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We went to Bal en Blanc 17 and it was amazing! Here are the live sets recorded from AH.FM, sadly Sander Van Doorn and Above and Beyond requested to not be broadcasted, so we couldn’t get their sets. We will have a pretty in-depth review of the event in a few days.

If you post the sets on your website, please refer hawtmusik.com, we work really hard to bring you guys great content and it takes a lot of time to do all this stuff! Thanks!

Bal En Blanc 17 (scroll down for tracklists):

DJ Malek: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

Raneem: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

Cosmic Gate: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

Markus Schulz: Megaupload

Ben Gold: Mediafire     -     Megaupload

This post will be edited often in the next few days, so check back every now and then! The review is coming!

Picture by me, from my iphone. IMPORTANT: THIS IS NOT AN OFFICIAL THEHAWT PICTURE AND THAT IS WHY THERE ISN’T ANY BAL EN BLANC LOGO.

TRACKLISTS (Thanks to montreal-nightclubs.com for these):

DJ Malek

1. Fefo and Dario Arcas – Take Me Away (Hernan Cattaneo and Soundexile Remix)
2. Third Party – Release
3. Jordy Lishious – Radiator (Funkagenda & Jordy Lishious Re-Edit)
4. Parker & Hanson – Alquimia (Andrew Bayer Remix)
5. Cirez D – Full Stop
6. Erick Strong – The Monster
7. Gareth Emery – Stars (Hardwell Remix)
8. Moguai – Oyster (Michael Woods Remix)
9. Mike Foyle pres. Statica – Headrush
10. Jochen Miller – U & Eye
11. Mat Zo – Back In Time
12. Arty – Hope
13. PPK – Ressurection (DJ Kharma Remix)
14. Jochen Miller & Rank 1 vs Yuri Kane – The Right Escape (Andy Moor Mashup)
14. Miguel Bose – Jurame (AvB Remix)
15. Jeremy Sky & DJ Malek – White Dream
16. Gareth Emery – Into The Light

Raneem

01. Michael Woods – Dynamik
02. Save The Robot – Big Ben
03. Solaris Heights – No Trace (Popof Remix)
04. Cliff Coenraad – Distorted Reality (Re-Shizzled)
05. Raneem – ID
06. JOOP – Choices (Raneem Remix)
07. Raneem & ID – ID
08. Emvy – Strut (Raneem Remix)
09. Raneem – Out of Nowhere (Original Mix)
10. Super8 & Tab vs MEM – Invictus Scorchin` (Raneem Mashup)
11. Cliff Coenraad – Oh!Mega (Bootyshakin` Mix)
12. Darude vs. Cirez D – On Off Sandstorm (Raneem Mashup)
13. Jean Claude Ades vs. Tomcraft – My Loneliness (Raneem Mashup)
14. Andrew Bennett – Adagio for Strings

Cosmic Gate

01. Gareth Emery – Arrival (Ashley Wallbridge Remix)
02. Kyau & Albert – Kiksu 2011
03. Cosmic Gate – Barra
04. Mat Zo & Arty - Rebound 
05. ID
06. Gareth Emery ft. Jerome Isma-Ae – Stars (Hardwell Remix) 
07. ID
08. Axwell – Heart Is King
09. Cosmic Gate – Back To Earth (Arty Remix)
10. Cosmic Gate feat. Jan Johnston – Raging (Alexander Popov Dub Mix)
11. Above & Beyond Feat. Richard Bedford – Sun And Moon (Club Mix)
12. Jurgen Vries – The Theme (ID Remix)
13. Ferry Corsten – Punk (Cosmic Gate Essential Rework)
14. Cosmic Gate – Fire Wire (Cosmic Gate’s Back 2 The Future Remix)
15. ID
16. Randy Katana – In Silence (Setrise Remix)
17. Ferry Corsten – Feel It
18. Cosmic Gate – Exploration Of Space (Back 2 The Future Remix)
19. ID
20. ID
21. John O’Callaghan feat. Sarah Howells – Find Yourself (Cosmic Gate Remix)
22. Nic Chagall Feat. Jonathan Mendelson – This Moment (Prog Mix)

