Kristina Sky is one of the world’s finest trance/progressive DJs, as well as one of the top female DJs in the world. Although she has performed all over the world, she had not played in New York yet. However, that changed last week. Kristina’s NYC debut was at the small, but classy Twenty Below. Kristina gave a stellar performance full of energetic trance tunes.
From Los Angeles, Kristina Sky has been on the scene for over a decade. She’s had releases on major labels like Armada, Ultra, and Vandit. In LA, she was a resident DJ for the big time West coast promoter called Giant. Since her West coast debut, Kristina has traveled the world to play at the world’s largest EDM festivals along with other top DJs. Kristina also has a popular radio show called Trancelate.
An exciting opening set by Lucas PM had people dancing as the club filled up. Groovy progressive beats surrounded the room as Lucas worked the decks. As one of NYC’s top DJs, Lucas PM delivered an impressive opening set. He slowly raised the intensity right up until it was time for Kristina to come on.
A little after midnight, it was time for Kristina Sky to begin her set. Lucas had done a great job of pumping us up, and now we were ready to experience Kristina’s first ever NYC performance. With a big smile on her face, she went straight to work. She began by playing heavy tracks like “This Is Your Life,” by Nadia Ali and EDX. Tunes like that one immediately got people dancing. The crowd slowly inched closer to the DJ booth as her set progressed.
Jack Holiday & Mike Candys’ version of the Robert Miles classic “Children” caught the attention of a lot of listeners. This housey rendition boosted the energy in the room. The timeless piano melody of “Children” made a number of us smile. W&W’s “Nowhere to Go,” got a number of us to sing along. This irresistible trance banger was one of several stunning vocal tracks that Kristina dropped that night. I enjoyed the way Kristina mixed up the various trance styles because it gave her set a dynamic quality. From the thrashing beats of “Pistol Whip” to the pumping bass of KhoMha’s “Magnetik,” the tracks fit well together.
As the night progressed, the crowd became increasingly more energetic. Dance circles began to form in
the middle of the room. “Antalya” by Ost & Meyer had us jumping up and down. It’s massive synth lines and pounding bassline made it an excellent peak hour tune. Kristina did a bit of unicorn slaying with Nifra’s “Ransvik.” She showed off her talent for reading the crowd by dropping the right tracks at the right time. Dark, rolling basslines, winding melodies, uplifting vocals; Kristina’s set had it all.
The legendary “Beautiful Things” by Andain got us all singing along. By this time, the club was in full party mode. Everyone was dancing and having a good time. Towards the end of her set, Kristina had a few surprises left for us. She played a cool mashup of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” and “Zara,” by Arty. The trance gem “Between the Rays” by Orjan Nilsen was a nice surprise. It’s hard not to dance to an Orjan Nilsen melody. She ended the night in style with the anthem by John O’Callaghan and Sarah Howells called “Find Yourself.” Seeing that we were having such a great time, Kristina decided to come out of the booth to dance with us! This was a real treat, and something I’ve never seen before in a club. It was great to see a DJ show so much love for her fans. After she finished her set, she received a roar of cheers from fans. Resident DJs Static & Bass were the closers for the night. Dressed in Daft Punk style glowing masks, the two dropped groovy house tracks for the rest of the night.
Kristina Sky’s set was outstanding. She tore up the ASOT 550 pink stage in Den Bosch, and she did the same thing here. It was clear that Kristina was there to have fun and kick ass behind the decks. Her tasteful track selection and skillful mixing kept us dancing during her entire set. Although the club wasn’t packed, Kristina played as if she were playing in front on thousands. Her appearance in New York was long overdue, and I hope she can make it back here soon for a second round.
-Jean-Luc Mosley for EDMNYC
Kristina Sky Partial set list:
Nadia Ali & EDX – This Is Your Life
Jack Holiday & Mike Candys – Children
Andrew Bayer & Matt Lange ft Kerry Leva vs Opus III vs Above & Beyond pres. Oceanlab – Breaking a Fine Day In and Out of Phase (Kristina Sky Mashup)
W&W – Nowhere to Go
Norin & Rad – Pistol Whip
KhoMha – Magnetik
Mike Koglin vs. Genix – Dyno
Ost & Meyer – Antalya
Audien – The Reach
Nifra – Ransvik
Stoneface & Terminal – Here Comes The Sun
Andain – Beautiful Things
Imogen Heap vs Arty – Hide and Seek Zara
Orjan Nilsen – Between the Rays
John O’Callaghan feat. Sarah Howells – Find Yourself
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