Delicate Decibel: Bangkok's biggest electronic music festival nobody has heard of

Aiming to earn a spot among Bangkok’s leading electronic music festivals, Delicate, an independent concert organizer, is bringing its low-profile Decibel event back for its third consecutive year. 

So far, their attempts to create a much-talked about event haven't yet hit the mark. If they had, Decibel would by now be on every indie kid's lips. It isn’t.

But this year just might be their year. Delicate has managed to gather 16 bands and DJs from a wide variety of musical genres, from live electronic and post rock to shoegaze. Most are electronic masters from Bangkok and aboard including the likes of DJ Toru from Japan, ZK III from New Zealand and Bangkok’s own DJ Dragon and Kijjazzz. 

To crank things up and pull in a bigger crowd this year, Decibel also invited better known Thai bands with noisy, complicated, stylish tunes like Desktop Error and Buddhist Holiday. Young amateurs like Swirling Light and Inspirative will rock out as well.

It’s all taking place on two stages, this Friday, at Club Culture. One will feature solely post rock and shoegaze, the other experimental music and DJs. Meanwhile, 32 Bangkok skateboarders will gather early in the evening to compete in a “Battle Game of Skate” competition at 4 p.m.  

“This might not be a ‘party’ like you see at Culture One or Zouk Out,” says Delicate Decibel organizer Benz Photongnoppakun. “There will be drinks, dancing and great music but we want to offer a chance for real musicians to show their talents and the audience to taste something different. All the bands at Decibel are people with an experimental sense and with their own originality. Not just another band who plays covers. It’ll surely be interesting.” 

Delicate Decibel takes place at Club Culture on September 17 (Ratchadamnoen Road, +66 (0)89 497 8422). After the 4 p.m. skateboarding show the party starts at 8 p.m. with shoegazers Swirling Light. Tickets are 250 baht for one drink and a Delicate Decibel limited edition CD. Free entrance before 9 p.m.

Delicate Decibel line-up

Stage 1 -- Live Bands

• Desktop Error
• Buddhist Holiday
• Revenge of cyberman
• Forgot your case
• Thom AJ. Madson & Post Girls Rock Club
• The Apostate
• Inspirative
• Swirling light

 

Stage 2 -- Experimental Music and DJs

• Dj To-ru
• Dj Dragon and MC Sinnamon
• ZK III
• Daddy P LO
• Baptiste Mauerhan
• Space360
• Kraffa
• Kijjaz