Escape Into the Park 2007

[Tremor]

Well I have just got back from Swansea after spending the weekend down there and of course attending EITP.

It was a really good event in my opinion and far exceeded my expectations. Whilst its a much smaller event than the likes of Global for example, the lineup was still fairly good for a reasonable price and all elements of the event were top quality. For example the sound in all arenas was superb, function one systems in most of the tents and Nexo line array on the main stage. It was plenty lound enough but not harsh so that your ears weren't ringing at the end. My only complaint really was that the event finished at 11pm, if only it went on later.

In terms of sets, on arrival to the site I checked out all of the arenas in customary fashion returning eventually to my original point of entry, the main stage where I chilled out for a bit listening to the trophy twins. I thought they were pretty cool playing some nice tunes to get me in the festival mood.

After the trophies I went to check out the GK tent where Dave Pearce was getting ready to take over from Matt Hardwick. Dave played a reasonable set thougth the mixing was a bit sketchy. Tunes included Kirsty Hawkshaw - Outsiders (Cosmic Gate), Tiesto - Lethal Industry (Durand), Dave 202 - Rain Against Her, Solar Stone - 7 cities.

Next up in GK was Adam Sheridan and I wasn't too impressed with his first couple of tunes so I headed off to the Polysexual tent. Alex Kidd was playing a hard dance remix of matt darey's liberation (fly like an angel) when I went in and he followed up with several more bangin tunes whilst climbing up the truss either side of the decks and standing on the deck table goin nuts and getting the crowd going throughout. Then came the original hardcore legend I had come to see, DJ SY who played 45 minutes of bouncy 170+ BPM happy hardcore bringing back memories of my hardcore raving days of a few years ago. The atmosphere was the best all night as SY dropped Breeze & Styles - You're Shining, Sy & Unknown - Caught up In your love, d***headz - Suck My... , CLSM - Set Your Body Free, and for ultimate crowd singalong action, Paradise - See The Light. Sy played easily the best set of the night and I must have lost a stone in weight due to the sweat I lost!

After Sy's 170 BPM madness it almost seemed like an anticlimax stepping back into the GK tent but luckily the next DJ's up were above and beyond and despite the huge drop in tempo I was soon raving once again. The set was good as ever for Above and Beyond, the highlight for me being the last 2 tracks, Good for Me and Alone Tonight.

A & B's last track was still playing as the chants of "Eddie Eddie Eddie" began to fill the arena heralding the arrival of Halliwell. His set was the best in the GK tent in terms of technical mixing and tune selection combined, A nice mix of harder techy tunes and uplifting trance. Tunes I can remember include lethal industry (durand remix) which eddie enjoyed looping the breakdown for a good 3 or 4 minutes, teasing the crowd before allowing the tune to drop, VDM - fly away (cosmic gate remix), Randy Katana - FDV 6,

Last up in GK was Julesy who played a really good set compared to some that I've seen recently. Most of the tunes were fairly new with some I'd not heard before at all and it was refreshing not to hear the same old tracklist, this being the first time I've seen Jules since Global that he hasn't played Electrostate! the following tunes were played from memory:

muse - Cydonia (John 00 fleming & wizzy noise)

tom day - whisper

jj - laid bare (ibiza trumpet mix)

jj & BK - sickness

VDM - fly away (cosmic gate)

yves deruyter - feel free

joop - the future

randy katana - session impossible

warrior - if you want me (webster)

rhcp - waiting for (genix edit)

Overall I had a wicked time and would def. go again, its just a shame it finishes so early. I certainly cant complain cosidering it was 35 quid to get in.

[Briggsy]

I agree entirely!

This was the best day out i've had in a very long time - i'd even say I found it better than Global last year. Maybe thats because the DJ's here were more my cup of tea.

I was in the Gods tent all the way through - only leaving for my interviews and a few other press related things.

Eddie was by far the best DJ - his layering of some Techno track over the top of O' Callaghan & Kearney's Pendulum was superb. Great trickery, great tunes and loads of passion and energy as always.

Matt Hardwick was surprisingly good too. Every time i've seen him over the last 18 months, he's been bland and trainwrecking like mad - but he was the total opposite yesterday. A great set, well built and silky mixing.

Adam Sheridan started off a bit slow, but when he got going, he also really surprised me. He did an awesome set, and did some great live chopping up and live re-mixing of tracks. He did a great live re-work of Super8 & Tab's Needs To Feel. He also actually looked like he wanted to play too. I've seen him on two other occasions this year and he looked bored s***less on both of those occasions.

Dave Pearce was also very good. His beatmatching was pretty good - but he just bangs his basslines in too suddenly and they tend to clash with each other. Other than that, he can't be faulted. Good tunes, well built set, a few anthems, and, again, so much enthusiasm - he loves his job.

Sander van Doorn also surprised me too. He was completely opposite to when he clared the Godksitchen floor in June last year. This set was well built, had some good tunes, and I liked it.

Unfortunately, I missed most of Jules due to interviewing Eddie Halliwell - but what I did hear made up for the poor sets i've heard from him the last two times i've seen him. Nice mixing, good flow, and quite comical on the mic at the end. That Mark Ronson tune he's playing though is shockingly awful. Please, throw it in the bin Jules!

