Christmas 2024

MEIR, Antwerp

 I just had a Christmas event without an event because the event was the Christmas days itself in Western Europe. 

During a week I visited Christmas Rotterdam, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Eindhoven, Luxembourg city and Strasbourg. So I saw all the Western Europe countries during a Christmas days 2024. 

It’s pretty difficult to say the best Christmas city from the Western Europe cities which I visited. I think that a first place could Luxembourg city take. But how I said it’s difficult to say what was the best Christmas city which I visited during Christmas 2024. 

Ville Haute - Luxembourg 

In the Luxembourg city Christmas night Christmas decorations and lights were an heartbreaking. Especially streets around Ville Haute had an incredible vibes of all the Christmas lights. I had pretty beautiful feeling in my body when I saw how Ville Haute look during a Christmas. I visited a mensa friend in Luxembourg during a spring 2019 and the friend explained me everything about Luxembourg - history, culture - and I saw every the very well know places in Luxembourg from Vianden to Breidweiler. And now when I saw Luxembourg city in a Christmas night and I had the feeling for why Luxembourg is a nation which a man need to love. This is a very cultural nation of a luxury heritage. Luxembourg city is very beautiful city of a heritage and a modern world together. Luxembourg city belong among the best cities in Europe, for me. 

And with my person loved Rotterdam, Rotterdam is a different vibes than is Luxembourg city, Rotterdam is more modern city. In Rotterdam were beautiful decorations on Erasmusbrug or also around Rotterdam center. Erasmusbrug, Wilheminakade and Maasshaven is very majestic and iconic place. I think ‘majestic’ is the right word for an incredible atmosphere when a man is on Erasmusbrug and during a night this feeling is maybe more deep and the man see the world of a big majestic buildings around. Maybe if I visited no place as is Ossuaire de Douaumont in France for example, I could feel that Erasmusbrug and view from the big bridge to Wilheminakade that this is a most majestic place in Western Europe; because the builds are pretty high-tech strong modern architecture for an often strong weather itself of North see. I think Rotterdam is builded on a place where is still North see. I think Nieuwe Maas itself is a North see in a corridor and not a common river. And majestic is also because during strong winter weather, a strong wind and winter times on Erasmusbrug seems to be as climbing on a mountain. For everytime I can enjoy the majestic atmosphere of a human world. And now during Christmas I had again the feeling about that Rotterdam is a majestic place. 

Strasbourg - Grande Île

Exist some public stats that Netherlands people says that they more like Rotterdam more than Amsterdam. As a one the best place in Netherlands they see Utrecht. Probably I also like Rotterdam more like Amsterdam. But I don’t say that Amsterdam is not a beautiful city. During a my Christmas trip I saw many beautiful Christmas vibes in Amsterdam. Although in Amsterdam is also many modern high-tech buildings, Amsterdam is a historic city more like Rotterdam, for example. And I enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere on the historic places in Amsterdam. Especially center of Amsterdam lived Christmas atmosphere, many people who wanted to see the atmosphere. Amsterdam is also a city to a love. 

Erasmusbrug, Rotterdam

Antwerp was also with an incredible Christmas atmosphere. I see Antwerp as a most beautiful city in Belgium and Christmas atmosphere this also said. A people in Christmas Antwerp was everywhere and together with a glamor shopping they did a right Western Europe. I could to say that also Antwerp could be on the first place of a Western Europe Christmas cites but I can’t to say this because another Western Europe cities looked similarly beautiful. The shopping during Christmas days in Antwerp is an amazing atmosphere. Especially the shops in Antwerpen center. A people there make a great atmosphere. 

 

In Eindhoven atmosphere a Christmas shopping was also amazing. And also people in the Christmas streets were peaceful. Although seems to be that Eindhoven is not a bigger Christmas place, the atmosphere of a trading in Eindhoven was amazing. 

And Strasbourg. I think that Strasbourg could be also on a first place among the best of Western Europe Christmas city. In Strasbourg is possible everywhere to see a heritage atmosphere and with a Christmas decorations Strasbourg also seems to be an incredible Western Europe city of many beautiful streets. I like the city and I think Strasbourg is a very good France city for a life. A Strasbourg buildings and streets and the heritage is amazing. And also because Strasbourg is near of Germany, a man can feel a piece from Germany in Strasbourg. Strasbourg was also beautiful.

