Let’s shine a light on Luffy Huang, the driving force behind Pulse Events. More than just an entertainment industry leader, Huang is on a mission to champion Asian American representation. Through his innovative events, he’s breaking down barriers and bringing Asian culture to a wider audience, celebrating its vibrancy and enriching the entertainment landscape.
Since launching in 2020, Pulse Events has consistently impressed with electrifying performances from top-tier artists like Gryffin, Kill The Noise, and Vini Vici, just to name a few. Now, they’re raising the bar by bringing S2O, Asia’s legendary water music festival, and Songkran—the Thai New Year—celebration, to the US for its highly anticipated debut.
Launched in Bangkok in 2015, S2O has become the world’s largest Songkran celebration, expanding across Asia with events in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand, Taiwan, and Vietnam. This innovative festival blends dance music with spectacular water effects, promoting the traditional Thai New Year celebration in a unique and electrifying way.
America’s first S2O Festival arrives at The Brooklyn Mirage, NYC in September, offering an immersive water music festival experience. Known globally as the world’s wettest party, the event will feature top-tier headliners like GRAMMY-nominated Marshmello and dubstep star Subtronics. The festival, celebrating Songkran, will also spotlight Asian-American artists such as ARMNHMR, SENSEI, Zion B2B Jomu, Cyberpunk b2b PSYXTOI, and JOKAH. This groundbreaking event offers attendees a unique opportunity to celebrate Songkran, immerse themselves in Asian culture, and witness the power of electronic music firsthand. Get your tickets here.
Luffy shares all the details of the upcoming event, what Pulse Event has to offer, and much more.
Pulse Events goes beyond just throwing great parties. What drives your passion for creating events that spark cultural curiosity and educate attendees about Asian traditions?
At Pulse Events, our focus is on educating our fans about Asian traditions and representing Asian Americans in the dance music scene. It reflects my mission and passion for promoting cultural diversity and inclusivity. By integrating these elements into our events, we not only entertain but also educate and foster cultural understanding among attendees and bridge the East with the West.
You’ve made it a mission to represent Asian Americans within the dance music scene. Why is this important to you, and how do your events contribute to this goal?
In essence, Pulse Events is dedicated to not only entertaining but also enriching the cultural landscape with the events we organize. Our approach blends artistic expression with a profound respect for Asian traditions, to create memorable experiences that resonate with diverse audiences. With each event we put on, we are bridging the gap between Asian and American cultures through the shared love of dance music.
Your Spring Festival: Lunar New Year Celebration 2023 was a groundbreaking moment. Can you walk us through the process of bringing that vision to life and the impact it had?
Bringing the vision of the Lunar New Year celebration to life involved meticulous planning, cultural consultation, and attention to detail. The hard work and hours paid off as I feel we set a new standard for how the Lunar New Year is celebrated within the electronic music and festival scene, bridging cultural traditions with contemporary entertainment.
Since 2020, Pulse Events has hosted some of the biggest names in electronic music such as Martin Garrix, SLANDER, Afrojack, and KSHMR to name a few. Is there a specific collaboration that stands out for you, and why?
Martin Garrix and Afrojack are super popular in Asia, so it made perfect sense for us to book them for our events. KSHMR is half Indian, so his background is Asian, and he resonates deeply with our fans. One of the members of SLANDER, Scott Land, is half-Chinese and half-white. Besides their background and popularity, all of these artists produce music that our fans love and are exhilarated to dance to, and that creates the joyful vibe we desire.
Pulse Events was entrusted with the U.S. debut of the globally massive S2O – the immersive water music festival and Songkran (Thai New Year) celebration. What made Pulse the perfect partner for this venture?
It was based on our vision and what we have done in the past. We have produced many shows in the New York market and the US, educating our audience on Asian culture. We thought S2O was very fitting to bring to the US to understand the beautiful Thai tradition of Songkran. S2O also trusted us because we have a track record of producing good shows in America, through my experience as a show producer and music producer for 15 years in Asia. I decided to open a company in the US, and it made perfect sense for us to partner up for the US debut of S2O.
Songkran is a beautiful Thai tradition. How will you integrate these cultural elements into the S2O New York experience to educate and engage North American audiences?
We are focusing on the Songkran tradition of splashing water as well as the water production elements. During Songkran, people splash water to wish each other good luck, and we’re bringing that to our show, so our fans can experience first-hand how wonderful and special that is.
The lineup for S2O New York boasts headliners like Marshmello and Subtronics, alongside established acts like Alan Walker and Timmy Trumpet. How did you curate such a diverse and exciting roster of artists for this inaugural event, and what other artists can we expect in the lineup?
We booked some of the artists that have headlined S2O events in Asia so that the one in New York could be a reflection of the experience in Asia. Subtronics was a headliner at S2O in Thailand in April. Alan Walker is a headliner for S2O Taiwan in July. So both of them were great fits for our show. Marshmello is very famous in Asia and people are very excited about him in the US too, so he can activate both markets and is the perfect transition for us. Same goes for Timmy Trumpet. Everyone is also so excited for the first-ever official back-to-back set by Said The Sky and William Black. I want to highlight LEVEL UP as well, who is the wife of Subtronics, and they just had a very amazing set at EDC Las Vegas that everyone has been talking about. We are thrilled to have ARMNHMR whose members are Korean-American and Filipino-American, to represent Asians in the lineup.
S2O promises more than just getting soaked. What other elements can attendees expect at the festival? Will there be food vendors, cultural performances, or other unique experiences?
We have designed some merchandise for fans including a water gun with the S2O logo that they can use to spray each other. We will also sell S2O branded towels for fans to dry off and relax. Everyone should wear swimsuits and prepare to get wet! We will also have cultural performances lined up that are a secret, so stay tuned for that surprise!
How does this milestone alongside Pulse Events feel for Luffy Huang?
My vision has always been to build a bridge to connect the East and the West, and this is the first big brand from Asia we’re working with and bringing to the US for the first time. So this is the milestone – it’s really happening, the bridge is being built.
What’s next on the horizon for Pulse Events after S2O? We can surely expect something even greater! Are you able to provide us with any details?
We are working on Pulse Events’ second Winter Festival this year and the third Spring Festival next year. We have the KRAZY Super Concert returning to Los Angeles on September 14 and 15. I have big things upcoming, but I cannot say much (laughs). We are working with a big brand in the US and that’s all I can say for now. And yes, we will be holding S2O next year too, making it an annual tradition like our other events!
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