DJ and electronic music producer Paul Van Dyk is playing at Royale Boston on Nov. 7. Known for an accessible sound that draws upon techno and trance, Van Dyk has moved crowds and influenced DJs for over two decades, ranking alongside veterans Tiesto and Armin Van Buuren.
This breed of electronic dance music is engineered for large clubs over earbuds. For fans, the lights, and hundreds if not thousands of dancing compatriots at shows by Van Dyk and similar artists, means the value is in the nightlife experience as well as the music.
Hailing from East Germany, Van Dyk began producing in the early 1990s, and rose to prominence with the 2003 release, “Reflections,” for which he received a Grammy nomination. DJ Magazine named him the World’s Greatest DJ in 2005 and 2006, as decided by public polls.
Van Dyk recently released a collaboration with Ummet Ozcan titled “Come With Me (We Are One).” The song begins with a hypnotic four-to-the-floor beat, and a segmented snare opens it up for electro grind and synths typical of cinematic underwater adventures. Its final form is anthemic trance.
The influence of Ozcan is heard in the dynamic range of sounds used, more typical of American EDM.
The song, the related genres, and much of Van Dyk’s music is characterized by repetitive beats, major-key melodies, and slow builds before harder “drops.” The steady rhythm lends to dancing.
Van Dyk’s most recent album was the 2012 “Evolution.” According to a press release, it was created in studios whilst the artist was on tour, performing and composing in front of live audiences.
The album’s collaborators include Adam Young of “Owl City,” Ummet Ozcan, and British folk/dance artist Sue McLaren.
The song “Eternity” is Young’s blissed-out vocals over a song propelled by a house beat and plinking arpeggios.
The song “The Sun After Heartbreak,” which features McLaren and electronic artist Arty is a foray into drum n’ bass, albeit with trance positivity.
“The reason why electronic music in itself is really the first global music culture is the fact that it is based on the latest in technology and technology doesn’t have any boundaries,” says Van Dyk.
“People are networking and this is the way to do it,” he asserts. “When we work together, these worlds collide and something interesting happens that we can never predict.”
“Evolution” is marketed as an “ode to interconnectedness,” on account of the international collaboration and the composing that took place in front of audiences during the worldwide touring.
Tickets may be purchased at the Royale Boston website for $20-$25. The venue is located at 279 Tremont Street in Downtown Boston and is easily reached from the Tufts Medical Center Station on the Orange Line, and the Boylston Station on the Green Line. The event is 21+.