The music festival scene is a crowded market, and different venues and festivals are finding new and innovative ways to cut through the noise. Pulse Events – tickets to their Spring Festival available here – sets itself apart through diversity and representation; it is shocking to admit this makes it a welcome outlier in such a saturated market. Their strategic approach to curating lineups with a focus on Asian American talent mirrors the cultural mosaic of their audience and sets a new standard in the festival scene.
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.621.0_en.html#goog_148150529 By spotlighting artists like SLANDER (who was featured on our list of the saddest songs in dance music), Gryffin, and Henry Fong, Pulse Events champions diversity and creates a platform where Asian-American artists and those with significant Asian fanbases can shine. This thoughtful lineup selection is more than just an entertainment strategy; it’s a commitment to celebrating the rich tapestry of cultures that make up the festival’s audience.
Their upcoming Spring Festival: Lunar New Year Celebration is poised to be a landmark event. It will showcase a blend of international stars and local Asian-American talent, fostering an inclusive environment that resonates with the festival’s core values. We had a chance to sit down with Luffy, the CEO and founder of Pulse Events, to discuss efforts to book diverse acts and create moments of connection and understanding among fans of all backgrounds.
WHAT STRATEGIES DO YOU USE TO ENSURE A BALANCED REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT CULTURES, INCLUDING ASIAN AMERICANS, IN YOUR LINEUP?
As the CEO of Pulse Events, I always think about who our fans want to see. SLANDER member Scott Land is half Chinese, and I thought about that when booking them for Spring Festival this year and our show in March last year. Also Gryffin, one of the artists we booked for Spring Festival last year, is half-Japanese.
This Spring Festival, we have some Asian representation with SLANDER, and our other headliner is Alan Walker, who is Norwegian but has a huge Asian fanbase. We also booked Henry Fong, half Chinese and Southeast Asian, as a support artist for Spring Festival this year and last year.
Most importantly, I want our fans to enjoy the music. For our shows with headliners who are not Asian, I always try to book some local support who are Asian to balance it out.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/6HfZTdkheqDGQQwQGRV8et?utm_source=generator WHAT ROLE DO YOU THINK MUSIC FESTIVALS PLAY IN PROMOTING ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AND HOW DOES IT ENHANCE A FESTIVAL’S EXPERIENCE?
As we see more Asian American artists being booked at festivals, it elevates our community, and it becomes more common to see them on lineups. The artists that are getting booked at festivals get exposure to thousands of fans and a diverse crowd and that helps them become more popular and known in the scene.
I am happy to see so many DJs of Asian descent across dance music genres. There is representation across the spectrum from KSHMR to Henry Fong to Steve Aoki to ZHU. Having a diverse lineup enhances the PLUR (Peace Love Unity Respect) mantra at the center of dance music festivals.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/track/3rgTS3933lMWoPiN6CW4qY?utm_source=generator ARE THERE SPECIFIC GENRES WHERE YOU SEE MORE ASIAN AMERICAN REPRESENTATION, OR IS IT DIVERSE?
I’ve noticed that many Asian Americans like bass, which is why we’ve booked SLANDER twice now. They also love progressive house, so we selected Alan Walker as our other headliner for Spring Festival this year. Many of our fans also enjoyed the dubstep of Yellow Claw at our I Love U Day show last year.
Our fans like to listen to all genres of dance music, but for our cultural celebrations, like Lunar New Year and I Love U Day, I like to book high-energy acts to highlight the euphoria of the occasion.
WHAT IMPACT DO YOU THINK ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS HAVE ON THE BROADER MUSIC FESTIVAL SCENE?
I think Asian American artists have a more significant influence on the broader music festival scene than ever before.
As we’re seeing more of these artists playing at festivals, fans are realizing that there is so much talent from Asian backgrounds that has made it to the mainstream and is being embraced by fans. Also, seeing Asian artists on stage fosters more cultural awareness and acceptance.
HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY TRENDS OR SHIFTS IN THE POPULARITY OF ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS AT MUSIC FESTIVALS?
There are definitely more Asian American artists playing at music festivals than ever before. I’ve also been pleased to see a high level of interest from artists, even if they are not Asian, in including Lunar New Year production elements in our Spring Festival this year.
Our posters and artwork have Lunar New Year symbols and designs, and SLANDER and Alan Walker have been so receptive to the special features we have planned around the show, like a night market and traditional lion dancers.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO ASIAN AMERICAN ARTISTS TRYING TO GET BOOKED AT MAJOR MUSIC FESTIVALS?
My advice to Asian American artists trying to get booked at big festivals is to be proud of their background and stay true to their passion when making music. This was my mindset as I built and continued growing Pulse Events.
As an example, one of the artists we booked for Spring Festival last year, KSHMR, incorporates some of the sounds of India, where his father is from, into his music. He has become known for his unique sound and uses Indian cultural elements in his visuals. He titled one of his songs ‘Dharma’ and has a Dharma Studio that provides music production tutorials to lift other artists up.
Asian fans love KSHMR, and we are proud that we were able to bring him to one of our shows. In working in this industry, I have also seen how Asian producers help each other, so anyone who is growing their career can count on our support.