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“This is how we do it. It’s Friday night and I feel all right. The party is here on the West side,” and that is exactly what legendary DJ Diplo brought to this year’s Electronic Zoo Music Festival. Sampling the 90s hit song by Montell Jordan, Diplo got the party started on Friday night on the east side— of Manhattan a.k.a. Randall’s Island just as the sun was setting. As dusk settled in he took to his DJ set up as the smoke began to fill the Antheon stage.
Starting his set bathed in green lights with forest imagery, he shouted out New York City saying, “New York how you feeling” as he began playing KHIA’s “My Neck, My Back.” Clad in a simple white tee and shades, he mixed “My Neck, My Back” with his song ‘Biturbo” with Raumakustik as the vibe moved from green to red with a digital lava video and solar flares behind him. As darkness started to fill the approaching night sky Diplo’s stage morphed into a purple and blue set and light show as the crowd grew filling up with kids rocking everything from light-up sneakers to shades for the song, “Enjoy” by Misael Deejay.
Diplo then went on to spin “Party Starter” by Matt Guy, “Bussin” from Mikey Barreneche and “Right 2 Left” by Diplo & Mele as well as Nader Razdar’s “Alegria.” His set/ stage changed vibes from deep space to space lava to deep sea and then to a forest covered in flames all to match the song he was spinning. With his horse voice, he admitted to losing a few days earlier, Diplo would occasionally interject a shout-out to the crowd to get them pumped and keep the energy high.
Leaning into a trance state, Diplo played, “Back Once More” by Pajane. He then played “Benz” by Euro Trash, “Brooklyn Bounce” by Mele, and Fisher’s “Wanna Go Dancin’.” He continued on with his own songs with LSD and Sia for “Thunderclouds” and “Be Right There.” He finished this part of his set with “Deep Inside” by Hardrive and a dance mash-up of The White Stripe’s “Seven Nation Army.”
Then the Antheon stage went blue again for Diplo’s and Miguel’s song, “Don’t Forget My Love.” The blue stage faded into beautiful purple flames for Macklemore’s “Can’t Hold Us” and Diplo’s “On My Mind.” Diplo when on to spin “I’m Addicted To The Beat” by David Kim and Kanye West’s “Power” before closing out his set with his own songs “Revolution” and “Let You Go.”
