It seems all surreal now that Dreamstate SF is only a few days away, less than a week even! A few days ago, I posted a preview for DJs that I’m excited for on Saturday of this mega trance event. So here is my follow-up for Sunday, January 17th. The eight DJs that will be taking the stage the second day of DSSF are Aly & Fila, Bryan Kearney, Cosmic Gate, Fleming & Lawrence, Gareth Emery, John O’Callaghan, Neptune Project and Solarstone. As for the second leg of this post, the three DJs that I’m most excited for are . . .
Bryan Kearney
Bryan, Bryan, Bryan (effin’) Kearney. (Repeat this a few more times, until the crowd gets tired and returns back to fist pumping and jumping around). This is the battle cry that fans will chant when Bryan Kearney takes the stage Sunday. He’s always an exciting performer. It’s hard to place a label on his sets and style of music. But be prepared for Kearney, because he will unleash an arsenal of psy-trance that isn’t afraid to wander into the dark rabbit hole. There will be elements of electro, house, techno and other genres of electronic music in his set. All still containing the trance harmony that we all love, of course. If you have ever listened to Kearney’s radio show, KEARNAGE, then you’ll know the immense amount of energy that he will bring to destroy the dance floor. Fellow Irish legend John O’Callaghan will also be performing the same day as Kearney. Both are great at their craft, so don’t think that I’m not looking forward to see John O, as well.
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Gareth Emery
English star Gareth Emery, another big name in trance that has been around since I’ve started attending festivals, will be an interesting act to see. Compared to some of the other talents on Sunday, Emery set won’t continuously test the limits of 138, but it will be a rollercoaster ride of emotions. Since I can remember, Emery was one of the first DJs to incorporate the harder bassline of house music into his sets. Since then, he has been working with other artist from different genres, like Krewella, to enhance his own style. Like Markus Schulz, Emery has also been raising awareness in social media about his desire for longer set times, or his opinion of the growth of EDM. This is a DJ who plays by his own rules and isn’t afraid to colour outside the lines. Coming off the recent release of his artist album Drive, Emery is going to be on a mission to capture the hearts of fans with his soothing synths and memorable lyrics. Although I love all of his new tracks, the nostalgic part of me wants him to put me into a time machine by playing my all time favorite Emery song, “Sanctuary”. It will be a long shot, but I hope he does. I know I’m not the only fan with this wish. However, I’ll settle for a feelz trip with his recent hit “Hands”.
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Aly & Fila
Speaking of legends in trance, Egypt’s most recognizable duo Aly & Fila will also be in the house . . .or trance. There isn’t a trance fan who doesn’t know of Future Sound of Egypt, their radio show. Like how Armin Van Buuren took his radio show on the road, Aly & Fila also packed up their gear and rounded up a team of DJs to enrich the world with the sounds of Egypt. And I can tell you that it’s an euphoric sound that can bring tears with its beautiful euphony, which will cause outbursts of commutative singing on Sunday night. Their music creates a feeling of transcendence and is further enhanced when combined with Fadi’s ability to create a dance floor that is surging with energy. The sounds of Egypt may be beautiful and uplifting, but there will be times when the speakers are thumping with bass and psychedelic beats. It has been a great journey to see the sounds of Aly & Fila progress throughout time, their sound survived all these years and is still thriving, adapting to the evolution of trance. Whatever sounds Fadi decides to bring on Sunday night, I know my heart will be seduced to its sweet songs and my feet will be hypnotized to its rhythm.
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Well, I hope to see you guys there. I know that TranceFamily SF will be having meetup times before the event so that fans can get together and share our fanboy-enthusiasm for an all trance festival. There is a feeling of eagerness mixed with a hint of nervousness as I mentally prepare myself for Dreamstate SF, I keep finding myself lost in a daydream of where I’m in the crowd, smiling, as I look around and see that I’m surrounded by a sea of people who shares my love for a genre that was once thought to be dead. I never thought that I would experience this in my lifetime, but here it is, thanks to Insomniac. This is going to be a show that you won’t want to miss; couch raving isn’t the same, trust me.
Tickets are almost sold out. Grab yours NOW!
Saturday tickets: http://insom.co/DreamstateSF_Sat
Sunday tickets: http://insom.co/DreamstateSF_Sun
2Day tickets: http://insom.co/DreamstateSF_Tix
Dreamstate SF TranceFamily Meet Up
Saturday at 3:30PM
Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco, CA
Right in front of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
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