Overview of Amsterdam Dance Event 2012 by The LoneRaver

When in Amsterdam....in late October, every year the Amsterdam Dance Event, the world's leading electronic music conference takes place for 5 days. This makes Amsterdam the center of the electronic music world to party and talk business in October. This topic deserves When in Amsterdam to invite a specialist. We warmly welcome our first guest blogger The LoneRaver to share insight on this global event.

Right then my fellow Raver's this is the week we've been waiting for, the time to start getting overly excited about ADE has arrived. If electronic music is your thing then your probably well aware of the ensuing madness that is about to take over this fine city of ours but if you are an outsider looking in then you may be wondering what all the fuss is about and why there is so many yellow and black flags fluttering away in the rain. So for those wondering I'll let you in on a little secret, come closer, it's the world's biggest club festival for electronic music.

Every year the festival seams to get bigger and better with more innovative venues being utilized, a wider range of styles represented and a growing number of international visitors streaming into the arrival lounge's of Schipol and Centraal station. It's now a can't miss opportunity for some of the worlds greatest parties to display the creativity and vision that makes them such a hit in their respective homelands with showcase's from Secretsundaze, Awakenings, Ministry of Sound and what appear's at first glance to be an after hours a day from Electric Deluxe.

Photo Credit: Martijn Klijmij

The whole shebang officially kicks off on the Wednesday but that won't stop the sneaky folk at Studio 80 from getting in there first with a tuesday night "Saved" special featuring NIcFanciulli, Robert Dietz and Subb-An, However the starters gun officially fires on Wednesday and I'll be heading out for early drinks and beats at the Cue Bar for the Sleepwalkers showcase before making the short bike ride to Trouw for, in my opinion, the venues highlight night of ADE. Seth Troxler and Makam are guest's in the main room with Sandrien inviting Ben Klock to deliver the techno downstairs in De Verdieping. Other highlights include Carl Craig, Paul Woolford and Nina Kravitz at MC Theater and Josh Wink and Steve Bug at Chicago Social Club.

Thursday brings the ADE debut of "The Amsterdam Convention Factory" as a venue, this vast former Stork factory should prove the perfect place for Ame, Extrawelt and Oliver Koletzki to perform live deep house music in a suitably industrial venue. Elsewhere On and On go for a 10 hour special at the Transformatorhuis in Westerparc with special guest Shifted while Amsterdam Drum and Bass institute Cheeky Monday's throw a party to launch their new label of the same name with special guest Nicky Blackmarket amply supported by mainstays Sinistah and Insom to name a few.

One of the first thing's I noticed when perusing the program was that the afterhour parties that have been notable in their absence in previous years are well represented from the friday morning through to monday giving it a truly 24 hour vibe that the event has previously lacked and the first of these we will take in is when newly opened Club Lite invites Berlin's Frucht Records for a special all day session starting from 6am till mid afternoon. Later in the day the Click crew put together a 12 hour special at the Westerunie complex with The Advent, Slam, Monika Kruse and local legend Steve Rachmad the pick of the bunch. Staying in the west, Elastic Artist's present's a UK special with Julio Bashmore, Joy Orbison and Lone taking to the controls in the MC Theater.

Photo Credit: Betribes

Friday's highlight comes in the form of the "Next Mondays Hangover's" ADE special. Known for picking unusual venues and locations for their parties the NMH crew do not disappoint on this front again as "Het Sieraad" is chosen to host a Mobilee special. While living a mere 200 meter's away I had no idea this place had the potential to be used for a rave up but upon closer inspection it almost shout's out party and with Pan-Pot, Anja Schneider, Sebo K and a live set from Rodriguez JR this will be one to remember.

Saturday is the traditional big night in clubland and with no fewer than 70 different events taking place all over the city this serves as proof of that and its gonna be very hard to choose where to dance the night away. So to continue the loose theme of unusual venues that appears to have developed in this piece we start the night off in the former squat bar Cafe't Schuim for Delicious Grooves meets Cosmic Disco before heading east to get down at Roest, a former gasworks building, for the Weerloos Label night were Santa Ballistol offer something very different from the usual with a live performance of jazz infused techno with live poetry providing the vocals for this experimental live ensemble. Staying east Studio K host's VBX goes Berlin Underground with Margaret Dygas, Vera and Carlos Valdes.

Later on we head back into the city to take in Schmeck Pony's ADE special at Club Home as they attempt a 16 hour marathon starting at 11pm and taking us nicely into Sunday with a genuine international line up including Christian Smith, Mauro Picotto, Dosem and Amsterdam's very own Bart Sklls.

Photo Credit: Emma Pierre

So Sunday is upon us and as we try to shake of the dreaded feeling that the fun is almost over the festival continues to throw up some huge names with Detroit Legend Jeff Mills taking his familiar position behind the decks and R-909 at OT301 for a 6 hour set, Speedy J and Sandwell District performing at the Melkweg followed by Soul Clap taking on Wolf and Lamb later in the day. However the final destination for us on this journey through ADE is back to Studio 80 for secretsundaze first full blown ADE Party. After occupying Studio 80's back room last year the London main stay takes over the whole place this time round and invites Motor City Drum Ensemble, Delano Smith, Brawther and Patrice Scott to join mainstays Giles Smith and James Priestly for one final blow out that promise's to be up there with very best of the last few days.

So that rounds up my take on this years ADE but I can't get across the scale of the event in 1000 woods so head to www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl for full listings and details about ticket's times etc.

Have a good one and if I have one top tip it's book your tickets in advance, especially for the after hours

The LoneRaver

Photo credit: Roy Laros

Part of this article was published in Amsterdo's October edition.

When in Amsterdam....enjoy!