Having to brave Lan Kwai Fong on a Saturday or Sunday night often seems like running a mogul course designed by a bipolar alcoholic as you dodge empty beer cans and rowdy party revelers who have spilled out from some of the more ‘booze friendly’ venues that line the street. But this past winter one had to brave those streets on Thursdays too, as a new night popped up on the clubbing radar and in the heart of the debauchery. Courtesy of Frankie Lam, Luke “Lukas” Hall and Adam “AKW” Wright, three veterans of the local electronic music scene, a small but well-regarded underground techno night called PUSH was born.

For reasons out of their control, the night was short-lived, and when the so-far scorching summer sun of 2010 emerged, so again did this trio of DJs and promoters with a new event to fill another gap in Hong Kong’s party agenda: the Sunday recovery session. “It’s a very important feature of cities with a healthy clubbing scene,” says Wright, “so why don’t we just combine the Sunday recovery session with the pool party?”

But before Lam, Hall and Wright could spin their poolside tracks with drinks in hand and a stunning view of the city as a backdrop, they had their work cut out securing a venue to host the event. “Hotels are a lot more conservative in Hong Kong… it was a long and tedious road,” Hall explains. But luckily, a good friend who was well-established in the hotel industry put the PUSH boys in contact with the management at the Crowne Plaza in Causeway Bay. Their open air pool, perched on the 28th floor overlooking Victoria Park was a perfect venue, but these boys had to prove that their vision could work with two trial events. “[Hotel] management was there every time and they were very, very happy,” says Hall. With the backing of PUSH fans, and using only Facebook as a promotional tool, they’ve since gained a dedicated following of summer SPLASHers.

While the PUSH events focus on what Wright explains as “fairly dirty tech house and techno,” they’ve recognised the mainstream appeal of a pool party: “We’re trying to bring in a more summery vibe.” But diehard fans of PUSH and electronic music needn’t worry. “We’re never gonna be playing r’n’b or commercial house music,” Wright assures. Hall agrees, “We’re not getting the Hed Kandi crowd.” Leaving the glittery big names behind allows SPLASH to concentrate on what is most important for summer clubbers: making waves not just in the pool, but also on the decks.

Andrea Yu

SPLASH will be held on August 29 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel.