'What the F' with Ferry Corsten

 

    When I fell in love with electronic dance music in the late 1990s through radio exposure, little did I know that all of these years later, this music would be so cathartic and fun.  Therefore, Ferry Corsten whether by his name or the many aliases he has built over the years, creating so many tracks that have to contributed to trance music and electronic dance music culture has been great to witness.  When Ferry and his team announced the What the F tour featuring nights of open to close sets full of Ferry's entire catalog, most if not all of us fans were delighted. 

    Due to my personal local scene, the possibility of a open to close night is scarce, so I determined traveling to Denver would be the best option. In the process of attending events or sharing my love for this music over the years, I asked some friends to come along as these sets are historic.  Upon arrival at Summit Denver, Ferry began with his more progressive tracks, then built the energy as more fans arrived with dropping familiar track after track.  The anticipation of new edits on tracks along with hearing another classic drove the night.  The addition of the track IDs by Ferry's team on the screen as well as music videos or events from the past added to the journey. Great production all around.

    The night is just good vibes from start to finish. As the night kept approaching the finale of a 6 hour journey, it was clear that Ferry has produced so much music that it could easily exceed 6 hours. As eluded to before, these nights are historic as it is currently not clear if these type of open to close nights will be performed by Ferry in the future. It is HIGHLY recommended that you attend one of these even if you have to travel. 

‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ with Markus Schulz

In the current electronic dance music industry, festivals, clubs, and private events have welcomed more and more artists to be scheduled. Therefore, DJ’s sets have gotten shorter over the years with the average set at a festival being just one hour long. When the underground scene began in warehouses and clubs in the 1990s or early 2000s, the art of DJing was alive and well with marathon sets to keep party goers energized for an entire night.

                DJ andProducer Markus Schulz began his career as a resident DJ playing marathon sets and honing his skills. During his entire career, Markus has kept the art of DJing alive by playing extended and open to close sets where attendees can enjoy the journey of music for hours on hours. What is known as the “rabbit hole” or late hours into the set where the journey incorporates melodic techno to get weird has become legendary over the years.

At the end of 2021, Markus began releasing new music under his Dakota alias that embraces melodic techno over the big room trance sound and along with that began announcing specific Down the Rabbit Hole open to close sets in particular venues and cites in 2022. One of the first being in Denver at a brand-new venue called the ReelworksDenver which is a repurposed warehouse for these types of events. Despite the snowy and cold weather on this February 12^th night, the anticipation for the FIRST open-to-close by Markus Schulz in Denver at a new venue was insane.

Whether it is your first time or another one to add to your list of attending these marathon sets, it is encouraged to arrive early when the doors open. The journey begins as you walk through the door with or without your friends or family, proceed to the bar, and get settled in to enjoy the music. The energy builds with each mix of a new track and as the venue begins to fill with eager attendees. These events are designed to keep the positive vibes alive for the duration of the set, which in this case, was 6 hours.

As you can gather from everything explained thus far, is these nights are designed to be considered special events for you to attend.  The legacy of Markus Schulz continues with the love of music and the art of DJing being at the forefront.  The camaraderie found from attending these events due to a mutual love of the music and euphoria found in a shared experience is truly special. It is HIGHLY recommended that you attend one of these even if traveling is required!