Paul van Dyk

The superstar DJ certainly lives the smart life, jetting from San Francisco to Liverpool to Hong Kong, relaxing in well-appointed lounges before he takes the decks, and if he's Paul Van Dyk, taking his camera (or his cameraman) into the streets to document the urban bustle that apparently inspires his music. After ten long years on the rise among trance DJs, Van Dyk celebrated star status with Global, his first full-length DVD (with an accompanying CD), an all-in-one career travelogue, greatest-hits compilation, and mix album. These aren't simply home movies, or even a scrapbook from someone with access to the most stylish clubs in the world. The film, directed by the German design firm Die Gestalten from over 40 hours of footage, begins with quick cuts of life for the DJ (taxicabs, trains, airports, the usual urban street life, and of course, lots of clubs) with a few attempts at narrative -- clubbers preparing for a night out plus a few misguided cinematic milieus for Van Dyk himself (running through cityscapes, riding in the back of a flat-bed truck through dark streets, even shopping at a supermarket). The commitment to audio technology is impressive, with a 5.1 Surround Sound remix performed by Nucleus Sound Studio. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide