This Was: Amsterdam Dance Event 2023

The 28th edition of Amsterdam Dance Event took place from Wednesday, October 18th until Sunday, October 21st. EDMHouseNetwork was on the scene this year at the annual conference which spanned across the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. From panel discussions to mixers to art installations to epic festivals, Amsterdam Dance Event is the place for those who live for electronic music. Whether you’re an artist, industry professional, DJ, Producer, or a fan there was a little bit of everything for everyone at ADE this year. 

GETTING THERE & GETTING AROUND

Coming from The Hague area, getting to Amsterdam was easy via the tram and train. I stayed throughout the conference in Amsterdam Noord which was a simple ten-minute metro ride from the center of Amsterdam. During the day traversing Amsterdam was easy by foot and by public transit, it was however a bit more complicated at night with most parties ending at the same time. Trying to get an Uber at 6:00 AM with hundreds of thousands of other people when you know you have to be back at the conference in just a few hours is not ideal but it’s part of the experience!
We had jam packed schedule each day at ADE and unfortunately could not be at everything, everywhere, all at once but we came as close as we could to achieving that.

Here were our favorite moments from ADE 2023:

WEDNESDAY
Scantraxx Pop-up Shop
To kick off the first day of ADE, we dropped by the Scantraxx pop-up shop offering hardstyle enthusiasts the chance to shop exclusive new merchandise and even get free tattoos. For those wondering, I did not get a tattoo but I did watch a few people get one! Moreover, aspiring producers had the opportunity to drop their demos to artists such as Demi Kanon, Kronos, and Jorik. The highlight of the event was the charitable rare vinyl auction where lucky winners could own a piece of hardstyle history by supporting a meaningful cause, Stichting Wensambulance (a Dutch organization that fulfills the last wishes of terminally ill patients). The pop-up shop was a great start to the day and a great place to meet up with some old friends.

EDM.com Insider Access: Global Networking Event
One of the best parts of the conference is making meaningful connections and the EDM.com mixer was the place to be for networking at ADE. The event took place at a trendy hostel in the North of Amsterdam and had free drinks, food, and even cotton candy! At the top of the hour a selection of special guests were announced and EDMHouseNetwork’s very own Dylan Smith was invited to give a few words about our publication. This was a great opportunity to get to know the EDM.com team and meet other like-minded individuals in the scene.

We Rave You x Bootshaus’ ‘Meet Me At The Hotel‘ Invie Only Event
From one mixer to another, we attended We Rave You and Bootshaus‘ joint private event which saw industry personal mingle while massive names such as Dillon Francis, Topic, and Joel Corry provided the soundtrack of the night. As it was an invite only event, each individual in attendance was hand selected to be there and it made for an incredible atmosphere.

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Timmy Trumpet presents ‘SINPHONY’ Label Night
Australia’s trumpet playing larger than life superstar Timmy Trumpet hosted his label night at Amsterdam AIR on Wednesday. The sold-out event was packed from wall to wall and even top to bottom as the main room had multiple floors! The theme of the night was Timmy Trumpet & Friends and you could feel that energy throughout the evening from start to finish. Timmy Trumpet is known to work in partnership with artists across many genres and of our favorite collaborations is of course the one and only Hardstyle powerhouse Tony Junior. Some of our favorite moments of the night were singing along to ‘Forever Young’ with Tony Junior as fireworks shot from the stage and of course hearing his new track with Timmy Trumpet ‘The Barber’. Timmy Trumpet as always put on an unforgettable set seamlessly blending many genres into a one hour set. He had us singing along to ‘Dance Tonight’ and ‘Party Till we Die’ as confetti flew through the air and lasers shot through the sky. This is not the first time we’ve covered Timmy Trumpet and certainly not the last as he is always one of our must-see’s no matter where we are in the world.

THURSDAY
Don Diablo: Masterclass on Creativity – Being Unique in an AI Generated World
On Thursday, Don Diablo gave a masterclass as part of the ADE conference on how he stays unique and creative in a world powered by AI. During this session, Don Diablo explained how the scene has drastically changed since he first got into it in 1993 before the internet. During this period there were no tutorials, no “likes” or “follows” and additionally no top charts. The scene was a less professional place with less pressure. Another major difference was the fact that you had to carry all the music you were prepared to play in giant cases as music back than was on vinyl compared to the tiny USB sticks of today. Don Diablo explained that for DJs and producers AI can be a very helpful tool especially when it comes to designing record sleeves, music videos or using AI models for your web shop. However, at the end of the day he said that the only original thing you can do is be yourself.

1001Tracklist’s Top 101 Producers Showcase
The fourth edition of the Top 101 Producers showcase hosted by 1001Tracklists took place this year at the Room Mate Aitana Hotel in the center of Amsterdam. This intimate party hosted artists from this year’s Top 101 Producers rankings, Future of Dance Selections, in addition to industry professionals and fans. During the week leading up to ADE, the Top 101 Producers 2023 rankings were unveiled, so this was a great opportunity to get to meet and connect with some of the winners! 1001Tracklists is also best known for publishing the “Future of Dance” list featuring 101 women and POC artists.

