Inside the wild world of a traveling EDM party — Circoloco

It was 2 a.m. on Flushing Avenue and a two-headed clown was walking down the street in a naked bodysuit and Jimmy Choos. On any other night, we might have thought it was purgatory.

Tonight, it just meant we were in the right place.

we were looking for circoloco – Famous, underground music party where wild and weird is the norm. This group has been organizing parties around the world for 25 years Miami’s Factory Town To the beaches of Phuket and the pyramids of Egypt. Of course, attracting a star-studded lineup and celebrity guests along the way (Gigi Hadid and Leonardo DiCaprio, circa 2022).

In Brooklyn, Circoloco is presented by Nightlife Collective TekkSupportAnd tickets sell fast. Until last weekend, my friends and I were never lucky enough to catch them in time. So, on Friday night, we did what good ravers do; Loaded with carbs, snoozed until midnight, put on globs of eyeliner, and jumped in a taxi to the Navy Yard.

An eight-hour show filled with multiple performers can go on for a long time. But, I’ve learned that playing partial hooky is perfectly acceptable (and probably necessary) for parties of this nature. We decided to save energy for the latter part – i.e. martinez brothersLuciano, and blonde:ish,

A remote location equals an escape from reality. And yes, the maze of empty shipyard buildings can be disorientating, especially when cell service drops and less cool people start swimming off in different directions. But, luckily, ravers are quite a friendly bunch, especially on the weekend before Halloween.

My friends and I met a decorated Virgin Mary, who gave us directions and told us it was actually her first time. brooklyn warehouse) and it’s ours too. The new 104,000-square-foot industrial space opened in June, and has already brought in major artists like Charlotte De-Witte, fishermanAnd Eric PrydzJust some beat droppers to name drop.

Within minutes, I’m starting to believe that The Storehouse might top my list of favorite places too. It’s airy and spacious, but doesn’t feel so big that you get lost in it. Full – yes. But, more sales? no way. We won’t lose anyone tonight. After a few minutes in line, we’re spinning under red lights and moving to the beat of ‘Rizzla’, a hypnotic Afrobeat. martinez brothersThe songs jolt us toward the stage.

“Step on the deck/And I crush the raves/And I drive them crazy.”

Originally from the Bronx, the brother duo have since been taking over the funky tech house scene in Europe with their residency at the acclaimed Hi Ibiza nightclub. It might be just another night for them, but for us it’s a gift. Or, a fever dream. The take-no-break beat sends me back to my early college days Reading Clubbing abroad in Barcelona. Hips were shaking, lips were moving. A little disco, a little salsa, but still psychedelic enough to be Circoloco.

By the end of the set, we’re all belting out lines of Spanglish.

Unlike some EDM shows, Circolco isn’t all melting shapes and thrashing lasers. Party Group has built a brand around simplicity and keeping distractions to a minimum. Music is the focus. Dim lighting, the occasional flashing light, but nothing so out of this world that it will scare away Halloweeners.

However, if there’s anything that can make us scream, it’s Luciano. The Swiss-Chilean DJ has been pioneering the electric dance genre in South America for decades, delivering hits like “Orange Mistake,” “Vivontinto,” and “Rise of Angels.” You can tell he’s no stranger to sweaty situations.

Tonight, most of his mixes are completely beat down, no barking – at which point, I can hear my mom crying, “It’s all electronic mish-mash and I can’t hear any lyrics!” Well, technically, there are some vowels, but your translation is as good as mine. The purpose of this “real technicality”, as my friend says, is “to feel what the artist is saying through the rhythm.”

So, it’s like learning a second language, and if anyone is capable of teaching us it’s probably a 46-year-old disc jockey. We crawl up to the stage for a closer look. Just as I think I’m feeling his 1000-mile-per-hour run, Luciano’s heartbeat softens, and the big-eyed, blonde blonde:ish Takes over the turntables.

They do musical applause for a second, but by the time BLOND:ISH (Vivi-Ann Bakos) starts rocking her trademark tasseled bun, we know it’s game over. He’s had a memorable year in the DJ-sphere, releasing an infectious Stevie Appleton remix of “Never Walk Alone” this month and releasing “Different Ways,” which transforms a strange tune into an instant mood-lifter .

Their larger-than-life energy powers their musical style – already known for taking hit songs and making them even more danceable. Like raising the contrast. She adds even more color to the subtle moments of a masterpiece — i.e. the Taylor Swift “Fortnite” remix (which, my friends can’t wait for her to play).

What I’m more excited about is Gnarls Barley’s blend, “Crazy.” Likeable and familiar, a kind of timeless in the mid-aughts rock-soul sense. Perhaps because the lines emerge so easily – “I remember/remember when/I lost my mind.” Blonde: ISH takes it somewhere new as the chorus approaches, “Does it make me crazy?/Does it make me crazy?/Possibly?”

This drove the crowd crazy, which one might expect, considering we were all listening to “Crazy”. The beat slowed, smoke surrounded us and a crowd of fists and lights began to wave. Watching her perform from behind the booth is surreal, yet less difficult than I thought. You’d be surprised what a performer sees and feels when standing in front of a room full of revelers and revelers and dancing shamelessly along to the dance music, you’ll almost always find yourself with the right ticket. Can.

But, behind the scenes of blonde:ish, in front of thousands of mesmerized ravers in Halloween costumes, I realized that weird and wild is surprisingly cool. And, there’s the charm of Circoloco.

More EDM festivals like Circoloco in 2024

A full calendar including all tour dates, locations and links to purchase tickets can be found below.

Want to see what else is out there? Check out our list of 50 biggest concerts of 2024 To find shows for you.

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