Phatfunk is still hungry

Bangkok’s phattest and funkiest drum-and-bass night is celebrating its third anniversary tonight at its headquarters at Glow. This time around the birthday party will feature guest DJ Sabre from the UK. 

The 30-year-old DJ-turned-producer Gove Kidao has risen through the ranks of the global electronic-music fraternity since his emergence in 2002, securing a reputation as a twisted yet soulful thinker who brings a grittier sound to the deeper spectrum of drum and bass, with experimental electronica flair. 

Having grown up in the Seychelles, Sabre moved to the UK in 1989. Awed by the richness of the early ’90s music scene, he initially started off as hip-hop DJ, switching focus in 1995 to the exciting homegrown movement that was jungle drum and bass. And the rest is history. Sabre is now enjoying residencies in the underground DJ circuit and London-based pirate radio station Rude FM. 

Sabre has emerged as a global DJ with residencies across Europe, including London’s celebrated Ministry of Sound, and is currently at the Fabric Nightclub. He has become an key member of a new generation of drum and bass producers set on evolving the scope of the genre, in the process collaborating with artists such as Noisia, Goldie, Alix Perez, Jenna G, Breakage, Icicle, Sam Frank, Rockwell and Ulterior Motive.

Manning the deck tonight are also the usual suspects – Phatfunk crewmembers Orawan, DeLorean, Instinct and Azek. Hailing from the south of France, Azek (Jeremy Guessoum) moved to Thailand in 2005, where he started playing for Jazzbah Records, the Yaak Party and underground UB Radio.

Azek shares the future plans for Phatfunk. 

 

When you established Phatfunk three years ago, did you think it would come this far?

We did not really have a long-term plan, to be honest. We started because we’re truly passionate about drum and bass and wanted to share our love for the genre. 

Most people have a preconception about drum and bass – our aim is to get people to rediscover it. It’s a music style with so much potential, energy and sub-genres – from liquid, soulful and funky to more reggae, hip-hop, techno and hardcore influences. 

There are several other drum and bass parties in Bangkok. What makes Phatfunk stand out?

Indeed, we are blessed to have such passionate promoters in this city. We feel Phatfunk nights are free from arrogance – it’s a gathering of people who are out just to have fun with good music on a dance floor. We slowly build the energy with crowd-pleasing touches. 

Phatfunk has also been the most consistently organised drum and bass party. We’re here every month without fail, and we also take pride in promoting and running our events professionally, and of our collaborations with street artists in the process. 

 

Who are your fans mostly?

They’re a mix of Thais and expatriates, boys and girls. The Phatfunk crowd is cosmopolitan, very engaged and very passionate. It’s really a pleasure to be playing at Phatfunk with such a high-energy crowd. Those guys dance like crazy all night long! 

I remember lots of very late nights with guests invading the DJ booth and jumping alongside with the DJs during the last few songs from Nirvana to the Specials. There’s always a good sing-a-long at the end. Such a cool vibe! 

 

How do you like the drum and bass scene in Bangkok now?

Drum and bass is and will probably remain an alternative music genre. But recently at Phatfunk, and even at the other drum and bass nights, we’ve noticed a steady increase in attendance, especially younger people who come to hear something different and seriously dance. 

Could it be that people are finally getting bored with mainstream RCA-type sound? We do hope so. We are happy with our Glow residency, but to push this scene further, we feel Bangkok is lacking a top-quality nightclub dedicated to alternative music. 

 

What’s next for Phatfunk?

We want to be more creative and explore new types of venues, not necessarily nightclubs – it could be warehouse parties, boat parties, abandoned buildings. 

We’ve also decided that, starting this year, we will bring in more international artists to keep it fresh and exciting. 

We have some really amazing artists lined up for the coming months. We can’t reveal the names yet. It’s a secret! 

 

 

Thunder road

_ Phatfunk’s third anniversary party is tonight at Glow on Sukhumvit Soi 23. 

Admission is Bt350 with a drink, and the bar stays open from 10 to 11.30. 

Dress code: Camouflage

Find out more at PhatFunkBKK on Facebook.