LIFEIN COLOUR
IN COLOUR
LIFE
words by: Ryan Hayes
photos by: David Paddock and Pooya Nabei Photography
Neon pink, green, and blue paint rained over six thousand Vancourites
enraptured in apocalyptic euphoria while 2013’s best line up, Mord Fustang,
Clockwork, Cazzette, and Gareth Emery, spun from an elevated DJ booth adorned
with colossal LED screens and technicolor acrobatic performers.
had been transformed into a thriving luminous jungle. Over the course of an hour
Cazzette harnessed the crowd energy Clockwork had created and turned up the
aggression. Rage-faces abounding, Cazzette capped off their time in Vancouver
with their ‘That Shit Cray Mix’ of Jay-Z & Kanye West Ni**as In Paris.
By the time Clockwork, a Blueprint favorite, took over the reins of the Paci?c
Coliseum the crowd had already unanimously decided that this was a night
deserving of going all out. With Cazzette and Gareth Emery still to come Clockwork
didn’t push the envelope and instead choose to propel the energy in the arena
even higher by sticking to crowd favourites. In true big room electro fashion
Clockwork blew the roof of the Paci?c Coliseum with his mashup of The Killers vs.
Arty vs. Hardwell & W&W - Humans Jump Together. Transitioning into his remix of
Sebastian Ingrosso & Tommy Trash smash hit Reload, Life in Color nymphs graced
the stage with all the whimsy of an exquisite neon fairy-tale: ?re hoses in hand
the audience braced themselves for another shower of unadulterated energy—
paint drenched the crowd with all they energy infusing hysteria of a jaeger bomb.
Temporarily plunged into darkness—it was time for Gareth Emery—a world
renowned trance DJ at an event which represent nearly everything but trance.
With a ?ash of light, hundreds of giant white balloons, and gleaming neon
Cirque du Soleil style performers, Emery began his set by easing the audience
into his progressive sound. While his set may have started out big-room-generic
(including Out of My Mind by the Bingo Players, Animals by Martin Garrix, and
Apollo by Hardwell) there was something undeniably elegant and graceful about
his mixing which set him apart from previous acts. Even as countless mainstream
trance acts are transitioning towards more progressive and heavier house sounds,
Emery managed to prove that it is still possible to keep the essence of unity and
beauty both trance audiences and artists are known for.
Almost passing without notice Clockwork stepped back from the DJ booth
making way for Sebastian Furrer & Alexander Björklund of Cazzette. Opening
their set wearing their trademark cassette heads Cazzette launched into a
Knife Party homage. Ripping through the majority of Knife Party’s Haunted
House EP interspersed with tracks like the Albert Neve remix of Guetta’s Play
Hard, it became evident that as a dub-house duo Cazzette held Knife Party as a
guiding light. Nonetheless, Cazzette are undeniably talented and their original
productions and remixes were the main highlights of their hour set: I Surrender
featuring Niles Mason, Beam Me Up, and the Cazzette Trapleg mix of Tim Berg’s
Alcoholic all elicited a massive crowd reaction.
As paint and upbeat melodies washed over the Paci?c Coliseum the emotional
shift was palpable. People were coming together, dancing, and singing by the
time Emery began to break out softer hits Language by Port Robinson and One
Republic vs. Alesso If I Lose myself. Making sure not to leave diehard fans behind
the second half of Emery’s set including a varied selection of trance hits woven
in amongst melodic progressive house. Standout tracks included: original
productions Meet Her in Miami and Concrete Angel, as well as Wayfarer by Audien
and On a Goof Day by Above & Beyond.
By this time in the night the mystifying powers of Life in Color paint had of?cially
freed six thousand souls from any morsel of con?ning inhibition. Those that
thought they could escape the glory of the paint canons by moving to the back
of the crowd forget to consider the hundreds of paint tubes Blueprint had been
selling throughout the night—regardless of where you stood; the Paci?c Coliseum
As Emery set came to a close in a ?urry of paint and beaming light it was clear
that Vancouver was satis?ed. Life in Color had been a night of brilliant production
value, new experiences, and varied sets from talented artists.
Under a haze of neon paint, smiling faces, and sweat—anything is possible. Hurry
back Life in Color.