Lets DANCE in Singapore

CLUB, CLUB AND MORE CLUBS IN SINGAPORE!

The smell of suffocating exhaust smoke and the sight of a three laned road jammed with taxis and cars greeted me as I made my way towards the carpark on my Vespa. I was on my way to Ministry of Sound aka; MOS, which was located at Clarke Quay Road and my senses were not titillated by the hustle and bustle of the road. It didn’t help that the weather was hot and humid even at night and without me realizing, I was beginning to perspire.

Alright, so i have been spoilt rotten by the accessibility of some of the other clubs and not being made to go through so much hassle just to get there. Deep inside, I whined as I scooted my way in between the cars and taxis towards the carpark. If there was any consolation to this, it would be that I was riding instead of driving as it would probably take longer, MUCH longer to find a spot to dump my car.

After parking my vespa, I made my way by foot towards Clarke Quay (still in a foul mood sulking about the jam). But as soon as I stole a peek of Clarke Quay’s atmosphere, all is forgiven as my jaws opened and faintly but surely I heard myself say, “Ahhhh…”

This is a typical sight on a weekend night at Clarke Quay. If you’re there on private transport, the jam there would definitely be a pain in the ass. However do not be disheartened, for with every hard work there will be a reward. Here in this case, the reward is being able to experience a fun-filled night life in Clarke Quay. As for me it was good music, drinks and company in MOS!

Singapore being as small as it is, boasts a myriad of different night clubs where you can dance the night away! From, House to R&B, Singapore’s night clubs cater to different music genre and generations. To get you started, Itchytraveller have scouted two of the recommended night clubs in Singapore and thrown in some description of these two clubs. Not only will this allow you to know which night club is your preference, but it will make you feel at home too! And that may make the idea of squeezing through bodies (some may be sweaty) and dancing in a very tight space seem much more tolerable and at the same time, a tad more enjoyable and exciting.

Zouk

Any list of top night clubs in Singapore should begin with none other than Zouk (17, Jiak Kim Street, 7382988). This hugely popular club- honed as one of the best if not the best night club in Singapore, attracts mainly the hip and happening crowd, and is definitely the place to see and be seen. Zouk plays mainly House and trance music but On Wednesdays (ladies night), the music rewinds back into time, playing top hits from the 70s, 80s and 90s. Themed ‘MAMBO NIGHT’, you will be entertained with music such as ‘Dying inside to Hold you’ and its other signature songs such as ‘Square Rooms’ and ‘Together Forever’ where you can sing and dance along with the rest of the Mambo-ers! For a fantastic night of reminiscence fun with a bunch of friends, ‘Mambo night’ is the right place and time!

However since, real action at Zouk doesn't begin until midnight, the popular place to hang out in the meantime between dinner and dance is Zouk Wine Bar. Adjourning Zouk, this stylish bar is a great place for people-watching and at the same time sipping a few light drinks while catching up with some of your friends- music in the main dance floors are too loud and you would find yourself shouting most of the time. Occasionally you end up releasing splatter of saliva onto your friends face in your attempt to talk louder than the music! You wouldn’t want that to happen would you?

Within Zouk’s main building is Phuture, where the music is more Hip-Hop and R&B. Since its renovations a few years back, the décor has transformed into a futuristic, space-agey blend of steel and plastic. One of the many quirky concepts, the seats are uniquely coloured and shaped into bright bubble-like design. However our only gripe is that the area is comparatively smaller and since R&B appeals to most Singaporeans especially the younger generation, there is rarely a night that Phuture isn’t packed! However, I can guarantee that if you are an avid fan of latest top R&B music such as Flo Rida’s big hit, ‘LOW’ you will definitely be hooked with Phuture, as I was!

Zouk establishment also houses Velvet Underground, where the crowd is slightly older and the music is mainly Soul and Garage. The mood here is sophisticated and futuristic: the walls are adorned in velvet, hence the name. If sweaty body packed place isn’t really your taste, velvet is definitely the place to be. Here, there is more space to move freely and at the same time dance without having to say “Sorry!” or vice versa!

Ministry Of Sound (MOS)

If there was going to be a rival to Zouk’s famous night club, it would definitely have to be MOS (Blk C, The Cannery at Clark Quay). Boasting a sprawling area of 40,000 sq ft, the Ministry of Sound Night Club opens its doors to the public at 10 pm all the way till 5 am. It is the craze of all youngsters who love partying hard till the wee hours of the morning. Also, this is one of the world’s biggest Ministry of Sound establishments, with structure design equipped to provide audio and visual effect experience – a deadly combination set to satiate the aural and visual senses of any discerning clubber.

MOS is a global DJ platform, importing the crème de la crème of the world’s dance music talents, consistently pumping eclectic selections of beats and grooves. The main Arena of MOS plays mainly house and trance music but occasionally play top 80s and 90s music on Wednesdays, and on Thursday, the main arena converts from house and trance to play R&B music whole night long.

Like Zouk which has a wing dance floor, Phuture playing R&B music, MOS also has a separate wing dance room, SMOOVE which will give Phuture a run for its money! With designs to portray the backstreet concept of a night alley, this is a great playground for the R&B aficionados. Here, empty oil barrels are used as table tops and the dance floor is identified by its cage-like design- the perfect setting for a night of R&B experience. Not to mention Smoove has a cute resident DJ, by the alias Tang, who is popular with the ladies too! As such you find yourself seeing a lot of hot ladies there, which not surprisingly gravitates a lot of guys there too, making Smoove a very crowded place during the peak hours of the night!
Within MOS main building, there is Studio 54 where the music is totally retro! With an interior design to mimic the atmosphere of a disco-fever era, you will definitely have fun with the likes of ABBA and KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND! From disco balls hanging to colourful neon lighted blinking lights, Studio 54 is ‘purrfect’ for those craving great psychedelic fun!

Also on the same second floor as Studio 54, is none other than PURE. Like Velvet Underground of Zouk, PURE has a similar concept in attracting the older crowd. One main difference is that instead of dark velvet walls, PURE differentiates its mood by having classy white walls and couches portraying a clean edge, futuristic look. Here the crowd is lesser and the music is not so loud where you can go to for a chill from all the other bass-thumping dance rooms.

Like most people, you probably think: If I don’t want to hurt my eardrum or get my feet stepped on, why go to Zouk of MOS in the first place? Why not just go to some other night club with less crowd but playing the same music? The reason: MOS and ZOUK provide a whole clubbing experience! With all the different variety multi-genre rooms and music to cater to the different aural taste of night clubbers, it is not too hard to see why these two clubs are ahead in the night club pack. However it’s not just in these two clubs that you can experience the entire clubbing scene in Singapore. Night clubs such as The Arena, St James PowerStation and Double O/O Bar are one of the few night clubs popular among avid clubbers. You have to go to these places to experience the different unique clubbing scenes! Whatever it is, Life is short, so lets all PARTY hard!!