I also missed Big Al - which was a shame because he's one of the best resident DJ's in the Uk. He's always supurb.

Above & Beyond were the only DJ's that didn't do it for me really - but I expected that. I find their style really boring, and every tune they play sounds like the previous one. Its just like one long tune for 60 minutes. I hate Anjuna style Trance - its boring, unimaginative, plinky-plonky, basic Trance.

I'd say the best DJ's for me were in this order. Eddie, Sheridan, Pearce, Hardwick, Sander van Doorn, Above & Beyond. I didn't see enough of Jules & Big Al to give a fair comment.

You're right about it going on longer - the day went so quick, and after such a good day, I was screaming for more when it closed at 11pm - BUT, I guess its never going to be later than that with it being in a public park in a residential area - especially with no age restrictions either. I was amazed that anyone from the age of 5 and above could attend.

[Bjorn]

Above & Beyond were the only DJ's that didn't do it for me really - but I expected that. I find their style really boring, and every tune they play sounds like the previous one. Its just like one long tune for 60 minutes. I hate Anjuna style Trance - its boring, unimaginative, plinky-plonky, basic Trance.

Come on Briggs - u can't call it simple!!!

I think the reason u found it being like one tune is because A&B are masters of harmonic mixing meaning that transistions are as smooth as possible & melodically perfect!

Do you not like any anjuna releases then dude? Fair play in your opinion tho, i suppose your entitled to that

Nath - sterling report matey - really enjoyed reading that!! You & your hardcore never makes me cease to chuckle. If i didn't know you theres no way on earth i could imagine u smashing it out pogo'ing away to some banging happy hardcore! U'll have to tell olly!

[Briggsy]

Come on Briggs - u can't call it simple!!!

I think the reason u found it being like one tune is because A&B are masters of harmonic mixing meaning that transistions are as smooth as possible & melodically perfect!

Do you not like any anjuna releases then dude? Fair play in your opinion tho, i suppose your entitled to that

Nath - sterling report matey - really enjoyed reading that!! You & your hardcore never makes me cease to chuckle. If i didn't know you theres no way on earth i could imagine u smashing it out pogo'ing away to some banging happy hardcore! U'll have to tell olly!

lol, nah honestly, i'm quite open minded with most music - granted, its not all my cup of tea, but I can see the point behind some of it. I just find the vast majority of Anjuna stuff to be, well, just quite basic - Trance to me is all about gutsy breakdowns and powerful basslines - and Anjuna stuff doesn't seem to have any of that. It has breakdowns - but they're quite light, floaty breakdowns - which don't seem very emotional to me - and thats what I think Trance is all about. I know you like it, and many other do because its a very popular label - but I just feel it defies the meaning of Trance music.

In my whole record collection of well over 1500 tunes, I only own about four Anjuna tracks . Three of them were for "beefier" remixes such as Black Is The Colour. The only one i've really liked is Smith & Pledger - White.

I love most Trance music - especially big powerful emotional breakdowns, and big chunky basslines - but this Anjuna stuff doesn't really motivate me at all. Its nice warm-up music as its quite calm - but I don't really think it has a place in clubs and festivals at 3am

Its just my opinion after all - I dare say some people find my Guy McAffer-esque Techno that I listen to to be noisy rubbish

[JasonB]

I caught in to Anjunabeats later than some, a lot of the stuff I've liked but up until recebntly havent bothered buying, at the mo though theers a strong list of releases that I will be buying all of, Anjunadeep on tother hadn every release I've bought as I've liked them enough to.

[Ducky]

I do like listening to A&B/Anjuna stuff from time to time, but im with Briggsy, i like to listen to tougher Basslines in the main!

[Aza]

Thanks for those reports, I second what Bjorno dude says: I enjoyed reading those guys - thanks for those

Is there any where you can download some of those sets? I might have overlooked it on the board somewhere, but would be interested to check out some of them...

[Gregg]

Matt Hardwick was surprisingly good too. Every time i've seen him over the last 18 months, he's been bland and trainwrecking like mad - but he was the total opposite yesterday. A great set, well built and silky mixing.

really surprised to read that. Matt Hardwick was by far and wide the most consistent DJ I saw last year and I cannot think of a single train-wreck.

[Bjorn]

really surprised to read that. Matt Hardwick was by far and wide the most consistent DJ I saw last year and I cannot think of a single train-wreck.

i agree - although not the most exciting dj (although recently i have started enjoying his sets much more) i have never heard him make a single mistake - wicked mixing style too - watched him from behind the decks b4 - so so so smooth :thumbsup:

[Briggsy]

He ws silky smooth at Escape Into The Park so I can only assume that his poor mixing at the GCSSS was down the the sound system problem that Jules complained about in his online diary.

The other time I heard him prior to that when he was trainwrecking was Global Gathering - but the other three DJ's that were on before him were too, so i'm not sure if there were problems there either.

To be fair to Matt H, he was supurb at Escape Into The Park - a very energetic set, and nice pounding tunes. Very different from Matt's usual style. I normally find him a bit flat - no energy at all.