Sundays aren’t usually thought of as party days. However, this particular Sunday was the date of a very special boat party that featured some of the most talented trance artists in the world, courtesy of Ozmozis Productions. Ummet Ozcan and Heatbeat headlined the Waves of Trance boat cruise. It was both Ummet and Heatbeat’s first gig in Toronto, and it was a big deal. As expected, both Ummet and Heatbeat gave us a day to remember.
Ummet Ozcan has been on fire lately. His hit track The Box has been played by countless DJs around the world. It’s hard-hitting beats and immediately recognizable synth sounds make it one of the most popular trance tracks right now. The Turkish trance master from Amsterdam rose to fame with the help of hit tracks like Timewave, Shamballa, and Arcadia. Ummet Ozcan is also a skilled soundbank designer, working on soundbanks for top musical software groups like Access Music and Rob Papen. Ummet’s music has been released on high-profile labels like Doorn Records and Reset. Innerstate, Ummet’s radio show, broadcasts to countless fans around the world.
Heatbeat is known for exactly what their name entails: tracks that are hotter than the sun. The duo of Agustin Servente and Matias Faint has quickly become known for their distinct blend of complex gritty basslines and engaging melodies. Signed to Armada records, the bulk of Heatbeat’s productions have been for that label. Both Agustin and Matias have released tracks that elite DJs such as Armin van Buuren have been regularly adding Heatbeat tracks to their live sets. Tracks like Roses Never Cry and Ask the Cat were played on many of the top trance radio shows in the world.
After an opening classics set from Mr. Morton, Ummet approached the decks to start his set. Ummet is all about the hard-hitting trance tracks, and that was exactly what he played. Mr. Ozcan showed no mercy as he relentlessly dropped massive tracks throughout his set. Many of the tunes where new tracks from Ummet, and they possessed the signature Ummet Ozcan sound. It seemed like every track that Ummet dropped made fans scream and cheer.
Fans were free to venture about the boat and get as close to the DJs as they wanted. It was not uncommon for someone to shake Ummet’s hand as he was spinning. Toronto’s own trance superstar Arnej was present on board enjoying the atmosphere and music. Even the boat’s owner was having a good time walking through the crowd pouring Smirnoff Vodka into people’s mouths! The party escalated very quickly; Inflatable balls and animals were tossed about the boat and many of them ended up overboard. People were jumping up and down the entire time. Even Matias of Heatbeat joined the crowd, using his phone to catch Ummet on video.
Midway through Ummet’s set, “The Box” was finally opened. However, it came with a twist. “The Box” was mashed up with Ummet’s “Reboot,” courtesy of Max Graham. Suddenly, everyone on the boat exploded with energy. I’m sure all of us had been waiting for this moment. “Rebox” had everyone going wild, stomping and waving his or her hands around. Ummet stuck to the theme of explosive bass-heavy trance bangers until the very end. This was my first time seeing Ozcan. I had high expectations, but I had no idea that his set would be this huge. I know I wasn’t the only one who was floored by Ummet’s masterful performance.
Although Heatbeat is comprised of two producers, only Matias was present that day. However, Matias’s presence was all that was needed to kick the party into overdrive. By the time Matias’ turn came, Ummet had already whipped the crowd into a frenzy and we were ready for more. It isn’t easy to follow a set as monstrous as Ummet’s had been, but Matias rose to the challenge and showed everyone that he was a force to be reckoned with.
Before Matias began his DJ set, he received a barrage of cheers from excited fans, (myself included) who were ready to hear what Heatbeat had to bring to the table. He acknowledged the crowd with a bright smile, then began his set. Matias kicked things off with some energetic trance track, forcing people to move their feet once more. The man from Argentina mixed things up by throwing in a few electro house tracks. The First State bashup called Spaceman Slam the Door got people dancing hard. Breaking a Sweat by Skrillex and The Doors was a bit of a surprise, but it fit very well into Matias’ set. Occasionally, Matias would spread his arms out, Armin style, during the breakdown of a track.
The Lange mashup called This is all Out, a blend between the Andy Moor remix of Lange’s Let it all Out and Heatbeat’s remix of Lange and Gareth Emery’s This is New York really got the crowd pumped up. A highlight of Heatbeat’s set was the unleashing of one of the hottest trance tunes of 2012: Rocker Monster. Arguably Heatbeat’s most popular track to date, Rocker Monster has found its way into many of Armin van Buuren’s recent live sets. We all went wild when Matias dropped this killer track. Matias surprised me with an up tempo rendition of Wippenberg’s Chakalaka.
After Heatbeat’s set, the boat cruise was far from over. Mr. Morton returned to the decks for a closing set. Later on, Heatbeat and the world-renowned Arnej joined Mr. Morton. The three DJs gave us a blast from the past with classics like Love Comes Again. They ended with a few more Tiesto tracks, like his remix of Southern Sun and Traffic. We went crazy for these classic tracks and sung along, even if the songs didn’t have words.
The boat was full of trance fans, and we gave Ummet and Heatbeat a warm welcome. It was easy to tell that Ummet had the time of his life. Smiling almost the entire time during his set, he gave a delightful performance. Matias put the hammer down, playing red-hot tracks throughout his entire set. The energy of the fans on the boat was amazing. Everyone was there to have fun and get lost in the magic of trance. I’m sure Ummet and Matias gained many new fans that day. Ozmozis threw one hell of a party, and I look forward to what they have in store for us in the future.
Jean-Luc Mosley for EDMTOR
