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Title: Round My Head
Label: CONTROVERSIA
Tomorrowland resident Yves V makes his triumphant return to Alok‘s label CONTROVERSIA with his new track “Round My Head,” for which he teamed up with the label’s regular and their very own artist Bhaskar. The release is a dance-pop crossover suitable for both festival dance floors and radio airwaves, with dreamy and rhythmic male vocals. With the groovy melodies and driving tech house bassline, “Round My Head” fuses genres perfectly to make for an approachable and catchy gem. Yves V has recently released “She Movin’” with 22Bullets on Spinnin’ Records last month, and on the flip side we saw Bhaskar‘s stream of successful originals on Alok‘s label, such as “I Feel You,” “Higher,” or “See You There.”
Yves V has gained global recognition for his dynamic big room style with releases like “King Cobra” with Don Diablo, “Octagon,” “Direct Dizko” with Sander Van Doorn, “Madagascar” with Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, and “We Got That Cool” with Afrojack & Icona Pop. He has also remixed the likes of Timbaland, Missy Elliott, Ginuwine, and more. In 2022, the producer is amassing almost 4.5M monthly listeners on Spotify alone and has been supported by heavyweights such as David Guetta, Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Armin van Buuren and more. His electrifying live performances have wowed crowds at some of the world’s best festivals, including Tomorrowland, Sensation, Amsterdam Dance Event, David Guetta in Concert and Mysteryland.
Bhaskar began his history in 2004, still at age 12, when his first project with his twin brother Alok started. It all began as a hobby, but in a short time, they were already splitting their time between the studies and the studio. Son of renowned DJs Swarup and Ekanta, Bhaskar was inspired by his parents’ success and soon started to tour the world playing his music. Throughout his career, the Brazilian has collected a few hits to his name, including “Fuego” (145M+ Spotify streams) and “Infinity” (105M+ Spotify streams). His talents have led him to collaborate with and remix artists, including Tomorrowland resident Yves V, Moguai, Dubdogz, Wankelmut, Lucas Estrada, the Brazilian pop star Anitta and his brother Alok. Bhaskar has some more surprises up his sleeve, and we can’t wait to see what’s next!
Photography + Words: Darren Chan
In another chilly winter evening in Melbourne, UK psychedelic indie-pop group, Glass Animals brought the summer vibes into John Cain Arena.
With a pineapple placed next to the drum kit looking like an orange, the band strolled onstage to an ecstastic crowd. Under neon signs and colourful stage lighting, they took everyone into their tropical oasis, performing tracks from their Dreamland album including Dreamland, Tangerine, Hot Sugar, and their hits Heat Waves and Gooey.
Lead singer Dave Bayley danced around the stage enjoying every moment, and the audience followed suit dancing the night away. This is as close to summer as we’ll get in the middle of winter!
Where are you currently based?
Brisbane, Australia!
How did Grizzlyshark first start?
Liam: Three of us (Liam, Andrew and Adam) were in a band together previously, which shall remain nameless for the sake of our dignity, and we’d had Joey fill in on bass for us once before. When that band broke up we decided to keep playing music together and asked Joey to join us.
Andrew: I needed an excuse to hang out with Liam. A band seemed like the right move.
What’s been happening recently?
Liam: We most recently played a show with Glass Tides, Shangrila and Citadel at The Zoo in Brisbane which was awesome.
Your latest single ‘There’s No I In Quaranteam’ is out now, what influenced the sound and songwriting?
Liam: The song draws heavily from the 2008-2012 post-hardcore/emo scene, which we all grew up listening to and influenced our musical taste for years.
Andrew: I’ve been playing with the theme of this song for a fair few years. The start of it happened at a friends 18th. He had his “once a year phone call” from his father and not once was he wished a happy birthday. The train ride home broke my heart hearing how my friend had been treated by his father.
How did you go about writing There’s No I In Quaranteam?
