‘As Fun As Possible’: Inside a New Rave in Manila

Away from the questionable dress codes and overpriced (but consumable!) fees for table reservations in bars and clubs around Manila, a new rave community is emerging. 

SADOMASODISCO, or simply “Sado” to its patrons, threw its first party in December. Two weeks after that, it threw its second party; and two weeks after that, its third. It doesn’t have a permanent venue, but its organizers said that they’re set to keep throwing parties as frequently as possible, creating a time and place for both seasoned ravers and nightlife neophytes to come together, feel the music, and have a kind of fun that might be hard to come by in the Philippine capital. 

In many venues around the city, “people can’t really be themselves,” said Jeric Lim, a DJ and one of the two co-founders of SADOMASODISCO. 

Manila nightlife districts are tainted with stories of people being denied entry from establishments for not wearing more traditionally gender-conforming fits, or gay couples being asked to stop making out while straight couples are left to do the same. Many DJs feel the need to conform to the venues’ sound as opposed to playing what they think is good music. Bars and clubs stick to their tired themes and aesthetics, leaving little room for creativity and new experiences, let alone new crowds. Even the way many places are set up—with tables and chairs instead of an open dance floor—just doesn’t make for a truly communal night out. 

Sado’s events, by contrast, are characterized by a “gritty glamor” that’s born out of an eclectic mix in its music, attendees, and even art style, said Karlo Vicente, also a DJ and co-founder of SADOMASODISCO. 

Among Sado’s attendees are people from different crowds (like club kids and future lawyers; not that people can’t be both), all ages, and even different parts of the country. Vicente said one attendee took a four to six-hour bus ride from Baguio, a city north of Manila, just to attend their party. 

“There are [also] people who go alone,” said Vicente. 

“Some people, or most people, can go there by themselves and just dance and not care what other people think,” added Lim. 

Alexa Dignos, a DJ who has played at two Sado events, said it feels more communal than other parties. “It’s a magical place where intimate moments are shared, where you can fully express yourself and be free.”

When preparing her sets for both parties, she made sure she had a mix of everything. 

“Sometimes I’m in the mood to play acid house, or other nights I’d prefer to play 90s trance or techno. I play whatever I want to play for SADOMASODISCO because the crowd is pretty much receptive to any kind of music and that’s what makes it so freeing,” said Dignos. 

Nash Cruz, who makes most of Sado’s event posters, described the parties with lyrics from a song by Fischerspooner: “Sounds good, looks good, feels good, too.” 

Like its crowd and music, Cruz said Sado’s look has several random influences—TV game shows, pirated DVDs, and real estate billboards, to name a few. 

“It may sound super random but magically it works well with how SADOMASODISCO parties sound,” said Cruz, adding that Sado doesn’t really have a particular sound, even if it has “disco” in its name. 

For Lim and Vicente, SADOMASODISCO is all about welcoming people, sharing music, and having fun. Both said that they could probably be more “business-like” by cutting the costs of the speakers and the lights and pricing tickets higher, but that’s not what it’s about for them. 

“We want it to be as fun as possible. We don’t want to cheap out on the sound system. We don’t want to price [tickets] super high,” said Lim. “As long as people keep coming and people have fun, we’re OK.” 

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