SING LIKE A BIRD

What on Earth are those beautiful sounds emanating from unexplored corners of Arcadiana, you ask? As it happens, a key skill in our flying city’s world of sound is the ability to recognise any bird by ear. To help you identify and sing along to all those wonderful kinds of song, we help you get started with one style of music everyday. Today we dive into one of the most atmospheric genres out there: trance.

Yves Deruyter John Newman

MAINSTAGE | 16:30 - 17:30

Not only will his name be forever connected to the clubs he resided at; Yves Deruyter is also very much a part of the Bonzai Records family, a chief outlet for some of the world’s biggest rave anthems throughout the nineties. A former resident DJ at legendary Belgian clubs such as Cherrymoon and La Rocca, Yves started his career back in the mid-1980s, many years or even decades before most of us would first step onto the dancefloor. Rave, trance and a little touch of early hardcore is what you’ll hear Deruyter play in his sets; it’s about time you closed your eyes and started jumping!

Trance

Grounded in German techno and British rave culture, trance first emerged in the late eighties and quickly grew into the most popular form of electronic music throughout the nineties, reaching peak commercial success at the turn of the new millennium. Through its rich and lengthy history, trance has been responsible for some of the world’s most groundbreaking dance records, elevating DJs to almost godlike status.

Before trance was labelled as such, other forms of electronic music – most notably acid house and techno – served as precursors to its birth. The origins of trance music can be traced back to Germany, when European DJs and producers began to incorporate psychedelic sounds into their music. At this time, Detroit techno was making its way into Europe, where local producers used it to create a more atmospheric sound. During these formative years the genre was known as techno dance or trance dance, referring to the way its techno foundations were layered with mind-altering sounds. While piano house and eurodance largely dominated commercial European clubs during the mid-nineties, trance music nevertheless continued to develop, ultimately bringing forth some of electronic music’s biggest stars.

Those in desperate need for a sky-glide into the higher spheres of trance will be able to indulge themselves at the Youphoria stage. Under the seal of approval of trance legend M.I.K.E. Push, there’s Gareth Emery, Andrew Rayel and Ben Nicky presenting Emotional Havoc – all of them proving that trance music has not only survived over the years, but evolved into a permanent state of growth that seems fully futureproof.

THE LIBRARY | 20:00 - 21:00

British singer, songwriter & producer John Newman is first and foremost a pop artist, having collaborated with electronic artists like David Guetta, Calvin Harris and, most prominently, drum & bass heroes Rudimental. His best-known solo track is the emotional ‘Love Me Again’, dating as far back as 2013. After a well-deserved break from music from 2020 to 2022, he is now fully back with more energy than ever. His recent singles ‘Waiting for a Lifetime’ and ‘Holy Love’ come with a lovely life-enhancing house sound that reminds a little of Sigala’s ‘Sweet Lovin’; it’s irresistible! For his Library set today, expect a hybrid DJ/live performance with a mix of live vocals, mixing and beat triggering.

Mandy Martin Garrix

FREEDOM | 16:00 - 17:00

Powerful, creative and hands-on are all keywords applicable to 25year-old hardstyle powerhouse MANDY. The caps say it all, really: there’s no stopping MANDY when she puts her mind to something. She started DJ’ing in Belgian clubs at the age of 16 and really began to gain traction when she first performed at the Gathering back in 2018. Soon after, a star going by the name of Tiësto knocked on her door, wanting to officially release her remix of his track ‘Jackie Chan’. Besides obviously being a massive music head, MANDY is also heavily into cars, food, football and gaming: anything that involves POWER, basically. People who support MANDY’s music include Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Timmy Trumpet, Tiësto – and you, after seeing her today!

MAINSTAGE | 22:55 - 23:55

Martin Garrix remains an incredible jack of all trades. In the fashion of a chameleon, he easily switches between genres whilst always retaining his very own signature style. A decent indicator to measure the grandness of this master of electronic music is to count the amount of high-profile collaborations to his name. Bebe Rexha (‘In the Name of Love’), David Guetta (‘So Far Away’), Khalid (‘Ocean’), Macklemore (‘Summer Days’) and Dua Lipa (‘Scared To Be Lonely’) all worked out well for the man who first rose to fame and created a whole genre at the age of 16 with the timeless smasher ‘Animals’. Not only does Garrix work with the biggest artists in the world, he also greatly enjoys teaming up with up and coming artists on his own STMPD Records.