GLORIOUS SUNDAY
2022 BELGIUM
TODAY, WE UNITE AS ONE! IT’S TIME TO UNLEASH YOUR ENERGY TOGETHER It is time, friends, for one last hurrah. One last day – the final one, where all the love collected will be properly reflected into an eternal beacon in the skies. But surely, that should be no issue for you. Over the past two days, you’ve amply demonstrated your relentless energy – shaking the Freedom stage to its very foundations, turning the Atmosphere pavilion into a hurricane, and transforming all of the Holy Grounds into a display of togetherness unlike anything the world has ever seen before. Today, however, you are warmly invited to outdo yourself. Consider your magical Friday and incredible Saturday a
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
MARTIN GARRIX MAINSTAGE | 22H55
PEOPLE OF TOMORROW,
JUMP FOR JOY! Today’s the last one – sadly – but be doubly sure to show your love to all the artists you visit by jumping twice as high, shouting twice as hard, and remembering it all forever!
warm-up, charging you with love for today’s ultimate release. Feel the emotions you’ve experienced coursing through your veins, let the spirit of unity animate your body – and whirl across Tomorrowland a soul unleashed. Do all this, friends, in the knowledge that all you do is for a reason and that every move you make has a purpose: to etch the memories into your individual mind, and to combine the energies into a collective projection that will change the world. After all, after this, the sky will never look the same again – it will be branded with your love forever.
DAYBREAK SESSION
DJ LICIOUS & DELAFINO MAINSTAGE | 12H00
PEOPLE OF TOMORROW,
LEAVE NO TRACE! Sad but true: you’ll be leaving DreamVille one day from now. Once you do, please clean up properly and leave no trace: that’s how we love Tomorrow!
GET INTO THE GROOVE FIND ALL YOUR FAVOURITE DJS ONE MORE TIME
Welcome to glorious Sunday! This is the third day in, but we’re not showing any signs of slowing down. The sun is shining, the rhythms are flowing, so let’s get into the groove! There’s much to discover today with lots of opportunities to go deep – with the hypnotic, enchanting beats of Stephan Bodzin, for instance, or Tinlicker’s progressive melodies at the Mainstage, which are sure to elevate you to another level. Also spinning today is DJ Chuckie, who is known for popularising bubbling, which could be described as a blend of Dutch Antillean music, dancehall and early rave. Unique in 2022 is Alesso’s Eclipse show, where he shows a more eplorative side of himself. It’s the perfect bridge to the techno sounds of Adam Beyer b2b Maceo Plex and Reinier ‘Karren maar!’ Zonneveld, who will try to leave the Freedom Stage in one piece after his punishing, acid-tinged live set. Enjoy this majestic last day of Tomorrowland 2022’s second weekend, dear ravers! 1
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
READ ON!
WEATHER FORECAST
YOUR TODAY
Creating the Tomorrowland Today is our yearly highlight. Thank you for sleeping on, sheltering under, passing around, collecting at home and, of course, thoroughly reading every letter of this daily newspaper.
We totally get it if you are feeling a bit light-headed from last night. But no worries, as today’s relief is brought to you by plenty of sunshine only. Our advice is to soak it all up and enjoy this glorious last day.
Your daily, your story! Share your highlights, tales of friendship, unexpected discoveries and invaluable festival knowledge via today@tomorrowland.com.
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TOMORROWLAND TODAY
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HIGHLIGHTS TOMORROWLAND TODAY
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DREAMVILLE • The happiest city on Earth! • The best photos & memories
7, 23
DAILY WISDOM Read the latest about what’s going on around Tomorrowland.
Dear Reader,
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Besides magic, madness and unity, Tomorrowland stands for love. And although romantic letters might feel like a prehistoric practice in an age where we classify a 3 a.m. “you up?” text as ‘amour’, The Reflection of Love should be all about that eloquent prose professing a burning affection. And we are delighted to share the romance!
NETSKY An interview with a longtime Belgian favourite.
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Oh my love,
POWERED BY PLANTS
Together, we’ve reached this final day
Find out more about chef Bart De Pooter's take on food and life.
But before we go, I have some things I want to say The past few days have been pure magic And leaving you again feels tragic
15
Both of us know it will be for the better, Tears in my eyes whilst penning this very letter
THE WC DJ
My heart tells me to also look at it from another side A thought that I have always been afraid to hide
What's this about? Flip to page 15 and find out...
Without you, my life was a mess And after reconciling with you, I have again been blessed
27-31
Incessantly, I relive my memory of your warm embrace For you, my heart shall always have a place
FOCUS ON THE MUSIC • • • •
My happiness is to be near you A feeling that I forever want to pursue But, my love, please know that it is okay to let go You and I have been crucial to the show
Hosting partner highlights Interview with Reinier Zonneveld Timetable Artist bios & an introduction to house music
Together, we enhanced Tomorrowland’s energy And although I always knew it was never mine to keep You will forever be the mirror of the night, the violent flash of lightning I hold so much love for you, it is actually frightening
“I didn't know that I was broken Until I found my missing piece It seemed like every door was closing on me And you were so far out of reach”
Our energy was our contribution to the Reflection And forever I will hold that attraction It is time to send it to another realm A feeling which will surely overwhelm Oh love, today, let’s say our last goodbye Understand that I’ll forever hold you close by.
BE PART OF THE STORY tiktok.com/@tomorrowland instagram.com/tomorrowland Facebook.com/tomorrowland THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
twitter.com/tomorrowland youtube.com/tomorrowland issuu.com/tomorrowlandtoday
Alesso – Remedy
LOCKERS
FIRST AID
No one wants to carry a lot of stuff around on the dance floor and - of course - there is no need to. You will find lockers at several locations across both Tomorrowland and DreamVille.
Medical emergency? Look for the yellow flag with the black cross to find First Aid points. There is always a doctor with every team. To bring medication onto the grounds you will need a doctor’s certificate. 3
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
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THE HAPPIEST CITY ON EARTH
Saturday morning at DreamVille: the People of Tomorrow slowly but surely wake up to the sounds of tent zippers and yawning neighbours, and crawl out into the brilliant sunlight, so badly needed after yet another long night. It felt like a dream last night to see the Mainstage in full force, but now it’s time to rinse off all the glitters and confetti. Don’t want to wait in line? Just hop underneath one of the outdoor showers, which are shaped like beautiful flower bouquets. At the Marketplace, you can fuel up again with fresh coffee, donuts or even a half grilled chicken if you are hungover hungry. Make sure to take it easy in the morning, though, and to get some well-deserved rest before the gates to our promised land open up once more. All of us know, after all, that DreamVille is more than worth spending some time on – just take look at some of these faces and tell us it isn’t the happiest city on Earth!
“Obviously you can shower inside,” says Quentin from France. That doesn’t seem to be his style, though. “This is like a vacation, right? And I want to enjoy the sun when I am on vacation, so showering outside is perfect. You will need sunglasses, though!”
Stephanie, Deborah and Laurence from Luxembourg and their friends have a beerpong tournament every morning. “It might seem a bit early, but it’s the best way to decide who will buy the first round later,” says Deborah. “Please let it not be me this time!” Stephanie adds.
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Sebastian, Christoph and Mark from Germany know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That’s why they like to start the day with a three-course meal! As they were cooking eggs early in the morning, they saw one of neighbors just getting back. “We guess he slept in another tent tonight…”
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Brenda from Mexico tells us she loves to do mountain climbing at home for sport. Being active is super important to her. “For some, stuff like this drains their energy, but for me, this is where I get all my energy from – and I’ll probably need a lot of energy today.”
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
Bethany from England is a real yogi! While waiting in line, she just casually gets a few minutes of meditation in. “I need a fresh mind for today, and for that I need to meditate – but I guess I was also just bored because I came alone to wait here.”
You could hear him and his tunes before you could see him. That’s because Lennox from Germany has been able to draw quite the crowd with his improvised DJ sets at DreamVille. “I thought I’d take a week off from DJing, but it seems like they needed me here.” He certainly already has the attitude of a superstar…
With the newest edition of Tomorrowland Today in front of her, we find Zala from Slovenia sitting by her tent. “I can’t remember all of the things I want to see, so sometimes I just need to rip something out of a page,” she explains, before taking a gigantic bite out of her cucumber.
Pol from Luxemburg has made a name for himself in his little corner of DreamVille as a talented pancake chef. His friends pay him back in drinks. That’s why he loves to share his pancakes with his neighbours. “It’s so easy to make friends with pancakes in the morning… and more friends means more drinks!”
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
We spot Daniela and Marko from Mexico walking hand in hand and smiling as bright as the morning sun. “We go for a walk together every morning when we’re at home, so it only felt right to do it here as well! It’s perfect to look around and talk about everything we experienced the day before.”
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Alina from the Netherlands and Anica from Germany say the most important part of their morning routine is putting on their face jewelry. They’ve brought a set for every day and try to match them with what they think their favourite artist of the day would like to see on them. Cheeky!
At the service station at DreamVille, the People of Tomorrow can fix their camping equipment if needs be. Caesar from Mexico is pumping up his air mattress again. “It lost a bit of air last night… just like me! I guess I didn’t sleep so well, maybe because my mattress was a bit too flat. What a mess!”
