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Halcyon with Infected Mushroom and Ace Ventura Reported by Agnes Klos / Submitted 15-06-11 19:51 Halcyon has already established its reputation as an iconic party on the London music circuit, featuring the likes of Astrix and Hallucinogen at past events. With Infected Mushroom and Ace Ventura headlining two rooms in the redesigned and reopened Proud 2 superclub (formally matter, in the O2 complex) standards were set sky-high for the first outing of 2011. Agnes Klos joined the ravers to check out whether Halcyon could surprise music-lovers again. In line with its tradition of inviting legendary names to their events, Halcyon set out to make the party in April the one to stand out. Even though I have been to many Halcyon parties and have heard Infected Mushroom several times in the past, I was enticed to come down when I heard that the second room was a progressive psytrance floor, hosted by A.T.A.R.I Project. Apart from the wicked line-up, another factor which convinced me to attend was curiosity about the venue. I had my doubts about matter in the past and I was looking forward to see what changes and improvements have been made. After an extensive renovation of the industrial-style interior, the venue has been transformed into a decadent, glamorous nightspot, able to run sensational club nights. The first thing that caught my eye was the disappearance of the pillars from the back of the main room. As a result, the space on the main dancefloor has been extended, which used to be a huge issue in the past, especially when the main acts came on the stage. I remember being squashed during Infected Mushroom’s performance last year and then trying to get a glimpse of them from upstairs, having to look from behind peoples’ shoulders. However, this time around I managed to find a free spot on the upper floor by the fence, happily looking at clubbers jumping below. Since my interest for the party was focused on the progressive floor it is where I would like to direct my attention first. Kicking things off were the competition winners, Katty Grooves vs Billy Butlins. Even though the dancefloor was quite empty at the start of their set, they were not discouraged and kept on pumping out a filthy fusion of psybreaks, tech-funk-electro and lively, chunky beats, and received a clapping ovation from their supportive fan base at the end. Next up was a well-known talent on the progressive scene, Hamish. He started DJing at the early age of 19 whilst at university in Leeds. After moving to London, he has been responsible for bringing artists such as Freq, Ace Ventura and Flowjob to the capital, and for rocking dancefloors around the world at international festivals such as Boom, Glade (Origin Stage), Universo Parallelo, Life, Shamania, Echo, Eastern Haze and many more. With one compilation on Alchemy Records under his belt - Echo VA and his involvement in the first UK Progressive Label - Furthur Project Recordings, he is definitely a name worth keeping an eye on. His style could be described as warm, strong, psychedelic and groovy that ranges from progressive to full-on. With his excellent technical skills on display at Halcyon, Hamish represented proudly the progressive side of psytrance and awakened respect from behind the decks. Stephan Hoffman aka Devine Machine followed Hamish gracefully and captivated the audience immediately with a set packed with throbbing basslines and pulsating beats. It is worth mentioning that he is the co-owner of the high quality London based progressive and psychedelic trance brand A.T.A.R.I Project (www.atariproject.com) which hosted the progressive floor at the event. Devine Machine has been DJing in clubs and at events since 1996 and back home in South Africa he held residencies and regular guest appearances at most of the super clubs and big dance music events. When he got off the decks I asked him what he thought of the party and he told me: “I knew that the event would be a sell out as Infected Mushroom and Ace Ventura combined was definitely one of the best psy line-ups in London to date in 2011. Needless to say, we had high expectations for the event and I can honestly say that it lived up to what it was billed to be. “The support in the A.T.A.R.I Project room was amazing from start to finish and having Ace Ventura headlining, as last year, was once again a total pleasure. The vibe was brilliant in both rooms and in addition it should be said that it was the fullest that Proud2 has been since their opening this year. As always the psy crowd was out in full force but Infected Mushroom obviously has a very big cross-over, commercial pull, which was evident on the night. All in all, my view of the event was that it was a total success and it was great to attend be part of such a top class night.” I also wanted to know which moments of the party Devine Machine enjoyed the most and which tune created the peak of his set, he replied: “As a performing DJ, it would be difficult not to list your own set as the most enjoyable moment, but besides my own set the highlights for me was Ace Ventura's set as well as Infected Mushroom's last track in their set. It was an absolute killer! “As for the tracks in my set, I felt that all of them had their own peak moments but it was great to see the response to one of my new tracks that is nearing completion. It is a collaboration track with DJ Neutrino. The track is a strong progressive and melodic psy affair. It will be known as Devine Machine and Neutrino – ‘Contact’, so keep an eye out for that soon.” Ace Ventura as the headliner of the progressive floor was undoubtedly the one that everyone had been waiting for impatiently the entire night. With his new album coming out soon, he served a mixture of unreleased tracks and fresh groovy tunes, never heard on the dancefloor before. One may say that his new style shifted slightly into the direction of minimal but it was still rocking and created an electric atmosphere, enthused by the amazing