SENSATION ARRIVES IN CANADA
As dance music continues to explode in popularity in North America, not only are new festivals being started in cities we’ve never seen before, but established dance music events from Europe are beginning to arrive in North America. Held exclusively in the Netherlands at Amsterdam Arena until 2005, the legendary all-white party known as Sensation has since been expanding around the world. With events now in every corner of the globe and given dance music’s recent assault on pop culture in North America, it was only a matter of time before Sensation touched down in the Americas, making its stateside debut in New York last fall before landing in Canada this spring.
Although the initial event in 2000 didn’t sell out, Sensation has become one of the premiere dance music events in the entire world. The strictly all white dress code will be in full effect; a tradition started as a tribute to the founder’s brother who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2001. Since 2000, Sensation has expanded into a worldwide brand. First growing throughout Europe in Poland, Austria, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Russia and the United Kingdom among many others, Sensation quickly swept over Europe. Recently announcing other stops in South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan, Turkey, Romania, the United States, and of course Canada, in a span of a decade Sensation has become an international event for dance music lovers across the globe.
Taking place at the Rogers Centre on June 1st, Sensation Canada is one of the most highly anticipated dance music events on the calendar for this season, not only in Toronto, but around the entire country. Indirectly competing with new festivals like Veld and Digital Dreams, Sensation will provide dance music lovers with a completely different experience. Along with the star studded lineup which includes progressive house master Eric Prydz, dutch stalwarts Fedde Le Grand, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, and 2000 and One, the young Swede Otto Knows, and of course Mr. White, Sensation Canada will engulf dance music fans with a sense of unity, aura, and most importantly, a historic experience.
Sensation places it’s focus on the entire experience and not necessarily the artists performing, which is why the lineup was released well after ticket sales were well underway. While the performers represent an extremely solid lineup with rising stars and legends alike, Sensation’s focus on the all-around experience is a refreshing and unique way to promote a dance music event in an era where the biggest stars are billed as larger than life artists. Instead of announcing this lineup by sharing a poster on their website or social outlets, Sensation chose to enlist the help of us at DJ Mag, along with other dance music influencers in Toronto to unlock artist names on twitter, which was very well received by the community, which saw #budlightsensation trending on announcement day.
Another unique approach taken by Sensation is the visual aspect of each show. Dance music is in the middle of a visual arms race with clubs and festivals always trying to one up each other with bigger stages, better lights, and more explosive pyrotechnics. Leading the way, Sensation is the definition of over-the-top, all-encompassing production that makes party goers say “wtf!”, influencing others to follow suit. Taking Sensation’s lead, Ultra Music Festival’s behemoth main stage has grown significantly in size over the past few years and Coachella’s Sahara Tent has exploded into the biggest genre-dedicated stage at the festival. While some may argue that massive light shows
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take something away from the focus which should be on the years. While NYC was home to the “Source of Light” version “Ocean of White” brand, which will feature underwater them all white trees to huge butterfly wings engulfing the perform standard when it comes to awe inspiring visual productions continue to progress as the industry standard.
As the summer festival season gets closer, there is one even performers, a massive venue, a decade worth of history, and unforgettable, can’t miss experience. If there is only one ev aren’t many events with the level of aura and prestige of Se it for yourself at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Click on the picture of Fedde le Grand to hear a couple epic s WORDS BY AARON BERECZ
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