BRING OUT THE BOTTLE… …for this amazing group of friends from France! People of Tomorrow, let us tell you one thing: they spoke incredibly highly of all of you. Meeting people on both the festival grounds and DreamVille has given them positive energy and great vibes! As they love to sit together for drinks and share their experiences with each other, it felt only right to make them the winners of our Solo Vida Reserva bottle giveaway. Cheers you guys, we hope you raise a toast to all of us!
SOULFUL WATER
(Sporty) spice up your Sunday Sunday is the day when most people flake out on their fitness goals,
It’s hard to miss and radiating with love for planet Earth: Soul
but if you can make it to one of this morning’s workout classes you
Water’s cargo bar bike. Starting at DreamVille in the morning,
can literally do anything. Of course, those Sunday morning sweat
a friendly bartender slowly wheels it toward Tomorrowland
sessions are significantly easier when you are at Tomorrowland
early in the afternoon. Soul Water was born from the idea
and there should be an extra chill vibe to them. That's why today’s
that everyone should be able to enjoy quality water without
DreamVille workout scheme features a lot of yoga and recovery
harming our planet. The water comes in cans, the most
classes – fewer excuses, more results. And trust us, these classes will
sustainable form of packaging. Like water itself, the packaging
give you a midsection like Shakira’s and rockin' arms that could score
has become circular – the cans are infinitely recyclable.
a high-five from Serena Williams!
Disposal of the cans is made easy at Tomorrowland: just look for smiley faces carrying recycle bins in the form of green and
SUNDAY: RECOVERY AREA
pink backpacks. They’re never far away from the Soul Water
09h30
Bodypump
cargo bar bike. Don’t waste tomorrow, drink Soul Water!
10h00
SH’Bam
10h30
Bodycombat
11h00
Bodyattack
11h30
Bodypump
12h00
Les Mills Barre
12h30
Bodycombat
13h00
Bodyattack
13h30
SH’Bam
SUNDAY: BALANCE AREA
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09h00
Yoga Nidra
09h45
Kundalini Yoga
10h30
Bodybalance
11h15
Yin Yoga
12h00
Vinyassa Yoga
12h45
Hatha Yoga
13h30
Power Yoga
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D A I LY
WISDOM LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE REDDITORS Tomorrowland’s website and app are easy to navigate for anyone looking for the line-up or practical information. Many of you love to go a little deeper, though, and for that there is the ever-popular /r/tomorrowland page on Reddit, a place where there is no such thing as a question that can’t be asked and where fellow ravers are always happy to help. This month saw it garnering no less than 5 million views and it has 250,000 subscribers. Whenever needed, Josh and Martin – the dedicated administrators of the page – assist people who can’t find the answer to their question. “You could say the discussions on the platform are seasonal,” says Josh. “During the winter months, when tickets go on sale, that’s what people talk about. Then comes the time of the line-up announcement, which is obviously something ravers want to discuss. Travel talk follows in early summer and right now, the People of Tomorrow are obviously reliving the moments from last night and discussing the Reflection of Love stage as well as other newly decorated areas such as CORE.” In recent years, the discussions are verging more and more towards the music, whereas before Redditors were mainly talking about the overall experience. “The vibe and feel of Tomorrowland are obviously still widely discussed,” says Martin. “But we’re seeing that people become more knowledgeable about the artists they’re seeing. They’re keen to learn, too. Some who likes Martin Garrix, for example, may ask who else to see based on their love for his sound. I think people love the new directions that Tomorrowland is always prepared to take, and the fact that the festival has always been supportive of talented young artists who are relatively new to the scene.” Curious to join the conversation? Go to reddit. com/r/Tomorrowland/ to join the Tomorrowland community on Reddit.
LOVE TOMORROW CONFERENCE Tomorrowland is dedicated to caring for Planet Earth and is working hard towards reducing its CO2 and water footprints, with the intention of reaching full circularity in the foreseeable future. In collaboration with their partner Love Tomorrow, the festival aims to achieve a spillover effect into parts of society beyond the grounds here in Boom. It is with this idea in mind that the first edition of the Love Tomorrow Conference, centered around sustainability themes, takes place on the festival grounds on the Thursday ahead of the third Tomorrowland weekend. The conference program will feature inspiring presentations by pioneering speakers such best-selling author Yuval Noah Harari, renowned filmmaker Ali Tabrizi, as well as techno artist and environmental activist Ida Engberg. More than just a conference, this unique event by Love Tomorrow will also feature magical live entertainment, including classic Tomorrowland elements such as a Daybreak Session. For more info and tickets for the event, which will take place on 28 July 2022, go to lovetomorrowconference.com.
BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS – IN A CUP!
When we asked you to send us pictures of the best (or worst) breakfast you made yourself at DreamVille, we could have never anticipated the turnout. It was hard to choose a winner, but in the end Martina and Anna-Lena had us convinced. Their colourful creation is supposed to have magic powers that help your body recover and jump right back into party mode! Congratulations, girls, with your free breakfast for four with a glass of Solo Vida Reserva included. Maybe you’ll find that this Spanish specialty was the one ingredient that was still missing in your creation. See you at the Farmhouse later!
TASTE THE WORLD IN ANTWERP Did you know that your love for the Mesa Garden can continue beyond the borders of the festival grounds? Mesa also has an easygoing bar/restaurant in the heart of the beautiful city of Antwerp, and it’s all about sharing dishes. Their team serves a unique experience of cocktails, tacos, dips, bites and signature dishes to you share with your friends and family. The food and cocktails are inspired by the Tastes of the World cuisine of Tomorrowland with typical and delicious flavours from all corners of the world.
TOMORROWLAND MUSIC TRACK OF THE DAY Name us a multiple day event that puts out its own music and you won’t get far. Thankfully, you’ve come to the planet’s finest festival and this one does come with a record label: Tomorrowland Music. Listen to the imprint’s latest Track of the Day. Curbi ft. Helen - Losing Sleep One of the catchiest dance cuts of 2022 so far, Curbi’s ‘Losing Sleep’ is an instant earworm due to the track’s crisp yet heavy production, topped off with Helen’s irresistible vocals. Make sure to head to Youphoria at 15h30 for Curbi’s set if you like it.
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
Scan the QR code to listen to the song, which is exclusively available on Amazon Music. Enjoy! 7
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THE DIVERSITY OF DRUM ‘N BASS Boris Daenen aka Netsky, named after a computer virus, is a true jack of all trades. From his first drum ’n bass releases as a youngster to collaborations with pop and urban artists such as Becky Hill, Lil Wayne and Rita Ora, and then back to his roots with his latest album ‘Second Nature’, Netsky has done it all. While some not so openminded drum ‘n bass heads have rejected his pop output, this diversity in styles is what brought the producer to where he is now: a point in his career where he is getting full carte blanche in programming his own Netsky & Friends stage at Tomorrowland. Let’s dive a little deeper into the producer’s origins, the current state of the drum ’n bass scene and his special connection with Tomorrowland.
“WITH ALL ITS ENERGY, DRUM ‘N BASS IS LIKE THE PUNK ROCK OF THE ELECTRONIC GENERATION.”
JAUZ “Sam and I have been friends for a long time. We once did four b2bs together in one day. We used all the forms of transport you could imagine to get to the gigs that day: a helicopter, a car, a boat and an aeroplane.”
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KANINE “Kanine is also from the UK and a lovely guy. He’s fast becoming one of the bigger names in the scene, selling out shows in the US, Australia, the UK and Eastern Europe. His work is very melodic, which will go down very well with the crowds at Tomorrowland, I’m sure.”
The cover of Netsky’s latest album ‘Second Nature’ is a picture of himself with his beloved late father, and it’s a reflection of the producer’s past in many ways. It’s a return to the fast-paced drum ’n bass sound his career once started with, but there is also a personal story to it. “I’m massively influenced by my dad’s music collection. My love for electronic music started with him, actually. He had a massive collection of soul records, and in my first attempts at making music, I remixed the sounds taken from his sound library and combined them with fast-paced breakbeat rhythms, and there you had it: my first drum ’n bass tracks. The tracks on ‘Second Nature’ are a return to those roots in a way. Even the way the album was released is familiar. The record marks my return to Hospital Records, the label that also released some of the music I made as a seventeen-year-old, back in 2010.” For those who were wondering, the genre of drum ’n bass didn’t come out of nowhere; it evolved from jungle, a sound that once formed the soundtrack to the eastern and southern boroughs of London. While the two genres are often confused with one another, there is actually a profound difference between them. Jungle was borne out of an obsession with extremely heavy basslines and breaks, which were first sampled from funk tracks and then pitched up to staggering BPMs. “Drum ’n bass then kept building on that tradition by adding melodies to the music,” says Boris. “I listened to jungle before, but it was drum ’n bass that I really fell in love with. I also like other genres of electronic music like house, for example, but in the end what I love the most is the relative complexity and intense energy of drum ’n bass.”
