The magical formula of trance euphoria world @ Luminosity pres. ADE night in Panama
Written by Pepo on October 30, 2017
Despite of the fact Luminosity and ASOT events took place the same day during the Amsterdam Dance Event week, and apart from the music lover’s heart battle on which one to attend, it’s such a blessing there have been more trance events this year during ADE. For me it was unquestioned which one to choose for that night: last year’s Luminosity ADE event was 12 hours long, having big trance scene names as headliners, crazy party in front of the stage and so many legendary Djs to meet at one place. Besides, that night a new formula of trance music event was created and I had an emotional ‘explosion’ by the end of marathon, so there was more than enough reasons to go again.
Last year at 6 a.m. I couldn’t leave the little sparse dancefloor at Panama with the last ravers still dancing around at the end of a 12-hour marathon. I ‘exploded’ listening to Aly & Fila “Running” – this track is so symbolic and always reminds me the “run” following trance events around Europe. “It broke me up” – I told to the mate standing nearby with whom we were sharing the same events that year. Yes, after all the night with the most beloved, awaited and iconic trance stars this ending was unexpected. It was the time and the place to hear this song, so symbolically with ReOrder on the decks at the end of the night – I wished this track and moment would have never stopped. From then Panama club and Luminosity events both are part of momentous magical formulas, and the biggest euphoric recipe linking these names together.
One of the key factors is the magic atmosphere in homelike club Panama, but this year’s formula also shone with an attractive lineup. However, that wasn’t the main factor to choose to spend that night there. The real thrust was the magic atmosphere in homelike club Panama with addicted clubbers or I should call, trancers, coming from various countries around the globe. Over years Luminosity has become the name and the place to be. The greatest event – Luminosity beach festival, held every summer, is a real icon attracting probably the biggest number of visitors from different countries, and probably the largest trance-only festival during a year with the most well-known names of trance music scene. Luminosity events will celebrate 10 years anniversary weekender in the same Panama club next month.
A Luminosity event at Panama never leaves you insensible, without a touch inside, where every part of the club seems to keep so many intense memories that they won’t ever fade away. Hanging around in Panama is not like it sounds, it means every step here is more than a step at your home – a dream home, trancer’s planet, where every detail reminds tracks, sets, meetings, moments like fragile pure joy fragments.
This time it all started at 5 p.m. – quite early for a festival, but good for music lovers. Just one stage open at that time, with Dennis Pedersen warming up the place. Even if it was his first time DJ-ing, he did it great, especially thanks to an awesome selection of tracks, all about the beautiful progressive sound of various styles. During the first hour, the dance floor was empty, because his dreamy sound made you chill and feel everything as deep as possible.
Next was Craig Connelly, who played a set full of vocal tracks, including many from his album One Second Closer. It seemed like more people came for him because the difference in attendance in the club was obvious. But no wonder – this young artist has made a lot of music in a short time. And who remembers “Black Hole”, his track with Christina Novelli? What a classic already…
At 9 p.m., when Factor B was so attractively playing on stage, the crowd in the club partied like it was burning hours after midnight. No chilling, talking or walking attendees, most of them were active on the dancefloor with pure Factor B tracks, who played a lot of his releases and remixes: Robert Nickson – Every Sun in a remix, own Origins and Something Like A Cure. Exploding clubbers at an early time was a surprise and a blessing to see, they were shouting, putting hands in the air – I had checked my watch what time it was at the moment – yes, 9 p.m., but the crowd was already crazy and burning the club. Factor B made the night to begin early and left the stage as a hero for the dreamy start of the celebration event.
Manuel Le Saux was playing like he was at home. Trance was shining at its best. I’ve seen him play here in Panama and met outside the dancefloor several times at past events in the club. Manuel is always open to come by for an autograph, remember old good parties and funny moments when getting his signature in some Europe country a while ago, talk, even where’s no actual need for it, because those were just trance lover’s eyes speaking while staring at one of the beloved personal scene heroes.
After tender Manuel’s trance perfection, Signum put the club on fire and left many dancers attracted to the main stage for this deeper and stronger beats. I have felt – if you are on the dancefloor with Signum, you will not leave it until the end enjoying the trance energy with known tracks influences. There my personal battle had begun – to stay at main stage with this deeper energy line or to attend side room’s trance party, and this battle followed me all the night long, when your heart is afraid to miss some tracks or sets, the atmosphere, sharing pure joy’s moments at the another stage.
