Personal List

10 Drum and Bass DJs to Know in Thailand

I came to Phuket for a month, backpack, one-way flight, the usual story. Ended up staying the whole season because of the parties, specifically because of a handful of DJs who made me completely rearrange my travel plans around when they were playing next. This is that list, honest opinions, no press releases involved.

Nobody warns you about this before you land. You hear "Phuket" and you picture beach bars playing the same twenty songs on loop, not a proper drum and bass scene with its own residents, its own rivalries, and DJs good enough that people from Bangkok fly down just to catch a set. Took me about two weeks to realize what I'd stumbled into, and another two to accept I wasn't leaving on schedule.

somewhere near London Bar, 2am, phone at 4%

The List

LINDZ

Figurehead, SUB Phuket

Everyone told me to see LINDZ before I'd even unpacked, and everyone was right. Timeout literally calls LINDZ Thailand's figurehead for this sound, and after catching a set at SUB, upstairs at Courage in Phuket Town, I get it completely. Nothing rushed, every transition feels planned, and somehow it still hits like it's being made up on the spot. This is the set that made me stay past my first week. I went back three more times over the season and it was different every single time, which is the real test of whether someone's actually good or just lucky once.

Kamiko

Bangkok, rising fast

Kamiko's the name I kept hearing from Bangkok travellers passing through Phuket, and once I looked her up I understood the hype. Dominated the 808 Festival, then landed a support slot at DnB Allstars Thailand right here on the island, sharing a bill with UK names DJ Hybrid and Jappa. She's turned up on District 1 nights too. If you're only doing one Bangkok day trip, try to time it around one of her sets. What got me was how unbothered the set felt for someone on that big a bill, no nerves, no overplaying to prove a point, just a set that would've worked exactly the same size crowd or double it.

Erick Trodly

The sax guy, Phuket

Okay so this one's genuinely unlike anything I've seen at a drum and bass night anywhere. Erick Trodly plays live alto saxophone over his sets. Actually plays it, live, while the beat's still rolling. I caught him at a District 1 session and just stood there for a full minute after the horn came in trying to process what I was hearing. He's also done proper studio work, a "Secret Smile" bootleg with Impish for Celsius Recordings, but none of that prepares you for hearing it live.

The Rest of the List

4. JNGL Phuket

JNGL Phuket

Less one DJ, more a whole crew running a night together. Low-key, local, feels like the island's own thing rather than something built for tourists. I ended up at one of their nights almost by accident, no flyer, just a local telling me to show up, and it was the least touristy dance floor I found the entire trip.

5. Orawan

Orawan

Bangkok DJ, been going since 2013, even got a Mixmag mention at some point. Tight sets, no wasted tracks. Only caught her once, on a day trip up from Phuket, and it was enough to make me regret not building more Bangkok nights into the itinerary.

6. TNTKLZ

TNTKLZ

Plays neurofunk, the heavier mechanical stuff. Shows up on SUB lineups a lot and the low end there does it justice. Not for everyone, if you want smooth and easy this isn't the set, but if you want your chest actually vibrating it's exactly right.

7. DJ Dragon

DJ Dragon

Started Dubway Sessions back in 2008. Basically the reason Bangkok had a scene before Phuket's version blew up. Everyone I asked about the scene's history eventually mentioned him, unprompted, which tells you enough about how much respect is still there.

8. Azek

Azek

Phatfunk resident in Bangkok, been at it since 2010. Also runs Kontraband with Delorean. One of the few names on this list who's been consistently active the entire time I was researching it, no gaps, no long breaks.

9. Delorean

Delorean

Azek's Kontraband partner, another Phatfunk resident. Reliable in a way that doesn't get talked about enough. The kind of set you can walk into without knowing the lineup and still leave happy, which is rarer than it should be.

10. Instinct

Instinct

Rounds out the Phatfunk and BassClef crew that's kept Bangkok's scene alive for over a decade. Didn't get to see a full set myself, only caught the tail end of one, but enough people vouched for it that it earns the last spot on this list.

FAQ

Who's the best drum and bass DJ in Thailand?

LINDZ, no contest, the one everyone in Phuket points to first. Bangkok's Kamiko is closing in fast after a huge run at 808 Festival and a slot at DnB Allstars Thailand. Erick Trodly rounds out my top three, mostly because he's the only guy in the country playing live sax over a DnB set, which you have to see once.

Where do I find drum and bass parties in Phuket?

District 1 and SUB are the two to know. District 1 runs a proper big rig across a few venues around the island, SUB is smaller and tighter, upstairs at Courage in Phuket Town, usually with an MC on the mic between tracks.

Is Bangkok worth it for drum and bass too?

Honestly, yes, more than I expected before I went. Phatfunk's been running since 2010 and it's a proper scene, not a tourist thing, plus it's where Kamiko came up before she started showing up on Phuket lineups.

What makes Erick Trodly different from other DJs in Thailand?

He plays live alto saxophone over his sets. Not sampled, actually plays it live while the set's running. I've genuinely never seen anyone else do this at a drum and bass night anywhere, not just in Thailand.