Concert Review - Sander van Doorn

Last night Sander van Doorn tore down the house at San Francisco's Ruby Skye, mixing up floor shaking house and trance beats.  Sander blends dark riffs, minimal house style breakdowns (with bass so hard you can feel it in your lungs), and occasionally some melodic vocal tracks.  He varies from well known songs to rarities, and incorporates a lot of his own material.  One thing is for sure though -- the crowd did not stop moving until his decks stopped spinning.  With Sander's music selection you can take the vodka sans redbull and still have hours of energy.

Highlights from last night:

Steve Angello - Knas
This was my personal highlight of the night.  When the sultry breakdown came the lights turned low, the bass hit hard, and people got down.


Faithless - Not Going Home (Armin van Buuren Remix)
This perfectly tweaked Faithless track has become an instant classic.  The melodic, echoey, climbing synths at the end create a capacitor-like energy just waiting to be released.


The Killers - Spaceman (Sander van Doorn Remix)
With lights shining on the crowd, Sander hit mute and we sang, "The spaceman says 'everybody look down,' its all in your mind."  And then that heavy synth kicked in.  A touching moment, indeed.


And, of course, one of Sander's newest tracks, Daddyrock


--tonotopik

Bass Thumpin Thursdays

Leading this Thursday's picks is a superbly well-produced track by Jupiter entitled "Vox Populi."  This track's influences span decades, borrowing from funk, dance/disco, and trance, somehow arriving with a truly 80's feel.  Vox Populi is featured on the Kitsune Maison Compilation Vol. 9.  Check out the rest of the tracks on that CD here.

In 2007 Radiohead gave their record company the finger and released In Rainbows, sold online for whatever the consumer was willing to (or not) pay.  Despite what one imagines of music and the Internet, most fans paid nearly full price for the album and many bought the CD box set, shooting the album to Billboard's #1 spot.  Perhaps this song, "Reckoner," stands for the downfall of music's old business model.  And, perhaps Reckoner's cathartic tone reflects the bands freedom from the record company.  Or maybe it means nothing--who knows with Radiohead.

Now that you feel relaxed, yet slightly energized from that last track, this next one will hit you hard.  "Hymn 2.0" is the new release from Purple Haze a/k/a Sander van Doorn.  This fresh track has the most epic sound imaginable.  "Hymn 2.0" utilizes the superhero-movie chord progression (you'll recognize it instantly), strings, and a synth choir, giving it a "save the world" feeling.  This bootleg video is equally intense.

Speaking of Purple Haze, I leave you with this gem of modern history.  Jimi Hendrix's full-hearted, sincere rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" was initially accepted by society as a demonization of the American national anthem.  Hendrix's version epitomizes the freedoms of speech and art while also sparing the world of yet another miserable vocal rendition of the hardest song to sing.

Have a good 4th of July weekend!

--tonotopik

The Moody Side of Electronica

When listening to trance, sometimes, melodic arpeggios don't cut it.  Sometimes, a straight 4:4 signature doesn't feel right.  Sometimes, you don't want a piano, strings, and a major scale riff.  Yes, sometimes you need the darker tracks.

There's some quality of dark songs that always seduces me.  They are intriguing, mystifying, and captivating.   They linger in your head and shape your mood.  I wouldn't think of them as depressing; though they have the ability to dampen the atmosphere.

I'd like to share with you some of my recent obsessions.

First, there's the (self-labeled) Trace Energy 2010 Anthem, "Renegade," by Sander van Doorn.  I do not dispute its anthem status, and I in fact like the direction this track takes trance.  Its an in-your-face single, like many trance anthems.  But, its brooding, moody, and dark, unlike many trance anthems.  Perhaps dark trance will go mainstream?

Second, check out Crystal Castles.  This Ontario-based duet of singer and producer has the capability of taking experimental electronica to the radio.  Their haunting compositions mix with a 80s-pop feeling to make perfect cross-over tracks, if record producers would be willing to listen.  "Crimewave" is off of Crystal Castles's freshman CD, and I would suggest picking up both their self-titled albums.

Third, "You Are Not Alone" by Mason is a wickedly chilling track.  With soft vocals, fast tempo, and rumbling, sustaining bass, "You Are Not Alone" is a lounge-worthy song that is not a bit cheesy.

Last, here's a resurrection of an old Faithless track--the Armin van Buuren remix of "Not Going Home."  It might be at risk for being overplayed at this point, though this track is still gripping and entrancing.

Enjoy!

--tonotopik