The 2023 edition of the Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) concluded on October 22nd, leaving behind a wave of euphoric beats, electrifying performances, and a deep sense of community for the over 400,000 attendees. Spanning five action-packed days, ADE transformed Amsterdam into the undisputed global capital of electronic music. With over 2,900 artists taking center stage and a mind-boggling 1,000+ events pulsating throughout the city, the festival offered a smorgasbord of electronic music experiences for every taste.

Headliners dominated the main stages, with titans like Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, and Charlotte de Witte bringing the house down at the Amsterdam RAI for the legendary AMF event. Meanwhile, techno pioneer Speedy J delivered a heart-pounding live set that had the walls of Paradiso vibrating, while Martin Garrix, a master of infectious electro-house anthems, kept the energy high at a sold-out Amsterdam RAI show.

The thumping basslines and robotic synths synonymous with techno might paint a picture of Berlin's sprawling nightclubs, but the genre's origins lie far away in the industrial decay of 1980s Detroit. There, amidst social struggles and economic decline, African American pioneers like Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson began weaving a futuristic soundscape. Their experiments with electronic music, influenced by funk, electro, and even sci-fi, birthed techno – a genre that would redefine electronic music.

However, it was Berlin that became techno's crucible. The fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 shattered physical and artistic barriers. The city's vast, abandoned spaces – remnants of a divided past – became the breeding ground for a new sound. Clubs like Tresor, carved out of a former bank vault, and Berghain, housed in a power station, pulsated with the raw energy of techno.