Max HeyraudThis week’s entry to Mix Of The Week comes from Dublin’s trance king, Bryan Kearney, recorded live at the London edition of his Kearnage event series, direct from Troxy.
Kearney captures the raw, visceral feeling that, for many, defines the Dublin sound: euphoric, unyielding and edged with toughness, yet equally capable of delivering moments of pure emotion, euphoria and compassion. For a generation of ravers, this was the blueprint of Dublin’s early rave days, when trance and hard house dominated warehouses, fields and the city’s underground clubs. These sounds may not always receive the same attention across today’s conversations and festival circuits, but Kearney has never wavered. Inspired by the likes of Mauro Picotto and Paul van Dyk, his sound pays homage to those formative years, from his early experiences in clubs like The Temple Theatre, while continuing to push the sound forward.
His latest set is everything you’d expect from the trance stalwart. His steadfast approach to his career remains central to his identity as an artist: never bending his sound to suit anyone else. It’s this uncompromising mindset that has allowed him to build Kearnage into an event series with a presence in London and cities across the globe, bringing his vision directly to the dancefloor.
The soundtrack to this unwavering artistic journey is a potent blend of old and new. From legendary anthems by BK and Agnelli & Nelson to the next generation of Irish trance talent in Modea, alongside exclusive remixes from Kearney himself, the set feels like something that could only exist in that particular moment, in that particular place. In a dance music culture that can sometimes feel as though it has turned its back on these sounds, there’s something genuinely refreshing about an artist who continues to champion them, unapologetically and without compromise.