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Above: Artist's impression.
What does a superclub do when it has survived for 13 years at the top of its
industry, released a critically-acclaimed mix CD by its residents, organised
festivals that attract more than 20,000 people and has been consistently voted
amongst the top clubs in the world? The logical progression, it would seem to
Singapore superclub Zouk, is to start branching out overseas.
Zouk KL had been little more than a rumour for the better part of last year,
until undeniable proof was made plain for all to see in the form of its 32,000
sq foot building site at 113 Jln Ampang. Information about the club trickled out
at a glacial rate, no doubt a calculated move to increase the buzz around town.
The strategy's success means that the only thing on many clubber's lips
for the past few months has been Zouk KL.
Zouk finally shed some light on its KL project when it held a preview session
for the media yesterday. With the Petronas Twin Towers in the distance and the
Zouk KL site below, the club's management team and their architect ran through
their plans for the RM16 m complex, which is slated to launch in March.
The domed Zouk KL complex, which its team says doesn't contain a single straight
line, will be split into four areas: the Zouk mainroom and Velvet Underground,
which will be on either side of the main tunnel entrance, and the Loft and
Terrace Bars, with each area offering a distinctive environment for patrons.
The mainroom will have a capacity of 2,000 people and will feature top of the
line Funktion One soundsystems and an in-house VJ. These features will be
integrated in a "Moorish courtyard" theme with a "rough hewn, yet sharp and
modern" design. The dancefloor is the centrepiece of the room, with the DJ
console placed in the middle, and the Members Bar perched above.
The mainroom's music policy looks set to emulate it's sister clubs', with
international guest DJs, exhibitions and fashion shows taking place alongside
regular nights by Zouk KL's residents. "We will have the benefit of synergy
between Zouk Singapore and KL, so you can expect alot of international DJs and
big events like Fashion Week to be shared," said Cher Ng, Zouk KL's marketing
and business director.
When justdancelah.com asked Ng who Zouk KL's residents would be, however, Ng
remained tight-lipped, only saying that "it is not convenient for me to reveal
their names right now... but there will be a constant exchange program between (Zouk)
KL and Singapore to give [the KL residents] more exposure."
According to Ng, who was one of ZOuk's earliest residents before bringing in
most of the region's international DJs through his company TAC promotions, Zouk
KL's weeknights will import the club's most recognisable night, a Singapore
institution known as Mambo Jambo which attracts hordes of Singapore youth to
Jiak Kim St every Wednesday with a mix of Top 40 and evergreen 80's dance tunes.
Ng added that another night called "Ghetto Heaven" will also be added to appeal
to a "more mainstream crowd with RnB, funk and soul".
More exciting than the mainroom's offerings, however, are the Loft and
Terrace Bars and Velvet Underground. The Loft Bar will be on the second storey,
and takes a leaf from David Mancuso's book by adopting an eclectic music policy
that promises everything from nu jazz and broken beats to old school funk and
classic dance records played in an intimate environment. Downstairs, The Terrace
Bar has brought along Zouk's deli and hotdog stand, which has nourished many a
Singaporean clubber on those long nights out.
Velvet Underground, Zouk's more glamorous younger sister, will seek to
attract the in crowd who are loathe to sweat in their Pradas. Luckily,
Velvet has also built a reputation for quality house music that doesn't go down
well in the mainroom. Ng says the KL version will feature "house, garage, disco
and funk" - more of the same, then.
In addition to Ng, Zouk's core management team is made up of two other
Singaporeans - founder Lincoln Cheng, 56, and operations director Karen Seah,
who also set up Nouvo in KL and the popular Asian student club SALT in
Melbourne, Austraila.
So what prompted what is arguably Singapore's biggest cultural export to finally
set up shop beyond the confines of the tiny island state? "It made practical
sense in terms of logistics and marketing, but Malaysia is a booming market and
we don't see ourselves starting anywhere else in the region," says Seah. "Right
now clubbing in KL is blossoming and the time is right."
Judging by the rapid rate of construction on the Zouk KL site, it won't be too
long before the city finds out for itself just how accurate that forecast might
be.
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-Joon
-Image courtesy of Zouk |
