Koh Phangan Tales : Jungle Experience

Showing posts with label Jungle Experience. Show all posts

Friday, 23 January 2015

Techno Legend Marco Bailey at Jungle Experience Jan 24th

Last seen at Jungle Experience for their 10th anniversary party last year, Marco Bailey is flying in from the States to join an epic line up Jan 24th... and Jungle is very excited to welcome him!

Marco Bailey @ Jungle Experience 10yr Anniversary

The feeling appears to be mutual! Answering these questions on the plane from America to Thailand, Marco Bailey had this to say about Jungle Experience:

I have played Jungle Experience 2 times now, each time was great, the location is brilliant. I love Chai, the owner, a lot. And I like the vibe a lot because I met different people from many parts of the world - and the people are much more into good music.

I played many times in Thailand where people did not have a clue about good music...

At Jungle everyone is there to party and that is good!

Phil Hartnoll is a legend and in times of Orbital he has done massive live shows worldwide. He is a great person, too, and I am happy Jungle Experience is attracting some great international DJs. Big respects to Daniel Sanchez & Marco Loco also!
For myself, I ALWAYS give 100% of energy!!

At the moment I am very busy with lots of travelling. I was at BPM Festival in Mexico one week ago, where I played 2 shows; then I was in Miami and Milwaukee. I played a sold out gig at Pacha NYC not even 2 days ago - and now I am already on my way to the other side of the world: the beautiful Thailand.

I'm only going stay 3 days in Koh Phangan unfortunately… I've just got too much to do. I love Thailand very, very much. I've been coming back every year since 1999! The music scene is getting better in Thailand, I remember playing my first time in Bangkok in 1999, it was funny; it's getting better & better!  

Marco Bailey in Miami Jan 2015

I am doing an Asia tour again in September with gigs in Tokyo, Osaka, China & Korea. At the moment, in Thailand, the love for cool techno still needs to grow: still too many clubs are only into easy clubby music, easy to understand, lol! But I have a good feeling we are getting there!

And I love Thailand with all my heart and will always support this beautiful place on earth!

Jungle Experience Sat Jan 24th 2015

Huge thanks to Marco for taking time out of his busy international schedule to answer! We look forward to hearing this techno legend rock Jungle once again with Phil Hartnoll, Daniel Sanchez & Marco Loco on Jan 24th!

*Interview sponsored by Jungle Experience , Koh Phangan

Daniel Sanchez at Jungle Experience Koh Phangan

Last seen on Koh Phangan a year ago, Daniel Sanchez is back on tour in Thailand and returning to our island scene! On a star-studded Jungle Experience line-up on Jan 24th, Daniel Sanchez's charismatic good looks and moving, grooving techno vibes are sure to rock Jungle's world…

Daniel Sanchez on the Kolour stage, Wonderfruit Festival, Thailand

The Dutch/ Spanish DJ & Producer has been making waves out of Europe since 2007, where he 'contributed to the development of Amsterdam as the dance capital of the world'. An enigmatic man of many talents, Daniel Sanchez is label owner, producer and international DJ: in 2011 he signed a 3 yr contract touring North & South America, Europe - and Asia - on Sensation's World Tour.

So what made Daniel Sanchez come back to Asia - and to Jungle! - in 2015?

'I’m very fond of Asia and Thailand - it’s one of my favourite places to come to. Nice vibes and a good inspiration for making music. Last year, after playing here, I began to see there was a new electronic scene which is developing and growing. I love to see those positive vibes: there is something in the air…

I’m really looking forward to Jungle Experience. I've heard that Jungle is one of the more famous and biggest party on Koh Phangan, and that the line-ups are very diverse. It’s going to be a party with different kinds of techno style - but everyone on the line-up are DJs with experience.'

Jan 24th is shaping up to be an epic Jungle Experience, a Jungle night to remember.

Jungle Experience Jan 24: Daniel Sanchez, Phil Hartnoll, Marco Bailey & Marco Loco

Amidst the superstars, Daniel Sanchez is eye-candy for the ladies. When asked what energy he is bringing to Jungle, the response tells you he is not only serious about his music, but that he understands how to please the crowd too:

 'My style is definitely still minimal techno but with a constant groove. What I find really important is that the ladies are always feeling it and are still able to dance. Sometimes you go a little harder and sometimes you take it back a notch - depending on the event I’m playing and how many people are on the dance floor.

