Gillan | Cardiff

We all have that one friend who claims trance is cheesy, right before they lose their mind to a well-deployed supersaw. Gillan's set for Locally Sauced in Cardiff is for that friend, and for the rest of us who never stopped believing in the power of a soaring melody. The atmosphere is one of unapologetic, hands-in-the-air euphoria, a room united by a shared need for emotional release. This is classic, uplifting trance, locked at a steady 140 BPM and predominantly in the 5A key, which gives it that bright, anthemic quality.

The energy balance—0.77 low, 0.19 mid, 0.04 high—shows a sound built on a bedrock of rolling basslines, with the mids carrying the iconic pads and leads. The tracklist is a treasure trove of both modern and legacy trance. Opening with Neptune Project's 'Proteus' (The Thrillseekers Remix) sets a dramatic, progressive tone. CCL's 'Plot Twist' and Batu's 'Zeal' represent the sharper, more contemporary end of the spectrum.

Then come the warhorses: dropping Alice Deejay's 'Better Off Alone' is a guaranteed floor-clearer (in the best way), while Rank 1's 'Airwave' and Darude's 'Sandstorm' are executed with a wink and a roar. The blend of David Guetta's 'When We Were Young' with the Logical Song sample is hilariously clever, and closing with the Nalin & Kane 'Beachball' remix via Tall Paul is pure, sun-drenched perfection. The journey from the proggy intro of 'Proteus', through the peak-time madness of 'Sandstorm', to the blissful outro of 'Beachball' is a masterclass in peak-time trance dynamics.