This Wednesday, just as dawn breaks and most people shake themselves from slumber and ready for the day to come, Jump Start will be afoot. The script-flipping morning dance party that is the first-of-its-kind shindig to happen onboard a Mississippi riverboat, is the ultimate sweet spot of dance, wellness and music will feature EATMEPOPTART’s KiDG and Fat Fish Familia’s Orio unspooling limb-blasting, spirit-rousing tunes from the decks. 

Bandwagon speaks to both DJs about how they feel about the intersection of music and wellness and what a party of this nature implies for the scene.

Hey KiDG and Orio! Thanks for your time. What’s kept you busy lately?

KiDG: I’m good! These days I am pretty much busy playing alongside Adrian Wee for the EATMEPOPTART nights, as well as on regular deck duties for Lo & Behold’s OverEasy outlets and running my own Tiko Disko events! 

Orio: It’s my pleasure. There are few thing keep me busy these days: we’re working on few new original tracks, as well as bookings and promoting the next Fat Fish events and DJing every weekend at different places.  

How do you feel about DJing a sunrise party as opposed to your usual late-night gigs? How different is the vibe going to be?

Orio: I'm very happy to be a part of the sunrise party. I think it’s a great concept and it’ll be nice to see fresh faces at 6:30am! The difference is, my music isn’t going to be huge. Usually, I play a lot of soul, disco and African beats and I think it’s going be perfect for morning set. 

KiDG: I am actually looking forward to it! Yeah, it will definitely be different from the usual night parties, like you said. I guess, if the attendees are sorted out on caffeine and food, and together with some inviting groovy tunes, they should be able to summon up their inner boogie for that day! And it’s going to be quite a good workout too. We’ve already seen how such daytime parties work overseas, so it’s about time Singapore gets a dose of this too.

And does the fact it’s a morning dance party affect how you plan your sets?

KiDG: Expect brighter, more chirpy tunes! I will be spinning a bit more feel-good, energetic numbers and probably those that people can remember the words to. Nothing too deep or contemplative. Just full-on “c’mon let’s have a good time” vibes.

Orio: It’s not going to affect it. I don't do to much planning, usually. Like I do for every other party, I play what I’d love to listen to if I was on the dance floor. When the dancers react with extra love to one of the tracks, then I know what’s going to be the vibe for the rest of the event.

Dance music and wellness are intersecting more than ever. Why do you think that is and how do you feel about it?

KiDG: Well, dancing has always been a good form of exercise. So, naturally, any music with a pumping beat will be able to help score your workout. And these days, there’s so much more emphasis on exercising and living healthily. I personally feel that it’s a good thing that dance music plays a part in it.

Orio: I feel like dance and wellness have always been connected: A good dance session is good treatment for your body, mind and soul.  

What does wellness mean to you?

Orio: It means doing anything that makes you happy, as long it’s not damaging to your body or your brain. Or anything that, at the end of the day, makes you feel complete and positive. 

KiDG: To me, wellness is not just being fit physically but also having a healthy mental state of mind.

Given that DJing is a physically demanding activity, how are some ways you take care of yourself and stay healthy? Do you have a pre-show regime / workout?

Orio: To stay strong with good energy, I meditate and stretch daily. I guess, you can call them mini yoga sessions. At least once a week, I play football. I need a good sport to kick out emotions and ego somewhere! Once every two weeks, I go to an osteopath. Besides all this, I try to drink more than one fresh ABC every day. I haven’t drunk any alcohol in six months and it’s definitely made me body and mind feel better.

My pre-workout before gigs, is to close my eyes and take a deep breath while I put the biggest smile I can muster on my face and just thank my self for doing what I love, and thank the universe for everything i have in life. 

KiDG: I actually sleep a lot and eat moderately. In the past, I was more reckless in my living so, now, as I progress in age, I realized I have to start looking into my physical health and diet. That last one is especially difficult when you’re living in this country where there’s so much good food! I don’t have any pre-show regime, in particular. Just that I try not to have that heavy a meal, and I keep myself hydrated throughout my DJ sets (and watch my alcohol intake). 

Lastly, what are you hoping people will take away from the party?

KiDG: I think it’s very obvious that when it comes to any party I play, and that is everyone enjoying themselves and leaving happy at the end of it all. For this particular first edition of Jump Start, I hope they feel awesome and have a great start to their day. 

Orio: At the end of the event, I want to see people with big smiles, with extra love in their hearts and I want to see all of them happy with themselves. Instead of staying in bed for another two hours, they did the best thing they could do, with yoga, dancing and probably making at least one new friend. 

Jump Start will begin on 29 August at 6:30am. Tickets are on sale for $35 (dance pass) and $45 (sunrise yoga + dance pass). Dance pass packages for 3 persons are available for $90. Get them here.