And yeah, no one border control on a Western Europe borders. Only a ID control there was on borders with Czechia and Germany. A ways on roads and with trains were good without a delays everywhere. 

Yet, during this my visits to the Benelux cities over Christmas, my molar started hurting on the very first day. My cheek also became very swollen. I had a few ibuprofens with me, which I took during the first hour. The next morning I went to get more ibuprofen in Rotterdam. At the pharmacy they gave me Flamingo ibuprofen. Unexpectedly, it worked within twenty minutes. The tooth stopped hurting. It was a relief. However, the swelling took several days to heal. 

Release Yourself

  Sidney SN released a news, see on the link; 

 A life in the Moments. click

 With the November GHOSTS I started with a mixes with little different themes than I had in a previous BassBlog mixes or at Sidney SN SoundCloud mixes.

Although I had a doubts about it, November GHOSTS and Roots Of Everything got many plays that I didn’t expected it.

Now there is A life in the Moments. And I think that this mix is last mix of a series that I started with November GHOSTS because I think I want now a music with a different vibes than are these three mixes.

 Tracklist: 1. Phloem – On The Line (Galacy) 2. The Sauce – Round The Corner (The Sauce Recordings) 3. IYRE – Drifting Sideways (Soulvent Records) 4. Mistrust – Dreamer (Shogun Audio) 5. V Dubz, Y-Zer – Parma Cheese (Biological Beats) 6. Nymfo – Bread And Butter (Computer Integrate) 7. Arpxp feat. Alibi – One Week Before (SUNANDBASS Records) 8. Logistic feat. SOLAH – Dawn Treader (Hospital Records) 9. Data 3 – String Theory (Innerground Records) 10. Seathesky – Take Away The Pain (Offworld Recordings) 11. Edlan – Rewind (Fokuz Recordings) 12. Silence Groove – The Bells (Offworld Recordings) 13. Ekko And Sidetrack feat. Sam M – Release Yourself (Viper Recordings) 14. Loulid – It’s Fine (Liquid Flow) 15. Edlan feat. TZ – Strictly Lone (ATNMY)

Be happy

Sloterpark

 Due to my experiences with techno communities in Czechia since 2001, and due to the rise of the free tekno mainstream around 2003—when free tekno even managed to shut down Creamfields in Czechia—and the way Czech techno people began collaborating with the free tekno scene, I’m happy that my imagination about what a techno community could look like has been realized in the Netherlands. I always believed in the vibe of tech-house, progressive, melodic, and proper techno. I’m happy because what I imagined is now real here. I believed in a community made up of normal people—people with inner wealth and good looks—and in the Netherlands, this is happening. I think the Dutch techno community looks like how I imagined a functioning society could be. I can enjoy these events without fear because of the shared values here. The only thing I fear is saying this out loud. For example, when I mentioned a liquid event in December 2022, something felt off. People aren’t the same everywhere. The world is about people. As the inner spaces look, so do the worlds. In places where techno is shaped by citizens with strong inner values, it feels different. In the Netherlands, even gabba is mainstream. I don’t say anything negative about that because Dutch gabber carries those same values. At 10:45 PM, when I left the Loveland shuttle at Sloterdijk, I could hear tech-house, techno, progressive, and gabber playing all around. At first, I thought the techno was coming from Loveland, but after a few steps, I heard different music. I realized that music was coming from everywhere—sound of ADE’s. Gabber was playing from cars too. It’s true that Dutch open-air events usually end by midnight. So when I got to Sloterdijk, it was the tail end of all the events happening around Amsterdam. At 11:00 PM, a guy on a balcony provocatively a one started playing weird bass like he had a sound system at the balcony. That’s political too. Now it’s ten days later—I’m lying in bed at 1:30 AM and suddenly, a free tekno party starts. When I see this, it’s like those people are shouting, “Look at us! We’re the dumbest in Europe!” Some of them are under 30 and already without teeth—stuff even indigenous communities wouldn’t see. And when the decibel limits are completely ignored, the free tekno just continues. At ADE, nobody wants to go days without washing their body. But at some wannabe events, the common smell says everything. In a way, I’m glad real, civilized societies exist somewhere, and the weirdos stay weird—dirty and desperate, stuck in the world they made for themselves. I don’t believe these people know what a Western society really looks like. They believe their own nonsense, because they’re not educated—not even about the world outside Czechia, which seems to be their final stop in life. This is also the truth about the Czech reality. Every time I return from Germany to Czechia, I feel like the country is outside of reality. It’s a shock—being everywhere in Western Europe and then arriving in a place where the West doesn’t seem to exist at all. I don’t want uncivilized or antisocial behavior—especially not during the day. But I love daylight events. It’s beautiful when everyone can see what the people around them actually look like. When I come back from a daylight or sunset event, I never question the value of day events. That’s what’s great about them—they last longer, I can sleep at night, and in the morning, I feel good. Or I can enjoy the night later, alone, in my own private space. And still wake up happy. It’s like traveling in a night train—when I look around and see people I’m not afraid of.