More than just music, drum ’n bass is a way of living. “It is a genre of mosh pits. People completely lose themselves dancing to it, and it is therefore the perfect post-lockdown type of music,” says Boris. “On top of that, it is very inclusive, and you see not just guys but also lots of women at the parties. All in all, the popularity of drum ’n bass is clearly on the rise. It’s being Shazamed more than ever before, for example. With all its energy, drum ’n bass is like the punk rock of the electronic generation.” Despite not being the biggest genre at Tomorrowland, there’s always been a place and time for breakbeats here in Boom. “I think this is partly due to one of Tomorrowland’s programmers being really into many kinds of bass music. That’s also why my Netsky & Friends hosting is so eclectic. There’s a lot of drum ’n bass but amidst all of the madness I’ve also programmed people like Hot Dub Time Machine from Australia, who’s doing an audiovisual set taking you through the decades from the seventies onwards. I find it really important to have that kind of eclecticism on the stage.” Gradually, the scene has also become more and more international, and that’s reflected in how Boris has programmed his stage this year. “There are many types of people of all genders making the music, and I tried to incorporate this diversity when I curated the stage. I also got American artists playing the stage, by the way,” he says. “There have always been drum ’n bass parties in the US, but these would usually attract no more than two thousand people, with largely overseas line-ups. Recently it’s also been the other way around; you now get US-based drum ’n bass artists playing European stages.”
The popularity of drum ’n bass may be a relatively new thing in places like North America and Eastern Europe, but elsewhere the scene has been big for decades. Take Australia or New Zealand, where people are often surprised to hear Boris is from Europe. “I’ve spent two months a year in New Zealand for over a decade now, just to tour. You can hear a Wilkinson track or one by me while you’re in the cab or in a bookstore. It’s crazy, drum ’n bass is pop music in New Zealand. It’s a wonderful phenomenon, although I wouldn’t be able to explain it to you.”
“IT’S CRAZY, DRUM ‘N BASS IS POP MUSIC IN NEW ZEALAND. IT’S A WONDERFUL PHENOMENON.”
DIMENSION “Robert is an extremely nice and incredibly talented guy from the UK, big on emotional and melodic anthems. He’s also a great performer.”
LUUDE “I’m very excited about Luude performing. He’s an incredible Australian drum ‘n bass producer who had a huge hit with the track ‘Down Under’. No other drum ‘n bass song has been played on the radio more this year. It’s the first time I’ll meet him, and we’re going into the studio together next week.”
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REFLECTING THE LOVE... Every breathtaking smile, every mesmerizing gaze, and every heartwarming touch is a Reflection of Love here at Tomorrowland. The People of Tomorrow have so much love to share, it is a marvellous idea that it will be spread to all corners of the world when this chapter of Tomorrowland is over, and everyone leaves full of love to give to everyone dear to their heart. But while we’re all still here at the epicenter in Boom, to whom would the People of Tomorrow send this love?
VALERIE
JUAN
FROM LUXEMBOURG TO MEXICO
FROM ARGENTINA TO COLOMBIA
When we meet Valerie, she immediately knows where her heart will go. “I’ll send all my love to Mexico,” she lets us know gleefully. “It’s such a beautiful country and I got to visit it last year! I hope this will help them remember me when I come back. But I can’t decide if I want to travel to the same places again or discover new parts of the country…”
“Oh, obviously Argentina, but that’s also kind of boring because it’s where I’m from.” Juan needs to think for a bit, but then laughs and says, “It has to be Columbia then. I have friends there who I love to go hiking with. And the climb up these stairs is a bit like our hiking routes: very steep, but very beautiful. Maybe someday I’ll climb up these stairs with them.”
SANDRO
FEMI
FROM SWITZERLAND TO ARGENTINA
FROM CANADA TO JAPAN “Japan!” Femi doesn’t hold back when describing where her heart needs to go. “Obviously Japanese culture is a lot more famous now, but when it started impacting me, only few people abroad knew about it. When I moved out of the house and started going to university, I finally got to go and spend one of the best summers of my life there.”
“I fell in love with Argentina, especially Ushuaia, on the very southern tip of South America.” Sandro has camped among the impressive mountains and untouched woods there and adds: “That’s basically the end of the world! It’s so easy for me to find love in the rough and powerful beauty of nature there. Maybe my love can live in that scenery.”
KYARA
FROM BELGIUM TO SOUTH AFRICA While spinning the globe around, Kyara suddenly stops and points her finger at the south of the African continent. “I studied in South Africa and was amazed by the culture there – it’s the craziest combination of fascinating influences.” She’s learned a lot there about bringing people together – and sends her love to the piece of her heart that she left there.
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...ALL ACROSS THE GLOBE! EVA
RONALD & NAYRA
FROM SPAIN TO NAMIBIA
FROM NICARAGUA & BOLIVIA TO HONDURAS
“I have watched a lot of documentaries about Namibia, and the nature there is just incredible.” Eva waits for a moment, as if stuck in deep thought. Then her face becomes a bit more serious. “So many animals that have their home there are endangered. I love the zebras and antilopes, I am sending them my love to protect them!”
“It’s so hard to choose!” Nayra says while looking at Central America on the globe. Ronald has no problem convincing her to pick Honduras a few seconds later though. “With Hondurans we feel this deep connection. We really belong together, so our love goes out to them. We’re actually looking for Hondurans to dance with.” So watch out for these two!
MIRIAM & KEN
NIC & CHRIS
FROM GERMANY & BELGIUM TO SOUTH KOREA
FROM AUSTRALIA & USA TO SPAIN
When these two told us they had the craziest story to tell, we were obviously all ears. “We just met… like literally less than an hour ago. We had both lost our respective group, but then we started dancing with a girl from South Korea who was also a bit lost – and that’s how we got to know each other. Our love definitely goes out to the Korean people!”
These two lovebirds take some time to decide and end up happily going for Spain. Chris points out that he loves Spanish society. “There’s a lot of harmony between different generations, I really like that about Spain.” Nic couldn’t agree more. “Oh, and the mosaic here on the stairs reminds me of the beautiful buildings there,” he adds.
DANIEL & JULIE
FROM AUSTRALIA TO UKRAINE “I imagine all of us send our love out to Ukraine,” says Daniel while Julie nods. “They really need it!” They tell us about the Ukrainians they’ve already had the pleasure to meet on the festival grounds, and how they had a great time together. “Right now, they have to focus on the elemental things… and what’s more elemental than love?”
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POWERED BY PLANTS SA
U COULD
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his dishes at Tomorrowland and his insights on the ‘power of plants’.
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upped his game using more and more veggies. We interviewed him about his cooking style,
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what drives him daily. Ever since Pastorale was voted best vegetable restaurant of 2018, he
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a new plant-based restaurant, one thing is for sure: making people happy with good food is
T S G AVE
Bart is also an entrepreneur. Whether he’s feeding the people at Tomorrowland or opening
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stars) in the small village of Reet, very close to the festival grounds. Next to being a chef,
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Bart De Pooter is founder, chef and executive director of restaurant Pastorale (two Michelin
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KING W
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BART DE POOTER
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You’re a man with a clear-cut vision on food, cooking and eating. How would you describe your cooking style? “I like to describe my cooking style as avant-garde, but with inspirations from all over the world. I have travelled a lot and I’ve fallen in love with a lot of foreign dishes. But I would never copy a recipe one to one, that’s just not my style. I’d rather translate flavours to the kitchen I’m most comfortable with: the Belgian/French cuisine. Guided by my passionate affinity for regional, ecological products, my cuisine has a taste pattern based on freshness, newness, frivolity and transparency. I always cook with seasonal ingredients, and whenever possible, according to traditional methods.” So what are your thoughts on the question of local food versus global production? Bart smiles. “I always say: go local if possible, but with global flavours for the best taste!” Pastorale was voted best vegetable restaurant of 2018. How come? “Vegetables have always been important to me and my style of cooking. I’m not vegan, but a flexitarian – I still eat a good piece of meat about once a week. But on the days I don’t, I don’t miss it at all, and that is what I wanted to translate into my dishes. After winning this prestigious title in 2018, opening an entirely plant-based restaurant was easy. I call it plant-based, by the way, not vegan; that often has a negative connotation.” Why do you feel that way? “Well, a lot of people identify vegan food with meat replacements that are packed with artificial additives, like fake crab, for instance. I would never cook with that, as I have a strong preference for whole, pure foods.”
VEGAN VS. PLANT-BASED Vegan diets eliminate all animal products, while plant-based diets do not necessarily eliminate animal products, but focus on eating mostly plants, such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains.
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You have also opened WILDn en PLANTn, a fully plant-based restaurant. We can imagine that being a big step? “Actually, no. I mean, yes – opening a restaurant is always a big step, but the choice for a fully plantbased menu was relatively easy. At WILDn en PLANTn, we just use wild herbs taken from nature and plants. Cooking with plants gave me a new alphabet, you could say. Another motivation for me is that a growing group of people are interested in eating more vegetables. With this restaurant, I want to give them a platform. A place where they can be surprised at what plants have to offer. And vegetables can offer you a range of new flavours, as we use techniques like fermenting, drying, grilling and simmering. Our signature dish is the roasted cauliflower, inspired by small street food stands in Tel Aviv.”