Markus Schulz

01. Faithless vs. ID – Not Going Home vs. ID (Markus Schulz Mashup)
02. Wippenberg – U R (Markus Schulz Big Room Remix)
03. Markus Schulz Presents Dakota – Sinners (Aerofoil Remix)
04. Aerofoil – Caress 2 Impress (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
05. Tiesto – Lethal Industry (Remix)
06. Fedde Le Grand – Control Room
07. Rank 1 & Jochen Miller vs. Yuri Kane – The Right Escape (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
08. John Dahlback – Back 2 the Dancefloor (Khomha Presents Halbro Remix)
09. Marc Simz vs. Aerofoil – Xplode 2011
10. Beat Service – Outsider
11. Mr. Pit – Sky Traffic
12. ID
13. Markus Schulz Presents Dakota – Sleepwalkers
14. ID
15. Markus Schulz – 65.4Hz (Mr. Pit Remix)
16. Orjan Nilsen – Go Fast! (Markus Schulz Edit)
17. Aerofoil – Vortex (Markus Schulz Edit)
18. Push – Universal Nation (Remix)
19. Hard Rock Sofa & St. Brothers – Blow Up (Thomas Gold vs. Axwell Remix)
20. ID (Track 17 from ASOT 500 Buenos Aires Set)
21. Ferry Corsten – Punk (Cosmic Gate’s Essential Rework vs. MaRLo Remix / Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
22. Khomha – Rainy in the Night (Markus Schulz Edit)
23. Koen Groneveld – Slides
24. Artento Divini – Who’s Next (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
25. Klauss Goulart – Turbulence
26. Wippenberg – Earth
27. Traumer – Cobraphobie (Markus Schulz Big Room Reconstruction)
28. Randy Katana – In Silence (Setrise Remix)
29. Markus Schulz Featuring Sir Adrian – Away (Cosmic Gate Remix)
30. Markus Schulz & Justine Suissa vs. Tomcraft & Jerome Isma-Ae – Perception in the Redlight District (Markus Schulz Mashup)
31. Steve Aries Featuring Lavoie – Dressed in White (Markus Schulz Coldharbour Remix)
32. Markus Schulz – The New World (Markus Schulz ASOT 500 Big Room Reconstruction)
33. ID
34. Rex Mundi – Interstate of Lightning
35. Artento Divini Presents DTC vs. Delerium – Lift Off Silence (Markus Schulz Mashup)
36. Art of Trance – Madagascar (Richard Durand Remix)
37. Markus Schulz & Jochen Miller – Rotunda

Ben Gold

01. Nenes & Pascal Feliz – Platinum (Ben Gold Intro Mix)
02. Ben Gold – Pandemic
03. W&W – Arena (Ben Gold remix)
04. Ferry Corsten – Feel It!
05. ID
06. Sean Tyas – Solo (Organ Donors Remix)
07. Deadmau5 – Raise Your Weapon (Lee Osborne Remix)
08. W&W – AK 47
09. Ben Gold – Sapphire (Trance Mix)
10. ID
11. First State Featuring Sarah Howells – Reverie (Dash Berlin Remix)
12. Gareth Emery Featuring Lucy Saunders – Sanctuary (Ben Gold Remix)
13. Andy Moor & Ashley Wallbridge Featuring Meighan Nealon – Faces (Ben Gold 2010 Remix)
14. tyDi Featuring Tania Zygar – Vanilla (Ben Gold Remix)
15. Be:Gold – Sunstroke
16. Lange, Andy Moor, Komytea & Tiesto – Lethal Stadium Four (Gareth Emery Re-Edit)
17. Gareth Emery – Exposure
18. Artento Divini vs. Prodigy – Who’s Next Bitch (Artento Divini Mashup)
19. Marcel Woods – BPM (Kristof van den Berghe Remix)
20. ID
21. Super8 & Tab Featuring Julie Thompson – My Enemy (Rank 1 Remix)
22. Marcel Woods – The Bottle
23. Gareth Emery – Global
24. Rank 1 vs. Jochen Miller – And Then…
25. W&W & Wezz Devall – Phantom
26. Sied van Riel & Radion 6 – Radiator
27. Tiesto Featuring BT – Love Comes Again (Bart Claessen Remix)

For 364 days every year, fellow Montrealers alike aimlessly gawk at the myriad of EDM spectacles offered hundreds and thousands of kilometers away. For the past 16 years, Easter weekend has given them an opportunity to give the same treatment to the rest of the world. Heralded as one of Canada’s most prestigious events, Bal en Blanc is the child of Playground Productions, the Montreal-based event company responsible for organizing most of the big happenings on the somber island. The affair takes place downtown, at the Palais des Congrès, where the stages are split amongst 2 rooms: House and Trance. Attendees are required to dress in white, as per the title, and include people of all creeds, ages (18+) and sexual orientations. From youthful producers like Avicii and Ben Gold, to tried and tested veterans such as Armand van Helden and Cosmic Gate, Bal en Blanc holds something for everyone.

