Electric Zoo 2010
Music lovers dance to Moby by the Main Stage as the sun sets.
Gotryke blogger and photgrapher Priscilla Mercedes Vazquez joined the Electric Zoo for the weekend
The two-day electronic music festival known as Electric Zoo hit Randall’s Island like a confetti filled water balloon, splashing everyone in its path with the sweet, sticky sensations and vibrations of a rave/club scene.
The 2nd annual Electric Zoo carried 25,000 strangers through house, techno, electro, drum and bass, minimal, and even a little hip hop, presenting some of the best acts today over four different stages. Every arena held a distinctive world, hosting its own roster of performers with similar sonic sensibilities.
DJ Mehdi holds court at the Red Bull Music Academy Riverside Stage. This Parisian native has become one of the premier French underground hip hop producers for his stylized mixing of hip hop and electronic music.
People came from around the world to witness 67 DJ’s and producers, and to observe (and participate) in everything this scene has to offer. Walking through the festival, I met up with The Flash, Spiderman, Superman, not to mention fairies, families and friends. There were large crowds of Europeans, Puerto Ricans, and even a few old-schoolers who brought their toddlers, hoping to give them a glimpse at what life could be after strollers.
At the center there was a jump rope, spun by a boy in baggy purple parachute pants, an inflatable dolphin behind them, floating above the crowd.
The Main Stage held the top headliners, as an eclectic crowd danced to eight different performances on it each day; with acts such as ATB, Major Lazer, and The Chemical Brothers on Saturday; and Moby, Fedde Le Grand, and Armin van Buuren on Sunday.
Ultra Records recording artist Fedde Le Grand blew up the Main Stage on Sunday night with his tech-house beats. The Dutch born House DJ/Producer has remixed for the likes of Madonna, Will.i.am and Fatboy Slim.
Claude VonStroke gave the Sunday School Groove tent his own minimal techno.
The Sunday School Groove tent, held the minimal and progressive techno vibe with the likes of Detroit based producer Claude VonStroke, as well as Paco Osuna and John Digweed. On the other side of the festival grounds, right past the two graffiti clad school buses, there were the two tents that held the Hilltop Arena, with Afrojack and Steve Aoki; and the Red Bull Music Academy Riverside Stage, which seemed to hold more underground and experimental productions with DJ Mehdi and Bassnectar, for instance.
If dancing all day long at the festival wasn’t enough, after parties were held both days at Pacha. Come Monday, I had to throw my sneakers away.
Sunday School buses featured a collaborative mural piece, done on site during the festival, by Doze Green, Chor Boogie, Pose2, Cern, Cekis, and Brent Nolasco. The artists used paint that glowed under special lights at night.
