Last Friday, January 25th brought the return of famed trance DJ Jordan Suckley for an intimate extended set inside Nest Toronto. The Damaged Records label boss was joined by some of our favourite locals, Rayz, A.D. the Kid, and Deecee, for Electric Escape’s next installment of U4RIA: Trance Collective.
And euphoric it was.
I arrived around 10:30pm and was one of the first few in line. After an incredibly short wait, I got my ID checked and headed upstairs where I was immediately greeted by the nicest guy ever in the box office. Ticket scanned and hand stamped, I opened the door onto the dance floor and into my paradise. Home at last.
As per my usual routine, I grabbed some water from the bar and checked my coat. Since I was early, I decided to sit at a table near the back while the club began to fill up. While I was hanging out and observing my surroundings, I remembered how much I like Nest. I don’t get to go there often enough, so I was glad I had an opportunity to go back for this event. The space is raw and the decor is minimal — a stark contrast to the two giant disco balls that grace the room. With one above the dance floor, the other behind the DJ booth, it’s a fun nod to the disco clubs of late 70s and early 80s. The best part, however, is their incredible DYNACORD soundsystem. If you really want to feel the music—not just spiritually, but physically—this is the place to go.
Rayz was already warming up the decks when I got inside. Not surprisingly, he was busy dishing out some dope tech and house tracks. The club was still pretty empty at this point, but there were some eager people getting their groove on in the middle of the dance floor. I considered joining them — if there’s anything I like almost as much as trance, it’s techno. But I decided to save my energy for later. Playing artists such as Joe Blake, Peter Kneer, Virtual Self and Moonbeam, Rayz started off the night on an awesome note and got me pumped for the rest to come.
A.D. the Kid | Photo taken by Adele Desloges of EDM Toronto – All Rights Reserved ©
A.D. The Kid took over the decks around 11:30pm, building upon the vibe that Rayz set for the night. Starting slow with deep and tech sounds, then building up the energy into progressive trance, the Kid’s set featured artists such as Enrico Sangiuliano, Hot Since ’82, Kyau & Albert, Pryda and Markus Schulz. Adrian’s a master of setting the mood and warming up the crowd, so it was no surprise that everyone was going hard from the moment he went on.
During his set, I had the absolute pleasure of meeting some members of Toronto’s trance family — and even got to sign a flag belonging to Tim, a supporter and friend of EDM TOR! I’m always overjoyed by how friendly and welcoming everyone is at a trance event. Even though I was alone most of the night, I never feel lonely when I’m with the trance family.
It was just after 12:30am. when British radio host, DJ and music producer Jordan Suckley came on. As someone who’s known for setting a new standard for the next generation in electronic dance music, I had high expectations for his set — and he did not disappoint. He warmed up the decks with some tech, but it wasn’t long before he started dishing out what everyone was ready and waiting for: some hard-hitting trance. It’s a good thing the crowd wasn’t afraid of 138.
Featuring tracks from the likes of John O’Callaghan, Lange, Tïesto, and of course himself, his set was everything us trance fans could have asked for. The venue was decently full at this point, but there was still plenty of room for dancing. Feet were stomping, the floor was shaking, and everyone grooved hard as the lasers combed through the crowd. It was hot, it was sweaty, and it was perfect.
For me, the best part of the night was the last 30-40 minutes of Suckley’s set where he exclusively played the feral, unhinged cousin of trance: psy. There’s something about psytrance that resonates with me on a cellular level. The true trance fans who stayed to listen to him drop hits from artists like Astrix, Simon Patterson, and Neelix got an incredible treat. The energy of everyone in the room was unmatched. To say I was in heaven would be an understatement.
Jordan Suckley | Photo taken by Adele Desloges of EDM Toronto – All Rights Reserved ©
At around 3:30am, Deecee took over, keeping the energy high. As expected, he was serving up some serious progressive and uplifting trance. I was seriously digging it. But as much as I wanted to stay and ride his set out to close, I was dead tired. I left around 3:45am, envious of all the people who got to enjoy his set for the full hour.
As I left the venue, the -18c weather hit me like a punch to the face. It was cold as hell, but that’s the reality of clubbing in Canada during January. As much as I hate being anything but toasty warm, braving the weather for this event was more than worth it. What a night! A grand thanks is in order to Electric Escape team for another magical U4RIA event.
PARTIAL EVENT TRACKLIST:
Revelation – Dino Maggiorana
Loud – T78
Roar – Patrice Bäumen (Adana Twins remix)
Hit the Floor – Billy Gillies
Let The Music Play – Walt Jenssen
Freakshow – Ashley Smith
Love Comes Again – Tïesto feat. BT
Wonder? – Major League (Jordan Suckley remix)
Blow Ya Mind – Lock ’N’ Load (Club Cavier remix)
Acid Air Raid – Scot Project & Mark Sherry (Sam Jones remix)
Moskva – Jordan Suckley
Hijacker – Jordan Suckley & Sam Jones
The Second Trip – Hennes & Cold (David Forbes remix)
Detention – Amir Hussain
Pursuit – Jordan Suckley & Sam Jones
One Special Particle – John O’Callaghan
Out of the Sky – Lange feat. Sarah Howells (Andres Sanchez remix)
Out of Nowhere – John O’Callaghan feat. Josie (Giuseppe Ottaviani remix)
Sky High – DJ Zany
Take A Shot – Astrix (Simon Patterson remix)
Deep Ocean – Jakaan
Dharma – Astrix (Off Limits remix)
Echoes – Eddie Bitar & Indecent Noise
Ederlepsy – Javier Bussola & Stryker
In Da Jungle – Jumanji (Avalon & Outsiders remix)
Opulence – Simon Patterson (Ilai extended remix)
Ritual – Jordan Suckley (Waio remix)
Freaks – Jorn Van Deynhoven (Chris Schweizer remix)
Do Or Die – Jordan Suckley (Sam Jones remix)
Leave Me Alone – Neelix (Simon Patterson remix)
LINKS:
Jordan Suckley
Website
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube
Soundcloud
Deecee Music
Facebook
Instagram
Soundcloud
A.D. The Kid
Facebook
Soundcloud
Alysha van der Valk – EDM TOR
