WMC 09: PVD at Space

WMC 09 – March 28

This is one of the most highly anticipated events of the season - Paul van Dyk at Club Space. The pounding beat draws us into the venue, forcing us to move our feet and nod our heads in time to the rhythm.

We enter the cavernous main room and the bass is so powerful that it passes through your body, shaking you from head to toe. The space is packed with bodies, moving together in sync. Looking up into the darkness, you see crystal chandeliers surrounded by no less than 80 disco balls. Flashing lights cut through the shadows, revealing the German musician, high above the crowd, swaying back and forth between his instruments.

A melody breaks loose from the hard beats, swirling around the room and leaving behind the heavy bass line. Transcendental strings provide a counterpoint, intensifying into a crescendo - and with a flourish, the DJ drops the beat back into the mix, leveling the crowd with another series of chest-pounding thumps. Obediently throwing our hands in the air, the audience jumps up and down: one part applause, one part plea for more.

A bright light flashes momentarily - revealing the flush, excited revelers for a split-second. Back in dark now, a loud hissing accompanies a flood of dense fog that fills the room with a burst of cold air, as if the ceiling has been ripped off to reveal an arctic night sky, cooling down our hot, sweaty bodies.

The DJ smiles wide, diving back into his laptop to prepare the next movement of his symphony.

For the rest of the night, his hypnotic message is devoured by the ecstatic onlookers, united by sound. As day breaks, we emerge from the club content, with a newfound energy that propels our tired legs home.

-- JUSTIN KENT