Microcultures on the Island - NYTimes.com Jordan Loyd Tiësto at last year's Electric Zoo festival. He'll be back for the event this year. Dance music is often depicted as some kind of monolith, and from a distance, Electric Zoo - a multistage festival held on Randalls Island every Labor Day weekend, now in its fifth year - submits to the prevailing stereotype. The pulse of the music, and the pitch of the spectacle, hold to a trustworthy standard, and the programming can seem like a fait accompli. Some of this year's marquee acts, like David Guetta and Benny Benassi, have essentially been fixtures since 2009. But there's ample differentiation across the Electric Zoo schedule, especially with five stages running this year. During the headlining slot on Saturday, you'll have to choose among John Digweed, Tiësto, Bassnectar, Moderat and A-Trak, aligning yourself in the process with a specific aesthetic and microculture. And at least a few acts on the bill - notably Avicii, whose sure-footed debut album, "True" (Universal Island), is due out in a few weeks - clearly see dance music, unequivocally, as a form of pop. As monoliths go, you could do worse. Friday through Sunday, starting at 11 a.m.; madeevent.com/ElectricZoo.