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Features Introducing NEM3SI$’s new label Infinite Resistance! Mindbenderz talk ‘Lord of the Rings’ and fishing, as well as the creation of their new album ‘Celestial Gateway’! Iono-Music artists One Function, Eliyahu, Invisible Reality and Dual Vision talk Robert Miles, kids, dogs and vinyl, while we chat about their current releases! Luke&Flex talk influences, the Irish rave scene, why Flex wears a mask and Play Hard, their new EP out now on Onhcet Repbulik Xtreme! Lyktum expands on his new album ‘Home’ – talking about his love of storytelling, creating new harmonies and the concept behind his musical works. Pan talks getting caught short crossing the Sahara, acid eyeballs and tells us Trance is the Answer, plus shares his thoughts on his latest release 'Beyond the Horizon' - all from a beach in Spain! Miss C chats about living with the KLF, DJing in a huge cat’s mouth, training her brain and the upcoming super-duper Superfreq Grande party at LDN East this Saturday, 16th September! NEM3SI$ - I Live for the Night – talks superficiality, psychopaths, and bittersweet success, ahead of a plethora of evocative, emotional, and passionate upcoming melodic techno releases! Psy-Sisters Spring Blast Off! We talk to DJ competition winner ROEN along with other super talents on the lineup! Blasting towards summer festivals with Bahar Canca ahead of Psy-Sisters Spring Blast! Shyisma talks parties, UFO's, and Shotokan Karate ahead of his upcoming album 'Particles' on Iono-Music! SOME1 talks family, acid, stage fright and wolves - ahead of his upcoming album release ‘Voyager’ on Iono-Music in February 2023! The Transmission Crew tell all and talk about their first London event on 24th February 2023! NIXIRO talks body, mind and music production ahead of his release 'Planet Impulse' on Static Movement's label - Sol Music! Turning the world into a fairy tale with Ivy Orth ahead of Tribal Village’s 10th Birthday Anniversary Presents: The World Lounge Project The Psy-Sisters chat about music, achievements, aspirations and the 10-Year Anniversary Party - 18/12/22! A decade of dance music with Daniel Lesden Earth Needs a Rebirth! Discussions with Psy-Trance Artist Numayma Taking a Journey Through Time with Domino New Techno Rising Star DKLUB talks about his debut release White Rock on Onhcet Republik! PAN expands on many things including his new album 'Hyperbolic Oxymoron' due for release on the 14th April 2022 on PsyWorld Records! Psibindi talks all things music including her new collaborative EP 'Sentient Rays' on Aphid Records, her band Sentience Machine and 10 years of Psy-Sisters! N-Kore talks Jean-Michel Jarre, unfinished tracks and fatherhood! Celebrating International Women’s Day and Ten Years of Psy-Sisters with Amaluna A Catch Up with John Phantasm ahead of his upcoming set at the Tribal Village 4 Day Outdoor Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022! 'The Maestro that is Tristan talks barn owls, Shazamming and keeping it Psychedelic ahead of his upcoming performance at the Tribal Village 4 Day Event in Kent 6-9 May 2022!

This Could Be Rotterdam... Reported by Sarah_G / Submitted 26-08-09 10:03 Leading the charge to be the cool capital of Europe, Rotterdam’s continued resurgence as an artistic epicentre continues unabated. HarderFaster recently sent two correspondents out there to search out all the cool places and sample Europe’s biggest street parade. First up Sarah_G tries bike tours, funky art and Dutch courage. When the opportunity to go to a street party in Rotterdam came up I leapt at the chance. Amsterdam is already a firm favourite and who can resist the Dutch laid back attitude to life, the great music and art. Not knowing much about Rotterdam, a quick look on the internet revealed a dearth of information. In fact, most sites made Rotterdam seem, well, rather dull. Comparisons were inevitably made with Amsterdam and somehow Rotterdam seemed like a poor cousin – nothing really sold the city. However, when speaking with people who had visited, they raved about the place – particularly the vibe and how it is less touristy than Amsterdam and offers a more authentic Dutch experience. We teamed up with some people from Data Transmission and Tillate and went on a sightseeing tour of the city. First stop, the Euromast, Rotterdam’s highest point, which actually isn’t very hard given how flat Holland is. The tower has two tiers, the restaurant at 100m which is a great place to stop for a drink and for those who don’t suffer vertigo, the Euroscoop (essentially a small revolving container) which takes you up to even loftier heights for panoramic views of the city and port 185m from the ground. You can also abseil off the edge should you be a little more daring. Next on the tourist agenda, and one thing I highly recommend doing, was a cycle tour. Cycling is a key part of the Dutch culture - they cycle everywhere – so when in Rome! It is certainly a fun way to see the city and provides a good opportunity to learn the layout and get a little history. There are a variety of tours you can do and usually they last around two hours. Our tour took us to the port and around the old town - the little that remains of it after heavy bombing during World War II. Modern architecture dominates the rest of the city, done in typical Dutch style – slightly wonky and in some cases seemingly defying the laws of physics. We also toured the trendy shopping areas - Rotterdam is a great place to buy funky trainers and there are many local design stores offering something different and fresh - and our guide pointed out the best bars along the way. Cycling is thirsty work after all and there nothing quite like a cool beer after a hard days work. A little bit of Dutch courage While the origins of Dutch courage are debated – one theory relates to the courage of (the somewhat