Last year, I played for the first time on Koh Phangan. I had a blast, it was awesome - finally a place where they play good music. Now, one year later you can see the music knowledge has expanded on this island. It’s nice to see that music has no boundaries.

Koh Phangan is totally different from other places in the world. There is a lot happening on a small island, lots of parties and I find it nice to see that everybody feels free to present their own style of doing parties. One might be in the jungle, while another one is on a boat or at the beach.'

Daniel Sanchez at Wonderfruit Festival, Dec 2014

Having fun on the Thai circuit with Koh Phangan's own Darragh Casey, Daniel Sanchez played Wonderfruit Festival and Samui's Cha Cha Moon on New Year's Eve. So how does the music scene in Thailand compare to other locations?

' Thailand has less boundaries. You still see a lot of different styles of music together in one line-up. I also noticed that the music that is played by most artists is not the most recent music. But that doesn’t strike odd to me... the internet on this island is not really fast, which means that downloading new tracks is not the easiest thing to do.

So the music flow goes a bit slower, but at the same time I feel that in this way everything has the right time - to fall into place and develop into a steady scene.

Wonderfruit Festival in Pattaya was really cool. You could really feel that this festival was a new experience to everybody. In a lot of other places in the world we are already a bit spoiled: this is something you can definitely feel in the vibe of a festival. I really enjoyed it, even on the days I was not playing myself.

Cha Cha Moon on New Years: I really did not wanted to stop playing but I had to catch my flight at 6 o’ clock in the morning for my next show in Bangkok. I didn’t expect it, but people where really feeling it and went totally crazy this night - like it should be on New Years of course ;)  '

Daniel Sanchez's new EP is released on the 17th of February 2015 on Little Helpers. His hugely successful label Bla Bla has been influencing the minimal techno world since 2009. Second record label Cachai was set up with a South American partner. Intent on his drive to take music to the world, Daniel has yet another project up his sleeve:

'The last few weeks I have worked on starting a new label which will be launched soon. It is called 555 because I like the Thai use of these numbers which means 'hahaha'. This label has his focus only on artist from Asia. Sunju Hargun, a Thai DJ from Bangkok, will do the A&R for this new label.

I want to motivate producers from Asia to create a nice platform so they can grow internationally. I’m really into this project. New projects always give me a lot of energy and inspiration.'

Next up, Daniel Sanchez is bringing his high energy and minimal techno for the soul to Jungle Experience on Jan 24th! It's always Showtime at the Jungle... and we get the feeling Daniel Sanchez will fit right in. See you on the Jungle dance floor!

Jungle Experience Koh Phangan via Thai Party for Me

*Interview sponsored by Jungle Experience Koh Phangan
Thanks to Kolour & Thai Party for Me for use of photography!

Celebrating Jungle's 10 Year Anniversary

Jungle Experience is at the forefront of the underground party scene on the Thai islands - a visionary party leading the way in the Ban Taai jungle. Jungle Experience is a trail blazer of the Koh Phangan Scene!

spectrum of lasers at jungle experience koh phangan

Jungle Experience 10yr Anniversary!

Showtime at the Jungle yet again, but this time with bells on! Spark Circus had been wowing the crowds since doors opening with LED hoop performers, stilt walkers and tandem fire twirlers working their art.

Now, as midnight approached, I was at the side of the DJ booth for a stage show of light and sound. Marco Loco was in the jaws of the DJ decks getting the crowd going wild - hands in the air! - as the smoke machine illuminated the spectrum of lasers tripping off into the night sky.

Below the DJ booth, at ground level, the circus theme of the evening was taking on an Asian twist: with Chinese dragon performers about to take to the stage to the beat of the ceremonial drum.

Into costume, the drum begins… and dragon dance!! Wild frenetic dragon dancing ensued, moving too quickly for the eye to take in, with Marco Loco going off behind the decks!!! Bang the Drum and Dragon Dance!

At midnight, I rushed across the party to see the Jungle Experience 10 yr Anniversary sign going up in flames. At the outer perimeter of the party, I was in prime position to see the fireworks trip off above the palms! Behind the bar the girls were peering round to see the firework show above them, as the crowd looked to the sky in unison: hands in the air, whoop whoop!!

Happy Birthday Jungle!!!

Jungle dancer Brea was shaking her thing in leopard print leggings. Bikini-clad belly dancers were going wild on stage, while lasers went off amidst the leafy treetops of Jungle Experience. The DJ booth was vibrating light and colour, the lasers pulsing electric rainbow spectrums into the sky.

welcome to the jungle experience koh phangan

Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the Jungle

Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome to the Jungle.