We have prepared a special post for this momentous event:

For a preview of the MAIN ROOM, click here.

For a preview of the TRANCE ROOM, click here.

The Hawt’s writers have been given the privilege to fully cover the event. We will be wearing press passes, scurrying backstage, talking to DJs, capturing phenomenal photographs and reporting this event to the best of our ability. In addition, we will be giving you high quality recordings of the sets from the Trance room. Check back with The Hawt on the days following the event for a full low-down on what went on. We hope to see you there and wish you a happy Bal en Blanc!

For a preview of the TRANCE ROOM, click here.

To return to the preview post, click here.

Main Room

The main room welcomes the House side of EDM. This year’s line-up holds some lesser known talents, a home grown Montrealer, a few rising stars and possibly the best DJ in the world.

21.00 – 23.00 DJ Uppercut

  Image courtesy REDLITE

Uppercut is not new to Bal en Blanc. In fact, this will be the fourth straight year he performs at the event. He has earned his spot after many years DJing in and around Montreal. As a resident of both the Complexe Millenium and Red-Lite, DJ Uppercut is known throughout the city as one of the island’s best. He’s displayed his skills at  many other Playground events, including Resolution, Sensation 2008 and Tiësto’s show at Beach Club last year. As far as producing goes, Uppercut is an important part of KULT Records, heavily contributing with some originals, as well as their remix series of “Gotta Be Me” by Steve Sas, a celebrated song in the underground House community. Below is his latest on the label, a track called “Sensation” that he’ll surely play come Sunday.

Uppercut – Sensation: Beatport

Uppercut - Sensation (Original mix) by Uppercut

djuppercut.ca – Twitter

23.00 – 0.00 Manufactured Superstars

Image courtesy BSK Photo

The Manufactured Superstars are a special pair very important to EDM. Based out of Denver, Colorado, Brad Roulier and Shawn Sabo make music that attempts to conjoin mainstream with electronic. These innovators revolutionized the world of dance music in 2004, when they co-created Beatport with a few of their buddies. It was through this stroke of genius that Shawn and Brad hooked up at first. Giving and taking what they liked from each others’ styles, the guys decided to team up for good. They are extremely big on mashups, easily going through 100 tracks in a span of 2 hours. They are mostly popular in the US, thanks to their weekly radio show on 94.7 FM in Las Vegas. They are no spring chickens, as they have played for crowds alongside massive DJs such as Paul Oakenfold. Below is an popular track of theirs called “Come With Me.”

Manufactured Superstars, Trent Catrelle & Jeziel Quintela - Come With Me: Beatport

Manufactured Superstars, Trent Cantrelle, and Jezel Quintela - COME WITH ME - Blu Music by Manufactured Superstars

manufacturedsuperstars.com – Facebook - Twitter

0.00 – 1.00 Hardwell

                              Image courtesy Gerald Henninger

Hardwell got started in EDM extremely young. He grew up in music and starting gaining knowledge about DJing at the age of 13. Learning on his own, he slowly discovered every aspect of the craft, making sure to completely grasp each part before moving on. He suddenly emerged onto the scene in 2009 with his bootleg of Steve Angello and Laidback Luke’s tracks “Show Me Love vs. Be,” which became one of the biggest hits of the summer. He began 2010 by releasing some decently successful tracks which were supported by a few big names. He caught the eye of Dutch producer Chuckie, who suggested they do a song together. They created “Guess What, “ a huge hit in the underground House community which continued to advance his burgeoning career. His 2010 summer was spent introducing himself to sold-out crowds in Ibiza which furthered his cause even more. The highlight of his journey so far is definitely one of his most recent projects. Hardwell collaborated with Tiësto on the monster hit, “Zero 76,” which has been played all around the world and is featured on Tiësto’s new compilation. Below is Hardwell’s new track which was released on his own Revealed Recordings on April 18th.