"I EAT, SLEEP AND BREATHE VEGETABLES, AND I WOULD L I K E OT H E R S TO H AV E T H AT CHANCE TOO."
Besides taste, choosing to go plant-based can also have ethical reasons. What are your thoughts on that? “Shifting to more plant-based foods is essential to combatting climate change, soil, air and water pollution, ocean dead zones, and myriad other problems. If we decide to eat fewer meals with meat each week, we can have a huge impact on our collective health and the health of the planet. I firmly believe that chefs can show people that you don’t need any animal protein in order to have a good meal. Having said that, it should not be forced upon people. We just need to give them their own new alphabet. And if that makes them shift to eating vegetarian maybe once or twice a week, at first, then that’s already a great step forward.” I can imagine you getting a lot of compliments on the magic you create in your kitchen. Can you share a good anecdote you heard this week? “It’s tough picking one”, Bart says. “But I’ll give it a try: I met this lady who asked if the flatbread with veggies was vegan. It wasn’t, so I had to make some alterations for it to fit into her diet. It made her so happy. She replied to me by saying that she had been in Belgium for two days, and this was her first fully vegan meal – she was ecstatic. And that is why I do what I do: I want to make people happy with food.” For the readers that would like to try to eat less meat at home: what’s the easiest traditional dish to cook without meat? “Oh, that is definitely chili con carne. Or it’s chili sin carne then, actually. Beans have the lead in this meal and there’s so much you can do with tomatoes, herbs and spices. The best thing is it’s fully foolproof. Everybody can make this and you will not miss the meat.”
You have plans to start a food forest as well. Can you tell us more about that? “I’m delighted to! At home, I’m actively growing my own corn and I enjoy every single moment of it. I eat, sleep and breathe vegetables, and I would like others to have that chance too. I even want to give a piece of this energy back to the world. That’s why I’ve opened a call named ‘Land Looking for Farmer’, in which 12 acres of farmland are made accessible to people with innovative projects. The call attracted a lot of creative minds, and we’re currently bringing 15 of those proposals together to see how we can blend them. The proposals vary from keeping bees, chickens and herds of sheep to projects on the development side. People even donated more land, so the 12 acres have now become a hundred! A hundred acres for a fully plant-based project with food, offices, gardens. Can you imagine? What we’re ultimately trying to achieve is to create a wider platform to inspire individuals to make more green choices.
LOOKING FOR FARMERS Do you have green fingers, a passion for permaculture and are you interested in engaging in this project? Then the ‘Land Looking for Farmer' project may be just right for you. You can still submit your idea via grondzoektboer.be.
WILDN & PLANTN You can also visit Wildn en Plantn here on the festival site! Located a few steps away from the Moose Bar, it serves Bart’s signature cauliflower in different shapes and forms – for instance, in a delicious pita.
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UNDER PRESSURE?
FIND THE WC DJ RENÉ OPSEDEE
“My rules are simple: strictly no sex in the booth.”
Roaming the grounds of Tomorrowland is one big adventure of discovery. It’s the combination of the grand and the obscure that makes this weekend so special. Tucked deep inside one of the tunnels to the Mainstage – right where the restrooms are, actually – is where you’ll find one very special dance floor. Behind the decks is a man who has dedicated his entire life to DJ’ing in toilets. René Opsedee aka the WC DJ started his career playing Belgium’s bigger clubs, including the world-famous FUSE club in Brussels, but feels much better at home in the place we all go every now and then to release the pressure. It’s a place where old-fashioned interaction between the dancers still exists and René wouldn’t have his career any other way. Welcome to the fascinating world of one of the most engaging DJs in the industry. “I started DJ’ing in toilets out of discontent with my friends’ music tastes. All that bang, bang, bang techno they play every day, I just got fed up with it,” says René. Tomorrowland’s official WC DJ is a real rebel, but a lovely one. Whenever the main DJs play slow music, he’ll play something fast like ska, the uptempo sun-drenched style from Jamaica. But obviously, it’s the other way around most of the time. “Of course, mainstage DJs usually play fast stuff and then I play it slow. I love slowing down songs that are meant to be played at 130 BPM to 100 BPM. Now that is a whole different experience. It makes trumpets sound really dreamy, for example.” Call it a surprise effect, but people generally get really excited when they see a DJ play in the restrooms. They’ll start dancing without knowing it, or they may stare at the honest music lover who is out there just doing his job. You might see many kinds of strange behaviour and it may even get a little pervy sometimes. Luckily, René is a man of principles. “My rules are simple: strictly no sex in the booth. I did have a mother and her daughter come to me once asking for a kiss while their husband or dad, depending how you
look at it, was having a good time in the main room. That kind of thing I have no problem with at all.” René is a genuine music lover and has a broad taste in music, but sometimes when he’s booked to play the restrooms, he is required to “play music so bad I want to hide behind the booth.” Obviously, Tomorrowland is not among these places, and the good thing is, he’s been booked to play the Mainstage toilets no less than nine times this month. “Here I get to do what I really love,” says René, as he plays a classic ‘80s slow jam by British outfit Imagination. “I play it all slow, but the genres can be totally different, from weird edits of well-known tracks to Latin rhythms like cumbia and reggae cuts by people like Bob Marley.” Now here comes the big question: would René ever give up his job as a toilet DJ were he to be asked to play the Mainstage? “The answer is decidedly no. I love playing in the toilets so much because of the way I can communicate with everyone around me. I’d rather play a set from somewhere deep down in the sewers than somewhere up in a booth high above the crowd.”
RENÉ’S BIG SURPRISE Let’s make sure René will have an even better time DJ’ing at the toilets today than he did yesterday. Everyone who loves a good but tiny party, come to the toilets in the tunnel on the right-hand side of the Mainstage (coming from the dancefloor) to show him some love by making the heart sign with your hands. Tell him Tomorrowland Today says ‘hi’, too – today, Sunday 16 July, 16h00. Be there!
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THE HOLY GROUNDS A TOUR OF ALL DANCEFLOORS From the iconic, ever-changing but always magical Mainstage to dancefloors overlooked by giant mushrooms to a peaceful, out-of-this-world face overgrown by jungle plants to a friendly giant dragon, Tomorrowland’s magic is made in large part by its stages. As you will have noticed by now, there’s never a dull moment as you switch between styles such as EDM, techno, psytrance, house, drum & bass and hardstyle in front of varying backdrops. What’s more, the stages are always a visual fit to the walls of sound they host. Everything, in other words, is taken care of for you when it comes to the best settings for dancing. And just in case you missed something so far, here’s a tour of all fourteen stages!
MAINSTAGE THE REFLECTION OF LOVE The Mainstage is the undisputed centrepiece of Tomorrowland, the one everyone is always most excited to see. 2022’s decor is a true Reflection of Love, a grandiose celebration of good-hearted science fiction. It’s the true Holy Ground, a place of ceremonies and rituals. The structure is white, it is gold, it is magnificent, and it reaches higher into the sky than ever before in the history of Tomorrowland… The Mainstage is where the guiding souls of love – all wearing fanciful white suits – make you feel welcome, and it is where they’ll eventually salute you at the end of this glorious threeday festival.
THE ROSE GARDEN BARONG FAMILY | BONZAI | 2010-2012 Entering the Rose Garden feels like entering the dragon like Bruce Lee in his famous movie. The dragon overlooked the field and the adjacent lake while you danced to the most diverse selection of raging party sounds on Friday, when the stage was hosted by Barong Family. Saturday was for the legendary Belgian label Bonzai, famous for its unique blend of trance, hardcore and techno. Then last but not least, on Sunday, The Rose Garden is where you'll relive Tomorrowland like it’s 2010-2012 with the very best EDM and trance DJs from that age including Dada Life, Sidney Samson and Thomas Gold.
HARBOUR HOUSE RADIO ULTRA MODERN Built on the edge of the water, the Harbour House is your safe haven for high-quality eclectic sounds. The theatrical decoration, the silly performances, and the brilliant DJs all add to the coziness and good vibrations of this stage. Ever since its first hosting at TML, Radio Ultra Modern has been your go-to provider of everything funky, groovy and quirky. Be it R&B or hip hop, dancehall or dance classics – Radio Ultra Modern serves them all on a tantalizing dish of all-you-can-eat dancefloor delicacies. Feast your ears, grind your behinds and feed your souls with Lady S, Daddy K, Mr. Rakka and many others.
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MOOSE BAR MOOSE BAR Sun is shining, the weather is sweet and the temperatures are scorching. None of that means you can’t get into the festive après-ski mood if you want to! Upon arrival at the Moose Bar, you won’t need to get rid of your skis and snowboard due to the typical seasonal conditions of the Belgian summer. All you might want to do is grab a lager, say cheers and start dancing to the evergreen hits played by classically trained party jocks such as Frank Mellemaus, Michael More, Jelle DK, The Bobmeister, Rino and many others. Looking forward to Tomorrowland Winter yet?
