1. Took a nap to make sure I have ample energy for the night of dancing that lay ahead of me.
2. Listened to some CLR podcast shows (specifically that of Mr. Liebing) for the last week or more.
3. Made several social media references of the show, because the excitement was real!
…and last but not least…
4. Gathered a few friends to come out with me, because this event was surely going to be a killer, and a rarity in the city.
I arrived at the club around 11:30 p.m. and was greeted by the friendly club staff (they certainly get an A+ for customer service). When I walked in, the club only had 20 or so guests, but that would soon change. At that time, Measure Divide was on the decks and he was throwing down some AMAZING techno tracks! By far, one of the best moments of the night for me was him dropping one of the most prominent techno tracks in my mind, Video Siren by Gary Beck. I absolutely love that track, and to hear it thumping out of the powerful Dynacord sound system at RYZE was unbelievable. That song alone set the crowd (which had grown by then) in a frenzy! I knew a night of intense dancing, sweating buckets and multiple eargasms awaited me.
The atmosphere in the club was dark, just the way underground techno is – dark, brutal and groovy. Although that made it hard for me to post to Instagram, I didn’t mind as much because I knew I’d be writing a killer review about it anyways! As the club started filling up, I saw so many different types of people – music lovers, casually dressed, dressed to the nines, shufflers, etc. Its wonderful how such an event can bring out such a diverse array of people!
I tried to save energy for Mr Liebing’s set by not dancing too much, but Measure Divide made that impossible. He did a brilliant job uplifting the energy and vibe of the crowd, getting us all ready for the crazy night ahead. You could tell that everyone was loving it. I ended up drinking an energy drink. My plan was to stay till 5am when the club was set to close, so that I could get a picture with our headliner.
Closer to 1 a.m., I could see Chris Liebing setting up to play behind the decks. My excitement rose, and a huge smile formed on my face. I was already sweating head to toe from dancing to the heart thumping, groovy set Measure Divide put out. The moment that Leibing came on the decks, the crowd went wild! Everyone knew what they were here for – a night of pure techno bliss from a monster of a producer!
It was as if some form of demons were unleashed. You didn’t have to be an expert to feel the intense energy on the dance floor. There was barely anyone that wasn’t dancing. People were loving it! The dancing was so intense that, literally, the entire floor was shaking. Of course, this was to be expected from Chris Liebing. I could see him smiling and really enjoying playing for the crowd, from where I was dancing. He has a rather big smile that lights up a room. He knew exactly how to read our Toronto crowd and he did what he does best, made people dance.
One of the tracks he played was Ghetto Kraviz (Steve Rachmad’s Jack Mix) by Nina Kraviz, another artist I admire a lot. Each buildup, each drop, and each new track just gave the crowd such an energy that I’ve never felt before at any other event. You could tell there were some serious techno lovers in the club. I spotted Vince and Val C of local techno maestro’s The Junkies. Even they weren’t about to miss out on the brilliance of Chris Liebing.
I almost forgot how good the sound system at RYZE was, and this event was the perfect reminder. You could feel the bass hitting your soul, the music connecting with your inner being, and the quality of the sound system that makes a huge difference to one’s clubbing experience.
As hard as it was to accept, my body finally gave in around 4 a.m., and I had to head home with a frown on my face. I was hoping to sustain my 7 hour non-stop dancing record, but I failed. It was worth it though! I have no complaints at all. From the moment I went in, to the moment I stepped out, the experience was something to remember. RYZE really stepped up their game with this event. I am looking forward to their future bookings!
Special thanks to the event organizers, and EDM TOR for allowing me to experience this event. Definitely a dream come true.
LINKS:
Chris Liebing
Facebook
SoundCloud
Twitter
CLR
Official Website
Facebook
SoundCloud
Nusrat Kamal – EDM TOR