tracks. I had a chance to catch with Ace after his set (check my recent interview with Ace Ventura here) and ask him for his opinion about the party, he told me: “The party was great. I went to see some of Infected Mushroom live show and they were hammering it, the crowd was really going for it! The prog room was a bit empty at first but when I started to play but it filled up, and the crowd was going for it there as well. I loved the atmosphere as the people were well into it, giving me lots of love and feedback from the floor. It felt really good! It is hard to specify a single track or my favourite moment of the party, as it was all great in da' hood. I love playing in London and I’m really looking forward to the next time. Also, I would like to say thank you to A.T.A.R.I Project and the folks at Halcyon for having me and see you soon.” Following Ace Ventura was South African talent Dino Ciancamerla aka DJ Neutrino, who together with Devine Machine created the brand A.T.A.R.I Project. Neutrino has gained an immediate respect in the scene for his professional approach and top quality event production. He is known for playing a range of music from phat and funky progressive psy to the more driving and uplifting side of psychedelic trance. His set at Halcyon provided what it said on the bill. With arms shooting in the air to his devastating chunky beats, he proved once again that he was a DJ, able to get the dance floor moving and grooving, any time of day or night. “A.T.A.R.I Project was very happy to have Ace Ventura playing for us again. He had told us that there most likely would not be any released tracks in his live set. So today’s party created a chance to check him out for some brand spanking new progressive,” Neutrino told me at the end of the night. The finishing set of the night belonged to a female progressive DJ from Sweden: Sofire. As label DJ at Digital Nature Records and with residency at cutting edge London events such as Acid Monkey and ChiChime, she has gained a well-respected name on the scene both among DJs and clubbers who know her for the bundles of energy while behind the decks. At Halcyon she displayed once again her excellent technical skills and ability to move the dancefloor to the boiling point with a perfectly thought-through selection of tracks. "Halcyon was a really wicked party, lots of happy people and a great vibe on the dance floor. Ace Ventura rocked it as usual with his live set and I was very honoured to share the stage with him. I had loads of fun during my set, the sound system was great and I couldn't stop myself from jumping around to the music behind the decks. The peak of the set must have been towards the end, I can't remember what tracks I played but it looked like the people on the dance floor were having as much fun as I was!" It is also worth mention the stunning décor which was provided by one of the best décor teams in London: Global Village Productions (www.globalvillageproductions.co.uk). They are currently at the top of their game, weaving magic at psychedelic festivals and events like the main stage at Ozora Festival last year and Life Festival (Ireland) this year. The place felt truly psychedelic with their stretch sets around the DJbox and pictures of fairies surrounding it on the walls. The main room looked spectacular with horns hanging from the ceiling and eye-catching geometrical shapes above the stage. Making my way to survey the scene in the main room, I was blown away by the beauty of the décor and the spaciousness of the room. Flashing lights whirred around the swarms of hands and stomping feet. No wonder the room was packed with party-goers from early on in the party with music courtesy of Matt Loraine playing back-to-back with Andi Leppard (resident of events such as IllumiNaughty, Halcyon, Antiworld, Chichime, Puzzle Project, Psy Invasion, Offworld, Planet Zogg). Matt Loraine used to be knows as a hard dance DJs in the UK; then, after a break from the scene, he started collecting psychedelic trance and quickly built a solid reputation as a psytrance DJ. His style is so defined that nobody at Halcyon could miss his signature sound when he stood behind the decks. The explosive combination of Matt’s style with Andi’s banging psytrance delivered a pleasantly warm-up set, getting clubbers ready for the aural feast which was to come. Peter Well aka Zeus, was next to take to the decks in the main room. Starting his career playing hard trance, he found his niche playing psy trance (as Zeus) and techno (as Peter Well). He also runs Roots Events and PointZero Records with production partner Fabrizio Motta (Fabry) aka DJ Metaphase. Zeus has carved out his own sound over the years, easily recognisable by seasoned clubbers. At Halcyon he quickly infused the audience with his raw energy spreading like a tsunami over the dancefloor. The next DJ on the line-up, Halcyon Resident Liquid Ross, is seen by many as a legend on the psytrance scene, running the popular Liquid Connective parties and Liquid Records. Ross has an ability to mix up styles by dropping that unexpected crowd pleaser into the mix and having delivered a slew of dancefloor bangers, his skills left the clubbers slack-jawed. All night the dancefloor had been waiting for that very special moment of the evening, the moment when Infected Mushroom took to the stage. These headliners definitely need no introduction: the psy trance pioneers have evolved into one of the dance scenes biggest live acts, reflected in their DJ Mag Top 100 rating several years running and selling out high energy shows all over the globe. The crowd surged towards the stage as soon as Infected appeared, erupting to the opening track; energy in the room became unrelenting and the emotion of the audience was tangible, with heads bobbing and limbs flailing. The tracks pumped out across the massive crowd, waving their hands to the lead singer, bouncing their heads and showing their love. Peering down from the second floor balcony. the dancefloor looked like