[Held in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, a Leading Dance Music Nation] My ADE 2017 Experience [Day 3 (October 20)]

A report on Day 3 (October 20), in the middle of ADE.

Following yesterday, I attended the conference “ADE Sound Lab 2017 (three sessions in all! )” from midday to evening, then the long-awaited techno event “Awakenings x Paul Kalkbrenner presents Back to the Future” from evening into night, and late at night “DGTL x Paradise in Amsterdam”—another jam-packed day, haha.

ADE Day 3 Begins!

ADE Sound Lab 2017

1. DJsounds with Ferry Corsten

Today, about an hour before the program I wanted to see, I arrived at De Brakke Grond.

It wasn't in my plans, but following Day 2 I watched DJsounds again. Then, although he wasn't in the program, Ferry Corsten, who had played Luminorcity's peak time the previous night, appeared.

Unexpectedly getting to see major DJs on consecutive days is something unique to ADE, haha.

Ferry Corsten

Open the Facebook video

It seems that an artist with releases on Pryda Recordings and Bedrock records, Jeremy Olander, also played today. It overlapped with a talk show; it couldn't be helped, but I regretted missing it.

Jeremy Olander

Open the Facebook video

2. Studio XL: Oliver Heldens / The Evolution of My Sound: Nina Kraviz

For today's talks, I followed Oliver Heledens and Nina Kraviz. Oliver discussed tech tips, while Nina talked about the inner side of things.

The Evolution of My Sound: Nina Kraviz

Today too, at both programs, I was impressed by young men and women who looked like students leaning forward, taking notes, opening computers and actively trying to absorb everything through the opportunity.

Still, I'm not sure comparing is appropriate, but the atmosphere was the complete opposite of Japan's.

I'm not saying all learning environments in Japan are like this, but sadly, the state of “every day is Sunday for university students, a resort lifestyle with an official status” still hasn't improved.

I was one of them as a university student, so I can't speak arrogantly, but student life is an ideal time to develop abilities, and what you absorb then forms who you are as an adult.

Unless “those teaching,” “those learning” and “what is taught” are optimized, the abilities of the people who will shape the future won't be developed.

As someone in society's middle generation, I think that optimization is something I too should work on going forward.

There was also a workshop in another room by Joris Voorn (I hadn't planned to attend, but Jay Hardway was in the lineup too), which I intended to join. Perhaps because registration order took priority, I wasn't allowed in. A shame...

Awakenings x Paul Kalkbrenner presents Back to the Future

Then, around dusk in the rain, I went to Gashouder, one of the world's top techno venues, where Awakenings was being held on consecutive days.

This time I attended Back to the Future, presented by the maverick Paul Kalkbrenner, who has also played TOMORROWLAND's main stage.

Gashouder is a multipurpose event hall converted from a former gasworks.

Its capacity feels perhaps like Makuhari Messe's main hall made circular and slightly larger. This venue is practically the face of Awakenings, and Italian techno DJ Joseph Capriati even produced a track called “Gashouder.”

There's just one large main floor, packed with people. They don't force in second floors, increase the number of performers or add other genres.

There were only four acts: Simina Grigoriu, Michel de Hey, DJ Pierre vs PHUTURE, Paul Kalkbrenner.

The scale, world, large high-quality sound system, and production such as lighting and FIREWORKS (I couldn't film them, but rockets flew overhead inside the venue) were superb and full of exclusivity.

Gashouder has an incredible quality that photos and videos can't fully capture.

Even people unfamiliar with techno should experience Awakenings at Gashouder at least once if they love dance music.

*A shot taken from right beside the person responsible for making Gashouder and Awakenings top brands, haha.

DGTL x Paradise Records

The all-night event was an ADE special edition combining another prestigious Dutch techno event, DGTL, with one of the world's most popular tech house DJs, Jamie Jones's Paradise.

Paradise takes place around the world, starting with Ibiza's club DC10, and is a hugely popular event alongside CIRCOLOCO and Elrow. It had a stage at TOMORROWLAND in 2017 too.

Also, releases from Jamie Jones's label Hot Creation have very frequently ranked high on Beatport's overall chart in recent years. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Jamie and Hot Creation are effectively among the world's most popular.

As Gashouder is to Awakenings, NDSM is to DGTL. It's a redevelopment district in Amsterdam, notable for its vast warehouses.

In Japan, perhaps the image is close to the areas around Shin-Kiba or Shibaura.

NDSM is huge too!!

There were two floors, main and second, but even the second was probably about the size of WOMB or VISION in Tokyo, Japan.

The main floor was probably about one and a half times Studio Coast's arena, so mammoth that speakers were suspended midway across it.

Paradise's flawless lineup included Jamie, Matador, dubfire, and the hugely rising Andrea Oliva, Richy Ahmed, Lauren Lane, among others.

When dubfire appeared, the mammoth main floor filled up. During Andrea Oliva and Richy Ahmed's B2B on the second floor, I experienced the packed-train feeling in a club for the first time in a while.

Jamie was due to play from 5 to 7 a.m., but my stamina didn't last that long and I gave up...

At present, techno and tech house aren't often played as the main attraction in large Japanese venues, but that day I personally experienced their tremendous popularity in the Netherlands...

Archive

Digital Flyer

[Conference] ADE Sound Lab 2017

10/19 ~ 10/21 (12:00 ~ 23:59) @ De Brakke Grond

[Techno] Awakenings x Paul Kalkbrenner presents Back to the Future

16:00 – 22:00 @ Gashouder
Open the Facebook post

[Techno] DGTL x Paradise

22:00 – 07:00 @ NDSM
Open the Facebook post

Today's Route (Club Map)

Additional Information

• To enter ADE Sound Lab 2017 throughout the event period, buy an ADE card (€10).
• I bought my Awakenings ticket on Awakenings (official website) for €48.54.
• I bought my DGTL x Paradise Records ticket on DGTL (official website) for €40.25.