Shanghai Daily News

It seems Shanghai is a major night-clubbing hotspot for DJs around the world. Most of the world's Top 10 DJs have been here, and it looks like no one wants to be a latecomer. After Sasha, Deep Fish, Armin Van Burren, Paul Van Dyk, Carl Cox, Shanghai now hosts Dutch trance pioneer Ferry Corsten, ranked No. 5 in the world.

Born in Rotterdam, Corsten, 32, makes his Shanghai tonight at the VIP Room.

He is a dynamic force in the international electronic dance music industry. Corsten, his fans say, never ceases to amaze, awe and even challenge his DJ contemporaries with the zest and talent he brings to his productions and musical sets. He is widely recognized as the man who opened the door for Dutch producers and DJs to emerge on the international scene.

After initially producing some underground club tracks, Corsten became more interested in clubhouse and trance. In 1996, he achieved his first breakthrough in Britain's single charts at No. 46 with "Don't be Afraid" by Moonman. It was his first major success in Europe as a solo dance artist, producer and composer.

Since then, Corsten is the only electronic dance music artist to achieve the highest number of dance singles in the UK charts and currently he has 10 gold singles.

Similarly, he has been nominated for and has a won numerous awards. He was awarded the title of "Producer of the Year" during the Ericsson Muzik Awards in London (1999), leaving fellow-nominees like Puff Daddy and Rodney Jerkins in his wake. In 2000, in his homeland, Corsten received the prestigious Silver Harp Award for his outstanding contribution to Dutch dance music.

He was nominated at the 2004 Winter Miami Music Conference as Best International DJ and Best Compilation ("Ferry Corsten: Mixed Live") and also last year as Best National DJ and Best Video ("Rock Your Body Rock") for the TMF (Dutch MTV) Awards in the Netherlands.

Aside from producing, Corsten began compiling and mixing the "Trance Nation (1999-2001)" series together with the Ministry of Sound which has sold more than a million copies worldwide.

He is currently ranked No. 5 on Britain's DJ magazine and No. 4 on America's BPM magazine. He continually travels around Europe, America and Asia averaging about 130 performances a year.

The year of 2004 was a great year for the Dutch DJ following the launch of his album "Ferry Corsten: Right of Way" at the Heineken Musical Hall in the Netherlands. From this album, hit singles such as "It's Time," "Punk" and "Rock your Body Rock" were released.

"As to his music, Corsten is comparable with Armin Van Burren," says Maxwell Lee, who heard Corsten DJ-ing in Vancouver a few years ago. "But I like Corsten more because his music is more 'danceable' and he's harder than Armin."

Says Adam Williams who regularly DJs in Shanghai's nightclubs: "He is creative with all types of beats."

Williams says he has heard and watched Corsten perform in the Netherlands and France. "He plays house and chooses different kinds of disks. He gets people excited. When you watch him play, he enjoys the music so much. It's something he really loves - it's not just a job."

Date: December 22, 10pm

Address: 459 Wulumuqi Rd

Admission: 250 yuan at door, 200 yuan for presale

Tel: 6248-8898