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Timo Maas @ Sonar, Vancouver

Timo Maas was easily one of the most anticipated shows of the year here in Vancouver. This being the first show in a series of four sponsored by Benson and Hedges. It is called the Jet to Ibiza series, and it is bringing all the superclub DJs of Ibiza right here to us in Vancouver. Each show they are giving away a free trip to Ibiza so one lucky person can experience what “the island” has to offer first hand.

With a new album just released “LOUD”, and a throng of new remixes “Roger Sanchez, and Moby to name a few”, Timo Maas seems like the man of the moment. His funky, bottom heavy style cannot be easy compared to many other DJ/Producers out there. He jumps around genres of electronic music fusing them together with a technical mastery that only comes with 10+ years of DJ experience. He creates something new, something that is his own. What can I say its Timo…

I arrived late on June 4, 2002 just as the man “Timo Maas” was just getting into the groove of his set. As I stepped through the doors of the Sonar it was as if I was changing climates. The air was thick and humid, the temperature was the hottest it has ever been said one of the bar staff. The mass of people in the main room was impressive, the dance floor was a living-breathing thing going up and down to the beats poured out by the DJ. It was next to impossible to move around, especially anywhere near the stage, so people were dancing as far back as the bar lineup. There were stage dancers going crazy on 4 platforms surrounding the dance floor. Weird spacey looking ornaments hung from the ceiling giving the club a nice futuristic feel. Through the crowd Timo can be seen with a giant grin, grooving to the music as much as the people on the floor. His set was everything I expected from him. He pulled out everything from trance and techno, to breakbeat but it all had that funky Timo edge to it. He always keeps you on your toes not knowing exactly what direction he will take next. His tracks were full of nice female vocals and interesting samples. I would really like to know where he gets his records. The sad part for the local DJs looking for the tracks he plays is that they quite simply cant get them. Well at least not yet. DJs of Timos status usually play a lot of White Label tracks meaning not released to the public yet, so you wont be finding them in record stores anytime soon.

In my interview with Timo last year at Area 1 he mentioned that he really prefers to play in the clubs because he like to get interactive with the people and feel what they feel. Well that quote was complimented perfectly tonight. He really plays to the crowd, knowing exactly what tunes to pull out at what time. Clubbers reach up to shake his hand mid set and he takes the time to reach down to them all. Timo makes gestures and talks to the people during his set really making the gig feel intimate and as a result the vibe in the club went through the roof.

I was really stoked when he played his new Moby “We are all made of stars” remix. I went down to the record store just last week to pick that track up, but when I got home I found out that there were 2 remixes of that track done by Timo Maas. The really funky one that he played in his set is called the Timo Maas Vocal Mix. A brilliant remix, by far the best of them all.

Throughout the night I could feel small drop of what seemed like rain coming from the ceiling. On further inspection I found out that it was the humidity condensing on the roof and dropping down to the floor. Eww.. Not quite as bad as Area 1 but you think with shows that have budgets this large, they could invest in some better air-cooling methods. I am not afraid of sweat but I do have my limits.. Despite the indoor rain, it was a really good show. Many props to Benson and Hedges.

Related Links

For more info on Timo Maas and his “LOUD” tour visit his official website

http://www.timomaas.com

For more information on the Jet to Ibiza series visit

http://www.goldclubseries.ca

For the complete interview with Timo Maas from Area 1 last year visit

http://www.djvibe.com/djs/timomaas