Amsterdam Dance Event 2013 – The DA Party Guide
Now in its 25th year and still drawing thousands of artists, industry professionals and fans from across the globe, Amsterdam Dance Event remains crucial to the industry calendar. With a considerably more ‘work’ focused agenda than its American cousins, the play-hard factor of ADE remains a huge pull to labels, artists and even fans looking to get stuck in amongst this professional dance mecca. For 2013, however, the festival agenda has flown into positive overdrive. With a record number of parties from across the industry spectrum set to keep heads from pillows throughout the conference, our editors banded together to scope the events you should be hitting across the five-day event.
Wednesday:
Protocol Recordings Label Night @ Melkweg
Who is playing: Nicky Romero, John Dahlback, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Don Diablo, Martin Garrix, Vicetone, Cash Cash, TV Noise, Nilson, + more
Since inaugurating their label to the ADE last year, Nicky Romero’s Protocol Recordings have become a considerable powerhouse on the global clubbing circuit. Led by the returning panellist and dutiful imprint ringleader himself, young Romero can be seen upping the ante where this second conference showcase is concerned. Matching such established talents as Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, John Dahlback and Don Diablo with new age tunesmiths Martin Garrix and Vicetone, this star-studded line-up shows a label with some increasingly sharp cards up its sleeve for the festival’s opening night. More info.
Luciano & Carl Craig present: Cadenza & Planet E @ Gashouder
Who is playing: Luciano B2B Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen, Mirko Loko, Nic Fanciulli, Andrea Oliva
ADE certainly wastes no time in getting started. The inaugural night sports no shortage of talented showcases to choose from, but it’s hard to beat the one-night marriage of two of the more eclectic and forward-thinking labels in the game in Cadenza and Planet E. Featuring cross-label back-to-back sets from each one’s crop of artists, the event will include Stacey Pullen and Mirko Loko going head to head before Nic Fanciulli and Andrea Oliva trade musical blows. Of course, the event of the evening will come in the form of label patriarchs Luciano and Carl Craig teaming together to close out the night. It’s a melting pot of a night – old meets new as Detroit takes on Europe – that promises to be as unique an experience as any during the conference week. More info.
Thursday:
Mark Knight & Toolroom Records present: TEN ADE Showcase @ Panama
Who is playing? Mark Knight, Prok & Fitch, Mihalis Safras, Rene Amesz, My Digital Enemy, George Andrews, Mark Storie, Pete Griffiths
Now at the tail end of their tenth anniversary, family imprint and British stronghold Toolroom Records can not be accused of resting on their laurels for 2013. Having launched their Toolroom Knights concept at the conference back in 2006, the label returns armed with a host of its glorious roster for a forthright celebration of progress, success and bloody ten years of bloody good house music. With Knight leading proceedings, recurring faces Prok & Fitch, Mihalis Safras, My Digital Enemy and Rene Amesz represent the label’s devout roster of talent for this very significant landmark, with residents Mark Storie, George Andrews and Pete Griffiths on hand to keep the family momentum of a firm affirmation of Toolroom’s global overhaul. More info.
Innervisions – Amsterdam Dance Event Special @ Trouw
Who is playing: Dixon, Ten Walls (live), Recondite (live), Âme (techno set), Konstantin Sibold, Culoe de Song, Gerd Janson, Alex.Do
Thursday is perhaps the busiest night for ADE parties, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out this quite special opportunity from the Innervisions camp. Innervisions is the German label run by Dixon and Kristian and Frank of Âme, and although followers of this well-curated label have had opportunities in the past season to see many of the usual suspects join heads for an evening, the Innervisions ADE Special is still considered one of the more rare occasions of next week in Amsterdam. Even better — if you’re feeling torn between the more house or techno side of the label and its friends, they’ve conveniently divided the party into a “house floor” and a “techno floor.” We’ll be going back and forth between both all night. More info.
Friday:
Hardsoul Pressings and Urbana Recordings @ Heineken Hoek
Who is playing? Hardsoul, David Penn, Chocolate Puma, Audiowhores, The Cube Guys, Rene Amesz, Rober Gaez
If you want to talk Dutch house royalty, brothers Roog and Greg Van Buuren remain a glove like fit. With a proven capacity for bringing upfront house to the festival on an annual basis, the union of Hardsoul Pressings and David Penn’s Urbana Recordings imprint is a must hit for anyone with their taste buds still tantalised by house music’s more voluptuous sound. Hardsoul and Penn bring with them a whose-who of European talents, with Chocolate Puma, The Cube Guys, Rene Amesz and Audiowhores marking one of their most jam-packed explorations of tropical sound clash to date. A proven toe tapping experience from start to finish, Heineken Hoek is the place to at the outset of ADE’s weekend agenda. More info.