Liam wrote the music while doing a side project that never panned out which played a similar style of music. The music itself was written first with more a Grizzlyshark spin on it than straight post-hardcore. Andrew and Joey then wrote all the lyrics and vocal melodies, though these were changing right up until we recorded the final version.
Where and when did you record/produce/master and who did you work with?
Back in July last year! Hard to believe it’s been that long. We recorded with Troy Brady (The Amity Affliction) who we’ve worked with for all of our releases to date. Having worked with him on 4 occasions he understands how we function (and sometimes don’t) as a unit, and it always feels like he knows how to get the best out of us.
How did you approach the recording process?
Doing a whole EP this time was pretty different compared to other times we’ve recorded. We came with 6 songs in various states of completion, one of which we’d done extensive pre-production with Alan Day from Four Year Strong (TMS). One of the songs got scrapped, and the 5th song got changed drastically in the recording process, and was built from some music Liam had written and lyrics and melodies that Andrew came up with during the recording process. Very different for us, as our writing process usually takes a while and we like to record quickly!
Your upcoming EP ‘MOSAIC’ is out on July 29, what can we expect?
Not consistency, that’s for sure! Our 3 released singles will be on there (TMS, What’s The Plan Gogglehead? and There’s No “I” In Quaranteam) along with 2 as yet unheard songs. It’s safe to say that none of the songs necessarily fit into exactly the same genre, which is pretty typical of Grizzlyshark at this stage. One in particular is very different to anything we’ve released at this point.
How did MOSAIC come about and what does this EP mean to you?
Honestly like most bands at the moment it came from the pandemic. When we released our last set of singles (Vicarious and Remember The Black Box) back in 2020 we were geared up to record an EP at the time with those songs and then right after we returned from the Vicarious launch tour that we played in QLD and NSW the pandemic hit. That took a lot of enthusiasm away from the music, until we started writing more, and eventually after discarding many demos we weren’t happy with, we had a set of songs we were really proud of. The name MOSAIC comes from the fact that this is a collections of from different genres written it different times, but all coming together to make Grizzlyshark what it is.
Who are you listening to at the moment?
Windwaker, Ocean Grove, ERRA, Sleep Token, Letlive.
What’s planned for the remainder of 2022 going into 2023?
We’ll be joining We Set Signals for the Brisbane and Gold Coast legs of their upcoming tour in August, and will have an EP release show at an as yet unannounced time. After that, who knows? We might direct a movie or start selling bootleg goods, honestly we have no idea!
Favourite food and place to hangout?
Death and Taxes is the “classiest” place you will find us. Otherwise Netherworld or someone’s place for boardgames is a common hangout for the band.
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‘Drum Workout!’ is out now, watch Visualiser HERE / Save & Stream it HERE
Full EP out in Summer on LG105
The enigmatic Phairo newly emerges as a dance music artist after years in high demand producing acclaimed names in other genres such as Bruno Major, ELIZA and Sam Wills. His new project ‘9’ will drop monthly as singles. ‘Galacticon’ and ‘Drum Workout!’ are out now, with ‘Dwemer Sphere’ coming August 12th before the full almost-album drops Sept 9th.
Fired up by working on the likes of Bruno’s first two albums, including hits like ‘Easily’ (with 295 million streams on Spotify alone), Phairo found lockdown unlocked his first love. ‘Club and dance music first got me into producing at about 16, so it felt amazing to re-enter that realm and find a new love and excitement for making beats! I wanted to make music on my own, with the main focus on musical and production ideas.’
‘Galacticon’, his first ‘9’single, delivers those beats in spades, a drum- and bass-heavy track with a jazzed up industrial vibe overlaid with mysterious distorted melody. Genre-bending, yes, but eminently danceable.
‘Drum Workout!’ is in Phairo’s own words ‘a clubby thumper with a bonkers beat’. Cool, jazzy, exuberantly intricate percussion takes centre stage, the bones of dance laid bare, contrasted with a breakdown and climax of juddering string chords. If you’re not dancing to it, you’re drumming along to it on any available surface.