The side stage was more like a bright room filled with trancers dancing near and at the same level of the decks, and the DJ was probably feeling like having a private party in some anniversary instead of playing at an event’s stage. This side room, very close to the main stage hall in Panama, has always been like a private cozy party with a casual atmosphere, not like a club few steps behind. When I was taking pictures of Para X, a dancing woman beside me told: “Beautiful, huh?”. I just smiled, because he really was and I knew it before entering the side stage. Para X played so uplifted and energetic, feeling the music deeply, as it’s seen on every picture I made of him by the decks.
Roger Shah was one of my most awaited performances that night. His rework-release of “Castles in the sky” with Inger Hansen melt down my heart to little ‘crystals’. When this man himself stands in front of you, plays this classic from the trance roots decorated by the vocals in the chorus, there are music lovers from all over the world, from all over the country surrounding you… It covers your face in amazement, marvel, just cover your face with the palms. The chorus of this track made some of us think about something pure, some moments, meetings, loved ones, the tender fragile encounters that faded away, and mild dreams, dreams like building castles in the sky. And all those floating hands in the air at same moment with the sound… The deepest moment to stay in the heart forever, and this track to have his own history now…
And then “Unbreakable” by Aly & Fila, Roger Shah & Susana – should be no surprise, as it was track of the year, but it was and made the dancefloor extremely full with hands in the air and claps. Roger has also played some tracks live with his portable device making trance sounds so alive, the new marveling touch and an amazed add to the party for the music lover. That has literally decorated our celebration night and every track played to enjoy and let us drift much deeper into the sound.
Dimension and Marco V sets kept us alive for the night to go on. Both so known and legendary, every one of them professionally took us and our energy to the necessary partying level, when it could fade away or just to be lower after the burning nigh started at 9 p.m. The dance floor was still full, and everyone was still partying under Amsterdam the skies, in our own small trance euphoria world. Also meeting with friends took some time as usual, but most of us came back to the main stage for Ferry Corsten set, who made the laziest and the most tired trancers to stand up for a legendary headliner to show up on the decks
That wasn’t expected. The top, peak of the night when all the club’s visual preparations were turned on and started along with the headliner’s music. Club Panama was exploding in all the ways it could. Plus, so many classics from Above & Beyond to Binary Finary, the real intense balm for our trancer hearts. Sometimes one track changed to another so quickly we had no breath to take. The headliner did his job. Ferry’s set summed up the night with the classic trance touch and the mindblowing visuals together.
One of the last DJs at the main stage was Jorn van Deynhoven. I can expect nothing from but an amazing set every time. Pure classics combined with modern trance sound, always energetic, prepared and done with the manner. What can compare to probably to the most legendary “Silence” track at 5 a.m. at Amsterdam dawn and trancers, shouting of satisfaction with hands in the air? When I watch this video record, I feel I could post and post it with the text: the trancers euphoria. It was enough just to look at the faces around that were so ecstatic, happy, still full of energy and refreshed like the night has just begun.
With David Forbes we closed the night with coming pain in the heart. I couldn’t enjoy this set the most because I knew it was the last. And who wants to wait another year for this Luminosity event? Every year it took so high, the pleasure and the place for a trancer to be, to party, to smile, to meet, to love someone you never expect to see here. And to say goodbye till the next Panama trance event.
The moment when you sit and the last ravers leave one group by one. I want to forget it’s getting over, so I don’t move. I want to enjoy the last seconds, so I’m still seated. Sometimes this feeling of being over left, sometimes it stood behind. Even being quite tired after a long night till 7 a.m., there was no wish to leave, it was the break of the heart to step out. The security man joined the party with the last ones on the dancefloor. Yeah, it’s so difficult to close the night and silently say goodbye to the people you don’t know when you would see again and party, sing, dance near, or even if. It seems you want to add and keep everyone in the heart because of this night that made us so close after long trance journey to paradise from out there, we have created and shared memories those won’t fade away like bubble castles in the sky.
We walked down the street with my colleague Trance-Energy Radio author Katrina in the bright morning and we weren’t talking about the night, we thought it was still going on. The morning itself was different because of our past experience, our own small world in Panama club. The world which opened the door, let us in and now closed. The closed door to Panama for me was the closed door to paradise on some planet, which we dare to dream to exist. I was wishing there would be more hours of trance in Panama to win the feeling of enough, but 10 hours wasn’t this win, I don’t even know, what number could be.
When I passed by Panama couple of days after ADE week, I couldn’t just leave approaching the club. So many memories and heart parts like frozen crystals are already left there, and since it was a rainy day in Amsterdam and carrying no umbrella, I felt the wet crystals rolling under my eyes, some were the tears and some was rain…