TuneLab
Anastasia Kristensen
Boiler Room x Present Perfect Festival
There's something gloriously unhinged about Anastasia Kristensen dropping 'Café Del Mar' in a Boiler Room set; we're all secretly here for the trance revival, pretending we're too cool for hands-in-the-air euphoria. The Present Perfect Festival crowd in St. Petersburg is a sea of knowing smiles, ready for the nostalgic payload. Anchored at a steady 135 BPM with a dominant 12A key, this is a trance set that respects the genre's emotional core while avoiding cheese-overload.
Kristensen builds tension with long, layered mixes, letting pads swell and rhythms lock into a hypnotic groove. The energy balance is heavily skewed towards low-end warmth at 71%, with mid and high elements used sparingly for climaxes, creating a deep, immersive sound. Harmonic shifts are gradual, often moving from 12A to 3B to deepen the melancholy before lifting spirits. The selection of 'Andy Compton - That Acid Track' is a sly nod to house roots, while 'Bellini - Samba de Janeiro (Vanity Frontroom Remix)' injects a burst of carnival energy.
'Elderbrook - Capricorn (Skream Remix)' twists a pop vocal into a dark, driving weapon, and 'Kimito Lopez - Melkweg' offers a moment of pure, melodic introspection. Starting with the playful 'Lukash - Hej Jest Ok! (Aranż)', building to the epic peak of 'Matt Darey & Lost Tribe - Gamemaster', and closing with the sublime rework of 'Seal - Kiss from a Rose', this Anastasia Kristensen live set is a masterclass in emotional, peak-time trance.