‘At 9 tracks it’s longer than an EP, but shorter than an album, more like a mixtape – a broad indicator of my influences and musical loves, and a good sign of what’s to come and where I’m headed musically.’ The artwork for the full project, from artist Osian Jenaer, is heavily inspired by Phairo’s intrigue with the number 9 and his love for sci-fi, nature and otherworldly scenes.
Drum Workout! is out now on LG105, get it here: https://phairo.lnk.to/DrumWorkoutSo
Full ‘9’ EP Track List:
- Skyward
- Galacticon
- Yaled
- Drum Workout
- Talk To Me
- Excavation
- Dwemer Sphere
- Breathe
- 9
Connect with Phairo on Spotify | Soundcloud | Facebook
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Presale available from 9am local Wednesday 20 July
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When did your musical taste and performances begin to gravitate towards the blues?
My release of an 18-track compilation album ‘Love Loss & Mental Health’ in 2018 marked the end of a significant period for me. Specifically, I felt that style of music seemed unnecessarily complicated which detracted from the real essence of what I was trying to express. I began digging deep within my soul and connected with my Greek roots! This included frequent travel to Greece, where I began to jam and perform with some national and international touring Greek Rembetika and Smyrnaika (pre-1930) musicians who introduced me to some exotic scales that were not too far removed from the blues.
(and related to that):
As your early work was in the rock arena, was there always an underlying attraction to the blues genre or did that come later?
I actually started out playing blues rock progressions in clubs as a teenager, and before that folk or roots progressions in a community bush band. That then developed to listening to a vast range of rock from Bowie, Lou Reed and Elvis to Billy Holliday, Ella Ftzgerald and Dinah Washington. I’ve always had a vast eclectic taste in music explorations but was always drawn to a pure connection with the blues.
How, if at all, has your interest in the blues been shaped by your Greek heritage?
The exotic scales and compound time in Greek music were my first experience of music within my mother’s womb and I believe have brought me back to the blues and shuffle feels. The wailing vocal Greek Rebetika improvisation also connect me to the blues. My mother was from the Dodecanese Islands and my father from the Peloponnese. Particularly the way a melody is expressed on the violin from the Greek isles and on a clarinet from the mainland strongly connect me with pre-WW blues music.
You’ve said that Memphis Minnie has been a big influence – in what ways?
I love Memphis Minnie for being a brave woman who played the first blues electric guitar to be heard over rowdy crowds. She also wrote and sang, in a very pure and simple honest way with halftime upbeat shuffles, and stories I resonate with (such as depression, domestic violence, suicide, climate change, and oppression). I think it’s just genius, and she influenced a world of blues and rock guitarists from Rosetta Tharpe to Chuck Berry.
Is there anything you want to say about the role and status of women in the blues genre more generally?
Both my mother and grandmother are Greek Islanders who came to Australia in the mid 50’s from a Matriarchal part of Greece -the Dodecanese on the Aegean Sea… Minnie was born around my Grandma ‘Kaliopi’s’ time, and Big Mamma Thornton, around my Mum ‘Fani’s time –
I’ve always been very inspired by strong women! As attested to not only by my influences and lineage but by “the company I keep.”
Minnie played a significant role in exposing and protesting against the patriarchal domination and subordination of women. This resonates with me to this day… , Some 50 years before the feminist movement of the 70’s, Memphis Minnie not only sang about the impoverished slavery of Black African Americans but also about domestic violence, corruption in the law, sexual liberation, forbidden sexual relationships – including same sex partners – depression and suicide, unprotected sex and backyard terminations. When we reflect on this we have to question just how much has changed, which increases our motivation to join the HERSTORY choir.
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What significance is the St Andrews Hotel for you and how do you feel about headlining the inaugural Double Trouble Blues Sessions at the St Andrews Hotel?