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FREEDOM BUD | Q-DANCE | BUD The Freedom Stage is a technical feat of epic proportions, hosted by beverage partner Bud on Friday and Sunday, and by Dutch hardstyle heroes Q-dance on Saturday. Armed with a massive LED backdrop, giant dragonflies, and spotlights scanning the room for happy ravers’ faces, this is an unparalleled experience. Eric Prydz set the standard on Friday, boggling the mind with his impressive 3D HOLO show. Friday and Sunday line-ups are a mixed bag with both established and newcomer house and techno DJs, from Joris Voorn to Amber Broos. Saturday showcased the pounding face of hard dance with Zatox, Sub Zero Project and more.
ATMOSPHERE EXHALE | KNTXT | DRUMCODE The Atmosphere is a massive indoor stage, filled with all the top-notch artists your techno heart could ever desire . The custom-made tentstructure caters to thousands of dedicated party people, and has an immense backline of LED screens to further ignite the explosive dance floor. Each day of the weekend, another techno institute is taking control, starting with Amelie Lens’ EXHALE imprint on Friday. Charlotte de Witte’s beloved techno brand KNTXT was calling the shots on Saturday, and on Sunday, Adam Beyer’s Drumcode Records is taking the lead. This stage is about techno in all of its relentless shapes, from Pan-Pot to Ben Klock and from Adiel to Nicole Moudaber.
CAGE CAGE | UNORTHODOX | FOOTWORXX At Cage, the darkness of clubs and warehouses is celebrated in full effect. The electronic music you’ll hear all over Tomorrowland emerged from such spaces across New York City and the Midwestern USA, before diverging into a plethora of new styles in the UK warehouse rave scene. The music today is a little different than back in the day, though. Cage is where you lose yourself to the sounds of modern techno, rave and industrial hardcore DJs like Hector Oaks b2b SPFDJ, Mandidextrous and The Satan. If you love ultra-energetic vibes and rhythms, then Cage is where your friends will find you. THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
THE RAVE CAVE KRANKENHAUS | WOODY WEEKEND | WINTERCLUBBING Tomorrowland may have grown to be the ringleader of massive, epic, and larger-than life festival experiences, but it will never cease to honour the roots of its musical success. The Rave Cave is the place to take you back to the original vibe of outdoor partying – back when all you needed to get down was a pair of speakers, a handful of dope ass DJs and a tunnel (aka the Rave Cave) to rave in. On Friday, the Rave Cave was hosted by Begian promoters Krankenhaus. Saturday, the cave was the domain of Woody Weekend, and on Sunday, Winterclubbing is taking over the tunnel.
LEAF BY JBL SHOMI | KETALOCO | PIV Powered by JBL and stacked with solid grooves is the LEAF stage. As you walk onto this island, you will feel all your mainland woes drift away in the breeze. The palm trees are swinging from left to right, and so are the hips of your fellow island hoppers. This is where the DJ is at eye level, getting down with you as you raise your hands in pure bliss. Lifting your moods and spirits for three days on end, high-quality sounds are provided by house connoisseurs SHOMI on Friday, Belgium’s purveyors of deep sounds Ketaloco on Saturday, and Dutch house dons PIV on Sunday.
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CORE ADRIATIQUE | CORE | WATERGATE Enter the world of the incredible Core stage, which has slowly but surely become a Tomorrowland classic. Now also a brand-new annual festival of its own, Core has literally put a face to the music this year. Centred around a figure with a serene, upward gaze, the stage is a temple of human expression right in the middle of a mysterious forest. Core is where you become one with nature while you dance to the sounds of the world’s best forward-thinking DJs. It’s a place you’d never want to leave if it weren’t for all the other wonderful provinces of Tomorrowland still on your travel bucket list. 20
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CRYSTAL GARDEN DIPLO’S HIGHER GROUND | NETSKY & FRIENDS | SEXY BY NATURE Smoke on the water this year at the Crystal Garden! If there ever were an enchanted swamp worth visiting, it would be this magnificent piece of floating art. Drifting on the water and steaming on all sides, it oozes eclectic beats and enticing sounds. The hosting partners this year only add to the excitement of it all. On Friday, Diplo showcased his famous Higher Ground concept. On Saturday, Netsky and his friends were on the wheels of steel. And on Sunday, Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano’s Sexy By Nature is touching down to spread sexy dance vibes. Steaminess is guaranteed.
THE LIBRARY THE LIBRARY | LOST FREQUENCIES & FRIENDS | SMASH THE HOUSE The Library is where you indulge in wisdom, surrounded by the giant books strewn all around the stage. Their presence is enough; there’s no need to read the pages. The Library is where DJs and performers fire their beats right at you as if they were poetry or literary fiction. The Library’s soundtrack throughout the weekend is a sweet and energetic mix of future house, EDM and even hardstyle, played by a wide array of DJs including Lost Frequencies, Afrojack, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Bassjackers and Wildstylez.
YOUPHORIA TWEEKAMANIA | PSYGATHERING | MONSTERCAT The wonderfully decorated Youphoria stage is where lush mushrooms grow abundantly, for an enhanced psychedelic experience. The fungi are delicate organisms and there is always a lot to look at here. The DJ booth is at the base of four of them, with a great view for the selector onto the entire dancing crowd. This is where you got to enjoy thumping psytrance beats on Saturday, but also where you heard some of the crazier hard dance styles including hardstyle on Friday. Youphoria shows no signs of slowing down on Sunday, when it is the place to be for fans of dance music’s catchiest platform, Monstercat. THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
KARA SAVI
SECRET STAGE
ALTEZA | DEFECTED | CAFEINA This small and intimate stage blasts its beats from the mouth of a spiral shell somehow risen from the bottom of the ocean onto the festival site. Kara Savi is the kind of stage you’ll only find at Tomorrowland; full of atmosphere and with an actual beach to complete the feeling. This dancefloor is where the true spirit of club culture in all its forms is celebrated, with Alteza delivering psytrance power on Friday and Defected rocking the house on Saturday, while Cafeina are bringing some warm and sunny house vibes to the stage on Sunday.
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THIS WEEKEND, FINALLY, YOU GOT TO SEE IT WITH YOUR OWN TWO EYES: THE NEW TML BY TOMORROWLAND COLLECTIONS UNITE PEOPLE UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE. IN CASE YOU MISSED YOUR CHANCE AT THE FESTIVAL, EXTEND THE MAGIC AND BUY YOUR OWN GEAR AT STORE.TOMORROWLAND.COM.
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D A I LY
WISDOM WARNING! THE FAIRYTALE CONTINUES...
Tomorrowland is bringing the party back to the breathtakingly beautiful island of Ibiza. Until September 21st, the iconic duo Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike are back at Ushuaïa with a string of legendary shows, catching the energy of the shimmering sunlight reflections on the surface of the Mediterranean Sea. No plans to visit Ibiza this summer? No worries, as Dimitri and Mike are also transforming the Antwerp Sportpaleis into a marvelous indoor festival – The Garden of Madness – on Friday 16 and Saturday 17 December. What to expect? Well, the brothers will be pulling out all the stops, with shows produced by Tomorrowland. This means that the stage, decoration and all special effects are in the hands of their creative team. No doubt it promises to be both spectacular and magical. In Dimitri’s very own words: “Everyone is hereby officially warned!"
KINDNESS MATTERS Education is the key to a better future. But life is not only about knowledge. Being able to express yourself creatively is just as important. That’s why the Tomorrowland Foundation works to support children and youngsters between the ages of 4 and 21 from all over the world, focusing on projects that aim to give them the chance to express themselves creatively and increase their self-esteem. Music, dance and arts are key in this personal development. And they are able to do so thanks to your spontaneous donations and contributions! So on behalf of the Tomorrowland Foundation it is we say: Danke Sehr, Merci, Grazie Mille, Stokrotne Dzięki and Thank You So Much!
THE VERY BEST CONTENT
Creativity is inventing, experimenting, growing, taking risks, breaking rules, making mistakes, and having fun. And a special talent in that field is exactly what Coca-Cola is looking for. They partnered up with Tomorrowland in order to find content creators for the Coke Studio, located close to the One World Radio studio. Their content will be used for the Coke Studio YouTube Challenge. But this is not the only exciting part about the Coke Studio. It is also home to the best Coca-Cola cocktails of Tomorrowland and the perfect place to unwind in one of the comfortable beanbags on the beautiful sunny deck. Want to take an everlasting memory home? Make sure you step into the Coke Studio Photo Booth, in which you can create your own 3D GIF on one of the most photogenic spots on the site.