Hardwell – Encoded: Beatport 

djhardwell.com – Facebook - Twitter

1.00 – 4.30 Tiësto

Headlining this year’s House room is one of the most popular and versatile DJs in the world. The first half of his career was dedicated to conquering the world of Trance and now, Tiësto is beginning to do the same with House. Arguably the best DJ in the world, the Dutchman’s achievements include a Grammy nomination, a multitude of MTV awards, one of the longest streaks of sold-out shows and an insanely popular radio show that reaches to all corners of the earth. In addition, after DJ Mag placed him in 24th in 2000, he’s consistently been in the top 10 of the poll, with only 1 year outside the top 3. From star-studded collaborations, numerous trips to the top of music charts and classics like “Lethal Industry” to playing at the opening ceremony of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, sharing decks with the world’s greatest and serving as a headliner for the biggest festivals, he has truly become a global phenomenon. Below is a video preview of his new compilation series, “Club Life Vol. One: Las Vegas.”

tiesto.com – Facebook – Twitter

4.30 – 6.00 Avicii

Image courtesy Danilo Lewis

Avicii’s rise to fame was as fast as they come. After only a few months of producing, he got to work on a remix of the theme song to a video game named “Lazy Jones.” His big break came came later in 2008, when he won Pete Tong’s fast trax, receiving a whopping 70% of the votes. “Manman” was released on Bedroom Bedlam a short time later, an action which turned heads all over the world. Signing on with with Vicious Grooves, Joia Records and Ministry of Sound gave him lots of inspiration, which propelled his next track “Ryù.” It was  named “Essential New Tune” on Pete Tong’s radio show and was the track of the week on Tiësto’s Club Life in the weeks following its arrival. The next part of his story is the present, with the explosion of “Bromance,” its lyricized version and multiple appearances at the most exclusive stages in the world. It’s no secret that Avicii is popular in Montreal, as he has been in the area twice in the past few months, doing a show at Club Muzique and headlining alongside Cosmic Gate for Resolution 2011. His fresh, youthful take on EDM is a wonder and makes it abundantly clear that this young man is the future of House music. Below is “Swede Dreams,” a remix of the 1995 Marilyn Manson classic.

avicii.com – Facebook - Twitter

6.00 – 8.00 Armand van Helden

Armand van Helden is one of the 2 members of Duck Sauce, a group consisting of himself and A-Trak. The duo’s latest piece of work, “Barbara Streisand,” has quickly become a huge commercial hit, playing in clubs all over the world. But this isn’t the first big track Armand has produced in the world of EDM. In fact, he’s one the most experienced DJ/producers at this year’s event. His musical career began when he started DJing at the age of 15. A few years later, he started to spin in Boston clubs, which prompted him to quit his job and focus solely on music. After a few moderately successful releases, he got the opportunity to remix for Tori Amos and what would be the track that put him on the map, “Professional Widow.” In 1999, he released his third studio album, “2 Future 4 U,” which included what is his best known track, “U Don’t Know Me.” The song peaked at #1 on the UK charts and #2 on Billboards’ and is today considered a classic of the genre. On his way to superstardom, Armand produced another 4 artist albums, played what is said to be the best mashup DJ set of all-time, worked with Dizzee Rascal and finally decided to team up A-Trak. Below is his 1999 classic, “U Don’t Know Me.”

armandvanhelden.com – Facebook

8.00 – 9.30 Freemasons

When you name yourself after a bar, chances are you like to party. That’s the case for British duo James Wiltshire and Russell Small. The two have been collaborating together for years and are known under many different aliases such as BN3, The Alibi, Walken and Funk Fanatico. Their main moniker, Freemasons, is the name under which they have produced most of their huge club hits. Although, this team doesn’t fit 2011’s House profile, it was the talk of the town just a few years back, beginning with its chart-topping remix of Tina Turner’s “When the Heartache is Over.” Freemasons’ follow-up remix was of Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu,” a tune that got them a Grammy nomination for best remix. James and Russell continued in the same vein of the previous successes and continued to put an electronic spin on popular pop tracks, trying to bring the sound to mainstream audiences. They’ve been doing so for about 6 years ago now and show no signs of stopping. Although they have vast skills in remixing, the Freemasons can also create from scratch. In late 2010, they released a track called “Believer, “ which featured vocal from Wynter Gordon. Below is their latest work, a remix for Yasmin’s “Finish Line,” due for release in May on Ministry of Sound/Levels Recordings.

