Founder and CEO of Pulse Events, Luffy Huang has seen major success in the last couple of years in his aim of shining a spotlight on Asian DJs and Asian EDM. With his upcoming S2O event in NYC looking set to be a trailblazing success, we sat down to talk with him about his inspirations, his goals, and what it’s like to run Pulse Events.
“I fell in love with EDM through attending events all around the world,” says Huang, when asked about the origins of his current career. “When I lived in Asia, I worked as a TV show and music producer for 15 years and when I moved to the US, it became my goal to continue in the industry while forming something new.”
Living in the US, Huang wished to see more Asian representation within the music industry, which ultimately led him to start Pulse. Of course, getting any company off the ground doesn’t happen overnight, but it wasn’t long before Huang’s new venture caught on.
He describes the music industry as “welcoming” of their aims, noting how quickly they’ve been able to grow.
“We quickly learned how the business works here and got into a good rhythm where we now produce several shows per year and are actively expanding. I feel we’ve been successful with all of our events so far, from Spring Festival to Winter Festival, so we’ve had some luck but also seen our hard work pay off.”
Not that the interests of Asian and American audiences are identical. When asked about the differences between the two markets, Huang noted that although both love EDM and EDM festivals, Asian audiences tend to be more interested in the pop sound, whereas Americans are always looking for new takes on the “dance music spectrum.”
Of course, perhaps the biggest test yet for Pulse will be their upcoming S2O festival in New York. Known as the “world’s wettest party”, S2O is one of the largest Songkran (Thai New Years) celebrations there is, during which attendees spray each other with water for good luck.
“I chose to bring this to New York,” says Huang,” because it’s the crossroads of the world. There are people from so many different backgrounds here - Asians, Europeans, and more - so there is no better place for S2O to debut in America.”
For those looking forward to S2O, Pulse has something really special in store. The two-day festival will take over the Brooklyn Mirage, transforming the iconic location into what Huang refers to as a “wet wonderland.”
There were a few reasons for the choice of venue, not least of which was the location’s impressive wrap-around LED screen which, combined with the water elements, will create a “magical experience” for all involved.
“It’s going to be unlike anything we, or other event producers, have ever done before in the US.”
To learn more about S2O, visit S2O’s website here.
