Combine some of Melbourne’s most established trance dj’s along with up & coming talent in a cosy club environment, and the outcome is Melbourne’s newest trance night – 5AM. 5AM is set to re-establish uplifting trance as a major force within Melbourne’s clubbing fraternity. ITM’s loulabell caught up with 5AM organiser Mangler to talk all about the exciting new venture.
What is the idea behind 5AM, how did the event come about?
We recognise that there is a lot of interest in uplifting trance, and whilst it has always been around, lets just say that it has been relegated to less accessible venues in recent years, or been played in places where the rest of the night generates into hard trance. What we are giving people here is a night where they can hear 100% uplifting melodic tunes, in a pleasant & safe environment. I’m not bagging hard trance, but it is already well catered for, and the music at 5AM will cater to people who like a bit more melody in their music. There is still energy in the music, but it is more of what I like to call happy trance. It is euphoric, hands in the air, cant stop smiling type stuff.
The success of San Trancisco has proved that people still want the uplifting sound, but whereas San Trancisco is retrospective of classic anthems, 5AM will prove that the current trance sound is just as good as the “old skool” stuff.
We are also trying to nurture the new generation of clubbers, hence we have a lot of young people involved with 5AM, and we are telling them, well here’s your opportunity to get involved & really make things happen. Some of these kids are working their arses off to make this event work.
Do you really think there is a trance “revival” happening?
Well, it’s not a “revival” as such, trance never went away. The branded “super club” cd’s like Gatecrasher & Gods Kitchen have always sold extremely well, and we have had numerous visiting international trance artists headline huge parties out here. It is the “trance” sound that introduces a lot of young people into dance music. Yet, the local trance scene has been somewhat overlooked, and you’ve had “progressive” dj’s or “hard trance” dj’s support these international acts. Some of the venues where trance is currently being played are probably too intimidating for some people, or have a stigma attached to them. So kids getting into the scene think that there are no local uplifting trance acts, or that the music doesn’t exist. Well, we’re going to prove that wrong, because it does exist, and there is some exceptional local trance dj’s. The local club scene kind of got lost, a lot of it due to industry politics also.
Some people have the wrong idea of trance, and labelled it cheesy, etc. Well, don’t expect Dj Sammy type stuff, and lets not forget that when people think of dance anthems and classics, it is often trance tunes they refer to.
What dj’s are on rotation at 5AM?
There’s a mixture of experienced and lesser-known dj’s. What we are trying to establish is that regardless of who the dj’s are on the night, people that turn up to 5AM, will get great music. Doesn’t matter if it’s the best known or least known dj in Melbourne. However, our roster is very very good. Charlie Zee will be well known to many people in Melbourne having been around for many years, and playing everything from Melbourne’s biggest venues through to under age events. Zac Curran has built up a reputation for marathon sets at Magnitude, and is regular at Majik. Miss Mel is the most talented female dj in this field. Steve Strangis, a regular at Sugar Suite, is building a fine reputation as a young dj, and his star is definitely on the rise. Reemo is well known from @mosphere at the Cage, and Julian Reynolds is a regular at Bubble. There’ll be plenty of new faces and well-known guests also.
What can people expect from a night at 5AM?
I think we can expect a real mixture crowd wise, as I know a lot of the older crowd that like that trance sound don’t go out that much anymore, as there are few places that cater fully to that sound. Hopefully this will tempt some of those people back. Also, a lot of the younger dj’s are used to playing at raves, and they have been fairly removed from the club scene. We are also definitely targeting a younger crowd, and trying to nurture the next generation of clubbers.
The vibe will be a happy one with absolutely no aggro. We have the best venue in Melbourne and the tunes will be awesome. I think a lot of people have been waiting for this kind of trance night.
We have built a very tight knit group that are involved behind the scenes for the night, and the enthusiasm is fantastic.
The tunes will be mainly new stuff, and there is some fantastic trance being produced if you look hard enough and find it. It will range from vocal trance to progressive trance, instrumental stuff that is heavy on the synths, stuff with wicked bass lines, through to a tougher sound. Every trance dj has their own style, and it is quite remarkable how diverse the sound can be. There may be the odd classic anthem thrown in, but we’re saving the last hour purely for an old skool set.
What is the frequency of these events?
It will be mainly a monthly thing, though as rOOm has many special events held on Fridays, we have to work around their schedule. We have confirmed the first four dates at this stage, being the 21st March, 4th April, 25th April, and 23rd May.
5am@ rOOm 680 Glenferrie Rd. Hawthorn, commencing on Friday 21st March, DJ line to be announced very soon!
