Music pumping, doused with ILLUMI glow water, running, dancing and partying to a new route – you can expect to have the time of your life at this year’s Illumi Run 2016!
Happening on the 17th of December at Palawan Green, Sentosa, participants will enjoy five different ultraviolet music-themed stations, complete with inflatable features.
To top it all off, the homegrown ultimate running event will feature Rave Republic, DJ TiNC and DJ Cookie! How sweet is that!
Despite their busy schedules, both Crystal Tan and Vivian Yeong of The Ridge were lucky enough to catch up with the Rave Republic and DJ Cookie via email to learn a little more about their personal interests:
Rave Republic
Don’t be fooled by their appearances, Rave Republic’s Russia-born Stas Madorski and Swiss-born Mathias Schell are typical Singaporeans at heart, with Stas even appearing in popular local film, Ah Boys to Men 3. This dynamic duo are no strangers to Illumi Run – they were part of the act for last year’s event. Signed to the Warner Music Singapore, these rising stars just debuted their new EP Rule it All, at #2 on the iTunes overall album chart.
Having just been on tour, what are some of your most memorable experiences DJ-ing?
We have memorable experiences almost every time that we go on tour. Some of the highlights include a recent show in the Philippines for Vibrant Festival. We played alongside Fedde Le Grand and Juicy M to approximately 8,000 people. The energy from the crowd was absolutely amazing. We also had just as much fun with the smaller shows: we recently went to Kaohshiung and Taichung in Taiwan to DJ in those cities for the first time, and it was absolutely nuts from start to finish. We tried to extend our sets as we were having such a blast!
What are some of the tracks we can look forward to during Illumi Run? Will we get to listen to any tracks from your newly released EP?
We always make it a point to play some of our new songs. You’ll be sure to hear our song Rule it All from our EP at the festival as well as some of our older crowd-favourite tracks such as Ready for the Drop and Shoot for the Moon.
You guys have mentioned how rare it is for DJs to work together – what are some difficulties you guys face working together?
To be honest we’ve never really had any difficulties working together, as surprising as that sounds! We each know what our responsibilities are, and we stick to them – which helps a lot. Other than that we both have similar interests and hobbies. We both love travelling, we’re huge foodies, and overall just love having a good time and making the most out of all the travelling/touring we do!
Having lived in Singapore for eight years, what are some of the most Singaporean things you guys do.
For Stas, especially, the Hokkien vulgarities come out when he’s “mabok” (Malay for intoxicated). We’ve fully embraced the Singaporean way of life; you won’t find us eating at restaurants much, but rather at hawker centres.
What are your favourite local dishes?
Stas: Sambal Stingray, Char Kway Teow, Prata
Matt: Chicken Rice, Char Kway Teow, Carrot Cake
Having performed at Illumi Run before, what are some of the things runners can look forward to this year?
The Illumi Run is one of the highlights of our year. Performing in front of thousands of people is an incredible experience! Every year the Infinitus team put together an amazing course, with multiple zones which host DJs who each have their own style – that is something very unique which people don’t usually experience. On top of that the runners will be able to experience a whole new “Illumi Run”, with the new move to Sentosa! And finally, we also can’t wait to do our traditional sit-down with all the runners 🙂
Your favourite social media platform to connect with fans?
Definitely has to be Facebook. We have a good number of followers there and it’s probably the easiest way to connect with our fans. We read every comment and answer all messages as well!
DJ COOKIE
Hailing from Taiwan, DJ Cookie, has spun in Taiwan’s top night clubs like LUXY and W Hotel Taipei. Having performed in Korea, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, this fashionista has also been invited to fashion shows from big names such as Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo and Georg Jensen. With a full length album released last year, DJ Cookie is certainly one to watch!
Where are your favourite places to club in Taiwan?
It is difficult to tell — all the clubs in every city of Taiwan have their own style and it’s hard to pick just one since I have so many passions and things I love. I always feel good when I see all my fans in one place, so places where that happen are my favourite!
Heard you like working out – what tracks keep you pumped in the gym?
I don’t listen to specific tracks at the gym. Instead, I always use Mixcloud when I work out. Using it, I listen to one hour of non-stop music from my favourite DJs whenever I work out!
Having performed internationally, what is your favourite city to perform at?
At the moment my favourite countries to perform at are Japan and Taiwan. I DJ in Tokyo and other parts of Japan many times a year and love it.
Who are some of your favourite DJs?
My favourite DJs – Carl Cox, Galantis, Nicole Moudaber, The Chainsmokers, Robin Schulz, and more. I have too many favourite DJs and it’s hard to choose!
What’s one dish you look forward to having in Singapore?
Bak Kut Teh (Pork bone tea)!
Having released an album last year, can fans expect anything new coming soon?
Yes. I had released my own produced album last year. And now I’m planning to work with a good DJ producer in Asia for a new release in 2017, so fans can look out for that.
Your favourite social media platform to connect with fans?
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. I like having these platforms to communicate with fans and reply fans’ comments by myself.
Are you planning on participating in Illumi Run 2016? Do you have any other acts you’re particularly excited for? Let us know over on our Facebook page!