New Sidney SN Session: Roots Of Everything

 Probably 10 hours ago I released a new Sidney SN on bassblog.pro/sidneysn1404. 

Check it there...

I just especially searched for a new sweet tracks for a sweet full liquid tune for a my headphones and days like today. Result is 

Roots Of Everything. 

I think someday music can say it all. And liquid drum and bass is for me still something where I can found sweet what I want in my headphones. 

 “As melting wonder in the world”

Tracklist:

01: flowanastasia & Nymfo – River Flows (Deviant Audio)

02: Keeno ft. Vio.let – Frenzy (Keeno Music)

03: Nymfo & Waeys – OSD (Love For Low Frequencies)

04: Leniz & Perspective Shift - Hazy (Ft. Matt Freeman) (Differential Recordings)

05: Flava D – Mesmerise (Hospital Records)

06: Edlan & Dustkey - Melting Hearts (feat. Ella Noël) (Liquicity Records)

07: HumaNature, Alpha Rhythm, Natus - Lost River (Fokuz Recordings)

08: SOLAH - Everything Is Possible (Hospital Records)

09: Miss Redflower – Conundrum (Hospital Records)

10: Riya, Loz Contreras, Aperio – Keep You With Me (Galacy)

11: Alix Perez - I'm Free (Shogun Audio)

12: Edlan - Go Back Home (Instrumental (Liquicity Records)

13: Phloem – Low Tide (Galacy)

14: Monty & Alix Perez – Cursive (1985 Music)

15: Low:r – Bubbles (Galacy)

and 16: Landmarks by Edlan (Liquicity Records)

Too many

 I’ve been asking myself what I actually did when I received so many positive vibes from my Czech fans. When I faced violence directed at me in a very well-known situation, I couldn’t understand why it happened. Maybe someone was trying to create doubt around me—but I don’t know how it’s possible for someone to spread falsehoods about the reasons behind what happened to me. Probably, everyone already knows the truth. I don’t believe I ever presented myself as some kind of influencer who would cause such strong reactions, let alone violence. What makes this especially sad for me is the fact that drum and bass, as a culture, stands for non-violence—as well as being anti-racist and pro-LGBTQ, for example. So when someone chooses physical violence as a way to respond to a drum and bass artist, I have to seriously question whether they even belong to this culture or understand its values. I don’t want to speak much more about this violence. But I do want to say that I probably made the right decision when I told myself to stop chasing what I found through Sidney SN fans in Czechia. For example, I had never seen fans applaud a drum and bass artist’s name on stage before. I appreciated those moments—but I had to ask myself whether that kind of attention was really sustainable for me. I eventually decided it wasn’t, and I needed to step away. I apologize a bit for this decision, for this “Sidney SN behavior,” but I now see it as unsustainable for me to attend any Prague events. For example, when I went to see USK Prague Women during a European Women’s Basketball League match, I told myself: It might be better to move toward Western Europe than to stay surrounded by this reality. I’ve lost interest in Czech events. There was also a moment on a train from Munich to Prague when a boy from the UK said, “Czechs are like human flash!” Maybe it was offensive, but in the context of what’s happening in Czechia right now, especially with “red plans” and societal tensions, I think he was actually right in some way. Also he had the truth in his way of meaning about… Maybe I’ll go see another USK match (even though I’m a bit afraid that my presence could make others nervous again, which could affect the game), but for me, attending events in Prague has become something I find mentally and healthy unsustainable.