My real is name LUD and my DJ name is ABSOLUD. My name is originally from Amsterdam where I have found inspiration since I was young.
ABSOLUD started DJ’ing at the age of 14 and began to organize parties in and around Amsterdam when he was 19.
Lud managed his own party organization from ’94 and called it LUMAFEX.
With this he hosted lots of underground parties all over the Netherlands and Belgium.
DJ Absolud has always been going for the Fun and Good times while Playing all over Europe.
He has always been Loving the organizing and as he say: “I just love to move people and create a special night”.
Over the years he DJ’ed and worked with a lot of his favorite fellow DJ’s and had the pleasure of playing together with many of them at his place on Koh Tao.
His guest DJ’s have included DJ’s & Producers like Phil Drummond, Orbital ,Joey Negro, Benn watt, Darren Emerson, Seb Fontaine, Krafty kuts, LTJ Bukem, Rasmus Faber, Funk D’void , Fedde le Grand, Hardsoul, Norman Jay, Sarah Main, John Carter etc.
When DJ Absolud was playing & traveling around as a DJ in Thailand in 2001 he came across a friend who told him to check out the Koh Tao island.
Lud fell in love with the island right away and say about it: “There were some amazing parties there and the vibe was still great. I decided to come back the next year and organized a party on the beach at DRYBAR at the time”.
The party rocked and the Dutch owner asked him to come over and work with him on Koh Tao.
ABSOLUD came back half a year later around 2003 and worked at DRYBAR for 3 years playing everyday.
He mostly played Deep House (what no-one was playing at that time ).
In the meanwhile – while enjoying the DRYBAR oportuneties – he also build a new club called PURE Lounge.
ABSOLUD say about this:
“It was a great Club/venue and we really did well!
Unfortunately the Club burned down 1 day before the 1 year anniversary.
After that I really needed a break for a few months.
After this story I was asked by a big family on the island to build/design and run a bar for them on Sairee beach. This is now the famous MOOV on the beach.
We did that from 2007 untill the end in 2009.
"I was actually ready to move away from Thailand and go to Bali in 2009 and work there as a DJ until someone offered me this new MOOV that we have now. MOOV have such a big garden and I fell in love with the place. I thought this to be my last big project on Koh Tao.
I was so lucky to find a great friend and business partner. I knew her from all the parties and the nightlife here and we decided to Re-open MOOV and that’s where we are today.
Over the 1,5 years we had some great people and DJ’s passing through and for now we have some good performers arriving in the next half year”.
His sound is warm, soulful, funky and uplifting. Mostly known for his epic Nu-Disco and Deep house sets but also for his Tech House sound. He's played around the Netherlands for many years...his journey finally landed in Asia, Thailand at the moment. He's created his own little haven/venue called MOOV on the island of koh tao and throwing great parties with people like Rasmus FAber, Seb Fontaine, LTJ Bukem, Darren Emmerson,Graham Gold, Orbital,etc. He's holding several residencies around Thailand , Beach Republic Sundays, Cha cha moon , W Hotel on koh Samui, Loi Lay and several island parties on phangan, Castle and Moov on Koh tao and KOLOUR parties in Bangkok, where he's also having the function of Creative Director. In between he's travelling and spreading his music around Asia, o.a China, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, & many more.
What is your Koh Phangan story?
I started playing on Phangan after being on Koh Tao for a few years, although been asked many times, never really wanted to play full moon in the beginning. I started playing at JUMUNJI in Thong Sala. The owners there did an amazing job with building a bar like that and found many similarities with my place on Koh Tao. Really a shame that its gone I still miss it every time I’m on Koh Phangan.
Then I did a NYE at the Rock bar with the whole band. 2 drummers, a sax player, a Singer, five dancers, our fire show guys and myself DJing.
That was great and I always love to work with live musicians when I DJ.
I think it’s really is a bridge between the crowd and a DJ , people can interact more with it and if you give each other space as musicians then it can really lift it to another level. We liked it a lot and so did the owners from the Rock so we continued that for a while. I am still playing here every full moon.
I also been asked to play Rhythm & Sands now a few times and think its a great concept with a lot of potential and something new and refreshing for the island.
