post.
Of all subgenres of EDM, techno music, electro house and trance were the ones most popular among the performing DJs. The Canadian DJ trio Black Tiger Sex Machine, for instance, demonstrated its techno-focused musicianship with a cyberpunk-inspired set that also showcased its 2022 album, Once Upon A Time In Cyberworld. Dutch DJ Alesso dialed up the BPMs of his 2017 house music project "Let Me Go": A collaboration that originally features American singers Hailee Steinfeld, Watt and Florida Georgia Line.
On a more touching note of the festival, Dutch DJ duo DubVision paid tribute to the late Swedish DJ Avicii, who died in 2018 at the age of 28, with a slowed-down reworking of the latter's EDM hit, "Wake Me Up".
Future nostalgia
Raiden commented that, post-pandemic, the EDM scene might be heading in a more bombastic direction -- especially considering how he observed people have started itching to party again.
"I think people are waiting to party, go out and enjoy festivals. So, yeah, I think it's going to be crazier than before the pandemic," he said, laughing.
Oliver Heldens noticed how, specifically, "melodic techno and melodic house" have started experiencing a "big rise" in the current EDM scene.
"Another thing: Also, in the last few years, the more peak-time techno has been rising a lot. That's also what I've seen with my alias, HI-LO, which is also really blowing up now. So, yeah -- I think, in the next few years, there will be more and more crossovers between the more atmospheric and melodic techno and the more peak-time, the more driving techno," commented Oliver.
Representing the underground scene, Remy Irwan believed that the underground dance music scene would grow and thrive, post-pandemic.
"The underground scene, from the get-go, has always been resistant and rebellious. Looking at the whole scene, I feel like it's heading toward somewhere positive. The house music and techno music might come more alive next year," Remy concluded.