Anything goes at the Jungle! There were young farang transvestites behind the bar, and fluorescent war-painted girls hanging in the trees. Canadians paraded a full sized national flag around the party, as the Queen Luana and AiA sisters body-painted people on stage. Jungle Man Brahm, 'Can I help?' on his Jungle T-shirt, offered a huge smiley welcome to one and all, and original Jungle energy surrounded us.

On the outskirts of the party spectacular, Koh Phangan DJs Pablo Escobud, Type 1 and Jok were surveying the scene, as Jourdan Bordes' girlfriend - in blue wellies with pink soles - greeted me with a huge hug. No, it wasn't raining: it was a fashion statement, as only Portia could state! AiA was rocking a recycled plastic ruffled tutu with curled ribbons, like a Degas ballet dancer, devil ears in her hair, as the Alien Sisters painted their hair stylist's head in glitter paint.

It all goes on at the Jungle.

marco loco @ jungle experience party koh phangan

Marco Loco playing an extended set, just how he likes it

Playing an extended set, just how he likes it, Marco Loco was bringing on Lizzie Curious' Nine Toes remix - as the speakers to the side of the DJ booth seem to breathe fire! Fire breathing dragons? How about fire breathing speakers! Now, that is some light and laser show, courtesy of The Beach House Sound & Light. "What's the decibel level?" I asked Koh Phangan Nomad Carlo at his station in the DJ booth. A clear, crisp, deep 107-18 decibels. The perfect sound level, he tells me.

By 2am I'm catching up with Thai DJs Lai & Rom from the Dragon Bar on Full Moon Party beach. I'd heard Lai play at Voodoo and I'd liked his taste in Balearic deep house - Ibiza style, like Marco! - "Yes", says DJ Lai, "Music with energy!"...

At the fire show, a white rabbit masked circus performer is spinning the fire poi like something out of a Jungle Experience Alice in Wonderland. Trippy!

The Burmese fire boys want a piece of the action too, and are soon taking to the floor to flaunt their full power fire spinning skills with full energy. Tonight, everyone is bringing their top performance to the 10 year anniversary show!

As the nearly Full Moon shines down on the Jungle, international superstar Marco Bailey takes to the decks. He lights the Jungle dance floor on fire with his uplifting techno professionalism - as in the DJ booth we are raging behind him, with champagne to celebrate:

Marco Bailey back at the Jungle, Marco Loco's birthday…

International superstar Marco Bailey takes to the decks

… and Jungle Experience Koh Phangan's 10 Year Anniversary!

Read about Jungle's decade long party history here: Ten Years Of Jungle Experience - Then & Now. Thanks to Thai Party For Me (who caught me at 4am in the Jungle having a noodle soup!) for the photography. With love to the Jungle for an amazing ten years of parties, and looking forward to many more years to come!

Content © Mia Escobud 2014

Photography courtesy of Thai Party For Me

Ten Years of Jungle Experience Now and Then

Jungle Experience celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary on Jan 14th 2014!

Jungle Experience Koh Phangan in the early days

From its lowly beginning as a small island psychedelic trance party 10 yrs ago, Jungle Experience has transformed itself - on numerous occasions and through numerous incarnations - over its decade long party history. The jungle location, the underground music and the DJ booth are ever evolving, along with the party itself - which is known nowadays as one of the major party destinations in Asia.

dancers and dj booth at jungle experience

I remember those first early parties: Phi Chai set up a Jungle Party in a smaller location than the venue used today, with Andy Anahata. I remember all the Swedes getting excited, helping decorate the new party with fluero string and back drops. It certainly created a buzz amongst us Koh Phangan regulars.

Even back then the Full Moon Party had turned massively commercial, so to have a new party location - for only the island residents in the know - was too exciting for words at the time.

Jungle soon became one of our party favourites, and like clockwork, you'd find all the island residents coming out of the woodwork in the early hours to party in the Jungle. We'd arrive about 3am, knowing the most juicy part of the party would be from 5am - til the finish at 10 or 11am! Those were the days!

Such a beautiful location deserves to be partied in at sunrise, but unfortunately most of the bucket monsters nowadays take their leave well before dawn, too drunk to care that they are missing sunrise.

To us it was always the best part of the party!

tribe of jungle experience dis promoters and party goers

Am I sounding like a bucket snob? Maybe, but the thing with buckets is that they were always about sharing! We didn't each hog a bucket to ourselves: we shared the experience. Nobody was ever so blind drunk they couldn't see or stand!