Then I got asked to do Jungle Experience which in my eyes is one of the best parties on the island at the moment. Great initiative, good deco and just general feel good vibe. Love playing there.
I play all over Thailand and Asia and this is for sure one of my most favorite places. Also a very big up also to Loi Lay for putting down a different music wise then the rest and the concept works. Really small intimate vibe there.
Which projects have you been invovled in before?
I began to organize parties when I was 19 in Amsterdam. I continued untill 2000 and DJ’ed all over Europe in many many places. Now since I moved to Thailand almost 10 years ago I have been playing on most of the islands here and around the main land and rest of Asia.
From Q bar, BED, BKK, Catch, Stereo Lab, Siam Supper Club Phuket, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore.
I did a 3 week tour through China which was quite interesting, been a resident at the CASTLE on Koh Tao for the last 7 years and at Beach Republic on Koh Samui for the last 4 years.
I have also been busy designing and building 4 bars/clubs on the islands of Koh Tao and Koh Samui.
Pure Lounge at Sairee beach, Moov on the beach, MOOV club in Mae Haad on Koh Tao and Flow night Club in Soi Green Mango on Koh Samui.
You are also a Club owner. Where is the Club and what kind of Club is this?
We are more like a cross-over place with a bit of everything.
We manage a Tapas restaurant, a bar and a nightclub. It’s a bit of a play garden! 2 levels of tree house and glass bottle steam room.
I build and designed the place myself. I build it in 1 year and it has a lot of handmade statues (Easter island Tiki).
It’s a crossover between Arabic and Asian deco. I wanted to make a different place where people feel like coming home. It should inspire the people to create, chill and play around.
We are going for quality first of all music wise but also food and deco wise. The place is doing really well and I love being here although at the moment I am so busy and I have only time to get there 2 days a week.
Do you produce your own music as well?
I do and love doing that!
Lately though – I have been too busy to really create something new.
I normally only use my own stuff in my DJ sets and make a lot of re-edits from old songs or tracks that I can use in my sets. However I haven’t released anything yet. I also made the music for two movies/documentaries which was really interesting and a total different way of making music.
How would you classify your Music?
I play many styles but as long as it has a good groove and some feel in it I play it!
I play from World music to Soul, Funk, Nu Disco, Deep house, Electro, Prog and Tech. I am a BIG Deep house Lover, this music I can play forever.
I don’t look too much to others for inspiration. I love to create and if its music, a sculpture or some crazy deco doesn’t matter. I am used to go to all the crazy alternative festivals around Europe (Boom, Fusion, Ruigoord, Robodock) and that always inspired me to create even more.
However there’s certain people I can reach magic with, crative minds aswell and together we always come up with cool projects to make or build.
What are your next projects on Phangan?
I am Playing now at the Jungle Experience and have been asked to do Loi Lay again.
Im still also at the Rock every Full Moon and lets see what comes up next.
Where do you think The Phangan Scene is headed?
I play all over Thailand and for sure Koh Phangan has got the best scene in my eyes.
On Phangan there is a lot of Cool Underground Stuff happening. There is lots of good DJ’s and party people who are really doing it for the love – a not for the fame or big money. I really dig that.
It is 3 different islands (Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao) and they all have their own vibe and energy.
Don’t get me wrong. I love koh Tao for its vibe and community feeling. Samui for being more professional in many ways - but Phangan has got the best parties!!!
Where can we find you next on the decks in 2012?
Next upcoming dates:
31st Jungle Experience
1st YL resort on Samui
and then from 2am till late at the ROCK BAR Full moon ,
2nd play Beach republic , Samui all day,
4th MOOV Koh Tao ,
6th Castle Koh tao,
16th Loi Lay on Phangan.
Every Thursday at Air bar at Intercontinental on Samui.
3 Sundays a month at Beach Republic on Samui.
Once a month at the Castle
- and for the rest at my own place MOOV of course on Koh TAO.
What are your next projects around the world?
I am and will be busy with planning to build another MOOV in my hometown Amsterdam and would love to have a MOOV in Japan as well.
Otherwise I go where the music takes me.
I Am really living on my feeling and like George Clinton (Funkadelic) said: “Free your mind and your ass will follow”.
(Editor comment... with respect, an excuse to add a Funkadelic vid - Parliament Funkadelic live in 1979)
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