Reliving Holy Ship! – Dancing Astronaut’s favorite moments from weekend 12.0
Holy Ship! 12.0 was truly one for the books. With an even mixture of new and old faces across DJs and attendees, the vibe felt particularly special this time around, with talent from Mikey Lion to The Black Madonna all gushing about the magic that transpired over the weekend. The programming was as on point as the open, jubilant crowd, with a myriad of hidden stages, activity areas, and well-planned DJ sets happening all across the ship’s decks to create an even, enduring flow for all four days. Ultimately, the vibrant energy output by all involved—from the #shipfam, to the crew—made for yet another unforgettable voyage to the Bahamas.
While picking top moments of the festival feels akin to being forced to pick a favorite child, we masochistically put ourselves to the task and selected five highlights of 12.0. Without further ado…
JAUZ, Slander, and more at Bite This for an epic B2B
JAUZ went all out for his set at Bite This stage, playing more-or-less a producer’s set with mostly his own productions. While he’d already gotten off to a great start, onlookers got to witnessed something magical. Slander joined the bass house don on stage, followed by Holy Goof and Skepsis for what wound up being one of the most epic B2Bs of the weekend. We’re pretty sure people’s necks and feet still hurt from the chaos.
Claude VonStroke doing what he does best
Claude VonStroke played multiple times throughout Holy Ship! 12.0. Two moments were especially memorable, however. At the DIRTYBIRD private beach party, the label boss worked some serious wizardry behind the decks. This same atmosphere was present, and even more amplified, as the voyage came to a close and he took over the Theater stage with boisterous ease. The energy in the crowd almost created a full-on second wind.
NGHTMRE doing some damage on the Pool Deck
Ironically, NGHTMRE’s sailaway set was actually something out of a dream. Each tune he selected was an absolute knocker, be it his own original works, or numbers like Slander’s “Zombie,” which made the crowd completely lose it. Even more cerebral was that we got the chance to watch it from the 17th floor outside deck, which made the visuals completely surreal.
JOYRYDE brings out the hidden gems
Those in attendance of JOYRYDE’s two Holy Ship! performances were lucky enough to catch a special preview of his upcoming album, Brave. The swiftly-rising producer pulled out a ton of IDs in each, treating his onlookers to a fresh, unheard of aural feast. Pairing with the tunes was both of his crowds’ energies. There was no stopping of the wild dancing that night, and snatching snippets of the night to look back on afterward.
Heroic substitution by Habstrakt
Sadness could be felt across the Shipfam when news arose of Audien missing the cruise due to sickness. That being said, the Holy Ship! crew had an excellent substitute up its sleeve: Habstrakt. The classically-trained Frenchman read his crowd with ease, throwing down some three of the weekend’s most noteworthy sets that, while wildly varied stylistically and through track selection, remained connected in their wildness. One might even say him coming on board was a blessing in disguise.
Categories: Features