a turbulent sea of bodies in the middle of a thunderstorm of bass, guitar and psytrance beats. Infected Mushroom’s hour and a half set was creating a storm of energy, whipping the sell-out crowd into a total hysteria. It is never easy to follow the headliner but Psykinetic playing back-to-back with Andy Force did a magnificent job, keeping clubbers on the soaring wave of energy. Renowned for playing for the crowd and not from a set list that has been earlier precisely prearranged, Psykinetic (a resident DJ for Antiworld UK/Ibiza for eight years) did not disappoint and provided delights in a form of banging tunes for the raving crowd at Halcyon. Together with Andy Force, known from parties such as Milk, Party Proactive and Magnetix, created an energy on the stage which literally blew clubbers away with a massively destructive force. The party also played host to a number of well-recognised talents including Tristan, Dejavoo and Phil Lankester. Tristan, who is signed to Nano Records, could be described as one of the instigators of what we now call the psytrance scene. He graces festivals all around the world and despite being based in London he rarely plays out in clubs here. Therefore, Halcyon created a unique opportunity for his fans to hear him spin some wicked tunes in the clubbing environment of their hometown. Entertainment also came in the shape of the duo called Dejavoo (DJ Kristian, well known for his DJing around the globe and computer wizz kid, Franchesco). At Halcyon they demonstrated their natural flair for combining elements of other electronic music genres with psytrance, making the crowd rave with joy. When I asked them about their thoughts on Halcyon, the Dejavoo guys told me: “As expected the vibe and production at Halcyon were amongst our best gigs but this is always expected from this event. Best moment for us was probably when we dropped the plastic vibe remix of Rob Dougan ‘Clubbed to death’, the whole place went mental. It was a great moment, worth remembering.” The closing set belonged to Halcyon resident Phil Lankester aka Libra 9 who cut his teeth in the industry ten years ago and has built a strong following in London over the intervening time. With DJ sets under the Phil Lankester moniker, and Ableton Live PA's from his Libra 9 alias, the crowd recognises Phil from his many appearances including his own night, Puzzle Project and various other residencies - Tribal Dance and Magnetix ('Best New Night 2007' - Harderfaster.net Awards 2007). He delivered a top-notch set at Halcyon, leaving the audience yearning for more telling me at the end: “Probably my most favourite Halcyon yet. Playing on the stage at Proud2 was a memorable experience. Atmosphere was great, the people that were there were friendly and created a great vibe. Halcyon always meets my expectations - Paul Jack is probably the most professional promoter I have ever worked with, this man certainly knows how to run a party!” At the end of the night I had a chance to grab a couple of minutes out of the busy schedule of Halcyon promoter, Paul Jack, and ask him whether the party met his expectations. Paul said: “I was a little nervous going back to Matter/Proud2 since the refurbishment but I could not be happier with the party overall. We had a fantastic turnout with the event being close to sell-out, working with Global Village delivered fantastic décor in the main room and helped to take away from the commercial nature of the venue space and the energy of the crowd was amazing! “As always the crowd reaction when Infected went on stage was simply amazing, they have such a loyal following, it’s incredible! I loved watching people reactions when they first walked in and I spent quite a lot of time talking to clubbers in the outside area getting feedback and listening to ideas for future events. All the DJs delivered incredible performances and Phil Lankester aka Libra 9 kept the dancefloor rocking way past closing time! “I believe that from the unique live psychedelic rock of Infected Mushroom to the sublime proggy sounds of Ace Ventura, the classic euphoric full-on of Tristan to the techier and electro-driven Dejavoo, this Halcyon had all bases covered.” From my personal point of view, the only problem with the party was the overlapping of two huge headliners: Infected Mushroom and Ace Ventura. Numerous clubbers did not check the line-up for the A.T.A.R.I floor upstairs and ended up raving to Infected Mushroom till the very end of their performance, having no idea that Ace Ventura had already started in the other room. Therefore, the upper progressive floor filled in with the crowd a bit later that night but in the end the vibe was transformed into a proper rave within minutes when more people flooded in. All photos courtesy of Agnes Klos. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: Other Features By Agnes Klos: Back2Basics - 10 Years of Party Productions & Tomorrowland Stage Hosts Atmosphere Records - The opening of IBIZA 1936 Entering the world of Waldfrieden in Germany with DJoanna Piracy is not a crime – sail away with Feestgedruis! Progressive flavours with DJ R'Deem ahead of Neelix party The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments: From: No1raver on 18th Jun 2011 19:55.02 The last Halcyon was fucking brilliant! i will certainly be going to the next Halcyon @ Proud2 on the 8th July! From: Tara on 20th Jun 2011 13:35.40 Great review Agnes! Yes it was indeed a shame that Infected and Ace were on at the same time... and also Ace and Andy Force But when you've got two rooms of good music there's always going to be a clash! I suspect I'm going to spend a lot of the next party on 8 July running up and down the stairs trying to see as many DJs as possible! From: Neutrino on 21st Jun 2011 11:33.05 Ya sadly there was no way around it. They only overlapped by half an hour and considering both Ace and Infected Mushroom's sets were 1.5 hours long it wasnt too bad. Great event overall.

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