“Sound of the 16th Season” opens with DJ Koze’s “XTC”: Through a cloudy, blurry soundscape, a captivating melody begins to talk to us. Väth uses it to set an emotional anchor, to what is at stake. Matthew Dekay plays a single cello chord to wait for a short moment. Those seconds of silence turns the track into a poetical starting signal. Väth stops the grooves harshly and sets a new tone, with “Next Please” by Metaboman, a high-spirited, twisted, funny, electronic polka. With the outrageous techno soul of Kevin Saunderson and Carl Craig the legendary Detroit honchos turn play into drama. Jacob Korn takes this thread and adds melodic Detroit sounds releasing the tension with a jazzy, experimental gesture. With Leon Vynehalls reduced gospel, the set reaches a spiritual moment, which is driven on by Aaron with his wonderful, driving “Whatcha Say. The beautiful passionate voice says: “That’s what you say.” Singing the line over and over again, it turns into confirmation, reminder and some kind of warning. With the pretty, quiet “Do not disturb Björn” Väth allows us to pause for a moment. Beloved for his delicate sound textures, John Tejada extends the shades of the subdued mood. Mattheis turns it into something different in a very subtle way, using penetrating strings with an anthem like quality. With Patrick Specke ́s & Daze Maxim ́s contribution, Väth brings the set down on the groove to move into the finale of the first part: “Drifting” by Jacek Sienkiewicz puts us with beautiful, delicate sounds in a state of childlike enchantment. Ricardo Tobar implements this unique feeling using wider, soft, springy sounds, which let us float like a balloon.
Väth ́s second set takes off with Tim Green’s “Eclipse”: a happily boasting bassline leads us through a charming house groove. Alex Smoke transformed this curiosity into cockiness using vigorous acid sounds. Heartthrob breaks the playful energy with cool electronic sounds, which escalate into a furious snare drum thunderstorm. Tim Wright emerges further into inexhaustible deep space of electronic sounds, employing a screeching electro bassline with a twinkle in his eye. Deetron picks us up with overwhelmingly positive tribal sound and a beaming, unforgettable riff. With Bastinov Väth absorbs the emotional life of this track and adds more shades with fascinating violin sounds. Robert Hood transforms Bastinovs thoughtfulness with a brilliant synthesizer figure into an electrifying soul. Väth does an utterly surprising u-turn with a song by Swedish cult band The Knife, merging Afro-American Soul into highly sensitive Indie. Geeemans very special way to modulate his voice is reminiscent of the “Ba Ba Bah, Aha ha ha” from Väth’s own, legendary “Electrica Salsa”. Now we are in the frenzy of the night, it is time for Techno. Gary Beck pulls us into another world with a powerful groove and an epic hookline, Pig & Dan condense this mood to give the message “Universal Love”. “Warehouse Memories” brings back recollections of crazed parties in abandoned factories. Väth clears the madness with Alex Bau ́s hypnotic, flowing grooves. Dimi Angelis sets a soulful final chord with a beautiful riff merging fragile violin sounds and a shrill 8-bit synth, so the set can fade away in a charmingly mellow piece of Petar Dundov.