FRIDAY
How this Remix was Made: Doris, Yoshiko & Da Mouth of Madness
For those whose hearts beat at 200 bpm you’re probably familiar with the track that’s been sweeping the Dutch Hard Dance scene this year, ‘Bitch I Can’ (Yoshiko & Doris Remix). In this session we learned the story behind the remix. What might appear on paper to be an Uptempo party anthem, there’s actually a much deeper meaning behind the track that explores the challenges that female DJs face in the scene today. The takeaway of the song is that at the end of the day it’s about talent and the love of the music.

How Jayda G Inspires Climate Action
Grammy-nominated Canadian DJ, Producer, singer, and environmental toxicologist Jayda G, in collaboration with award winning Director Nicolas Brown, gave a talk during ADE Green about the significance of Blue Carbon ecosystems. Throughout the talks we got sneak previews of the upcoming documentary Blue Carbon which explores the potential of Blue Carbon to combat climate change. This informative session laid the groundwork for the upcoming documentary which seeks to bring together electronic music and nature. I came into the session never hearing of Blue Carbon before and left inspired to learn more about how I as dance music lover and industry professional can get involved to preserve our planet’s ecosystems.

Martin Garrix presents IDEM 2023
For many, the highlight of the week was Martin Garrix‘s highly anticipated return to the RAI venue after a four-year absence. His previous ADE editions, ‘Anima’ and ‘The Ether,’ were the standout performances of ADE in 2018 and 2019, setting the bar high for his comeback. The Dutch superstar certainly lived up to the expectations. Over two days, he delivered two 3-hour sets, featuring all of his hits, both old and new, complemented by a state-of-the-art sound system and an exceptional light and laser show.

Markus Schulz Open to Close
Markus Schulz took over the Melkweg on Friday evening throwing down an open to close set. For those unfamiliar with that concept, traditionally DJs perform one hour sometimes 1.5-hour sets, Markus Schulz is infamously known for playing extremely long sets from the moment the club opens to the wee hours of the morning when the club closes. WITH NO BREAKS! How does he do it? Pure passion and energy. Markus Schulz took us on a journey from start to finish throughout the set, always interacting with the crowd, feeling the vibe of the audience to keep ravers engaged throughout the entirety of the evening which is no easy feat! Combining techno hits like ‘Inferno’ and ‘Be the One’ with classic trance anthems such as ‘Eternally’ and ‘Fine Day’, Markus had the crowd in the palm of his hand.

SATURDAY

Aazar’s Bakery Sessions
For those unfamiliar with the concept, the Bakery Sessions offer an innovative way to party within a bakery, brought to life by Aazar. During the day, the bakery operates as usual, but after closing time, it transforms into the city’s premier party destination. Top DJs provide the soundtrack while the crowd enjoys both the music and freshly baked bread handed out by the staff. During this edition, several DJs performed, but our standout performances were, of course, from Aazar and Yellow Claw, who delivered an electrifying set under their Euro Trash alias.

Amsterdam Music Festival
To close out an incredible week, this last event was a no-brainer, Amsterdam Music Festival (AMF). AMF 2023 – The Next Decade took place at the Amsterdam Arena with some of the biggest names in the electronic music scene such as Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, and Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike. The production at AMF was next level this year with attendees given light up wristbands that synchronized to the music. This accompanied with fireworks, laser light shows, and LED visuals makes AMF a one-of-a-kind experience. One of our favorite sets of the night was James Hype. Although fairly new to the scene, James Hype has made a name for himself in the scene demonstrating his versatility as an artist aside from his major hit ‘Ferrari’. His set was comprised of banger after banger of an eclectic assortment of techno and house. James Hype is the perfect example of an artist who bridges the gap between mainstream radio EDM and techno. Despite being extremely tired from four days of ADE, Afrojack kept us going with classic hits such as ‘Takeover Control’, ‘Levels’, and ‘Give Me Everything’. Afrojack even dropped his new track with Hardwell, ‘Push Me’.
Another memorable moment from the night was when R3hab brought up W&W as a surprise guest. This was completely unexpected and had the crowd in complete shock! AMF overall was an unforgettable experience and is by far one of the best shows production wise when it comes to electronic music.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

Amsterdam Dance Event is a one-of-a-kind experience that is a whirlwind of different events and opportunities for those passionate about electronic music. This year had an incredible line up and diversity of events with many surprises along the way. It was at times extremely crowded, especially during ADE Green on Friday afternoon where it was difficult to walk or to attend sessions due to the sheer number of people. Also entering and exiting venues at times was problematic due to the crowds. However, aside from this, ADE 2023 was an unbelievable experience and we’ve already started planning next year!