Crasher presents Paul Van Dyk

27th May 2007

Paul Van Dyk – 6 Hr Set – GatecrasherOne

Bank Holiday Sunday the 27th of May was always going to be a special occasion. The most revered of international DJ’s, Paul Van Dyk, was to return home to Gatecrasher and showcase his special blend of teutonic tuneage. Not simply a DJ set, this was a 6hr journey through Van Dyk’s ‘live’ artillery, projected from the hallowed GC1 DJ booth. A chance to hear some past, present and future sounds from the German don, in the clubbing cathedral that is Crasher.

Entering the club you could sense the rising atmosphere as the crowd swelled in size, eager for the clock to strike twelve and signal PVD’s deliverance. Riley & Durrant were dropping some groove laden tracks, paving the way for the more epic sounds that were set to follow. The crowd was a vibrant mix of punk funk, jean trash and cyber mash fashions. One thing it seemed compulsory to wear was a smile, and the grins just grew wider and wider as midnight approached.

12am arrived and the music stopped for a momentary interlude, whilst the crowd erupt in cheers, expressing their adulation for the world’s number one DJ, Paul Van Dyk. Using the latest technology, his computer based sets allow him to compose and remix the music as he performs creating a unique musical landscape. Blurring the lines between DJ-ing and live performance, PVD uses an array of equipment to rework and layer the music during his set. Asked what make these performances different from a DJ set he comments,

‘’It’s much more actually like playing live rather than DJ-ing in a normal way. It’s crazy all the possibilities you have and the options of being creative they are just endless! Because of the set up, I can never ever play a track the same way, because it’s always somehow different, it’s always a different thing. Electronic music has always been about breaking the boundaries on the creative level as much as on the technological side. And by using those elements, you can actually push the boundaries again! That makes it even more unique on one hand, but it also makes it more special to the actual event itself.’’

Climbing for what seemed like an age his intro built the tension with a torrent of rising tones. The crowd are held in suspense until a thunderous kick drum rips from the system, followed by crisp, driving sub-bass. The German was back and the crowd knew carnage was due. Anyone who thought he was going to start with slower progressive builders was mistaken as he launched into some up tempo tracks from the likes of John O Callaghan, Askew and Alex Morph. The lighting still relatively modest for this sort of time at Crasher had begun to effervesce – spitting blue and red colours across the club. The main room was jumping in unison, locked to the rupturing bass and cascading chords.

As his own ‘Love Stimulation’ remix showers the crowd, we stand momentarily, a collective intake of breath before the warm melody meets the rolling decibels and dances off in another direction. His use of Ableton/Serato and Keyboards to re-edit the music is incredible. The vocal from ‘Crush’ – ‘I know you want me’ teases the crowd, before he clips you with another soaring build up and crescendo. Always seeming to get the best out of the Crasher sound-system, the clean and crisp audio is accompanied by smooth transitions and clinical mixes. A well considered blend of his own classic reworks and new material, the composition was genius and it was clear a master was at work. Mid set Van Dyk took the pace back down with more techy choices from the likes of Austin Leeds & Terranova, Plastikman and the Filterheadz. But he maintained the atmosphere and the dance-floor was rammed through till close.

The powerful lasers had now kicked into override, with splintered shafts of light creating a wave over the consuming fog. Kryzstof Chochlow’s, Release, throws its staccato stabs from the speaker, whilst the infamous vocal from Jan Johnson’s Skydive- ‘I feel Wonderful’ layers over the top. Throughout his set he spliced vocals with different percussion, bass lines and samples to produce a unique and exhilarating excursion. Giuseppe Ottaviani’s new track ‘Far From Me’ is well received, alongside Van Dyk’s own ‘Stormy Skies’ with Wayne Jackson on vocal. Offering a preview from PVD’s forthcoming album, ‘In Between’, the David Byrne vocal track sounded sublime. The normally reserved Germanic manner of Van Dyk behind the decks has been replaced by him jumping around the booth, beaming, glad to back at the club he calls home. The energy PVD generates is phenomenal. Just as you loose perspective mid breakdown, the drums fire back into the mix – as adrenaline courses through your body.

A galloping distorted guitar from Dogzilla’s remix of ‘Kuffdam & Plant – Ones We loved’ gets a great reception as does Agnelli & Nelson’s ‘Holding Onto Nothing’ which signals the closing period of his marathon set. Tune after tune, PVD hit the spot and the crowd went mental soaking up the German’s fountain of beats. He wasn’t simply mixing records; he was bringing records to life by adding new elements and reworking the music. A much harder art to master than normal DJ-ing, live performance of this nature requires a whole new level of ability and understanding of sound production.

Van Dyk’s seminal mix of Binary Finary, considered by many to be one of the best tracks of all time was an absolute pleasure to hear. Updated with new bass lines and effects, the classic productions sounded rejuvenated and fresh following the PVD treatment. The music continued to invigorate the early morning clubbers – providing an unlimited catalyst for dance-floor commotion. An unorthodox breaks mix of ‘For An Angel’ closes proceedings. Remaining glued to your sub-conscious, the PVD classic which was THE Crasher anthem of yesteryear was a fitting end to a blinding set.

This was a night of epic proportions. For many, providing the highlight of 2007 so far, this monumental occasion will take some beating. Luckily, the man who can, Mr. Paul Van Dyk is back to celebrate Gatecrasher’s birthday in September, See You On The Other Side

Words: Liam Postlethwaite