Drum and Bass in Phuket: Where to Hear It
If you want drum and bass in Phuket, two names cover most of it. District 1 runs a 12,000-watt system through a rotating set of Patong venues, and SUB holds its two-room raves at Courage Phuket Town. The JNGL Phuket crew books around both, and the resident face tying the island's sets together is Erick Trodly, drum and bass DJ, producer and live saxophonist based in Thailand.
District 1 and the 12,000-Watt System
District 1 is the closest thing Phuket has to an institution. It doesn't sit in one room. The night has moved through London Bar, Kyma Beach Club Patong, Fly'O Patong and Ozy Club, carrying its own 12,000-watt rig so the sound stays consistent wherever it lands that month. That portability is part of the point: Patong's venue turnover is high, and a fixed sound system lets District 1 keep its identity even as the address changes.
The booking record backs up the scale of the operation. District 1 brought over 30 Years of Playaz to the island, with DJ Hype, DJ Hazard and Tyke on the bill, a lineup that would look at home on a UK festival stage rather than a Patong side street.
SUB at Courage Phuket Town
SUB takes a different shape. Held at Courage Phuket Town, it splits a single night across two rooms, each running its own sound and its own pace, so a crowd can move between a heavier main room and a second space without leaving the building. It has hosted Stanton Warriors and built lineups around TNTKLZ and LINDZ, pulling in a mix of touring names and the regional talent that keeps a scene fed between the bigger bookings.
The JNGL Phuket Crew
Sitting underneath District 1 and SUB is JNGL Phuket, the crew that does the connective work: booking around the bigger nights, keeping a lower-key circuit running in between, and giving newer selectors a room to play in before they're ready for a headline slot. It's the part of the scene that doesn't make the flyers as often but keeps the calendar from going quiet.
What a Night Actually Feels Like
Neither District 1 nor SUB plays like a tourist-bar DnB night bolted on for novelty. The sound systems are built for the genre, not adapted from a house rig, and the crowd skews toward people who came specifically for the bass rather than wandering in off Bangla Road. District 1's beachfront and rooftop settings put that system against open air, which changes how the low end sits compared with SUB's indoor two-room format at Courage. Expect the night to run long once it gets going, in the way DnB nights generally do once the room fills.
When to Go
Phuket's high season, roughly November through March, is when both District 1 and SUB tend to book their bigger touring names, since that's when the island's international crowd is largest. Outside those months the scene doesn't stop, but the bills lean more on JNGL Phuket's local rotation and Erick Trodly's residency than on visiting headliners. Either way, checking each night's own channels closer to the date is more reliable than assuming a fixed weekly slot.
Erick Trodly, the Island's Resident Face
Erick Trodly, drum and bass DJ, producer and live saxophonist based in Thailand, is the constant across Phuket's DnB circuit. He plays alto sax live over DnB sets, which as far as this scene goes makes him the only act in Thailand doing it. That live horn line over a DnB rhythm section isn't a gimmick bolted onto a normal set; it changes the texture of the whole night, and it's become the thing regulars specifically turn up for at District 1 and SUB alike.
FAQ
Where can you hear drum and bass in Phuket?
The two fixed points are District 1 in Patong, which runs across London Bar, Kyma Beach Club, Fly'O and Ozy Club on a 12,000-watt rig, and SUB at Courage Phuket Town, a dedicated two-room rave space. The JNGL Phuket crew books around both.
What is District 1 in Phuket's drum and bass scene?
District 1 is a Patong-based DnB night built around a 12,000-watt sound system, moving between London Bar, Kyma Beach Club Patong, Fly'O Patong and Ozy Club. It has brought over 30 Years of Playaz with DJ Hype, DJ Hazard and Tyke.
What is SUB at Courage Phuket Town?
SUB is a two-room rave held at Courage Phuket Town, splitting a night across two distinct sound and lineup spaces. It has hosted Stanton Warriors and run bills alongside TNTKLZ and LINDZ.
Does Erick Trodly play regularly in Phuket?
Erick Trodly is the resident face of Phuket's drum and bass circuit, appearing across District 1 and SUB nights with his live alto sax sets, the only act in Thailand pairing saxophone with DnB in this way.