Undoubtedly, one of the true masters of electronic music, Paul van Dyk made his return to Australia to promote his new DVD, Global.
Over the years I have been a loyal fan of his work and admired his success as a talented DJ and composer, so I was more than anxious to see him perform.
Flipside had the Bohem lounge pumping when I arrived and there were certainly many happy faces around. Moving downstairs, Nervous was psyching up the crowd and kept the motivation going with his choice of hard trance which included a few old favourites. Looks of anticipation were everywhere and by now it was safe to say it was a full house. Both sides of the stage were filled with grooving bodies and even the staircase was full.
The atmosphere was magnificent and when Paul van Dyk took his position, there was an amazing feeling of unity between himself and all who were present.
With his expertise, he started to hype us up in his own unique way. His style cannot be categorized as he presented us with a variety of harmonious sounds complimented by his faultless mixing.
Everyone was in full motion embracing the spectacular journey they were being taken on. It felt like we were all in one big family and ‘For an Angel’ lured in the crowd even more when it was played. Continuing to present us with powerful tracks, he captivated our minds and had everyone really feeling the music.
Chills ran down my spine when the classic ‘Children’ started to unfold and this elevated the excitement tremendously. Another great track ‘Fucking Society’ caused absolute hysteria and the pure look of joy was apparent on every face.
Paul van Dyk definately had a way of enticing us. Using his German precision, he reeled us in with a few of his own extremely well produced tracks. I witnessed the beauty of his electronic style and could not stop dancing. Rewarding us with his classic ‘We Are Alive’, he was well appreciated as people were moving graciously along to the tune. Paul gave us a taste of his new sounds, which were very impressive. It was very refreshing to hear some music that I had not heard before.
Throughout his whole set, there was constant motion on the floor, with all of us taking in every beat that was being offered. It was such a dynamic display of skill and I could feel the meaning in every track that was played. Consistently pleasing us all, he delivered uplifting beats and knew what we all wanted to hear. We were presented with a gift, and everyone took advantage of this breathtaking experience.
At 4am the master of style had to end and Andrew James played an awesome set, which encouraged the overwhelmed fans. He didn’t let the vibe down by carrying out some fast beats, including ‘Insane’ which proved very popular.
I didn’t get to catch much in the Bohem lounge but obviously Archie and Alladin had kept the energy circulating with upbeat tunes that had people still happily dancing along.
It started to quieten down a bit at around 5am, and it was time to make a move, being a Monday morning and all.
I left feeling touched and emotional by what I had experienced. This was a night I shall never, ever forget.
