The weekend is over; the excitement subsided and the adrenaline has turned to tiredness. The light begins to fade as the Belgian countryside flashes past. An air of tranquillity descends through the monotonous drone of the tarmac, as the gentle sounds of the recently ‘rebranded’ Roger Shah emanate from the interior. Lifted by the warm chords, we begin to look back, to reminisce on what will remain an unforgettable journey...

As you may have read in the article looking forward to the ASOT 400 celebrations, it was to be a three day event held in three different countries; kicking off last Thursday evening in Wuppertal, Germany, before moving on to the city of Birmingham in the UK, with the finale in Rotterdam, The Netherlands – arguably the home nation of trance. With the temptation too hard to resist, the RicoP team packed various bags and headed to Rotterdam.

Unlike previous trips where the ‘post-party’ lethargy hinders the rather premature return to home, (be it plane, train or car!), this time there would be no ‘sleeping in airports’ with or without Agnelli and Nelson! A waterside apartment was booked and extra time to explore the city allocated. After relaxing into our new home for the next few days we set out in search of food, followed by ‘seconds’, possibly even ‘thirds’ of trance. To our delight, a delectable looking Tapas was only a few minutes away. After consuming enough Tapas to feed Madrid for a week, we set off in search of the Maassilo.

The map provided by the owner of our apartment combined with some ingenious map reading skills saw us arrive at the club in no time. An old grain silo on the dockyard was an unusual setting. The building was cavernous and the several thousand occupants were dwarfed by the scale of the building. Illuminated by coloured lights and engulfed in SEAT branding (not to mention several display cars), providing a slight relief to a rather industrial looking landscape. On entry, the sound of Roger Shah began to fill the air, and as we cleared the very efficient entry and security system, the secondary arena came into view. A culmination of epic sights and sounds surrounded the crowd, with Balearic trance drawing smiles from all around. Classics such as Roger Shah’s Who Will Find Me interspersed with exclusive previews of future anthems such as To The Sky (Put Your Hands Up), further fuelled the electric atmosphere. Live keyboard from Roger himself was breathtaking – a definite crowd pleaser.

By the time Mr Sam took to the decks, and the lasers began to dance, the crowd was in full swing. Moving through to the main arena, an expanse of epic proportions, filled with smiling, dancing people all in rhythmic harmony conducted by no other than the legendary Gareth Emery. Highlights included his forthcoming single Exposure, the debut release for his label Garuda, the AA side and my personal favourite, Metropolis, as well as Beat Service & Xspective Sense - Feel Our Heaven (Beat Service mix).

The atmosphere grew ever more electrifying. An expectant buzz swept through the arena, as more and more ‘smiles’ poured in. This could mean only one thing – Mr van Buuren, the host of this mighty party had arrived in the DJ booth.

And what a set he played. Memorable moments aplenty, including Rex Mundi featuring Susana – Nothing At All, Neptune Project – Aztec and the classic of all classics, Solarstone – Seven Cities (AvB Remix). Aly & Fila kept the extremely high standards consistent, with an equally uplifting, well crafted set. Sets from Nitrous Oxide and Richard Durand both drew a large following in the second arena right through Armin’s set, a feat in itself. Richard Durand played many tracks from his forthcoming album Always The Sun, which comes personally recommended.

Finishing the trip in a manner that such a momentous night warranted, the team spent the following day sampling the sights, sounds (and beverages!) of the city, whilst reflecting on the musical talent just witnessed. There was one common statement that seemed to be reiterated over and over – “if episode 400 was this good, what could possibly be done to better it next year?! Either way count me in”. We wait with baited breath.