In the Mix: Sound of the Fifteenth Season

With Sound of the Fifteenth Season, Sven Venth has left behind the two-part night & day concept of some of the earlier seasons. For the first time, he mixes a continuous, nearly three-hour set. Vath starts off with a delicate house tune from Stimming and the charming, flirtatiously naive voice of Piper Davis. The lovely piano tones captivate the attention while psychedelic moments arouse curiosity. Vath finishes the short opening sequence with another exceptional track: within Alex & Digby's "Kudlak," children pray to a number of saints, and their sincerity and seriousness appeals to US deep in our inside. Then the party begins. The next chapter is devoted to a classic, wonderfully level-headed New York house sound, creating a peaceful haven in Ibiza's restlessness. Leon Vynehall draws US in with gentle chords to the dancefloor, D'Lonely Al adds a euphoric note. Roman Flugel & Simian Mobile Disco set the tone with an impressionistic, playful approach and a strong, emotional bass line. Sebastian Mullaert melds these scattered energies in a wonderful number with Karim Sahraoui adding multifaceted emotions. With his nervous funk Elbee Bad adds physicality and sex appeal. With the fascinating "Rezo" by Marcel Philipp, the set reaches a first climax. The Lauer brothers combine the playful approach of the first tracks with a powerful, driving groove. With David August's epic "Epicurus" the acoustic space gains depth and richness. With DJ Koze's remix of Moderat's "Bad Kingdom," V+ñth revives the combination of pop and psychedelia and moves into the third chapter. Koze dissolves the anthemic pop song in poetic, trippy sounds. Reboot's bass line spin the dancers around. With his bright, crystal-clear sounds Benjamin Damage nets this turmoil. Dast manages to square the circle: he sounds physical and empathetic, like a Strictly Rhythm-track, yet his explosive energy rather reminds of thriving techno. With Sable Sheep the beats get complicated and dense. Wonderfully straight, the bass line of Gary Beck moves into the track, you feel it's razor-sharp, driving force in your fingertips and your toes. "Sand Storm" by Pig & Dan has the dimensions of a natural event. Gusts of sand grains form a massive sound wave that is sublime and a little scary at the same time. Jurek Przezdziecki & Jacek Sienkiewicz turn to a jazzy tonality. Daniel Stefanik counters with a pitch-black sentiment, it's elegance being broken by a bizarre creaking and whistling. Transforming this extreme tension in a thrilling acid track, techno innovator Luke Slater creates clarity and defines a target. MMM pull around the helm and Slam grant US a breather with a timeless party track. Sawlin & Subjected break into the scene with futuristic, intricate industrial sounds. At the finale it is Kolsch's turn: The Dane reconciles madness and beauty with an oblique, funny squeak with an amazing vocal a la James Blake.