My band and I held a long term residency at St Andrews Hotel over a 15 year period starting in the mid-90s. The group is called The Souldiggers and we are still going in 2022, but those early days at St Angas provided a venue and audience that allowed us to develop our original music. I’ve since toured with The Souldiggers in the USA, UK & Europe but for many years we would return to St Andrews and do a homecoming season for several weeks. We recorded our first LIVE album there and a DVD! So many good things happened at that venue, not just for us, but many of the groups that played there. We figured there was something in the air, it was always a good vibe.
What are the main influences on your work and how would you describe your own style?
I’ve been hugely influenced by the old-school blues players but I delve into jazz, rock and folk styles too. I’m a songwriter too and I draw upon The Beatles, Tom Waits and JJ Cale plus a few writers you might not have heard of Oliver Wood, David Migden and the wonderful Ani DiFranco. Describing a style is tough to do in words, but basically I try to write meaningful lyrics with interesting music that can be bent, shaped, torn apart and put back together again live on stage. How important is the vibe and energy of the audience in contributing to a satisfying gig?
Performing music for an audience is the entire point of playing the gig. Every musician you ever see on stage has reached that point where they are keen to share their musical ideas with other humans. We get nervous before the big moment because we care about the result. We want the audience to ‘get it’ like we ‘get it’, and when that happens there is an exhilarating rush of energy that everyone feels a part of. It is the most pure form of understanding between humans we know, and it is addictive for all the right reasons. How did the COVID period of lockdown affect you and do you have any clear plans for the future?
For most of my life I have lived pro-actively. With music as my my passion, my business and my livelihood, I would have to conceive each project, set the goals and embark on the course of action by which to achieve them. I lived that way for over 30 years. In early 2020 we were slammed just as hard as anyone else. I’ve had to learn how to live ‘reactively’ in order to survive. I learnt to record music at home, I performed online concerts, I taught via video calls. For all of the difficulty, I remain grateful for living in the part of the world we do and for having the modern tools we have that make so much possible. Thankfully we’re able to get out and play some live gigs now. There is still no substitute for being together. |
Title: Worlds On Fire ft. Au/Ra
Label: Tomorrowland Music
In a collaborative triumph, multi-platinum artists Afrojack and R3HAB – two of the Netherlands‘ foremost electronic music giants – have joined forces for their ultimate super-collab “Worlds On Fire,” released through Tomorrowland Music. It comes in the shape of an uplifting festival anthem, exuding energy and passion with an ecstatic drop and vocals by singer/songwriter Au/Ra. “Worlds On Fire” is Afrojack‘s and R3HAB‘s first new official record together in over a decade. With hundreds of millions of plays between the two of them, the Dutch duo and two of the genre’s biggest hitmakers have created yet another dance anthem designed to ignite crowds around the world. “Worlds On Fire” is part of a collection of exclusive festival releases by Tomorrowland Music under this year’s festival theme “The Reflection of Love,” celebrating the return of Tomorrowland after three years by gathering some of the biggest artists in electronic music on Tomorrowland‘s record imprint. The release of “Worlds On Fire” is accompanied by Afrojack and R3HAB‘s exclusive b2b set at Tomorrowland‘s iconic Mainstage during the first festival weekend.
