inthemix | Event Coverage | Airport feat. Agnelli & Nelson @ Palace Nightclub, Melbourne (23/02/08)

Is it possible that Killrockstar have created the perfect trance event? After turning away from the dark side of hardstyle and embracing trance, Melbourne has experienced two parties (*Apollo* at New Years and Airport) that offer a promising future with the softer side of dance music. Walking into Palace Nightclub is always exciting for me, and this time my anticipation was immediately blown away by how imaginative the main stage was. Dotted upon the back wall of the stage was a galaxy of lightbulbs that illustrated images and patterns, and in the foreground was a huge plane that had crashed vertically into the ground. The aircraft was split in half so the decks sat in the middle, in between the wings. Plasma screens with crazy visualizations framed the top and bottom of stage, and bright lasers filled the room with rainbow beams. Awe struck by the effort and impressiveness of the creation, I struggled to leave the mainroom all night.

The lineup brought in a diverse crowd, different to the usual Killrockstar regulars and whenever I looked around I saw smiling faces genuinely loving the music. Noticeably, it wasn’t as full as expected, however it allowed everyone enough space to rock out uninhibitedly. I entered just as Tomcraft delivered some chunky proggy house, with the Palace’s system propelling the whomping bass and perfectly balanced sound perhaps a little too loudly, but nonetheless clearly. The German was reserved in his mixing style, and didn’t interact with the crowd, however his track selection suited the timeslot. Hearing Nathan Fake’s Outhouse sent me into a screaming wild mess, and then familiarity with Tocadisco’s Walking Away got each and every punter dancing.

Killrockstar’s set time selection allowed a perfect progression of music throughout the night, and after Tomcraft bowed out, Leon Bolier stepped up to the decks and debuted himself to Melbourne. His own productions infuse trance breakdowns with a surprisingly tough techy climax, guaranteeing a lot of frenzied air-fisting action. And for the first time in ages, I experienced a set from a trance DJ that was perfectly tight and energetic for the entire duration. Bolier didn’t skimp on any bombs, dropping Wardt’s Show My Shuffle, Joop The Future and Rank 1 Analog Feel to name a few which he interspersed between some of his own tunes. Most of his fans were awaiting the moment he would play his two biggest recent works Ocean Drive Boulevard and Summernight Confessions; and when that moment came there was a pandemonium of bliss and energy throughout the room. As he built up the tech-intensity, he slowly brought us back down again to welcome a well known name in trance: Robbie Nelson.

Even though we got half of the trance duo Agnelli & Nelson, Robbie ensured there was twice the quality with his performance. I didn’t have any expectations for Mr Nelson, however by the end of his set he left me stunned, teary-eyed and amazed by the beauty. The night just kept getting better and better, and Nelson’s mixing stayed as consistent as Bolier’s. Nelson opened with a motivational quote “…focus on success, release your full potential and create more abundance in your life”, and rising strings slowly brought in his first track. A lot of hands stayed in the air during his set, and it came as no surprise as he played some of the most stunning trance I’ve heard this year. The moment I first shed tears was when he played Ascension Someone, which carried you away with the soaring vocals. Following this was Sebastian Brandt’s remix of 11 Days, again encapsulating the people lost in the music, and Lemon & Einar K’s Anticipation. The people around me seemed to feel exactly the same way I did, and were speechless at how amazing uplifting trance is. I have a lot of respect for someone who can construct a set that unites a crowd together.

The vocal trance he entwined amongst the uplifting helped get the crowd singing, clapping and dancing along the whole time. First State’s Falling brought us back down a little, only to be slapped in the face with one of trance’s famous anthems, Holding Onto Nothing by Agnelli & Nelson themselves. The crowd was singing louder than the PA, and only got louder when he played their track Big Sky afterwards. What we thought was the conclusion to his set, was only a teaser for the real finale… Solarstone’s epic track Seven Cities. Drowned in tears, I couldn’t help but feel frozen as the beautiful guitar strummed in one of my all time favourite tunes. There was an amazing silence that fell over us all, and Nelson waved enigmatically as Downey plugged in his laptop, and took the reigns.

Downey fiddled with the end of Seven Cities by chopping it up with an effect he had on his laptop, giving us a little taste of what he’d be doing for his set. His style was reminiscent of Eddie Haliwell’s: edgy, lively, and masterful utilizing digital technology with DJ trickery. He had no qualms about getting the crowd revved up for his techy, fast-paced trance, and predominantly worked with his own productions. He opened with the sound of a helicopter taking off (appropriate for the Airport theme) which he craftily blended with John O’Callaghan’s remix of Thrill by Ernesto & Bastian. Again, we were spoilt by a DJ that had unyielding mixing skills, and pushed the pace higher and higher. Big tunes such as Nu NRG’s remix of Second Sun Playgrounds and Downey’s track Vivid Intent were strewn between same-samey tunes that thinned out the crowd. However his remix of Bedrock’s Heaven Scent drew everyone back in. It worked well to conclude Downey’s set, as Trent McDermott and Steve Strangis stepped up looking nervous with such hard acts to follow. The back-to-back DJs maintained an excellent mixing standard, however were a little stagnant when contrasted with Downey’s liveliness. The dancefloor kept moving, but the crowd became smaller and smaller as their set drew to a close.

Airport has definitely set a benchmark for trance events in Melbourne, and hopefully things will only grow to be bigger and brighter. The effort that went into the main stage added a heightened excitement to their event, complimenting the stellar line up of DJs. Regardless of the lack in numbers that forced the two side rooms to be merged into one, there was an incredible sense of friendliness and enjoyment amongst everyone. That’s all we can really ask from the dance music scene. Well done Airport!