freemasons.net – Facebook – Twitter

9.30 – 10.30 Yinon Yahel

Yinon Yahel, originally from Israël, discovered his musical talent at a very young age. When he was only 15 years of age, he started playing keyboard for the well-known Israeli rock band, “Enam,” a group that showed him electronic sampling, which ultimately leveraged his DJ career.  In early 2000, after a few unsuccessful attempts at breaking through the EDM scene, Yinon teamed up with fellow DJ Offer Nissim and signer/songwriter Maya Simantov, both past performers at Bal en Blanc. Together, they co-produced an album by the name of “First Time,” of which 3 tracks quickly found themself near the top of Billboards’ Dance/Club Chart. This first important imprint on dance music launched Yinon’s career, sending him to all corners of the world to perform. More recently, he has produced and written for multi-platinum artists such as Ashanti and P. Diddy and is finishing his debut artist album. Below is his latest, a track called “Tonight,” which features vocals by Emmi.

yinonyahel.com

10.30 – 12.00 Sultan & Ned Shepard

Being a relatively new union, the EDM world was shocked when Sultan & Ned Shepard began banging out hits from the start of their merger. House fans have welcomed this pair with open arms, as their combined experience from years as solo artists culminate in a unique and quite pleasant sound. Both are gifted instrumentalists and have much talent as DJs and producers. In their short time as a single act, they’ve released tracks on Size Matters, Harem Records (owned by Sultan), Funk Farm, collaborated with Nadia Ali on the smash-hit “Call My Name” and remixed for artists such as Kaskade, Thoams Sagstad and Tiësto. Needless to say, these guys will have lots of fans partying until the very end.  Besides, how awesome are those dreads? Below is the music video for their recent collaboration with Fedde Le Grand, called “Running,” which features vocals from Mitch Crown. The track will be released through Flamingo Recordings exclusively on Beatport on April 25th.

nedshepard.com – Facebook - Twitter

To finish, here are a few tracks that you should brush up on, because you are definitely going to hear them play more than once on Sunday:

Tim Mason – The Moment (Steve Angello Re-Edit)

Axwell – Heart is King (Original Mix)

Mark Knight & Tiesto ft. Dino – Beautiful World (Original Mix)

Funkagenda – Splinter (Original Mix)

Benny Benassi – Cinema (Skrillex Remix)

Marcel Woods & Tiesto – Don’t Ditch (Original Mix)

Hook ‘N’ Sling & TV Rock ft. Rudy – Diamonds in the Sky (Original Mix)

The Hawt’s writers have been given the privilege to fully cover the event. We will be wearing press passes, scurrying backstage, talking to DJs, capturing phenomenal photographs and reporting this event to the best of our ability. In addition, we will be giving you high quality recordings of the sets from the Trance room. Check back with The Hawt on the days following the event for a full low-down on what went on. We hope to see you there and wish you a happy Bal en Blanc!

For a preview of the MAIN ROOM, click here.

To return to the preview post, click here.

Trance Room

Times have changed, and the space formerly reserved for Techno has now been overthrown by Trance. A “who’s who” of DJ Mag’s top 100 DJs, this year’s line-up is sure to impress.

21.00 – 23.00 Malek

Image coutesy djmalek.net

Relatively new to the Trance scene, DJing-wise, Malek is an important figment of Montreal’s Trance and Progressive community. Influenced by none other than Armin van Buuren, Malek has performed for crowds at the island’s finest establishments, including Beach Club, Circus Afterhours, Warehouse and Opera alongside big names such as Glenn Morrison, Richard Durand and Leon Bolier. He recently joined forces with Jeremy Sky to create his first ever production. He appropriately named it “White Sky,” coinciding sublimely with the arrival of the festival. Take a listen below.

Jeremy Sky & Malek - White Dream (Radio Edit) - Ora Recordings by DJ Malek

djmalek.net – Facebook – Twitter

23.00 – 0.00 Raneem

 Image courtesy Circus Afterhours

Raneem is easily Montreal’s best kept secret. The Lebanese DJ/producer has been active in the Trance scene since 2008 and has grown substantially since his original contribution. Recently signed onto High Contrast Recordings and Streamlined, Raneem often garnishes support from Ferry Corsten, W&W and Bobina. He is a resident at Circus Afterhours and has shared decks with Gareth Emery, Dash Berlin and Simon Patterson, to name a few. His radio show, “Beirut On Fire,” can be heard on Afterhours.FM on the 2^nd Friday of each month. Below is his most recent release on High Contrast, dubbed “Out of Nowhere,” which is currently holding firm at 14 on Trackitdown.

