Lucent 5 | Ashley's Pure Trance Experience

Several weeks have passed since Solarstone‘s open-to-close performance for Lucent 5 at Spin Nightclub. He’s the man behind the ‘Pure‘ crusade, known to assert the essential roots of the trance genre through the plethora of mainstream music that veils it. That alone makes him an honorable musician, but journeying six hours through the depths of his artistry would induce an entire new level of respect for him.

It was my first time at Spin nightclub. It’s a small venue with three floors, though for that night only the bottom floor was open for business. There were plenty of crevices to sit or relax. I was disappointed to find that the top bathrooms were closed a few hours into the night, leaving one huge line for the ‘backup’ bathroom near the entrance. Not only that, leaking pipes left one area of the club out of comission. Despite the bathroom mishap, the club was a small and cozy place full of loving trance addicts ready to dance until close.

Solarstone started the night off at 10pm, commencing his set with a poised and gradual build that would later dive into an impassioned and melodious odyssey. He dropped many of his own beloved tracks that delivered sentimental reflections like ‘Fata Morgana’, ‘Shield’, ‘Falcons’, and ‘Heart of Stone’. I became emotionally and physically exhausted a few hours between dancing and keeping up with friends. At 2am, I regrettably contemplated leaving, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. My body tried to convince me me to go home and crawl into bed every hour after that, but right as I was about to do so, Solarstone would drop the audience into another adrenalizing wave. Despite being absolutely exhausted, I stayed until 4am for the grand finale. Solarstone ended the set with ‘Lovers’, possibly my favorite track by him. The audience became captivated with every beat as friends and lovers came together to sing to each other. It was then that I was so thankful that I opted out of leaving early, as the six hour journey would have not been the same without the epic ending to tie it all together.

The only thought that crossed my mind once the set had ended was that it was a wild and emotional ride that blew me away. I had never enjoyed a performance like that ever. My love and respect for Solarstone grew two folds. He had built a carefully planned and precise masterpiece of a mix. I left the club that night reminiscing on how the last six hours brought a fulfillment and joy that very little DJs can bring. If you have not had the opportunity to see Solarstone live, you are truly missing out.