THE HEART OF THE MARKETPLACE What would a marketplace be without a supermarket? Nothing! Here you’ll find the golden Supermarket store by Carrefour, with everything you need to treat yourself and your fellow townies. Grab fresh fruit and some warm baguettes, for instance, when it’s your turn to serve breakfast in bed. Next to refrigerators full of your favorite chilled drinks, you’ll find a freezer filled with packages for the BBQ. Fedra and Eren from Turkey got themselves lots of stuff for breakfast including olives, yoghurt, cucumber, orange juice and bananas. “The selection of this place is amazing,” they say, “and it has a real party vibe to it with great music coming out of the speakers. You wouldn’t find a grocery shop like this anywhere in the world except at Tomorrowland!” The Carrefour staff is not so used to this environment as them. Vincent (47) works as expansion manager for the chain, but today he’s serving the People of Tomorrow at the cash register. “The ambiance and the people are amazing,” he says, while handing over yet another chock-full Tomorrowland grocery bag. If you want to get your hands on one of those too, the Carrefour supermarket is still opened this Sunday 08h00-16h00 and 23h00-03h00, and Monday 07h30-12h00. THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
VIVA LA VIDA AT HOME Ran out of time to try Tomorrowland’s very own sparkling wine? Or just can’t get enough of it? We have good news for you. The Limited Edition Solo Vida Reserva is also available for you to enjoy at home. The unique sparkling wine, bottled with an unequalled eye for detail, is meant to be shared with those you love and to celebrate the good and important moments in life. Subscribe to the newsletter on www. solovida.com, and receive two limited edition Solo Vida wineglasses, now exclusively with your next order. Salúd!
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TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
House music is a feeling, and the same goes for any of the other genres of electronic music that are to be enjoyed at Tomorrowland. Music is what unites us, the People of Tomorrow, more than anything else. So get ready for it: in this section of today’s newspaper, you’ll read everything you didn’t realise you always wanted to know about the world’s most incredible DJs and producers. Reading artist bios and interviews, and studying Tomorrowland’s official timetable, is the best way to prepare yourself for the sonic splendour that awaits at the Holy Grounds. Enjoy!
DRUMCODE
MONSTERCAT
Some say Sundays are for relaxing. Whilst there’s nothing wrong with doing just that, there are a few places in Boom that represent the other end of the spectrum today. One of them is the Atmosphere stage, where Drumcode, one of Sweden’s longest-established techno labels, will take over. The label started back in 1996, and there is hardly a classic techno artist to be found who hasn’t released a killer track on the imprint. Put on your dancing shoes then, for performances by Oliver Heldens as HI-LO and Layton Giordani, besides the exclusive b2b of label boss Adam Beyer and Maceo Plex. Also playing are London’s techno veteran Nicole Moudaber and Ramon Tapia from Antwerp, who was one of One World Radio’s Future 4 artists in 2021.
Known for their endless series of excellent dance compilations, Canadian collective Monstercat is ‘a platform that fans can use to discover music and that artists can use as an avenue for getting their music out there’ rather than a record label, according to co-founder Mike Darlington. The music released on the platform holds the middle ground between EDM, dance-pop and house, and is known for its relaxed approach to working with artists, who are all free to keep releasing music elsewhere. You can’t go wrong with such a friendly way of working, and we’re sure this is a vibe that will be felt on stage today, too. Monstercat’s killer line-up includes artists as diverse as Feed Me, Krewella and Habstrakt.
ATMOSPHERE
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YOUPHORIA
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PROGRAMME SUNDAY 24.07.2022
FOCUS ON GLORIOUS
SUNDAY DAYBREAK SESSIONS
MAINSTAGE
Youphoria
CORE
REFLECTION OF LOVE
MONSTERCAT
CORE presents Watergate
CLOSING
23h50 - 00h00
Feed Me
22h30 - 23h30
Stephan Bodzin
22h00 - 00h00
Martin Garrix
22h55 - 23h55
Ookay
21h30 - 22h30
WhoMadeWho
20h00 - 22h00
Alesso
21h50 - 22h50
Krewella
20h30 - 21h30
Jimi Jules b2b Trikk
18h00 - 20h00
Fisher
20h45 - 21h45
Eptic
19h30 - 20h30
Djeff
16h00 - 18h00
Ape Rave Club
19h40 - 20h40
Habstrakt
18h30 - 19h30
Biesmans b2b Kid Simius
14h30 - 16h00
Da Tweekaz
18h35 - 19h35
Whipped Cream
17h30 - 18h30
Cincity b2b JAMIIE
13h00 - 14h30
Opening Ceremony
18h30 - 18h35
Kompany
16h30 - 17h30
Ofenbach
17h30 - 18h30
Curbi
15h30 - 16h30
THE RAVE CAVE
Purple Disco Machine
16h30 - 17h30
Godlands
14h30 - 15h30
Winterclubbing
Tinlicker
15h30 - 16h30
Mick Mazoo
13h00 - 14h30
Winterclubbing All Stars
23h00 - 00h00
James Hype
14h30 - 15h30
Double-U
22h00 - 23h00
Dimitri Wouters
21h00 - 22h00
Daybreak session: DJ Licious & Delafino
12h00 - 14h30
HOSTED BY: MC STRETCH
FREEDOM FREEDOM by Budweiser
DJ Licious & Delafino MAINSTAGE | 12H00
By Sunday, the concept of the Daybreak Session shouldn’t hold any secrets for you anymore: a laidback set that goes deep rather than hard, warming up the Mainstage for the onslaught of high-octane beats to come. Up today are two longstanding friends of Tomorrowland, known to always deliver the sweetest house vibes to dancers at DreamVille as well as various smaller stages around the festival. With roughly 50 years of DJ experience between them, DJ Licious & Delafino having been making the rounds of the Belgian club scene for a very long time. Always having kept a relatively low profile, these two are no global celebrities – they simply prefer to focus on their passion: bringing house music to the people. DJ Licious is a DJ and producer with some pretty major collaborations, remixes and original tracks to his name, including ‘Come Along’, ‘I Hear You Calling’ and ‘I Can’t Stop’ – all driving and eminently danceable house tracks that would work at a big outdoor stage as well as in smaller clubs. As a DJ, however, he is well able to take things in more varied directions, as evidenced by his long-running club concept SHOMI, which displays a wide selection of house sounds. Perhaps even more so than his partner today, Delafino is an oldschool DJ, eschewing production for an endless string of performances from Boom to Ibiza and back. He’ll usually take his crowds on a journey from laidback, funk-infused tracks to acid-tinged, bass-heavy steppers, with a lot of vocal house in between. Years of experience gave him that spot-on sense of how to time the mix just right – just so that absolutely no one who is listening can stay still. Take a lesson in the Ibiza house sound with these two veterans at the Mainstage today! 26
LEAF by JBL PIV
Ronny Retro
20h00 - 21h00
DJ Kat
19h00 - 20h00
Robbie Doherty
22h00 - 00h00
Julian Anthony
20h30 - 22h00
Partyshakerz
17h30 - 19h00
Prunk
18h30 - 20h30
Vinny
16h00 - 17h30 15h00 - 16h00
DJOKO
17h00 - 18h30
DJ Luk
Jesse Maas
15h30 - 17h00
Robert Abigail & MJ The Unique 14h00 - 15h00
20h30 - 22h30
Ruze
14h00 - 15h30
Bram Delux
19h00 - 20h30
Noumé
12h30 - 14h00
Reinier Zonneveld LIVE
22h30 - 23h45
Artbat Alesso presents Eclipse Amber Broos
17h30 - 19h00
Nico Morano b2b Maxim Lany b2b Nick Bril
15h30 - 17h30
Mooglie
14h00 - 15h30
Disco Dasco
Adam K
12h00 - 14h00
KARA SAVI
13h00 - 14h00
MESA GARDENS Andrei Stan
20h00 - 23h00
Nuria Scarp
17h00 - 20h00
22h30 - 23h55
Studio Stranger
14h30 - 17h00
Roma
21h00 - 22h30
Yelmet
12h00 - 14h30
THE ROSE GARDEN
Delafino & Luna
20h00 - 21h00
Zfilio & Tim G
19h00 - 20h00
2010-2012
Superstyling (Ravenous & Skyve) 18h00 - 19h00
CAFEINA
Dave Lambert & Tach Cremer 17h00 - 18h00
Dyro
22h00 - 23h00
W&W
21h00 - 22h00
Donelly & Seelen
16h0
Dannic vs Dyro
20h00 - 21h00
Tom Leclercq
15h00 - 16h00
AN21
19h00 - 20h00
Dj Allures & A-Tom-X
14h00 - 15h00
Fedde Le Grand
18h00 - 19h00
Lola Flores
12h30 - 14h00
Gregor Salto
17h00 - 18h00
- 17h00
Chuckie
16h00 - 17h00
CRYSTAL GARDEN
Wolfpack
15h00 - 16h00
SEXY BY NATURE
Mystique
14h00 - 15h00
Malaa
Dimaro
12h30 - 14h00
Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano 20h30 - 22h30
HARBOUR HOUSE RADIO ULTRA MODERN
22h30 - 23h30
Fedde Le Grand
19h30 - 20h30
GORDO
18h00 - 19h30
B Jones b2b Kryder
16h30 - 18h00
B-KAY
22h00 - 00h00
Double Pleasure
15h30 - 16h30
DJ Flash
20h00 - 22h00
Thomas Newson
14h00 - 15h30
Mr. Rakka
19h0
Shannon Delani
12h30 - 14h00
- 20h00
DJ Policy ft. Burd & BeatFox 17h00 - 19h00 DRIGAO & IAMGUNZ
15h00 - 17h00
THE LIBRARY
Cham
13h00 - 15h00
SMASH THE HOUSE
CAGE
Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike
23h00 - 00h00
Afrojack
22h00 - 23h00
FOOTWORXX
Brennan Heart
21h00 - 22h00
Frenchfaces
23h00 - 00h00
Gianluca Vacchi
20h00 - 21h00
Furyan
22h00 - 23h00
MATTN
19h00 - 20h00
The Satan
21h00 - 22h00
Azteck
18h00 - 19h00
Detest Live
20h00 - 21h00
Tujamo
17h00 - 18h00
Dither
19h00 - 20h00
Klaas
16h00 - 17h00
Sandy Warez
18h00 - 19h00
Diego Miranda
15h00 - 16h00
Soulblast
17h00 - 18h00
Chemical Surf
14h00 - 15h00
Maissouille
16h00 - 17h00
Mastachi & Omahi
13h00 - 14h00
Vito Mendez
12h00 - 13h00
Neko
15h00 - 16h00
Simon Says
14h00 - 15h00
Madhouse Live
12h30 - 14h00
MOOSE bAR MOOSE
ATMOSPHERE DRUMCODE
Michael More
20h00 - 00h00
Immerhansie
19h00 - 20h00
Adam Beyer b2b Maceo Plex 22h00 - 00h00
The Bobmeister
16h00 - 19h00
Nicole Moudaber
Rino
12h00 - 16h00
20h30 - 22h00
Layton Giordani
19h00 - 20h30
HI-LO
17h00 - 19h00
Ramon Tapia
15h30 - 17h00
Juliet Fox
14h00 - 15h30
AM.I
12h30 - 14h00
AFROJACK THE LIBRARY | 22H00
UPDATE: SOLOMUN Solomun was scheduled to play the Freedom stage, but due to unforeseen circumstances his set unfortunately had to be canceled. Find the updated schedule above.
