Prydzworks - 28 Feb 2020

Written by Ben Hargreaves.

After Eric Prydz debuted his HOLO set in June 2018, everybody thought that this was the peak of accompanying visuals during a musical performance. This notion was then shattered when Prydz one-upped himself during Tomorrowland 2019, where he debuted HOLOSPHERE, touching on his previous work with an orb-like construct front and centre, and once again setting the stage for musically assisted visuals. How does a genius like Prydz top this, and in a London venue? It’s simple really, you use the best damn venue, with the most amazing sound system you’ll ever hear. If you haven’t found the answer, it’s Printworks, the industrial warehouse convert that instantly gained global attention on its opening. Can you even think of a better venue for the real Swedish king of music to return to?

The day that Prydzworks was announced, everybody in the UK knew it would be a big event, registering for pre-sale the second it was possible. When the day finally came around to purchase tickets, they sold out in 17 minutes. I was fortunate enough to secure four tickets to the event and was able to attend without any real panic, but for those who were unfortunate enough to miss the pre-registration, their hopes were soon dashed as the “SOLD OUT” emails emerged, less than 30 minutes after the sales commenced. Ticketswap was already inundated with over 1000 requests to buy tickets, and this was the day of the sale. That alone truly defines the fanbase that Prydz has rightfully amassed over his 15+ years in the industry.

February 28th, Prydzworks is finally here. With doors opening at 7pm, and Prydz playing an extended three hour set from 11pm until 2am, the emails roared out stating get in early, as they were anticipating long lines to get in (which took us about 45 minutes). To be fair, it’s understandable given that both Prydz and Printworks are a monstrous draw in their own right. Once inside, our little group managed to secure a reasonable position on the left side facing the stage, near a few speakers and able to see Prydz. Most events or venues, being near a speaker ensures your eardrums are blasted for a few hours and you suffer, but not at Printworks. The sound never once felt ‘loud’, but was at a great volume that you could still hear your friends, and hear a crisp clear sound throughout the building - well done once again Printworks, you never cease to impress me. As was expected, Prydz played music from his various aliases - Eric Prydz, Pryda and Cirez D - cycling through his tracks perfectly, and I can still remember the sadness when I looked at my phone and saw that two hours had already passed. Normally I’d have whipped my phone out and taken a few snaps or videos, but this performance just felt so intimate, and the crowd energy was perfect. Everything just felt right, the visuals paired so well with the tracks, the lasers and lights synchronized perfectly, and everything just fit. It was THE solo performance of the year, as expected.

At HOLO in 2019, the only fault I found was a lack of Opus. As 2am drew closer, I got more and more nervous; what if we don’t hear it? What if Prydz doesn’t play that iconic buildup and drop, and we all go home wondering what could have been. Not only Opus, but where was Mirage? Where was Every Day? Surely we hadn’t inadvertently missed it on a drinks break. And then it started. That familiar “up and down synth” melody that denotes the arrival of Mirage. You can FEEL the tension in the crowd, as the goosebumps race up and down your arms. It’s about to begin. The bass begins and you know you’re on board this ride to the end. Suddenly the bass stops. Ten words are spoken. “If Every Day goes like this, how do we survive?”. It’s a crossover. It’s a damned crossover of two of Prydz top bangers, with a sensational visual backdrop of an upside-down flickering cyborg.

Once these two titan songs end, we know we’re drawing to the end, as we are given yet another gift. The still unreleased (and technically unnamed) NOPUS, to bring in some elevated mood beats, and once again send those shivers down your limbs, with lasers lighting up the building, providing spectacular aesthetics throughout the warehouse. The sounds start to wind down, is it over? That was definitely a fantastic last song if so, but we want more. Of course we do. There’s a faint rhythm still playing, with a few slow, single notes being played. High, low, high, low. Over and over. Gaining pace as every second passes, everybody knows what’s coming. The beast is coming, waiting to be unleashed as we prepare for nine minutes of pure bliss. And how perfect it is, to FINALLY get to partake in Opus after all these years (I actually did remember to film this bit too!). The lights dim out, before turning back on as the music stops and Prydz (rightfully so) receives a huge ovation. HE’S NOT DONE THOUGH. It’s Midnight City baby, Prydz’s own cover. I’ll be honest, I’d never heard this cover before, but it blew my mind. It was amazing, perfect in every way. The flashing lights and strobes, the beat, the sound, the movement, the crowd, the love. Everything about this song was the PERFECT way to reign in this memorable night.

Once again, Eric Prydz has taken any expectations going into his set, and just shattered them. I’ve seen him twice now, and am certain of seeing him another two times this year (At Tomorrowland and Creamfields), and again and again, he just outdoes himself. He’s proved he doesn’t need HOLO, or amazing graphics and technology, and still manages to play with the best and maintain a hold on the top audiovisual performer of our generation. I know myself and the team at Behind The Decks can’t wait to see what’s next, and once again witness the spectacular HOLOSPHERE at Tomorrowland, and hopefully see another return to London before the year is done!