Ok. It’s been a while since the event happened. It’s been a while. I supposedly cooled off and I am, now, able to tell you about THE trance party where I remembered how to dance to trance and enjoy it to its fullest: Romanian Trance Family pres. Exposure with Daniel Kandi, Suncatcher & Exolight, Tesla System and Guard14. Came to Bucharest for this party with only one goal: to have fun. And that’s exactly what I did.
My first regret is that I lost the warm-up from Guard14 and therefore, couldn’t properly dip my toe into the party. Instead, I dived right in with Suncatcher & Exolight‘s set.
The second one is that I had to leave shortly after Tesla System started playing, and I lost one of my favorite sets of this year! I got the chance to listen to what he played and it was too insane to miss.
I decided to put my phone on “do not disturb” mode and to remember how is it: to party without photographing or filming any of it. Why? Because I wanted to feel the party through music, rather than a screen. The party had already professionals doing that, and me trying to capture something good, was not helping anyone. OK. I have 5 photos on my phone from the event, because I wanted to keep Trancers’s socials active, but I failed like a pro on doing so.
IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I COULD’VE MADE.
I went straight to the first row, said hi to the people I met on the way and that was pretty much it. I may have missed a lot of people on this “quest”, and I am really sorry if you saw me I didn’t at least smile back. when I am focused on something, I tend to ignore things and people around me. :-s (but working on doing better). Beside a few breaks to breathe some more air outside, I danced my soul off and enjoyed every second of it.
Suncatcher & Exolight . These 2 guys do magic no matter what: producing, djing, being nice friends, you name it. Their set was awesome. Even though it started at a lower bpm, than I usually fancy, I liked it. A lot of that Anjuna vibe at first, but right into the emotional uplifting in hour no. 2.
I went straight to Goosebumps City when I heard Footprints on the Moon Soul and continued so when I don’t deserve you from Paul van Dyk (the Giuseppe Ottaviani remix) kicked in. It is impossible to have 2 of your favorite tracks one after the other and not close your eyes to feel every sound, every second of the moment.
I could talk and praise the guys for hours, but I think showing you what (1/2 of) their set was about, is best: here is a link.
Daniel Kandi. This man, needs no introduction. Every trance fan knows him, knows about him, knows about his music and his energy. He played a very good extended set, showcasing new tracks perfectly matched with old tracks.
Favorite track: The Perfect Match (with Aligator). This track brings up so many good memories, so many good moments, I am always close to bursting into tears. But these would be happy tears.
Tesla System. Oh well, he was the surprise of the night for me. Listened to some of his online sets, talked about our vision for the trance scene, but never experienced him behind the decks. I knew he is good, but never believed he is this good.
Incorporating a lot of his mashups, gave the set a really personal touch and this was turning point for me to enjoy it even more. Also, his energy is contagious. You cannot stand still, seeing him go mad and really loving what he does. Test it yourself: link of the set. There is, also, a very special moment dedicated to Snatt Dragos, one of the pillars of the Romanian Trance scene. His passing has a hard hit for the community and it is very nice to always remember him and his work.
The party was very nice and I am happy the Romanian Trance Scene has found its way again. The venue was good; much better than the previous smaller parties and I hope this will be the start of nice collaboration. They already announced a new party on May 25 (more details about that soon).
Technicalities, like sound system, and other stuff like that, I leave it to you to tell if it was good or not. Only mention: at some point I felt that my party earplugs are a lifesaver, ‘cuz (at least) in the front row, some sounds couldn’t be processed properly by my ears. Maybe it was only me, or maybe not, I just felt the need to mention it.
Also, another thing that kinda didn’t work for me, were the visuals. The setup was great, but the actual played visuals were too much on the eyes. Also, sometimes quite off with the vibe of the party. Cartoons should remain cartoons and never combined with trance music. My opinion. Maybe some liked them, maybe not. I know I didn’t. But hey!, there is always room for improvement. 🙂
Overall, I left the party with a broken heart for not being able to stay till the end, but happy this party happened. It was good. And kudos for all the people involved to make it happen. Cheers to many more!
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Photos in this article: Claudiu Atanasoaie Photographer.
If you want to check the whole album, go here. Or if you’re in for the aftermovie, check out this link.
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