ZoukOut has hosted over 150 international and local acts, almost a quarter of a million partygoers and over 350 hours of non-stop music and entertainment over the span of 10 years. That’s not a mean feat, considering that, a decade ago, almost every logical punter disclaimed Zouk’s vision of taking its “one dance, one music, one tribe” spirit to the great outdoors.
Today, even the officials talk it up. “ZoukOut adds tremendous vibrancy to Singapore’s nightlife, and is a pillar of Singapore’s position as an events and entertainment capital,” says Tony Lai, assistant chief executive, Sector Planning & Development Group and Industry Development Group at Singapore Tourism Board. ”ZoukOut remains unrivalled in its stellar lineup of DJs and music offerings, and its ability to draw in throngs of revelers from dusk to dawn.”
Come Dec 11, Siloso Beach will again turn into a magical arena of top quality electronic music featuring spectacular lights and pyrotechnics, and above all, a source for lasting memories. The enticement of the three different arenas will make any discerning partygoer drool with a stellar line up of 11 international DJs, 13 local jocks and two local bands dishing an array of dance music from house to trance and hip hop to disco for 12 hours of non-stop musical merriment. Given the assortment of acts, we sort out the top 10 reasons why you shouldn’t miss ZoukOut (no matter how inebriated you are!).
1. Tiësto
Who: The Dutch trance DJ needs no introduction. As a matter of a fact, other DJs’ credentials are given added weight just by adding his name on their bio.
Why: His debut appearance on our shores feels like it was planned for ZoukOut’s 10th anniversary. Who knows? Who cares? He’s here! And as part of his fourth studio album tour, the Kaleidoscope World Tour 2010 which was launched across 150 countries, expect some euphoric tunes when he hits the deck.
2. David Guetta 
Who: This workaholic French house DJ has risen from a relative unknown 20 years ago to an internationally recognized figure of electronic dance music after having sold over three million albums and 15 million singles worldwide.
Why: The man’s number 2 (just a rank down from to the man mentioned above) on DJ Mag’s Top 100 Poll 2010. Enough said.
3.Laidback Luke
Who: The innovator, industry’s favorite remixer and the face of future sounds are some of the titles attached to this Philippine born-Netherland raised house DJ/Producer.
Why: For 14 years, Luke van Scheppingen aka Laidback Luke has been pushing the boundaries of electronic dance music with a string of top-notch remixes for A-list DJs like Moby, Calvin Harris, Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso, Axwell, Martin Solveig and even Depeche Mode and Cyndi Lauper.
4. Booka Shade
Who: The German duo of Walter Merziger and Arno Kammermeier make up Booka Shade, the pioneers of Frankfurt’s synth-junkies electronic wave. Though they now dabble more in a clubby sound, be sure to expect some grimy, atmospheric and moody beats as they go along.
Why: Because the boys make us shake all over with their deliriously cool house choons.
5. Midnight Juggernauts
Who: Australians Andrew Szekeres, Vincent Vendetta and Daniel Stricker have taken electronic music and given it a such a blatant twist that the industry have given up trying to define their sound. But there’s nothing shabby at all about Midnight Juggernaut’s tunes. With their weapons of sound manipulation through synths, samplers and stereos; the boys have racked up big name fans from Pete Tong to Calvin Harris.
Why: Using samplers, pads and a host of other gadgetry and musical instruments, the trio will be teasing your aural canals with some sweet beeps and bleeps.
6. Seth Troxler
Who: The American born-Berlin based house DJ/Producer is a name constantly mentioned by the likes of Matthew Dear, Lee Curtiss, Theo Parrish and Terrence Parker—all house music luminaries in their own right—as the most likely to take the genre to the next level.
Why: A shame that he had to cancel his gig at Zouk earlier this year but Troxler is confirmed this time round and, together with his influences which include the chirping of crickets, the whirring of spaceships and the sweet sound of whistling voodoo magic, this makes everything worthwhile.
7. Lindstrøm
Who: Born Hans-Peter Lindstrøm, the Norwegian has been hard at work over the past seven years developing his original take on dance music through his inspiration from country gospel choirs and a quiet dinner with the family. And as such he’s not been brainwashed by the current trends and “wants” of dance music. While relaxing at home on his farm in Oslo, he enjoys a cult following for his raw and intimate electronic tunes.
Why: He makes his own music—the man plays the bass, guitars, drums, keyboards and percussions on the layers of his tracks, so expect some depth and an intrinsic quality in his set.
8. SIXX
Who: The nine-piece hip hop band has been rising in stature with their hard work and rocking urban sound. With the vocal prowess of Aarika and raspy lyrical waxing from the recognizable Kevin Lester, Sixx have made notable appearances at TAB, Zouk, Victoria Theater and 98.7FM.
Why: Because they were cut short at Singfest and deserve a wider audience.
9. Kiat (Syndicate)
Who: The premium purveyor of drum ‘n’ bass and dub in Singapore, Kiat is considered the genre’s local kingpin when it comes to delivering the best sounds and quality left-field audio-video events through his collective Syndicate.
Why: Expect some melodic and grubby dub tunes and a visual spectacle of extraordinary proportions.
10. Dennis Ferrer
Who: This house music icon’s body of works have been played by the world’s DJ elite. Responsible for one of last year’s biggest house tunes, “Hey Hey” and “Son of Raw”, Ferrer has been synonymous with sounds that are innovative, fresh and borderline risky.
Why: If you are a fan of his remixes of Fish Go Deep “Cure and the Cause,” Martin Solveig “Jealousy,” and Blaze featuring Barbara Tucker “Most Precious Love,” you will definitely want to check out his set. We hope its the sunrise one.
