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ADE 2009: Pick Of The Week

The unmissable events at this year's Amsterdam Dance Event

In Amsterdam to pick up some industry insight from those that have been there, done that and are still pushing it forward? Looking to beef up your contacts book? Or just want to enjoy some of the best beats of our time in some of Europe’s finest clubs? Well, Amsterdam Dance Event has it all.

Balancing one of the more progressive, chilled-out and insightful dance music conferences with cross-genre clubbing delights, ADE is crammed full of highlights, and here we pick out our favourite ten.

Tickets for the four-day conference, which takes place at the Felix Meritis cultural centre and the neighbouring Dylan Hotel, from Wednesday 21st – Saturday 24th October, can be picked up for €275 from amsterdam-dance-event.com until 1st October, and include access to all ADE club events. Walk-up passes are €290.


 Dave Clarke Presents 

Dave Clarke

Dave Clarke

 

A lesson in techno presented by one of the genre’s greatest teachers, Dave Clarke takes control of Melkweg, on Friday 23rd October, for one of his now legendary ADE appearances.

Unleashed for a peak-time three-hour set of hard funk, digital punk techno, DC will be at the controls of Melkweg’s imposing main room between midnight and 3am, with French legend Laurent Garnier following on until six. Warm-up will be provided by Dutch DJ Estroe.

Completing a line-up that pays equal homage to techno heritage, current talent and homegrown Dutch artists, Melkweg’s second room will get down to the rhythms of Frenchman Antony Dupont, Joris Voorn (live), The Hacker and Rotterdam’s Bas Mooy, whose burgeoning production work has been on heavy rotation on Dave’s White Noise radio shows of late.

This one’s in association with  DJ Mag so we’ll see you down the front


Moby’s Manager Speaks

Progressive, compact, relaxed, cultured, practical... ADE itself is everything you’d expect from a conference in the Dutch capital. The industry conscious flipside to ADE’s unbeatable party programme, it all takes place at the Felix Meritis Centre and the neighbouring Dylan Hotel between Wednesday 21st and Saturday 24th October. And Thursday’s highlight comes from keynote speaker and Moby’s manager, Eric Härle.

A self-made entrepreneur who also manages Norwergian act Röyskopp, Härle’s words should cut through the mystifying layers of the industry and reach right into the unseen, inner mechanics of music management. Hear him in panel room two of the Felix Meritis at 3pm.


Armada

Armin Van Buuren

Ever since the late-’90s, the Dutch and trance have gone together like jelly and ice-cream and if all those soaring melodies and titanic breakdowns are your bag then Armin Van Buuren’s Armada label party, at Escape, on Wednesday 21st October, should tick your boxes.

Arguably the biggest Dutch DJ of his generation, it goes without saying that Armin is the most popular — he’s hoping to claim his third successive crown in our annual DJmag Top 100 poll next month.

Tonight, he’ll be staking his claims for greatness with an extended set, with support from Californian Blake Jarrel and resurgent trance veteran Chicane.


Viral Radio

 Viral Radio

You can definitely leave the glowsticks at home for Wednesday’s Viral Radio party at Trouw. Exploring an alternative strain of Dutch electronic music DNA, Viral Radio have been championing alternative dubstep and electronica through their regular shows on national network VPR and have pulled out one of the line-ups of the week for their ADE session — taking in the galaxy garage and dub techno experiments of Eindhoven’s dubstep innovator Martyn, Amsterdam’s noisy live psych-funk band Knalpot and the funk-dripped electronica of fellow Dutchman Aardvarck.

More homegrown turntable talent comes in the form of Cinnaman, Juha and Pete Concrete, while LA’s glitchy psychedelic hip-hop king Gaslamp Killer, Warp’s Clarke (live) and label-mate Bibio form a triumvirate of overseas headliners.


Planet E Vs Rekids

  Masterclass

 Radio Slave

ADE’s party programme always throws up a good few surprises — those magical, one-off line-ups that you only seem to get at gatherings of ADE’s ilk. Friday night’s Planet E vs Rekids party definitely slots into that bracket.

Detroit legend Carl Craig and Rekids boss Radio Slave will be rubbing shoulders behind the decks at Amsterdam’s Trouw club for a marathon back-to-back journey through the cosmic, the classic and the very deepest seams of techno and house, with live keyboards from Underground Resistance’s Mike Banks. Yep, Mike Banks. You definitely won’t see that every day. Or every year. Or maybe ever again, if you think about it. Rekids dude Spencer Parker warms up. 

ADE’s party programme always throws up a good few surprises — those magical, one-off line-ups that you only seem to get at gatherings of ADE’s ilk. Friday night’s Planet E vs Rekids party definitely slots into that bracket.

Detroit legend Carl Craig and Rekids boss Radio Slave will be rubbing shoulders behind the decks at Amsterdam’s Trouw club for a marathon back-to-back journey through the cosmic, the classic and the very deepest seams of techno and house, with live keyboards from Underground Resistance’s Mike Banks. Yep, Mike Banks. You definitely won’t see that every day. Or every year. Or maybe ever again, if you think about it. Rekids dude Spencer Parker warms up.

 

Josh Gabriel

Looking to refine your studio sound? Desperate for those vital production tips that only the most experienced producers can teach you? Well, as with most areas of the music industry, ADE offers a helping hand in that department.

From midday on Saturday 24th October in the Dylan Hotel’s Interface Magazine room, the Masterclass series will see DJs like techno legend Speedy J, Josh Gabriel and Dutch hardcore techno veteran DJ Promo run budding producers through their studio and Ableton know-how.

Or maybe you think your production work is well worth an audience platform and you’re just waiting to be in the right place at the right time? Well, that place and time might just be 5pm, in panel room one of the Felix Meritis Centre, where the annual Demolition session casts uncensored, informed opinions over the week’s demos, eventually picking out the best of the bunch.

Moderator Dave Clarke is joined by Detroit legend Stacey Pullen and Tommie Sunshine. To get involved just drop your demo in the demo box, set up at the registration desk, before 2pm Saturday.


 Richie Hawtin Speaks Out 

 Richie Hawtin

 

The (Dance) World According to Richie Hawtin’ should provide Friday’s conference highlight. Never shy of a new angle or a visionary way of looking at his art, the M-Nus boss will be running us through the current state of club culture and electronic music as seen through his eyes.

Expect bold predictions, brave proposals and typically incisive analysis from one of the most forward-looking DJs in the business. It kicks off at 3pm in panel room three of the Dylan Hotel.


 Carl Craig & Mike Banks Q&A 

 Carl Craig

 

Your chance to probe two of the most significant minds in the history of techno. Originators of the Detroit techno sound, Planet E’s Carl Craig and Underground Resistance founder Mike Banks will be taking questions from the crowd in panel room one, of the Felix Meritis Centre, on Saturday 24th October from 3.45pm.


 Demolition Part Xiv 

 Stacey Pullen

 

Or maybe you think your production work is well worth an audience platform and you’re just waiting to be in the right place at the right time? Well, that place and time might just be 5pm, in panel room one of the Felix Meritis Centre, where the annual Demolition session casts uncensored, informed opinions over the week’s demos, eventually picking out the best of the bunch.

Moderator Dave Clarke is joined by Detroit legend Stacey Pullen and Tommie Sunshine. To get involved just drop your demo in the demo box, set up at the registration desk, before 2pm Saturday.