By: Evan Vitkovski
With a diverse lineup that crosses the spectrum of the best EDM acts on the planet, 808 Festival finds a new home at Live Park Rama 9 in Bangkok, Thailand on December 8-9.
This year’s festival will bring Dutch DJ Armin van Buuren’s A State of Trance (ASOT), to the Land of Smiles for the first time since 2015. For anyone who hasn’t been inducted into the Trance family, ASOT is a weekly radio show co-hosted by Armin, with an estimated audience of 40 million fans that tune into to hear what the best names in trance are up to. That radio show morphed into a recurring festival and world tour. Armin and his team from Armada Music are running the show on day one, building the frenzy to a climax with Vini Vici and NWYR, but Armin’s special headline set is not to be missed.
Day two switches up the vibe with OWSLA label owner and Brostep godfather Skrillex headlining his first and only show in the Asia-Pacific region since his return from a tour hiatus. Fans can expect nonstop bangers on Sunday with sets from Canadian bass music princess REZZ, Troyboi, and Whethan, making their first appearances in Thailand.
The first 808, in 2013, attracted a crowd of 9,000 people, but now they expect more than 15,000 music lovers to attend. In the last half-decade, 808 Festival lineups have included Canadian techno legend Richie Hawtin, Welsh DJ Jamie Jones, and US house/techno DJ Claude VonStroke
Since being involved in Bangkok’s electronic music scene starting in 2003, Arsit Prachaseri, one of the founding members of 808 Festival told South China Morning Post: “Back then you could count on one hand how many clubs were playing electronic music. Now there’s at least one festival a month in Bangkok devoted to EDM.”
Over the years, Prachaseri has continued to try to keep it as diverse as possible, saying: “Every year we try to bring in something special that’s out of the box; some years you can do it and others you just have to go with the market. Over time it’s become more EDM-oriented; we have to cater to market demands. But we really want to keep the underground side, and we find the audience are into that.”
No matter what music tastes you have, EDM fans from all over the world will have the time of their lives in Bangkok for 808 Festival 2018!
