Last weekend on 9th March, London-based event organisers Trance Sanctuary held their first stint at one of London’s hottest new venues; HERE at Outernet, which saw the esteemed promoters curating a special collaboration show with Future Sound of Egypt.
Spearheaded by trance titans Aly & Fila, whilst FSOE’s roots are firmly planted in the rich culture of Egypt, the label has become a global phenomenon. Serving as a guiding light for music enthusiasts as well as being a platform for both established and emerging talents. Combine this with TS’s devoted community, united by a shared passion for uplifting and emotive music and you’ve got a match made in heaven.
Venue
Nestled in the heart of London, HERE at Outernet has been making waves with its dynamic fusion of modernity and cultural vibrancy since opening just two years ago.
The underground venue forms part of an arts and entertainment district, which became the capital’s most visited tourist attraction in 2023, thanks to its state-of-the-art digital screens and a sleek design that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding urban landscape. HERE incorporates that same immersive experience, setting the stage for music events to take ravers on a journey in a truly captivating setting.
Staff & Queue Times
From even before the doors were open, eager Trance Sanctuary fans were lining up outside the doors. Multiple staff members were present to keep queue times to a minimum, however only one lane was open for general entry. It would be great to see additional lanes added in future to help spread the masses. However, the entire HERE team were friendly and helpful throughout the night. Whilst at the bar, queue times were around 5 minutes, which at a sold out event is what you’d expect.
Heat
On the most part, the venue was a comfortable temperature, though there were some hot spots in the thick of the crowd. Some additional fans / air conditioning vents would have been welcome here, especially for summer.
Food & Drink
There were two main bars with one opposite the DJ at the back of the main room , and another upstairs on the mezzanine level which overlooks the dance floor. A third, smaller bar area was also in use once the venue filed up. All of them served the same selection of beers, spirits, wine, hard seltzer and softs. Food was available from one of the city’s top joints; Homeslice serving up fresh and delicious wood fired pizza.
Drink Prices
Beer (Bud/Corona, Camden Hells) : £7 pint, £6 330ml can
House spirits : £12-14
Premium spirits : £14+
Wine (Pinot, Rose, Malbec) : £9 250ml can
Softs/Mixers : £2.50
Crowd
Probably one of the best things about Trance Sanctuary. The crowd is wall to wall with welcoming, like-minded people who come together every so often and join in unison under the lights. The majority being in the 35+ bracket, reliving when trance burst into the scene back in the 90s. Though there were some younger trance lovers in the room getting their share of the old school experience which lives on through the likes of TS.
Production
As you can expect, this was a standout part of the night. With the venue’s giant LED screen stealing the show. Taking up the entire width of the room, with mesmerising Egyptian inspired visuals which when combined with the euphoric soundtrack left the entire room lost in the moment. Complementing the screen were a variety of lighting installations including spotlights, lasers and beams.
Sound
Delivered by d&b Audiotechnik, two line arrays hang on either side of the stage which feature five XSL8 and two XSL12 loudspeakers. Alongside this are four 10S-D loudspeakers 12 E8 compact coaxial loudspeakers, whilst five SL-GSUB woofers provide the bass. Sound in the venue was clear and crisp, with plenty of low-end warmth in ever corner, no complaints here!
DJ sets
Ferry Tayle
France-born artist and trance music luminary Ferry Tayle has amassed a devoted following worldwide, thanks to his enchanting sets and mesmerising production with draws on the heartstrings. His performance at Trance Sanctuary was no exception.
Taking over from Dan Stone’s expertly crafted opening slot which carefully built up the energy in the room, Ferry’s set was packed full of transcendent, hands in the air moments . The stand out one for us, was hearing Aaron Hibell’s hair-raising anthem “destroyer of worlds” – which samples the iconic Ludwig Göransson’s Oppenheimer soundtrack.
Aly & Fila
FSOE label bosses and renowned artists in their own right, Aly & Fila have been at the forefront of trance for over two decades. Their beloved sound is synonymous with uplifting melodies, driving beats and ethereal atmospheres. Whilst Aly is sadly unable to tour due to an ear injury, the pair still work closely together to produce music, with Fadi (Fila) delivering it to the dance floor.
Holding the penultimate set, his performance was everything we’d hoped and more – a sonic exploration littered with emotion, energy and euphoria. Some of our favourite tracks from the set included the epic “Silver Moon”, released on FSOE by Manuel LeSaux & Db Mokk as well as Aly & Fila’s very own “Somebody Loves you” which had the whole crowd singing along – what a moment.
Billy Gillies
The Irish boy wonder has taken the scene by storm in recent years, exploding into the limelight with his signature style that blends elements of techno, trance and eurodance, which has led to him breaking into the UK top 10 singles chart. Marking his return to TS, saw Billy closing the night in style.
Stepping up to the decks, he of course had to open with his top 10 single; “(DNA) Loving You”, which was met with a huge reaction, as the vocals rang around the venue. With the energy in the room at an all time high, you could feel and see his passion behind the decks as he mixed in and out of high paced, thumping bangers including his highly sought after unreleased reworks of “True Love Never Dies” and “Fix You” which was met with a huge confetti drop. What a way to end a special day.
Summary
Just like every event they’re thrown leading up to this, Trance Sanctuary once again delivered a spellbinding show, with enthralling production, pumping sound and a lineup featuring some of the hottest names the genre has to offer. Selling out yet another London hotspot, saw the brand take on a new space which acted as the ideal backdrop for the music on show.
We’d love to see the Outernet open more queue lanes to help with entry times for busy shows, and install additional fans to maintain temperature control. Overall though, a fantastic event and a must see venue.
Bring on the next TS!
Words: Ben Lovejoy
ratemyrave 