Shoutout to FLOH Toronto and Electric Escape who planned one of the best parties of summer. Friday, July 12th brought the return of DJ Simon Patterson for a night of techy vibes and edgy riffs inside CODA.
I arrived just before midnight and after a short wait in line, ascended up the infamous red-tinged staircase and into the club. After stopping by the bar to grab a drink, I was ready to go. The room was dark and moody with ruby coloured light panels providing a certain je ne sais quoi while the bass pumped through the speakers and into my soul. Dancing shoes on and ready to go, I joined my trance family on the dance floor where local DJ DeeCee was busy warming up the decks. As expected, he was spinning a killer mix of uplifting and progressive tracks. Highlights of his set included hearing Personal Jesus (Eric Prydz remix) by Depeche Mode, Blue Monday by New Order, and Will We Remain? by Ilan Bluestone & Maor Levi feat. EL Waves. I’ve got to say, I’m always stoked to see Derek as a supporting act for any event. Whether he’s opening, closing, or doing a little bit of both, time and time again he does an incredible job at masterfully crafting the vibe for the evening.
I took a quick break from dancing to stand at the front of the room just behind the DJ booth. As I watched the lasers comb through a crowd lost in the music, bass pumping through their veins, I felt a sense of tranquillity. I realized that even in the chaos of music, lights and crowds, the dancefloor is my paradise. It was just past 1 AM when Simon Patterson took over the decks and was welcomed with a spirited round of applause from the Toronto Trance Family. Living up to his infamous nickname, Psymon, he opened with a psytrance track: Burning Stones by Astrix & Freedom Fighters.
This wasn’t my first time seeing Psymon, so not only was I incredibly excited to see him again, I had high expectations — and he did not disappoint. I love psytrance. I often refer to it as the feral, unhinged cousin of trance. It has a dark, energetic underground sound that I love so very much and there’s something about it that resonates me on a cellular level. Every minute of Simon’s set was incredible. Whether he was dropping a track like Take My Breath by Alex M.O.R.P.H. & Marjan or his own remix of Astrix’s Take A Shot, the bass was pumping and the dancefloor was hot and sweaty — everything you’d expect when the whole venue is feeling the music and dancing hard. Playing a mix of his own tracks and music from the likes of Neelix and John Askew, the musical stylings of the night can best be described as dark, driving, and pulsating and it was certainly nothing short of amazing.
Up next: Electric Escape presents their next instalment of U4RIA Trance Collective with a Jordan Suckley 3FECT set at Nest. You can grab your tickets here.
See you on the dance floor!
LINKS:
Simon Patterson
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Soundcloud
Electric Escape
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram
Alysha van der Valk – EDM TOR
