MADRID | MEXICO CITY | SAO PAOLO | MINSK | SOFIA | BEIRUT |
The Expedition is a worldwide celebration of ASOT's 600th episode (12 years) and this is such a milestone, a feat that only very few radio shows are able to achieve. The celebration is monumental as The Expedition embarks on a journey to 10 cities around the world. This is yet to be the biggest and longest celebration of A State of Trance.
With Armin van Buuren leading the troops, he gathers the world's renowned and upcoming dance acts from all over the world.
For an avid follower of the show and a trance head myself, my OCD kicked in and I wanted to at least tuned in to every city stopover. And when it was announced that ASOT600 will have a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - I could not contain my excitement. I immediately tweet and posted about this to know which friends are going whom I could go with. Unfortunately, because of work conflict I was forced to let go of this opportunity.
My journey with the expedition started with the Pre-party Celebration in Madrid, Spain on 14 Feb 2012 (around after midnight time in Manila). Because of my apparent sleeping problem, I tend to wake up in the middle of my sleep - that's normally from 2AM to 4AM depending what time in the evening I dozed off. This problem became beneficial for me during this time because I got to wake up in time for the streaming of the #ASOT600MAD over on di.fm. I listened away, maybe falling asleep in between and waking up back again, but definitely I was bed raving to the sets of Lange and Ronski Speed which, I think are the best sets of that night!
Only after two days, the real celebration of ASOT 600 commences and the first stop over was in Mexico City, Mexico on 16 Feb 2012 (mid-morning to afternoon time of 17 Feb in Manila). I have spent the night at a friend's house as I was too wasted to get home on my own. Just before I took a cat nap, I already set my di.fm app, tuned into the trance channel so even if I was still asleep, the #ASOT600MEX will begin to stream when it starts. I woke up to the banging beats of W&W, that were consistently followed up by Markus Schulz who is known to be a floor destroyer with his uplifting riffs, and while he concludes his set, it also served as a smooth ground work to make way for the main man himself, Armin van Buuren. My friends and I were tuned in from breakfast to lunch time raving and jumping as if we were in the venue as well. It was one of the best Sundays!
Two weeks have passed and the expedition marches on to its next stop over on 01 Mar 2012 in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Brazil has largely becoming a preferred country for dance music festivals. Although trance music isn't as popular in the country compared to house and techno, it has a growing community that AvB and ASOT team only felt right that Sao Paolo should be included in the stopover.
It was afternoon time of 02 Mar in Manila, and I was at a friend's house doing a despedida party. It was very timely that I remember to tune in to #ASOT600SAO via di.fm. It was just right on the tail end of AvB's warm-up set when I got to tune in. It was also very timely as one of my good friends was leaving the country and we are doing a sort-of going away party for him. It was only fitting to tune in. As the it progressed, we were introduced to the local Brazil trance act Tomas Heredia and the up-and-coming Ruben de Ronde. Both sets were impressive and on par with the renowned acts that they were opening for. As both acts' sets ended, the real party began as Orjan Nielsen released his banging, uplifting basslines where as if a chug-chugging-coal train is approaching. This went on for the next hour and little we noticed, it was already Markus Schulz on the decks, again setting the mood high with interludes of serene breaks, dark and edgy beats, and an overall epic trance set. As AvB was raving on the radio booth, he exclaimed Markus Schulz was destroying Sao Paolo. Now, it was time for Armin to drive the crowd and the only thing I could remember was the mental vibe his set gave off - imagine a 2 hour set just filled with blissful piano chords, majestic synths, and epic breaks - which only few like AvB can delivery. Finally, we thought it was over but it was far from over as Jorn van Deynhoven picked up from where AvB took off and equally delivered a massive, monumental set. This stopover by far was the best!
Because I was forced to forego this opportunity due to work conflict, I talked with some friends who were also just in Manila to help me arrange a listening party. Since Kuala Lumpur has the same timezone as Manila, it was not a problem to arrange the listening party. I also told my TTD buddies to represent us in KL and that we will be with them in mind, heart, and spirit. Malaysia is quite a conservative Muslim country so parties like this need to start early because they will need to end early due to a 2AM curfew. The broadcast of #ASOT600KL on 15 Mar 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia started with AvB's warm-up set - a set which makes listeners to have second thoughts whether it was really Armin's. Yes, it's is. The feel of the warm-up was very loungey, almost like a serene, beach front ambiance. It happens to be one of my favourite sets on the tour. After the crowd was warmed-up, and literally warm because of KL's humidity, even Armin was saying that it was so humid in KL and that he was sweating. Meanwhile, back in Manila, I have just gotten home from the office in time for the warm-up set. My party mood was all set for the first act that was Ben Gold. He is up and coming trance act and a personal favourite because of his ambitious styles and techniques.