“I’m very happy to release this exclusive festival release for Tomorrowland, celebrating the festival’s return after three years! It’s great to be working with R3HAB again, after starting together at WALL, playing many shows together, and now with an exclusive b2b performance at the iconic Mainstage of Tomorrowland. I’m excited to release the first collab in more than 10 years between R3HAB and myself!” – Afrojack
“Afrojack and I have been working together since he invited me into his label over a decade ago when we released ‘Prutataaa‘. We’ve released a string of remixes for each other later but haven’t created a record together since 2011. That changes today. Afrojack is massively talented, and I’m grateful for his guidance and friendship, from our early days in his first studio to the beautiful stages we’ve shared around the world today. It’s also been a pleasure working with Au/Ra and her incredible voice. We’re glad to have her on with us.” – R3HAB
“I wrote this song at a time when so many destructive things were happening in our world, it was overwhelming. But I had this deep sense that no matter what, there are people I love who make this crazy place better. I’ll always be there for them, and they’ll always be there for me, no matter how insane things get.” – Au/Ra
Afrojack
As one of the most innovative and sought-after artists, GRAMMY Award-winning producer and electronic dance music icon Afrojack continues to shatter boundaries that push music in bold new directions. Since making his breakthrough with the multi-platinum-selling single ‘Take Over Control‘, the Dutch-born musician has lent his production skills to tracks that bend genres and laid the foundation for major hits for artists such as Beyoncé, Pitbull, Will.i.am, and more. In the last few years, Afrojack was named one of the 50 Most Important People in EDM by Rolling Stone and placed on the Forbes ’30 Under 30′ music list. In 2010, he was one of the first DJs to secure a Las Vegas residency and continues to entertain global audiences as a headlining resident artist for the Hakkasan group. In 2010, he won his first GRAMMY award for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of David Guetta & Madonna‘s song ‘Revolver.’ In 2011, he nabbed two more GRAMMY Nominations for Best Rap Song for his part in Chris Brown‘s “Look At Me Now” and for Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical for his remix of Leona Lewis & Avicii‘s ‘Collide‘. Afrojack travels the world performing at the biggest clubs/festivals while producing new music with his label Wall Recordings. In 2020, his song “All Night” (feat. Ally Brooke) reached number 1 on the US dance radio chart through amassing an impressive 40+ million streams to date. His most recent worldwide hits, such as “Anywhere With You” with Lucas & Steve and DubVision and “Up All Night” with Hard Lights and VINAI, add to an impressive repertoire spanning over a decade as a global performer and multi-platinum selling artist. In 2021, Afrojack received his fourth GRAMMY nomination, this time for Best Dance/Electronic Recording for his inspiring dance-pop crossover Summer song “Hero” with David Guetta.
R3HAB
Multi-Platinum DJ and producer Fadil El Ghoul, better known as R3HAB, has been trailblazing his way through dance music for the past fifteen years. From his breakthrough remixes for Rihanna, Drake, Taylor Swift, Calvin Harris, to anthems such as Platinum-certified “All Around The World (La La La)” and “Lullaby,” to his collaborations with the likes of Ava Max, ZAYN, Luis Fonsi, Sean Paul, and more, R3HAB has proven to be one of the most forward-thinking artists in the game. His work has collected over 8B streams to date, including 1.1B in 2021 alone. R3HAB founded his label CYB3RPVNK in 2016, which has passed 4B streams across platforms since its inception. R3HAB continues to evolve and diversify his sound by working with artists around the globe, pushing the boundaries of dance music as he collaborates across genres and languages. He is Spotify’s Most Discovered Artist, one of Spotify‘s top 200 most streamed artists, ranked #12 on prestigious DJ Mag‘s Top 100 DJs chart, and has earned over 70 Gold and Platinum certificates. R3HAB has embarked on multiple sold-out worldwide tours and was the first dance music artist to sell out 15 consecutive shows in China. On top of that, he performed at the world’s top festivals, such as EDC, Ultra Music Festival, Tomorrowland, Balaton Sound, Coachella, Summer Sonic Festival, DWP Jakarta. With his combination of innate artistry and innovative attitude, R3HAB has earned his place as a household name in dance music.
Tomorrowland Music
Tomorrowland has expanded the family with its own music label: Tomorrowland Music. Tomorrowland Music is a dedicated music division within Tomorrowland, collaborating closely with both artists and labels, supporting them in all their recording and release activities. Tomorrowland Music has partnered with Virgin Distribution and Virgin Records. As part of the Universal Music Group, Virgin has been one of the industry leaders in music distribution and independent records labels for many years. Tomorrowland Music is delighted to be working closely with Virgin and looking forward to taking the label to a higher level together. Stay tuned for a stellar line-up of renowned artists from all different levels who can’t wait to release their music on Tomorrowland Music, encompassing a multitude of genres.