Trouw at Concertgebouw, hosted & recorded by Red Bull Music Academy
Who is playing: DARKSIDE, Henrik Schwarz, Patrice Bäumel
ADE is nothing if not an opportunity to see what can happen when some of electronic music’s greatest creative minds come together for a week, and this particular party hosted by Red Bull Music Academy is a shining example of such. It’s a seated concert, and there will be three acts –Trouw resident Patrice Bäumel, Innervisions regular Henrik Schwarz, and Nicolas Jaar’s DARKSIDE project with Dave Harrington, respectively. Each individudal act will be accompanied by three custom made visual performances from a variety of reputable global artists (think scenography and animated pencil drawings to start). This concert runs from 9:00pm to 11:30pm, so it’s a great way to kill time between dinner and club hours. More info.
Saturday:
Amsterdam Musical Festival – DJ Mag Top 100 Awards Show @ Amsterdam RAI
Who is playing? Alesso, Armin Van Buuren, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Fedde Le Grand, Hardwell, Steve Angello, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, W&W
The numbers on everyone’s mind come October, DJ Mag’s ADE bash marks one of the least objectionable elements of the annual poll. ADLA Events and ID&T have not missed a beat here, using it as the perfect excuse to launch a brand new concept amid the festival’s already burgeoning calendar. Big Names Armin van Buuren, Steve Angello and Hardwell are matched with national treasures Fedde Le Grand, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano and W&W, forging a heavy duty nod to the peak time skyline on-par with the big line-ups we have become accustomed to across the pond in North America. More info.
20 Years of Kompakt @ Scheepsbouwloods
Who is playing? Gui Boratto, Kölsch, Saschienne, Michael Mayer, Pachanga Boys, Okinawa 69.
Saturday is a marquee night at ADE, making this pick more difficult than it may look. But there’s just no denying Kompakt’s anniversary showcase honoring 20 years in which it rose from its Cologne roots to become one of the most influential dance labels in the world. The German label has assembled a proper array of talent to mark the occasion, featuring live sets from the likes of Brazilian visionary Gui Boratto, Danish producer (and Kompakt staple) Kölsch, and talented husband-wife team Saschienne to complement strong DJ set offerings by Michael Mayer and the Pachanga Boys. Okinawa 69 will be providing the visuals on what should be a memorable night at the NDSM warehouse paying will pay tribute to Kompakt’s varied and melody-tinged contributions to dance music. More info.
Deep House Amsterdam presents Needwant label night
Sunday: Mario Basanov, Ejeca, The Mekanism, Sean Brosnan, Jay West, Prunk
Before the sudden buzz of nostalgic house accolades, Needwant could be found dominating the nostalgic house tastebuds across Europe. Having reeled out some considerable releases throughout 2013, Sean Brosnan’s renowned label/club night takes to BARCODE with a spoil of handpicked talents from their accomplished discography. Mario Basanov and Ejeca lead proceedings on the merits of their considerable contributions to the label, with The Mekanism and Sean Brosnan adding to what promises to be a solid union of Deep House Amsterdam and Needwant’s mutual ear for the cutting edge nu disco talent. More info.
Roger Sanchez Pres. Stealth!
Who is playing: Roger Sanchez B2B Kenny Dope, Mike Vale, Rae
Once thought to be a universal day of rest, Sunday still holds its corner when ADE is in town. Already holding a strong track record for hitting the nail on the head with their proven ear for a solid house record, Stealth Records returns to regular conference home Escape Amsterdam to see off the conference with a bang. Usually used to showcase his cutting edge roster of delightful house talents, Roger Sanchez uses this year’s showcase to throw a very special friend into the equation – bonafide house legend and beat master Kenny Dope. With the likes of Mike Vale and Rae sweetening the deal for the welcome run of label faces, Stealth! has the ultimate scapegoat for the unstoppable post-conference blues that are more than likely to ensue. More info.
Cara Daley, Dan Carter, and Matt Medved contributed to this post.