Raneem – Out of Nowhere: Beatport - Trackitdown

djraneem.com – Facebook – Twitter

0.00 – 2.00 Cosmic Gate

Image courtesy David Giral Photo

Cosmic Gate is one of the most respected musical acts in the world. The German duo of Bossi and Nic Chagall has been entertaining crowds for a little over 11 years and shows no signs of stopping. With solid careers already under their belts, the pair first collaborated in 1998 and joined forces for good in 2000, en route to creating timeless classics like “Fire Wire” and “Exploration of Space.” They’ve produced countless chart-toppers, remixed for the best in the business and played at the most prestigious festivals worldwide. They were recently asked to mix the fourth CD on Armin van Buuren’s ASOT 500 compilation. Below is their remix of “Exploration of Space,” a song from their latest compilation album, dubbed “Back 2 The Future,” which is comprised of their greatest hits remixed by some of Trance’s most promising young stars.

Cosmic Gate - Back 2 The Future: Beatport – iTunes – Trackitdown

cosmic-gate.de – Facebook - Twitter

2.00 – 4.30 Sander van Doorn

You can tell by his infectious smile that Sander van Doorn loves what he does. The Dutch born DJ is one of the biggest and most unique names in Trance. As head honcho of Doorn Records, Sander has the privilege of employing hot youngsters and test driving tracks that range all subgenres. His inimitable style is unlike any other. Although he is known as a Trance producer, Sander ignores trends and tendencies, creating tracks that are influenced by hard beats and deep melodies. His DJ sets are as diverse as his original tunes. Once again fending off the Trance marker he is given, he plays anything he likes, whether that may be House, Dubstep or even Reggaeton. Below is his newest track, “Koko,” set for release on Doorn Records on April 26th.

sandervandoorn.com – Facebook - Twitter

4.30 – 7.30 Above & Beyond

 Image courtesy Sebatian Caesar and AnjunaGallery

Above & Beyond needs no introduction. Since banding in 2000, Paavo, Tony and Jono have taken the world by storm and have forever cemented their place amongst EDM legends. It all began in 1999, with Paavo and Jono teaming up to create a record label called “Anjunabeats.” Taking immediate notice of their brilliant first release, Tony called the duo to help him finish a remix of Chakra’s “Home.” The rework was extremely well-received, getting multiple plays from Pete Tong on BBC Radio 1. Due to the enormous success of the track, the guys decided to stick together and thus, Above & Beyond was born. The trio rapidly gained notoriety, remixing tracks for Madonna and collaborating with Trance moguls like Andy Moor. In 2006, they released their debut artist album, “Tri-State,” which is regarded as one of the greatest, if not the best dance music album of all-time. Their DJing career is as impressive as their producing one. In December of 2007, the guys catered to an estimated 1 million Brazilian fans in what is unofficially the biggest dance music show in history. In 2008, Above & Beyond collaborated with Justine Suissa to unveil “Sirens of the Sea” under the alias Oceanlab as a follow-up to “Tri-State.” With one of the biggest Trance labels around and a radio show that satisfies 30 million listeners weekly, Above & Beyond has solidified their status as EDM royalty. Below is the trio’s Burning Bridges mix of their next single, “Thing Called Love,” in a rip from ASOT 500. The original tune first appeared on Anjunabeats Vol. 8, but will be re-released on May 29th along with the mix. It will be part of Above & Beyond’s forthcoming artist album, “Group Therapy.”

