Music

Electric Zoo’s anti-drug push evident on Randall’s Island

“Drugs are bad, mmmkay?”

It’s the mantra spoken by the famously buffoonish Mr. Mackey – the school counselor in “South Park” – but now also by organizers of Electric Zoo. Following two overdoses that forced the cancellation of the electronic festival’s final day last year, anti-narcotic measures and messages were everywhere as the event returned to Randall’s Island on Friday.

Leaflets strongly dissuading drug use were circulated, water was provided free to stop overheating or dehydration and attendees were also required to watch a video designed to warn against the dangers of “Molly” (a modern term for Ecstasy). “It was just a guy rolling and sweating a lot while his girlfriend freaked out,” said attendee Kevin Morrison, a clearly unimpressed 24-year-old ice hockey player from Long Island who watched the clip online. “I don’t think it’s gonna work. Kids are gonna do what they wanna do.”

Organizers also implemented a strict escort policy for journalists covering the festival. The Post was shepherded from stage to stage with tense PR representatives trying to keep press away from partying music fans. Even trips to the bathroom were nervously monitored and any attempt to escape the festival Stasi would result in ejection. In their bid to clean up Electric Zoo’s image, organizers have turned this year’s event into a day-glo version of North Korea.

It’s all a farce because EDM and ecstasy are essentially soul mates and the saucer-eyed dancing on display showed that to still be true. But the on-site euphoria is also derived from a huge number of sober revelers in their late teens and 20s simply letting off steam. The two combined gives Electric Zoo an energy that few other festivals can get close too.

An early evening Main Stage West set by the Chipotle-loving Carnage illustrated that perfectly. Pairing nasty dubstep beats with trippy back projections (including one of him morphing into Macaulay Culkin), his seismic beat drops and accompanying blasts of confetti were met with rapture almost every time. Canadian A-Trak followed immediately after and even though fans had no time to recuperate, the Kanye West-approved DJ spliced up hard techno with hip-hop to another astonishing peak.

Providing a thrill for the house music heads were Nicky Romero (on the slightly smaller Main Stage East) and Swedish duo Dada Life who, at one juncture, incorporated a vocal lifted from Meghan Trainor’s current Billboard Chart smash “All About That Bass” into their set. In doing so, they transformed her bubblegum pop hook into something far darker and wonderfully demonic.

Closing out Friday night was David Guetta, the Frenchman who has taken EDM into the mainstream thanks to pop collaborations with Rihanna and Lady Gaga, but who is a deeply divisive figure in the scene itself. For a headline act, Guetta attracted a noticeably sparse crowd and it didn’t take to long to see why. His hackneyed array of euro trash sounds and weak house beats felt lackluster compared to that which had come before. What had been a carnival atmosphere deflated rapidly. There are some things that just don’t sound good, no matter how many drugs you take.

Electric Zoo continues on Saturday with appearances from Armin Van Buuren and Zedd before coming to an end with Sunday night’s set from Kaskade.