Title: I Want To Destroy Something Beautiful ft. Roniit
Label: Self-release
Download / Stream
After being silent for almost a year, Jackal returns with his riveting new single “I Want To Destroy Something Beautiful,” featuring Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter Roniit. The track brings together midtempo, glitch, and trap influences for a haunting and unique fusion of genres. “I Want To Destroy Something Beautiful” is a personal message from Jackal to a world that sometimes feels harsh and cruel; the solemn basslines and heavy, glitching synths create a stark contrast to the ethereal vocals, creating an ominous and almost apocalyptic sonic experience. Its complexity lies in its dark violence and gentle hope, and it’s one that many listeners who have experienced hard times during the last few years can relate to.
“‘I Want To Destroy Something Beautiful‘ comes from a bitter place. For weeks and weeks, I was pissed off at the world and feeling vengeful. Over the course of this time, I aimed to make something that sounded like the end of everything. I told Roniit my thoughts and the title that I had in mind, and she worked around that. I really like how her voice brought a certain numbness to the track, which works really well with the production.” – Jackal
UK-born and LA-based producer Jackal first entered the scene with his breakout hit “Shakedown” in 2013, capturing the popular consciousness with his dynamic style. Following that, he released popular tracks “Chinchilla” and “Animal Style,” gaining supports from artists like Skrillex and Diplo (who frequently mixed his songs into their sets) as well as Tiesto and Justice. In 2017, he released his “Endorphins” EP, and the following year, “Don’t Come Near Me I Am A Monster.” These two pieces caught the attention of bass-heavy DJ/producer RL Grime, and Jackal was signed to his Sable Valley label shortly thereafter. Jackal was later invited to join RL‘s Sable Valley Tour in 2019. He has also released on such labels as OWSLA, Mad Decent, Buygore, Lowly Palace, and more. “I Want To Destroy Something Beautiful” is a strong return for Jackal, and we can’t wait to see what he’s up to next.
Brisbane easycore four-piece Grizzlyshark offer up their dynamic third single, “There’s No ‘I’ In Quaranteam“ from upcoming debut EP, ‘MOSAIC‘, out Friday July 29.
Once again mixed and produced by Troy Brady (The Amity Affliction, In Hearts Wake), the third single from ‘MOSAIC‘ is a thoughtful emo punk journey, exploring a darker side of Grizzlyshark. Thematically the track tackles growing up with an absentee parent and ultimately how it affects a child.
“This is the darkest song on the EP,” says vocalist Andrew Jeffery. “While not directly experienced by myself, I have witnessed countless friends, band mates and students I teach feel the impact of a parent who has left.”
“Joey [McLennan, bass/vocals] and I teamed up on this one as he has personal experience. Working together on lyrics was a fun experience and something we don’t do as often as I would like. I’m proud of the imagery in the lyrics for this song.“
Previous single “TMS” was the first wholesome taste of the forthcoming EP, co-written by the legendary Alan Day of Four Year Strong, debuting on triple j Short.Fast.Loud. “TMS” is an experimental track that sets out to meld infectious pop punk sounds against elements of mid-western emo and post hardcore. Heavily influenced by Tiny Moving Parts latest album, ‘breathe‘, the track is about mutual breakups and acknowledging growth. Watch here.
“What’s The Plan Gogglehead” came next. The single is a thrashing pop punk offering that explores thoughts and emotions when living with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Vocalist Andrew noticed that his experiences living with ADHD could be compared to the quirky portrayal of various animated protagonists. Watch here.
Grizzlyshark bring sturdy pop persuasions and potent punk to the table, fusing ferocity with rollicking finesse. Wielding punchy riffs and rhythms alongside infectious anthems and hooks, Grizzlyshark first announced themselves to the world back in 2018.
While 2020 brought new releases, including the certified banger “Vicarious“, 2022 is set to further intensify the burgeoning Grizzlyshark adventure, with their latest and greatest chapter ready to unfold with ‘MOSAIC’; a powerful collection of Grizzly tunes brimming with audacious yet insightful lyricism, pop culture and gaming nods, plus plenty of bangin’ anthems to eclipse genres and expectations.