THE SOUNDS OF THE SUMMER Over the course of the summer, Tomorrowland Music is releasing some of the biggest dance tracks by the likes of Afrojack & R3hab, Lucas & Steve, Vintage Culture, Topic, Felix Jaehn, James Hype and many more, including some fun surprises. They are all to be compiled into the definitive selection of songs of 2022, The Reflection of Love. Look out for The Reflection of Love, available soon via your streaming service of choice.
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
S U N DAY
M A I N S TAG E
MARTIN GARRIX 22H55
Tomorrowland’s Reflection of Love stage embraces its citizens with more love and warmth than any other stage in the world. Its grandness has been radiating to you, the People of Tomorrow, throughout the weekend. With a whole day of music and love ahead of you, it’s still a little early to think about the grand finale which will happen tonight. But we want you to know that when the time has finally come, we will go out with a bang, and for that we are happy to have one of the world’s best DJs in our midst: dance music’s great prodigy, Martin Garrix. Tomorrowland is finally back, and you’re in the most coveted spot: closing out the Mainstage on Sunday. How does that feel? “So amazing. It’s been three years and it’s so good to be back here. The energy during the first weekend was insane, so I can’t wait for the show today.” With ‘Sentio’, you’ve dropped a decidedly club-oriented album. What’s the story behind it? “During the pandemic, I barely made any festival music, because I had no festivals to test out new tracks and didn’t feel like people were in that party mode anyway. After I played my first shows I was very inspired to make a lot of new festival music. I wanted to officially release the tracks soon after premiering the IDs, so I decided to bundle all the new music into a club album.” In what way is a full-length album different to you compared to the singles you’ve released in the past? “It’s very different, as you’re releasing a full body of work with an overall concept. I released my very first album last year with Maejor as AREA21, so I knew what to expect. It’s nice to be able to work on a bigger project instead of singles.” You worked with a lot of different artists on the record. How did the collaborations come about?
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
“All of the tracks have a different story. All of these guys are good friends of mine and musical geniuses in their own right. I’d spent a lot of studio time with most of them long before making the album. With Julian Jordan and Matisse & Sadko, I’ve already collaborated multiple times. We just work really well together in the studio, and I love creating with them. The track ‘Follow’ however, with Zedd, is our first collaboration, even though we’ve known each other for years. It was super exciting to finally be able to release a track together.” Your own STMPD RCRDS and Tomorrowland Music will collaboratively release a 7-track EP soon. Can you tell us a little more about it? “I’m super stoked that Tomorrowland Music and STMPD teamed up for an EP this year. We have been hosting our own STMPD stage at Tomorrowland for the last few years. We’ve always tried to come up with surprising back-to-back sets and that’s exactly what the EP is about as well: exciting combinations of STMPD artists.” We’re coming up to the 10th anniversary of ‘Animals’, a song that changed the whole landscape of electronic music. How do you reflect on that moment now, looking back at it? “It’s crazy to think that it’s almost 10 years ago that ‘Animals’ was released. So much has changed since then, and I’m so thankful that I
GLORIOUS
get to do what I love the most every day for such a long time already.” Where do you think the next 10 years will take you? “I hope I’ll still get to make music and travel the world to play amazing shows!” In what way have your own influences changed over the years – the music you listen to, the things that inspire you to make music, and so on? “There wasn’t so much of a change there, as my tastes have always been pretty diverse from a young age. I listen to all kinds of music, from classical music to rock and indie. I can get inspired by infinitely different situations or sounds.” You’ve made so many people all over the world dance – but what was the last time you danced yourself ? “I think it was on Ibiza, we had a nice afterparty with the team after the show. And I kind of dance on stage as well…” Without giving away too many spoilers, how would you like to tease the People of Tomorrow for your closing set this Sunday? “It’ll be high energy and crazy fireworks! I can’t wait to party with you all!”
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TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
REINIER ZONNEVELD KARREN MAAR!
Seemingly coming from out of nowhere, Reinier Zonneveld aka the Dutch king of heavy-duty techno suddenly turned into one of the most in-demand DJ/producers of the genre. Originally a bedroom producer like any other electronic music geek, Reinier has now released music in collaboration with producers from all kinds of genres including Carl Cox, Angerfist, Speedy J and even Armin van Buuren. His exquisite music taste, extraordinary performance skills and likeable personality have taken his career to an unprecedented level. Techno heads and general music fans alike have incorporated his slogans such as ‘karren maar!’ into their day-to-day lives. Time to find out more about this brightly-dressed party animal, then. Ahead of his set at the Freedom stage today, we spoke to him about shirts, buttons and stupid jokes.
Your music is pretty heavy-duty, yet you played Tomorrowland’s Mainstage last weekend. Did you see it coming, and how did you get to where you are? “I’ve always been very driven when it comes to my music, and I figure I simply have the right style at the right moment, but still: it’s surreal. What I really like about playing Tomorrowland’s Mainstage is performing that super-raw energetic kind of techno at peak time. I prefer it to the more melodic stuff I played earlier in my career. It really works with a large crowd – you create the type of energy that comes with a sense of togetherness.” You’re one of the few artists to bring an extended live set-up to the stage including synths and drum machines. Can you tell us about your love for this vintage gear? And in what way does it differ from playing with a stripped-down set-up? “I started playing at raves with very big set-ups when I was much younger. I used even more machines than I do now. It's not so convenient to carry it all around, but when you’re playing it’s amazing: the more buttons you have, the faster you can work, which means your sets are more dynamic.”
“After a while your subconscious takes over, and then at some point you don’t even realise you’re making music anymore.” You are known to sometimes produce your music in marathon sessions. Can you elaborate a little on the merits of working such long hours? “You start working on your music, and after a while your subconscious takes over. You get in the flow and then at some point you don’t even realise you’re making music anymore. In such a state of mind, you come up with way better ideas than if you just work on it for short periods of time. I love it!” 28
You’re hardly ever spotted without your bright Versace shirts. Is there a key point in your life when you fell in love with them or has it been a gradual process? “They just slowly entered my life. After a while I got a little bored with my label’s logo and I was looking for something new with a real party vibe to it. I saw some footage of rappers in Hollywood wearing Versace and then I figured I’d buy one. One thing led to another after that. They come in so many different colours, it’s insane. I love the THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
Roland TB-303 Bass Line
Allen & Heath Xone:96
Ableton Live
Native Instruments Maschine
The Roland TB-303 Bass Line was originally designed to synthetically create basslines for bands. It was a commercial failure but an artistic success story, as the machine’s squelching, ‘acidic’ sound facilitated the birth of the acid house genre.
Allen & Heath’s Xone:96 is a world-class DJ mixer, known mostly for its exceptional audio quality and four-band EQ section. Depending on the scene they’re in, many DJs won’t even step onto the stage without it, and it is key for Reinier too.
Ableton Live is a digital audio workstation and a popular instrument for electronic live performances, owing to its unique interface that makes it very easy to trigger loops and instruments. It is also used as a tool for recording and composing music.
Native Instruments Maschine is an integrated hardware/software system that mostly performs the functions of a sampler and drum machine: a perfect tool for Reinier to perform his punishing beats. The controller makes it easy to trigger samples on the fly.
