All Aboard: Splash House
2019 has been an amazing year for house music, and if you’re into the genre, I’m sure you would agree. In recent years, we’ve seen whole events and festivals catered solely to this particular style of music. I’m sure it goes without saying, but we are absolutely loving it.
One such event that recently took place is Splash House, which is held in Palm Springs, California. The event takes place twice a year, with the first being in June, and the second in August. I recently had the opportunity to attend the August edition of Splash House, and I was truly blown away.
The parties took place from August 10-12 and were held at The Renaissance, Riviera, & Saguaro hotels collectively. Prior to attending Splash House, I had never visited Palm Springs, therefore I wasn’t exactly sure of what to expect. All I knew was that it was going to be hot, so I made sure to pack some sunscreen.
Upon exiting my car I quickly realized this may have been the best decision I made the whole weekend. I arrived at The Seguaro in order to pick my pass and was welcomed to Palm Springs by a 108° gush of hot air. This occurred as I opened my driver’s side door. From here, I went to park my car at The Renaissance, it was officially ‘Go Time’.
The Parties
The Renaissance
The Renaissance was my first stop of the three hotels, as I wanted to be sure to see what each hotel was about, and the unique flavor that they each brought to the table. Once inside, I decided to head over to the bar where I found myself ordering a “BeatBox” Fresh Watermelon Party Punch, and I was instantly won over. Over the course of the weekend, I made sure to order more of these life-saving drinks.
I managed to catch a bit of Monoky‘s set, with the opening of Toro Y Moi‘s. The energy of The Renaissance was pretty neat, but it didn’t live up to the idea of Splash House that I had seen online, and that I had in my head. I must say though, the venue as a whole was extremely beautiful. The venue itself had a retro vibe to it, albeit with updated features.
After a bit of wandering around, I found the Carl’s Jr. truck and munched out on some free burgers. I then headed to the shuttle, to make my way to The Riviera. I quickly realized how tight the schedules were, and if I planned to see everyone I wanted to, while still taking the shuttles provided, I would be in quite the pinch. Challenge accepted.
The Riviera
As I arrived at The Riviera, I quickly realized this vibe was a bit different, and the crowd was too. I went from a land of chill, deeper house to something a bit funkier, and eclectic, and it was great. I had managed to catch Pat Lok, and some of Taska Black while here. While I can’t say I was too hyped on staying at The Riviera very long, it was a bit hard to leave. The debauchery taking place on the premises was unreal. As hard as it was to leave, I slipped onto the shuttle and quietly made my way to The Saguaro.
The Saguaro
As I got off the shuttle, I was surprised to see that there was no line at all. I quickly realized I was wrong. This was because the line to enter the pool was inside the hotel lobby, and not in the entrance. Once inside, I noted the time and saw that it was a quarter to five. This meant two things, one, that Golf Clap was coming to an end, and that I would be there the beginning Solardo‘s set.
It was at this point that I linked up with some friends, and joined them on the ‘dancefloor’. Golf Clap went hard the remaining 10 minutes of there set, as is expected from the Detroit-based duo. This wasn’t my first time seeing them. As they exited the stage and the Solardo boys entered I grew excited, as this was a duo I had NOT seen yet. A rare occurrence for me these days.
Solardo
For a solid hour and a half, Solardo serenaded the Seguaro with their take on house music and the crowd was loving it. The set was so full of energy, to the point I had to tap out. I left the group of friends I had rendezvoused with and headed down to the pool area.
It was here that I spent the remainder of my time. While here, I made some new friends, an Ex-Pat from Shanghai along with his influencer girlfriend, a group of LA natives, and a whole pools worth of lovers of house music.
It was from this same vantage point that I witnessed Escapade (Walker & Royce + Ardalan) utterly destroy The Saguaro. The group played for a whopping two-hours and closed the stage that night. It goes without saying that the vibe at The Saguaro is exactly what I was expecting, full-blow ratchetness, but the good kind. If you’ve ever attended CRSSD or any Dirty Bird event, I’m sure you know just what I’m talking about. This isn’t to be taken for a bad thing.
After Hours
Upon leaving the scheduled activities at The Seguaro, I headed to a friend’s Air B&B in order to prepare for the After-Hours parties. With this being my first time attending Splash House, I wasn’t too sure what to expect.
I was under the impression that Phantoms, Walker & Royce, Hot Since 82 and the rest of the Friday lineup would be playing, but turns out, I was wrong. It was Saturday, and the acts I had been looking forward to seeing had actually already performed the day before.
This was quite the eye-opener as I realized I had somehow overlooked the set times, despite having already having written about them. Regardless, judging from my Saturday experience, I can almost guarantee you that the party that went down the night before was out of this world. I must say, I’m still upset that I missed Phantoms and Hot Since 82. This is quite the lesson learned for next year.
After Hours: Saturday
Upon entering the After Hours party, I quickly took note that Enzo Muro was on stage, and counted down the time to see Diplo. Diplo was a last-minute addition to After-Hours schedule. As a result, the buzz around this wasn’t that big online. This may have been a good thing. Now, I’ve seen Diplo perform as a part of Major Lazer, As himself, and I’ve watched his legendary NYC Jack Ü set. While I won’t say that I’m the biggest Diplo fan, the man does have some skills behind the decks that cannot be denied.
The set threw down at the Palm Springs Air Museum was something else. Something I will never forget, and that I just might keep with me for the rest of my life. Diplo played a one & half-hour set full of some Diplo-flavored house music and played NONE of the songs we’ve come to know him for. I’m truly grateful to the Splash House crew that I got to experience this. I hope this set finds its way to the internet somehow.
Once Diplo was done, the Toolroom Records head honcho Mark Knight closed out the stage. If you’ve never seen Knight, I highly recommend checking him out. The man is a legend and knows just how to throw down a proper set. I’m sure the crowd at the Splash House After-Hours party would agree.
The Artists
From the wide palette of Hot Since 82‘s House music,
To Ekali‘s versatile Djing and song selection,
Claude Von Stroke‘s glorious Dirty Bird style of Tech-House,
And the eclectic wave of Hippie Sabotage,
One thing remains the same. The music at Splash House is some of the best in the world. Day two of Splash House featured some amazing sets at The Renaissance from artists such as Lane 8, Cristoph, and Lutrell. The Saguaro witnessed magic from the likes of Lee Floss, Detlef, and DJ Seinfeld. All the while, Keys N Krates, Shallou, and Ilo Ilo smashed The Riviera.
Those in attendance know how wild the second day was, and those who weren’t might just have a reason to visit SH next year & found out for themselves.
If you can’t tell by now, the people behind Splash House know how to perfectly curate a lineup. This is evident from the show they put on, and the musicians they book. Pair this with the venues that seem as if they were created just for this event, and you’ve got yourself a home run.
See You Next Year
With both the June and August editions of Splash House now behind us, we have no choice but to look to the future, and that is 2020. Splash House has definitely wowed this writer, so much in fact, that he’s looking forward to making the voyage back to Palm Springs.
For more information on all things Splash House, be sure to check out their official website here. Splash House is expected to return in 2020, with that being said, see you there.