drunken) sailors delivering supplies to London during the plague – the modern day Dutch certainly like to drink in style. The city has numerous cool bars such as Soho where we sat out in the marquee drinking cocktails, a perfect spot in any weather. Another area to see and be seen is very trendy Witte de Withstraat. A street littered with cool bars, coffee shops and trendy stores. Check out White Ape, famed as the best bar in world by the Lonely Planet. I was somewhat sceptical about this claim to fame but this understated bar is very popular with the locals and our group as well. It certainly has a charm that keeps you coming back, and we somehow ended up there every day. Although we never made it clubbing (clearly in softerslower mode!) Rotterdam has its share of cool clubs – Catwalk, Off_Corso and Bootleg were mentioned most by the locals as the places to go with hip hop, house and techno currently the in genres in right now. For arts sake The other thing I love about the Dutch is their passion for art. We only had time to go to one gallery although there are plenty to choose from – the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi), the Photo Museum and Boijmans Van Beuningen were on my must see list. However, we only had time to go to one gallery - Witte De With –a relatively new gallery (set up in 1990) – a small but inviting space showcasing international contemporary artists with connections to famous galleries such as the ICA (London) and the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art. Not surprisingly for such a cool city you don’t actually need to go to a gallery to see some great art –there is something on every corner (or on top of a building). The city itself is like an open gallery with many projects funded by the government. This is something that definitely adds to the vibe of the place. HEY! Your World Rotterdam comes across as a young and vibrant city so it is not unexpected that it played host to the first ever European Youth Capital this year. The local council set up the Your World programme. While aimed at those under 25 there were plenty of events for everyone to take part in from Street Improv (essentially flash mobs performing across the city), street dance battles and more, all culminating in the Fit for Free dance parade on the 8th August. Part of the Your World programme was Dynamic Duos – partnering up and coming artists with those already established. An ad was posted in a National paper to DJ on one of the trucks alongside techno legend Michel De Hey. Twenty one year old house and techno DJ, Robert De Laat, sent off a demo he had lying round and thought nothing of it. Next thing he knew he was called up to take part in an audition along with three other DJs. Playing first, he actually went on to win the competition, which isn’t easy with competitions usually favouring those with later slots. His warm up set on the truck was impressive – showing not only an ear for a good tune but also a sprinkling of some great effects through his set such as scratching. What impressed me most about Robert was his eagerness to bring something new to the table. Experimenting with technology, he incorporates an effects unit – the Pioneer EFX 1000 - into every gig. He also uses samples from different sources including TV programmes, even a speak and spell toy machine is sampled on one of his releases – Compass – a track I like so much I will be incorporating into my next set. I will follow festivals There is a plethora of festivals in Rotterdam and while they happen throughout the year, July and August are particularly jammed packed with events. Ranging from Latin-style carnivals, battle of the drums, up and coming rock/pop bands, film and, of course, the reason we were there, the Fit For Free Street Parade. Fit For Free is now Europe’s largest street parade with 32 trucks representing all genres from techno, hip hop, house, hardstyle to drum and bass and even pop. With over 500,000 attendees every year – this is one hell of a dance party with Dutch legends like Ferry Corsten, Michel de Hey and Lucien Foort all heading up trucks. For the complete low down on the Street Parade see the up and coming review by Matt Heath. My time in Rotterdam flew by, and I felt deeply unsatisfied upon leaving, feeling that I had only scratched the surface of this cool city. There are loads of interesting things to see and do and with diverse events and festivals on all the time there is always something different on offer. If you want to escape the touristy-ness of Amsterdam and have more of a Dutch experience, then Rotterdam is definitely for you. Only 45 minutes away from Amsterdam, you can travel between cities in a single trip or even in an evening – with many of the locals doing exactly that – club hopping between cities. I too have become one of the ravers and Rotterdam is now my preferred city in Holland. As one punter said the coolest thing about Rotterdam was being in Rotterdam. Want to know more? Clubbing: www.hollandclubbing.com Festivals: www.zomerfestivals.nl/en Cycle tour: http://www.rotterdambycycle.nl/en Rotterdam tourism: www.rotterdam.info Robert de Laat: www.robertdelaat.com Special thanks to Erica Hutchins from Holland Clubbing Photos courtesy of Sarah_G. Not to be reproduced without permission. Share this :: : : : Follow HarderFaster :: The views and opinions expressed in this review are strictly those of the author only for which HarderFaster will not be held responsible or liable. Comments: From: Batch on 26th Aug 2009 13:28.23 Had a great time... Thanks to all of you (except Ben) who were on the Media Team x From: Daf on 1st Sep 2009 11:10.49 I used to live at 72 Witte de Withstraat From: Daf on 1st Sep 2009 11:12.05 ha - and Witte Ap was my local since I lived 2/3 doors away! Wouldn't mind going back there sometime.

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