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Features
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| Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! | | Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! | | Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! | | Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! | | Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. | | Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! | | Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! | | NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! | | Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! | | Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! | | Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! | | SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! | | The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! | | NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! | | Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project | | The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! | | A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden | | Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma | | Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino | | New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! | | PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! | | Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! |
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“Nobody told me it was a beach party!” Paul Van Dyk plays South Africa
Reported by SunnyAli
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Submitted 02-04-08 16:19
The combination of searing sunshine, shimmering swimming pools, a world class sound system and 10,000 clubbers decked out in barely there bikinis is proven dynamite – as demonstrated by March’s H2O all day dance party held in Johannesburg’s water park playground of White Waters, Boksburg. The H2O parties have run for 12 years, getting ever more extravagant, and never fail to attract the cream of South Africa’s bronzed clubbing lovelies to a blend of music from ghetto fabulous hiphop to funky, deep and hard house.
The H2O venue centres on the wave pool – yes, they turn on the wave machine and everything – and its grassy surrounds, complete with poolside bars, plenty of sunbathing space and a VIP area of stunning decadence. For March’s spectacular, the organisers had gone for an ambitious but inspired new move – the main stage, normally safely hosted on solid ground, was suspended over the wave pool, effectively sinking the dancefloor under three feet of warm water. It was an incredible visual coup, and even as evening fell and temperatures dropped, the masses stepped into the pool for a splash and a swim to the music.
Superpower DJ Paul Van Dyk was the much-anticipated headline set. He stopped in on Johannesburg as part of his gruelling world tour promoting new album In Between, and stormed H2O in an epic three hour live performance that shifted between uplifting, euphoric and tech trance with a skill and smoothness that demonstrated his ultimate control and confidence on stage. A long breakbeat-infused remix of For an Angel had the audience in raptures, while dropping Underworld’s Born Slippy into a tech-trance episode added a familiar old skool spin to the set. After opening his final section with the immense Filo & Peri ft Eric Lumiere’s Anthem, he handed the packed club over to Morgan and Speedy, two of South Africa’s most established names, to take the night on to harder things.
His set packed the arena and filled the swimming pool dancefloor despite the sinking water temperature, and the crowd danced, sang along and shouted approval throughout. It felt like a real breakthrough for SA clubbers, who tend to stick to funky house and electro sounds, but they embraced PVD’s harder faster trance sound with open arms.
I grabbed the chance to sit down with the man himself after the set, to find him calm, collected and flawlessly courteous despite the hectic surrounds and mob of fans. He’s clearly media-savvy after years in the spotlight, but more remarkable is his sheer energy: as we finish the interview, he bounces off with a grin and the words, “now, time to have some FUN!”
He taught the crowd a thing or two about enjoying trance and harder, faster music, and having seen the reception they gave his music, it’s clear that SA will be more than happy to welcome Mr Van Dyk back to their dancefloors again. When’s the return trip?
Paul, that was a fantastic reception from the crowd – how did you enjoy the set?
Hi – yes, I really enjoyed it, it was really good.
You played across a mix of styles – did you change your style at all to play to the local clubbers?
Well, firstly, I don’t really have those ideas, those terms like trance, techno, house, and so on. For me it’s all electronic music. Secondly, I have a pretty good idea of the sound I like to bring across, and I interact with the crowd – I see what’s going on, read what’s going on. H2O is obviously very much a beach party vibe, but it’s in the middle of a city – it’s pretty different! So I adjusted to it, went different ways and it went off.
You travel an incredible amount – what do you find are the best and worst parts?
Well, the process of travelling is really annoying: the checking in, security control, passport control, immigration, all that sh*t, I hate it. But getting to places, seeing places, experiencing places – that’s really, really cool.
How do you fit everything into such a hectic schedule?
I constantly work! I love what I do but sometimes it feels like work – and it is hectic. Last night I played down in Cape Town, and got one hours sleep, then came up here and had press the whole day and then came straight here (to H2O) so its kind of working but at the same time I love what I do.
Are you a regular visitor to South Africa? How’s it changed over the years?
I think it’s my fifth or sixth time here, yes. As for what changes – there’s this one restaurant in Cape Town I stop at each time and it seems to keep getting worse! I think they got lazy with the fish, no but generally its always fantastic here, I always really enjoy myself.
How much new material of yours did you play today?
I played a lot of different things – I mean, when an album comes out I’m always already ahead of time, so I played a lot of new stuff that won’t be on the album. It was ok – I think the crowd liked it.
Well, they stood in cold water for three hours to watch you!
Wow yes – if I’d have known it was going to be a beach party, I would have come with my swimming trucks and jumped in! Nobody told me!
You’ve done an enormous amount of work, from live sets, to production, collaborations and travel. Do you ever feel like you’ve done it all? What do you still most want to do?
You know, music and travelling and DJing is one part of my life, but there’s also a very private part of my life that is actually even more important to me. That’s the kind of point where I look at it and can say, I achieved something.
Is that a hint that you might take a break sometime soon?
No! I mean, I really love what I do, but at the same time the most important thing is my family, and my friends, my dogs, my horses and everything.
Where’s your music going? What do you want to make next?
The last thing I did was for the Berlin mayor. The government of Berlin is doing an image movie, a sort of image advertising. I did the music for that which was really a kind of guitar rock – maybe a mixture of Coldplay / U2 / Paul Van Dyk sort of sound. At the very same time, I just love making music. I don’t think when I make it, I just do. And I’m happy when people enjoy it.
What other music do you listen to?
There’s a few bands that I listen to – there’s one called the Wombats, they’re absolutely fantastic, they’re kind of like the fun sort of stuff, I really, really like it. There’s another, British Sea Power, they’re also fantastic. I like to listen to all kinds of music.
And finally: are there any tunes you’ve released you wish you could take back?
Even if there were, I wouldn’t tell you……..
Photos courtesy of the HarderFaster archive. Not to be reproduced without permission.
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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.
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