As I had made dinner plans that evening, I was unable to tune in to the sets of Super8 & Tab, W&W, and the first half of Cosmic Gate. When I finished my dinner date with some friends, I immediately went to my friend's pad which was the venue for the listening party. They have not began yet since I was also the tech guy to set up whatever we'll need - in short, they need my phone, my app so we can tune in to di.fm. It's not like they can't do that themselves, right?
Just after setting up, it was Cosmic Gate halfway through their set. A little bland at this point or maybe because I was so full that I was getting food coma. After CG, AvB was up and as delivered quite a substandard set compared to the other set he had in the previous stopovers I mean, his warm-up set was even a lot better than his main set. Keeping our hopes up, we just wanted to make the most of the listening party. Aly & Fila took over and the mood was waning. Because when the duo spinned in Boracay for the SummerNRG 2012, their set was quite dull and uninteresting and only picked up when the party was about to end. We had a similar expectation but still keeping our hopes up. And it paid off as Aly & Fila redeemed the whole party mood with their ethereal synths, uplifting riffs, and the blending or airy, siren-like vocals. It was surprisingly the best set of the night. Even our friends who were physically in the venue agree with us.
It's spring break season and we all know what it means - time for Ultra Music Festival in Miami. The annual dance festival gathers the worlds renowned and up-and-coming acts across the Electronic-Dance Music genre. Since it is that time of year, it was only fitting that The Expedition's next stopover would no where else be than Miami. The #ASOT600MIA held on 24 Mar 2012 in Miami, Florida was broadcasted over on di.fm early morning of Monday. Of course I tuned in as soon as I woke up which was around 6AM. Since of most of the big guns act of this genre are in town, the line up for this event was just overwhelming. From the neophytes W&W, Tritonal, Dash Berlin to trance legends like Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate, Markus Schulz, ATB, Above & Beyond, and of course the main man himself Armin van Buuren. I was so energised, which is quite a rare scenario on a Monday morning.
While preparing for work earlier that day, it was already Tritonal working the crowd. I was immediately lifted and transcended in the same atmosphere of the Miami crowd. With Tritonal's signature raunchy, uplifting style, I couldn't help but rave in bed and while eating my breakfast. W&W followed and I saw myself swaying my head and throwing my hands up in the air in the shower. As the sun rises in Manila, so does my energy and thanks to this duo, my Monday morning has never been this energised. Thoughout the morning towards the afternoon, and yes while working, I was tuned in. Though occasionally I would be distracted to do some actual work, I still manage to tune in the background. I was planning to tune back in to ATB's set but was unable to due to a meeting. I was only able to tune back in while working at the time A&B was banging the decks. Then AvB came on, and then Ferry Corsten. While doing work, eating lunch on my desk, and occasional tweeting, I couldn't help but feel the energy of these live sets. I was really transcended as if I was not in the office crunching on my Monday deliverables. As a finale, PvD stepped in. I was a little zone out already because I had so much on my plate and my deadline was looming.
In between all this, I was interacting with everyone on Twitter sharing the same vibe we were all channeling that time. Boy, I could multi-task!
As we reach the final stopover of The Expedition, the biggest, monumental, overwhelming line-up ever done, I for one could just let this pass by without tuning in live. Due to the success of our previous listening party, I have again convinced my friends to do another listen party and this time for both nights of that weekend. The final destination of this 12-city, 7-week celebration is in Den Bosch, The Netherlands on 06 Apr 2012. #ASOT600DB has a total of 4 tents and a line-up of acts almost 30. The four tents are consisted of the Main Stage, Who's Afraid of 138?! The Expedition, Make The World A Dancefloor. Because of broadcast limitation, only the Main Stage was primarily broadcasted over on di.fm with the occasional switching to WAO138 tent. It was apparent that the big trance acts like Markus, Ferry, and some of the up-and-comings like Andrew Rayel will be in the main room whilst the more uplifting acts like Aly & Fila, Artic Moon, and Orjan Nilsen are in the WAO138. AvB had sets in both Main Stage and WAO138. Because the primary broadcast was the Main Room, the only option was to make do with what we have.
My friends and I rendezvous'd at our host's place around midnight just in time to kick off the Main Room broadcast. The acts that stood out on the Main Stage were Andrew Rayel, Simon Patterson, and Shogun. It was refreshing to hear from these acts as we have been hearing repetitvely from the big guns. In between were glimpses on the WAO138 tent where at times we could sense Aly & Fila's set was truly banging, Artic Moon was also delivering, and even AvB's set on this tent was better than the one he had on the main.
This listening party took around 8 hours and even as we ate breakfast we were still in a party vibe channeling the energy of the atmosphere in Den Bosch.
That concludes my personal journey and experiences on The Expedition. What was yours? What do you think?