We were alive, aware and interactive with this amazing party experience enveloping us in the jungle.

I remember - when the sun came up - we'd be staring at the thick coconut palm jungle around us in awe, looking up to the sky. We'd watch the red embers of daylight herald the dawn, as we danced on into the sunlight on the dance floor.

dj booth at jungle experience koh phangan 2013

With a festival atmosphere rivalled by none on the Thai islands, it was Jungle that led Koh Phangan out of the psy trance scene that had dominated for so long. We were all so used to partying to trance - as there was no other option!

It was amazing how vibrant the parties became when they embraced the underground movement of tech house, in the last five years or so.

jungle experience artists and performers

Suddenly everyone had free expressionism on the dance floor, beautiful women were shaking their hips, and an element of sexiness arrived on the islands! The trance scene was fun in the old days, but we all used to dance like androids.

It's funny now when I get together with my friends, and we try to remember how we used to dance. When Jungle fire-spinner Natasha said you have to dance like you've got a shit in your pants, I was over psy-trance forever!

Then with a new Promotion and DJ team being brought into the Jungle, suddenly psy-trance was becoming a thing of the past; mass culture was suddenly becoming interested in Jungle - with its move away from psy-trance to underground house.

It wasn't long before Jungle was attracting some major names in the business, and we have been treated to house and techno superstar DJs such as Marco Loco, Marco Bailey and Phil Hartnoll of Orbital to name just a few.

In Randy Seidman's words, "Jungle is raging"…

As it continues to rage, and will rage again this January Full Moon on both 11th - & the big one on 14th Jan - to celebrate Jungle Experience's 10 year anniversary!

We're in for a show stopper, circus acts and a DJ line up to die for. If you are on Koh Phangan, be sure to make it to Jungle Experience's 10 year anniversary!

See you in the Jungle!!!

Celebrating Jungle Experience's 10 yr Anniversary

Jungle Fever Koh Phangan!

After a three month summer tour to London, Ibiza and Hong Kong, it was time for the Escobuds to come home to the Thai islands! We landed back on Koh Phangan on 15th September, and with hardly a chance to catch our breath we were back in the folds of our Jungle Tribe that night...

DJ decks and body paint performer at Jungle Experience

... With DJ Pablo Escobud on the decks at Jungle Experience Koh Phangan!
This phenomenal party in the Koh Phangan jungle is always a colourful sight to behold, with fire twirlers, dancers and body painting artists performing live as the crowds gather to dance the night away under the stars.

Body paint artists at Jungle Experience Koh Phangan

Jungle Experience takes place twice a month in the Koh Phangan jungle, in the week leading up to the island's infamous Full Moon Party. The music is decidedly underground, with a host of Koh Phangan DJs supporting visiting international DJs such as Marco Loco, Miguel Matoz and Randy Seidman to name but a few.

DJ pablo Escobud at Jungle Experience party Koh Phangan

It's always like a kind of home-coming for us, Pablo is a regular here and writing for Phanganist, Koh Phangan's online party magazine, I'm almost a part of the furniture too! All the fun of the fair, we get to interact with some wonderfully creative and talented artists who we are lucky enough to call our friends!

Phanganist photographer with DJ Pablo Escobud

There is something very special about Jungle Experience Koh Phangan and we are blessed to live on this beautiful island and hang out at such amazing venues. For us it beats the Full Moon Party hands down, but then, us Koh Phanganers have always had a love of the Koh Phangan underground...

DJs Rory Gallagher and Pablo Escobud at Jungle party Koh Phangan

Home to the folds of the Jungle Tribe! Jungle Fever - Koh Phangan here we come!

Pablo Escobud - DJ Dozen Comeback Squad @ Radio KC France 05/07/2013

Catch DJ PABLO ESCOBUD's banging TECH HOUSE mix for French RADIO KC's DJ DOZEN SQUAD event today 2-3pm GMT!

This TECH HOUSE mix from Pablo went out at JUNGLE EXPERIENCE for his departure performance from KOH PHANGAN in May 2013... and went down a STORM!!! IT WENT OFF!!

This is the 1st hour of that mix.... with the 2nd TECH HOUSE/TECHNO hour coming out as an EDM ARRAY exclusive in Canada in the next few days!

Hope you can tune in with us for some ecstatic, euphoric, banging Friday tunes!!!

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE!

Tune in Here 2-3pm GMT today.