“There’s No ‘I’ In Quaranteam“, “What’s The Plan Gogglehead” and “TMS” are available and streaming everywhere now. The ‘MOSAIC‘ EP will be available Friday July 29.
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“Ciao Neustadt-Glewe – Arrivederci AIRBEAT ONE 2022” was Sunday’s motto after four days of incredible electronic sounds at the Neustadt-Glewe airfield in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. From an audience of 20,000 visitors at the PreOpening to 65,000 who attended Sunday’s epic closing, more than 200,000 fans were in attendance over the four days, traveling from more than 50 countries around the world for the 19th edition of AIRBEAT ONE. After a two-year pandemic enforced hiatus, the festival was a spectacular successful comeback. With more than 300 international DJs across the 6 stages, this year’s festival officially had the largest most musically diverse electronic music lineup in AIRBEAT ONE history, more acts than ever before played to the huge crowds at Neustadt-Glewe, which for an entire weekend was recreated as a spectacular Italian city. The theme of this year’s four-day open-air event was “Italy” and in honor of the theme, four of the six large stages shone thematically in reference to the great mythology of the country that lies south of the Alps.
Electronic music fans from every continent travelled to Mecklenburg-Vorpommern to celebrate AIRBEAT ONE’S 19th birthday, along with many of the world’s greatest living DJs. From Australia to America, from Japan to Mexico, from Norway to South Africa, people travelled on pilgrimage to the grand airfield in Neustadt- Glew to celebrate in peace, and to enjoy a carefree 96 hours of exuberant hedonism, beats, and bass.
The huge showpiece of the festival each year is the enormous MainStage, which never fails to capture the attention of the hundreds of thousands of festival-goers in attendance. The detail invested in the main stage was incredible, as a huge collage of monumental images from this year’s theme country. This year festival-goers danced amongst four main Italian cities, Milan Cathedral, the Coliseum in Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and the Rialto Bridge in Venice formed the backdrop of the MainStage, setting the scene for the world’s biggest DJs to play some of the greatest electronic music tracks in the industry. With a width of 160 meters and a height of nearly 50 meters, AIRBEAT ONE remains one of the largest mainstages anywhere in Europe. So much so that AIRBEAT ONE’s MainStage stands at the maximum height available for any festival in Europe due to the size of the machines and equipment available for the construction of all festival stages.
The 30-meter tall Hardstyle Stage was inspired by Roman Gladiators and designed for the first time by the AIRBEAT ONE Festival designers themselves. From this year on, fans of the harder sound of electronic music can look forward to a completely new stage every year to match the festival theme. In 2022, the helmet and swords of ancient Roman warriors were enthroned above the DJ booth. From the Terminal Stage, a huge mask from the Venetian Carnival looked down on visitors in Europe’s largest circus tent.
With the Arena Stage, a completely new techno area celebrated its premiere at the AIRBEAT ONE 2022 Festival. On the first day of the festival, Boris Brejcha took over the scepter with his FCKING Serious Brand and fitted in perfectly with this year’s theme thanks to his iconic Venetian mask. On Friday and Saturday, the Elrow Showcase featured the best acts of the entire techno scene, including Charlotte de Witte, Fisher, and Paul Kalkbrenner. The theme of this stage was Rome Olympics. In keeping with the Italian theme, the guests and music fans in attendance celebrated together with 60 entertainers and confetti, Elrow remains an unparalleled show of fantasy, fantastic music, and fun.
The Second Stage led visitors into a psychedelic parallel world inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci and bright vibrant colours. Together with the Lidl Stage in the Main Camping area, almost all styles of electronic music were represented, played to an ecstatic crowd across a total of six floors, from EDM to trance and progressive, from hardstyle, hardcore, and gabber to techno, minimal, house and psytrance.