“What I really like about playing Tomorrowland is creating the type of energy that comes with a sense of togetherness.” fact that they look silly. You walk into the supermarket and people are like ‘what the fuck’. What’s also good is that the sleeves absorb sweat: that’s just so much better than having it drip on your gear!” You’ve collaborated with a lot of artists over the past few years but you’re also someone who likes to do things solo. How do you balance between the two? “It’s a real challenge. Making music for fun is one thing, but releasing it is a different thing altogether. I love the collabs and the solo things and I want to release it all, but you just can’t put out an endless amount of tracks in one year. Sometimes I can’t even decide what to release and what not!” Lastly, the one question everyone who reads this wants to know the answer to. There are two words everyone who follows you knows by heart: “karren maar!” What’s the story behind them? “I once rented a villa with friends in the middle of nowhere. We had speakers, a DJ booth and whatnot. At some point you get very tired and you start saying weird things. ‘Karren maar’ is just a really annoying Dutch way of saying ‘let’s go’. At some point I had uttered the phrase so many times that my friends threatened to kick me out of the house. That’s not even a joke. Then in the end it turned out to be the birth of this running gag…”
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
29
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
FOCUS ON GLORIOUS
SUNDAY
ADAM BEYER B2B MACEO PLEX ATMOSPHERE | 22H00
AZTECK
One of the b2b’s you know you can’t afford to miss, this one brings two exciting worlds together. From his hectic mid-‘90s techno productions to more recent highlights such as ‘Your Mind’ (with Bart Skils), Adam Beyer has been a Swedish force to be reckoned with for well over two decades. Tonight, he joins forces with Eric Estornel aka Maceo Plex, an American techno wonderchild who’s been on many people’s radars for years now. With him representing a somewhat smoother, spacier sound than Adam Beyer does, it will be great to see these two giants show Tomorrowland what they’re capable of when challenging each other in the booth. Don’t forget to bring your dancing shoes.
THE LIBRARY | 18H00
It’s only two years ago that Ki Fitzgerald aka Azteck released his debut single ‘Endlessly’, yet this busy producer has already worked with an endless list of colleagues. What’s even more impressive is that this list reads like a who’s who of the creative masterminds that have shaped dance music culture as we know it. Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Tiësto, Galantis, Benny Benassi, Lost Frequencies, Don Diablo, Sofia Carson, Pitbull and Wiz Khalifa have all fallen for the power of Ki’s creative vision and technical know-how. The calibre of these artists says enough – Azteck clearly has a talent for producing dance music with a catchy pop feel to it. Ki’s biggest success to date came out towards the end of 2020 and it’s – how shall we put it – a proper earworm. We’re talking about the song ‘Do It!’, a bi-lingual banger Azteck did with Tomorrowland regulars Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike featuring famous Mexican vocalist Kim Loaiza. In the spirit of the song’s name, hundreds of his fans have taken to Instagram and TikTok to share how they embrace the song. This couldn’t be more fitting, as Ki loves to involve his fresh but loving community in their joint rise to the top of the dance music world. And his newest song is going to be a big step on his way there. ‘The Drop’, a blockbuster collab with Dimitri Vegas, David Guetta and Nicole Scherzinger, has just recently hit the airwaves, and has already garnered almost 6 million plays on Spotify. There can’t be a shred of doubt in anyone’s mind that this belter of a tune will get crowds moving left and right – and let Azteck into the hearts of ever more lovers of catchy house tunes.
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DA TWEEKAZ
FISHER
MAINSTAGE | 18H35
MAINSTAGE | 20H45
Kenth Kvien and Marcus Nordli aka Norwegian producers duo Da Tweekaz work well together as a team. When one of them mixes in the next tune, the other will have time to interact with one of the crazy dancers near the stage (their fans and groupies are next level, as you will see). Within the hardstyle scene, the two are known to have fewer limits than anyone else; they’ll do alcohol tricks, play Disney songs, they may hand out shots to the crowd. Their songs are a little mad too – one is about Jägermeister, another about tequila and yet another about vodka. Oh boy, if you’re looking for trouble, you know where to go!
Hailing from the Gold Coast of Australia, Paul Nicholas Fisher turned his surfing career into a DJ career. Not so strange, when you think about it, as surfers generally like to party. After releasing a few singles over the course of 2017 and 2018, including ‘Ya Kidding’ and ‘Crowd Control’, Fisher was able to take his career to another level after the release of ‘Losing It’, a track with an unstoppable groove that became an instant global club hit. The title of the track summarises Fisher’s view on life, wherein partying always seems to take centre stage. This showman from Down Under named one of his more recent bangers ‘Slow Down’, but believe us, that’s just to trick you.
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
TOMORROWLAND TODAY
BELGIUM 2022
REFLECT THE MUSIC HOUSE The Reflection of Love is all about unity – a unity of loving souls, but also a gathering of widely disparate music styles. For those that like to brush up on their musical knowledge, or explore a set of sounds they’ve not danced to before, we take a deep dive into the history of one genre found at Tomorrowland. Today we delve into the mother of all electronic music genres – house music.
As the famous lyrics go: “Not everyone understands house music, it’s a spiritual thing, a body thing, a soul thing.” Dance music’s first incarnation was pioneered in the inner cities of the US, with Detroit representing the mind (spirit), Chicago the body, and New York the soul. During the ‘80s, house music was a logical continuation of ‘70s disco. In clubs like Paradise Garage (NY), the Warehouse and Muzik Box (both Chicago), DJs like Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy laid the foundations for the electronic music of today, in all its shapes and colours. Come 2022, house music has birthed countless other genres and subgenres, some completely different, others staying true to the music’s original characteristics: fourto-the-floor beats, soulful, sexy, and ecstatic sounds. Some of house music’s children have taken very different paths in life, however. There’s the power of big room house, the subtleness of funky house and microhouse, the melodic sounds of deep house, the steady, minimal pulse of tech house and the grooviness of soulful house. Today, you’ll find house in many different forms across many of Tomorrowland’s stages. You might start with the groovy sounds of Sunnery James & Ryan Marciano, who’ve invited lots of artists such as French future house producer Malaa at their Sexy by Nature stage. The Mainstage also gets a fair share of bassline-driven house music with Fisher, the genius behind one of the biggest club hits of the past few years: ‘Losing It’. Those who are keen to dig a little deeper should also check out Delafino & Luna Fina, who specialise in oldschool beats that make you shake your hips, shuffle your feet and raise your hands in sheer bliss.
THE REFLECTION OF LOVE
GIANLUCA VACCHI
RAMON TAPIA
THE LIBRARY | 20H00
ATMOSPHERE | 15H30
DJ Gianluca Vacchi was born and raised in Bologna, and he’s one of Italy’s most instafamous entrepreneurs, previously known for running an exclusive brand of watches. Now, he is back at Tomorrowland, after a first appearance in 2019 when he got to curate his very own Latin-flavoured dance music stage. The youngster (in spirit, not in age – he’s 54) only got into DJing a year or six ago, after which he went straight into promoting, doing his very own club night in party mecca Ibiza. To get an impression of the entertainment value of this muscular Italian playboy, you might want to check out his hilarious Instagram account; this man just seems to have fun every single day of his life…
Originally from the Netherlands, Ramon Tapia initially moved to Antwerp for a course to become a jeweller, but got side-tracked by his part-time job at the city’s famous USA Import record store. Tapia changed plans and, inspired by his love for Detroit techno, Michael Jackson and his Belgian industrial heroes Front 242, decided to become a DJ/producer. His brutal, hardcore-inspired techno productions found their way to Adam Beyer’s famous Drumcode imprint, Reinier Zonneveld’s Filth on Acid and his very own Say What? Recordings. Artistic and commercial highlights include the tracks ‘Last Step’, ‘Solar System’ and ‘303 State’. Fans of fist-pumping techno, we’ll see you at Atmosphere today!
LISTEN TO T H E LOV E LY S OU N D S
REINIER ZONNEVELD (LIVE) FREEDOM | 22H30
SUNNERY JAMES & RYAN MARCIANO CRYSTAL GARDEN | 20H30
Dutch techno don Reinier ‘Filth on Acid’ Zonneveld hardly needs an introduction, but there you go anyway. As one of the few on the scene, Reinier always plays his techno live, using vintage drum computers and synthesisers including the legendary Roland TR909, which was manufactured in 1980. The good thing is, Reinier has an incredibly large catalogue to choose from, so his sets are always different from one another. He often utters the phrase ‘karren maar!’ when he’s about to drop some hard-hitting acid techno, which translates into something like: ‘let’s put the pedal to the metal!’ If you’ve got some energy to spare, you might head to Atmosphere today, as Reinier’s live sets really are something else.
Dubbed the Dutch version of Swedish House Mafia by SHM member Axwell, crowds love Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano for their blend of funky house and sexy energy. The duo’s sheer charisma leaves no one unmoved, which translates into crowds jumping up and down and screaming for more. Touring globally has made the duo more and more confident doing what they do, so their signature sound is now what these guys from Amsterdam stick to. Production-wise, Sunnery and Ryan focus on anything driving and funky. Listen to the crisp hi-hats on the track ‘Better Things’, which they recorded with Ginger and Q.G., and you’ll understand what we mean. Get ready for a unique and very groovy dance with Sunnery James and Ryan Marciano taking centre stage and curating the Crystal Garden today. 31
UNLEASH YOUR ENERGY TODAY