In its 11th edition, the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) surpassed all expectations - proving its place as the preeminent international dance music summit.
Comprised of a daytime conference for industry and a series of nighttime programming events, ADE succeeds in no small part by keeping the two integrated, yet separate. The daytime is for business with panel and meetings at the Felix Meritus. The nighttime is for parties and social events. By keeping the two scheduled separately, no one is missing meetings to run off to the National hotel pool party for an open bar. Starting daytime events after twelve noon insures everyone has had enough sleep to be sentient after going out the night before.
A music industry event where business occurs - what a unique concept! The Amsterdam Dance Event succeeds, with the Felix Meritus bustling with nearly 1700 registrants. An ingenious registration system organizes everyone by category (label, producer, artist, manager) so that its easy to email people to set up meetings. Numbered tables are set up on three floors with CD players and computers for registrants to demonstrate their wares. Badgesurfing is also a great way to catch people you might have missed.
The daily panels covered everything from digital takeover, new media, and compilations to area-specific (Eastern Europe, US and Asia) issues. Moderators from Billboard Magazine (Gary Smith, Michael Paoletta, and Lars Barndle) as well as industry heavyweights Pete Tong, Josh Wink, Dave Clark, and Ben Liebrand kept the discussions going by bringing out viewpoints and controversial topics throughout the three days. See the next page for some interesting quotes from the artist panel that featured Paul Van Dyk, Nick Warren, Benny Benassi, DJ Pierre, Joost Van Bellen, and Armin Van Buuren.
The bar at the Felix Meritus served as a meeting point as well a spot for impromptu performances. Popping in for a drink, I had the luxury of catching a fierce house set from Glen Thornton (Slaag) with impromptu vocals from Dawn Tallman, CeCe Peniston, and MonaLisa. Where else is something like that going to happen?
Sheer diversity of musical genres is another strength of the event. ADE embraces all commercial and underground genres of electronic/dance music - drum & bass, house, techno, breakbeat, trance, tech, downbeat, hiphop - in both panels and nighttime events. With over 550 artists and DJs performing at 41 local venues, there was room for everyone to come to the party. Door-drama free entry for registrants and reasonable cover charges for punters made clubhopping painless - a nirvana compare to the nightmares of admission to Miami clubs during the Winter Music Conference. This was a point not lost on the nearly 60,000 people who attended the parties over three nights.
While it was nearly impossible to make it to every party, a few personal highlights were Ron Carroll taking the crowd to church at Defected, Addictive TV's VJ set at Paradiso, MC Bunty chanting as Mike Van Loon spun the Fierce Angel party, A Skills throwing down at Finger Lickin, Number One DJ Paul Van Dyk at Escape, DJ Isis getting intimate at the Supperclub, and buzzman Fedde Le Grand at the CR2 event. I wish I could have gone to more, as there were so many great options every night.
If you are at all involved in the dance music industry, plan to register and attend Amsterdam Dance Event 2007. If you are a dance music lover looking to enjoy 3 nights of phenomenal dance music from top international talent, plan to attend ADE 2007. Just be sure to explore the city and check out a few museums and parks during the day as well!
Buzz Records of the week:
1. Fedde Le Grand - Put Your Hands Up for Detroit (Ultra/Ministry of Sound)
2. Dab Hands featuring Steve Edwards - Do Your Own Thing (Kidology/Gusto)
3. Highpass & Spankox - So True (Motivo/NuStar)
4. Bodyrox (aka Full Intention) - Yeah Yeah (Eye Industries)
5. DJ Dean - If I Could Be You (Tunnel)
6. Mason - Exceeder (Princess Superstar Remix) (Nervous/Ministry of Sound)
7. Dawn Tallman - You Are Why (Slaag)
8. Atrium - In Love With You (Positiva)
9. Mario Piu, Ricky Fobis & Lady Brian - Hal 9000 (Fahrenheit)
10. Love Assassins - Teardrops (Media/Nukleuz)
Buzz CDs of the week:
1. Lustral - Deepest Darkest Secrets (Audio Jelly)
2. Mr. V - Welcome Home (Defected)
3. Solarstone - Anthology One (Solaris/DeepBlue)