With its unique main stage design and one of the most impressive DJ lineups in Europe, AIRBEAT ONE has cemented its place in the top 3 of any festival across the continent, and easily in the top ten coolest festivals in the world. The biggest DJs in the world regularly pay homage to the festival. US Superstar DJ Steve Aoki said: “This is my favourite AIRBEAT ONE show I have ever done.” And Armin Van Buuren enthused, “I love AIRBEAT ONE, it feels like the oldest festival ever.” The exceptional reputation and international standing of the festival is also recognized from the fact that international superstar DJs Kygo and Marshmello performed exclusively in Germany at this year’s 2022 festival.
A total of 37 DJs currently ranked in DJ Mag’s illustrious Top 100 DJ list played at this year’s AIRBEAT ONE. A record that no festival in Germany has ever achieved before. Five of the superstar DJs sent the 30,000 music fans into raptures of excitement during Wednesday’s pre-opening. In addition to Tiesto and Marshmello, the highlights of the first day of the festival included Boris Brejcha, Brennan Heart, Robin Schulz, Timmy Trumpet, Vini Vici, and W&W.
The German festival debut of Norwegian superstar Kygo was spectacular. From „Firestone“ to „Stargazing“ and „Remind Me To Forget“ to „Higher Love“, he certainly showcased all his incredible hit songs, and the crowd reciprocated with huge reactions. The crowd reaction was so loud and passionate, that it felt that the noise could have been heard as far away as Italy. The AIRBEAT ONE festival crowd was honored to be treated to the premiere of Kygo’s new single „Lost Without You“, which was released on Friday in unison with his mesmerizing festival performance.
Charlotte de Witte, Paul Kalkbrenner, Oliver Heldens, Danny Avila, Will Sparks, Alok, Fedde le Grand, Dillon Francis (exclusive German performance), Tchami, Ferry Corsten, and VIZE really encouraged the AIRBEAT crowd until the finale on Day 2. Steve Aoki and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike DJs considered the best in the world by many, played one after another, shaking the airfield to its core, the trio treating the ecstatic crowd to a German exclusive and extremely rare 3 Are Legends festival set.
Saturday deliciously delivered with Claptone, Fisher, Marianna Bo, DJ Snake, Martin Solveig, Afrojack, Don Diablo, Lost Frequencies, and KSHMR, each and all superstar DJs of the highest order. Dutch Superstar and many times voted Number 1 DJ in the World, Armin van Buuren captivated the AIRBEAT ONE crowd, with massive tracks such as „Blah Blah Blah“, „Ping Pong“ to “Repeat After Me”, he played countless festival hits and so much more, even treating the AIRBEAT ONE crowd to the premiere of his new single “Superman”, for the first time live in Germany. Afterward, fireworks lit up the sky, leaving 65,000 fans in open-mouthed awe in front of the MainStage, an incredible festival moment, contained within the 19th edition of a festival with so many unforgettable moments.
More than 200,000 visitors from more than 50 nations across four days were undoubtedly overjoyed to finally be allowed to party carefree at a festival again for the first time in two years. Neustadt-Glewe once again welcomed the world with open arms. The residents celebrated at the airfield together with the guests on Wednesday and Thursday. For years they have been invited by the organizers to the pre-opening and the opening of the festival.
Police, rescue workers, and other authorities involved were on hand with help, advice, and support but in a true expression of festival spirit received happy and respectful cooperation from everybody at the festival.
As the 19th edition of the AIRBEAT ONE Festival closed, not only was the date for the 20th anniversary announced but so was next year’s festival theme. From July 5th to July 9th, 2023, the electronic music world in Neustadt-Glewe will celebrate the “Home Edition”, a theme chosen as the 20th celebration will be celebrated at home surrounded by festival friends. Advance sales for the momentous 20-year festival anniversary will begin this September 3, 2022.
Video links:
Recap Video PreOpening: https://youtu.be/_cudyOb65XI
Recap Video Thursday: https://fb.watch/e9qrcjMOd-/
Recap Video Friday: https://youtu.be/AKwDm32lcLc
Weekend Recap Video: https://fb.watch/ed2baI3O8L/
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