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Above & Beyond @ Trance Generation - Review

Reported by Louise / Submitted 27-06-04 17:51

Clubland’s a funny old place isn’t it? 2 years ago, you could spend all month every month, looking for a decent trance club to break the trend and 2 years on, trance in the Capital appears to be the serving of the day with a number of new nights tearing the headlines and crowds alike away from yesterday’s out of form, out of fashion and out of favour big clubs.



A new wave of nights have recently emerged in what can only be interpreted as a product of frustration with what previously existed and a consensus of lack of choice. Whereas the day of big club saw the few attract the many, the tables have now been turn as it a new breed of club has attracted a new breed of clubber, for an essential new generation of clubbing.

At the forefront of this revolution is Trance Generation, which we stumbled across, not via the mass promotion, as you would expect from the glitzy, glossy world of Mixmag trance today. In contrast, it was through a number of recommendations and word of mouth which, as the cliché goes, “is the best form of advertising”. Now a popular melting point of clubbers, dj’s and producers alike – we decided it was well worth a visit. So with clipboards and cameras at the ready – off we went.

With a line-up that boasted grade A dj’s that you expected to only see at the larger, goliath-like venues, the likes of Above and Beyond, Matt Darey and Serious’ Simon Patterson in a 600 capacity venue on the same night Trance Generation on paper alone to the trance enthusiast is a must.

Now if you don’t know The Soundshaft, then it may take you five minutes to find once you’re in Embankment / Charring Cross area. Although it is linked to Heaven nightclub which is in comparison is easy to find, the entrance to The Soundshaft is tucked around the back of the station and hidden from the bustle and hustle of the nearby Strand. In fact, blink and you could miss it, little bit like Harry Potter and Platform 12 and ¾;s (but that’s where the analogy ends). What this does is ensure that only those in the know actually ever make it to Trance Generation – something that the Promoters I later found out of are very proud of.



But if we were expecting a small gathering, how wrong we were. By the time we’d found the sloping path behind Charring Cross Station, a queue of people stretched back beyond the erected barriers. Not before long we were inside a secret haven quite literally in a league of its own.

The Soundshaft, if you’ve never been there before, is a quirky venue full of character with a hug balcony overlooking the dancefloor, which is arguably one of its major and best features. Now with a second room, which has expanded its capacity, a chillout room provides a welcome alternative to the in your face, full –on-action which makes the venue everything it is. The dj booth is perfectly positioned raised midway between dancefloor and balcony giving a fantastic vantage point for crowd and dj alike. For the dj lover – take note in that you can actually see the dj’s and they can see you.

It was 11.30 by the time we had entered the venue and amazingly the club, that to the unknown didn’t really exist was almost full. The dancefloor was already throbbing with people and looking above and around, like vines - arms from left to right were strewn around the circumference of the balcony railings.

Now harking back to the clubbing history books, for many of us there will be no need for slide shows to recall how little some promoters put into the general production of their events. Incredibly, the budget of Trance Generation appeared to mirror that of a super-club with a visual display that verged on the boundaries of being “mesmerising”. Not one laser, but an incredible three and not two monitors for the visuals – but six !!!



From a musical perspective, Trance Generation from both its name and line-ups clearly covers the Mixmag trance sound that has in the past, present and future included the headliner likes of Scott Bond, Matt Hardwick, Agnelli & Nelson, Solarstone, The Thrillseekers and tonight’s guests: Above and Beyond, Matt Darey and Serious’s Simon Patterson. If names such as these appeal, then be reassured that you won’t be disappointed, which explained the capacity crowd which turned up. In fact, given the close proximity in which you are hearing these dj’s play – it is easy to see why trance enthusiasts would flock to such an night in the way in which they do to Trance Generation.

The crowd were immensely friendly and at many times felt more Northern than London in general, feel, attitude and atmosphere. The size of the venue, clearly helped achieve this.

In short, the headliners impressed with the Above and Beyond trio kicking things off in their typical Anjuna Beats style, with Matt Darey playing the peak set to maximum effect & crowd response and later Simon Patterson providing a darker more driving alternative which went down a storm with the Trance Generation faithful.



However, it was the residents who stole the show. On entry the credible sound of Ehren Stowers served as a perfect preface to main action of the big names, providing a careful balance between building and teasing the crowd. But without doubt the highlight came to those who lasted until the last set which saw Trance Generation duo Gary Ramsden and Bruno Cernecca play back to back until the close at 7am. The high energy antics both on the decks and behind it saw oozed character and saw most stay until the very end. We came away thinking that with residents like this, the back-bone of trance Generation looks excitingly strong.

However, how such a club with such a lineup can cover their costs with that kind of production is an unknown entity. Can they sustain it, is another probing question. But as long as they do, Trance Generation provides a rare opportunity to hear such greats, as they rightly put it “in a setting that you will rarely hear them play”. A superclub line-up in a unique club. The venue is admittedly a big key and its intimacy adds a vital ingredient which helps ensure that when it went off….. it went off.

Their slogan reads: the best dj’s., the best crowd, the best kept secret.

Let’s put it this way, they weren’t joking.


Trance Generation returns at The Soundshaft on Friday 13th August with Scott Bond, Agnelli & Nelson, The Thrillseekers, Gary Ramsden, Ehren Stowers and Bruno Cernecca.

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Other Features By Louise:
Trance Generation - Reviewed
The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable.
Comments:

From: alex_k on 12th Jul 2004 12:23.45
not being a pedant or anything, but it's platform 9 and 3/4, not 12 and 3/4.

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