aboveandbeyond.nu – Facebook – Twitter

7.30 – 10.00 Markus Schulz

  Image courtesy DJMag.com

If there’s one German DJ that can rival the powerhouse that is Cosmic Gate, it’s definitely Markus Schulz. One of the most humble men in the business, he has been entered in the top 10 of DJ Mag’s rankings for the past 3 years and has  been at the forefront of Trance music for even longer. His ever so popular radio show, “Global DJ Broadcast,” or GDJB for short, is an interesting cut between ASOT and TATW, as it includes the most uplifting and hardcore strands of Trance. The only common ground seems to be quality, an attribute that he imposes onto his own creations. His last album, “Do You Dream?,” released in June 2010, is a masterful balance between all sorts of Trance. It was extremely well-received by the community, as DJs all around the world would play renditions of  “Rain” or “Perception” in nearly all of their sets. In addition to his producing career, Markus also has the task of surveying others’. As the makeshift behind Coldharbour Recordings, he has aided in launching the careers of Markus Schössow, Mr. Pit, Skytech and Rex Mundi by releasing tracks such as “Sky Traffic,” “Valley of Dreams” and “Comet.” He has also recently been asked to mix the third CD on Armin van Buuren’s ASOT 500 compilation. Markus is clearly a fan of Bal en Blanc, as this edition will mark his third consecutive appearance at the festival. Below is his latest track, a collaboration with Dutch superstar Jochen Miller called “Rotunda,” which will be released on Coldharbour sometime in the future.

markusschulz.com – Facebook – Twitter

10.00 – 12.00 Ben Gold

Image courtesy BenGoldOnline

Check out The Hawt’s pre-Bal en Blanc interview with Ben Gold here!

One of the most underrated DJs in Trance, Ben Gold is a force to be reckoned with. As a huge part of Gareth Emery’s Garuda label, Ben is behind tracks that can seemingly do it all: pump up a crowd, send people into a euphoric state and calm audiences with sheer sonic beauty. Between his tunes being featured on ASOT, TATW and TGEP, his collaborations with W&W and his numerous gigs with the biggest names, it’s more than clear that Ben is on his way up. His monthly radio show, “LiFE,” which features on Afterhours.FM, displays his exquisite taste in music. This reflects onto his live DJ sets, as Ben plays nothing but the best and his passion for the decks translates into a superb night for all who attend. Below is his latest, a remix of W&W’s “Arena,” in form of a rip from ASOT 500 in Den Bosch.

bengoldonline.com – Facebook – Twitter

To finish, here are a few tracks that you should brush up on, because you are definitely going to hear them play more than once on Sunday:

Sander van Doorn – Koko (Original Mix)

Arty & Mat Zo – Rebound (Original Mix)

Above & Beyond – Sun & Moon (Club Mix)

Ferry Corsten – Feel It (Original Mix)

Ferry Corsten – Punk (Arty Rock ‘n’ Rolla Mix)

Wippenberg – U R (Original Mix)

John O’Callaghan & Betsie Larkin – Save This Moment (Gareth Emery Remix)

The Hawt’s writers have been given the privilege to fully cover the event. We will be wearing press passes, scurrying backstage, talking to DJs, capturing phenomenal photographs and reporting this event to the best of our ability. In addition, we will be giving you high quality recordings of the sets from the Trance room. Check back with The Hawt on the days following the event for a full low-down on what went on. We hope to see you there and wish you a happy Bal en Blanc!

So it seems like I haven’t posted anything in a while. My bad. This is my first post since going legal so I haven’t acquired super embedding skills yet but hopefully they will come. Let us begin with the music.

Been holding onto this song since TATW 350 and it’s just beautiful. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been released yet but patience, the date seems to be set at May 2nd. Hopefully this rip will satisfy you till then.

Superman – Mat Zo

Funny story, playing Xbox a few weeks back when Justin, Wei and I came across a team composed of Matan Zohar, Artem Soloviev and Synapse Dynamics, aka Mat Zo, Arty and some other dude who named himself after a track. There’s no telling if it was really them, the only guy talking was the third guy. We beat them the first time… then they took to kicking the living shit out of us. My piece of advice: Do not fuck with them.

Up next is a brand new track from Axwell who’s back in Montreal on June 3rd. Here’s hoping we get a taste of this live.

Heart is King – Axwell

You probably heard of Above & Beyond’s great single Sun & Moon that was released recently. Well, some geniuses had the awesome idea to make a dubstep remix of it, a badass remix.

Sun & Moon (The Others Remix) – Above & Beyond feat. Richard Bedford

Next, here’s something I picked up at Paul van Dyk a few weeks back. He actually mixed the shit out of it but it isn’t an official remix. But still, here’s a pretty decent mix of the track.

Sunday (Seamus Haji Club Mix) – The Hurts

And finally, here’s something absolutely massive that was introduced to us via Gareth Emery’s Podcast and that I’ve had the pleasure of hearing twice live in concert.

So, I usually end my posts with upcoming shows but Justin did a good job of listing them out, so I thought I’d mention Taco Bell is having a free taco week from April 7th to 13. HELLZ YEAH!