ölsch

Danish producer Rune Reilly Kölsch, known for his uplifting and energetic hybrid house and techno sets, has been a very regular guest at Tomorrowland since his first appearance in 2017. Never seen in public without his fedora hat, he is hard to miss when he enters the booth. Kölsch dedicated his upcoming album ‘I Talk to Water’ to his late father, whose voice can be heard on several tracks. We had a chat with Rune about what the record means to him, collaborations, influences and – last but not least – his particular taste for headwear.

Rune, you have a new album coming out in October, can you tell us a little about it? What’s the idea behind it and the vibe?

“The album is about my father’s passing twenty years ago. He was a singer and songwriter, but he never released any music. During the pandemic I found some of his old recordings, and decided to produce music around them. And so, on my new album, there are several songs featuring my dad, 20 years after his passing. It feels very special to be able to release my father’s voice that long after he is gone.

The album is called ‘I Talk to Water’ and the title refers to my dad’s ashes being spread out across the sea. Whenever I need a moment with him, I talk to water. This all may sound like a dark theme, but actually my dad’s passing became a driving force for me. It’s a source of energy, something that I have used to shape my life.”

Do you have a history with the band? As in, did you listen to it a lot in the past?

“Skateboarding shaped my younger years. Actually, a lot of my inspiration in visuals, music and mentality stems from that. We would religiously listen to Jane’s Addiction when we went skating back then. It really is a full circle moment.”

What was Perry’s reaction when the idea was mentioned – was he familiar with your music as well?

“He has an incredible taste in music and has been following our scene for years. Also, he had recently lost a dear friend, and completely understood the ‘talk to water’ reference. It was a beautiful moment, bringing two worlds together.”

Did the collaboration make you want to work with more singers outside of your own genre? And who would be your dream artist to collaborate with?

“I’ve always loved working with artists outside of our genre. It’s one of my main sources of inspiration. There is so much amazing art and music out there, so why not? My dream artist for a collab would be Robyn, Bon Iver or Christine and the Queens.” exhausting to live up to commercial expectations. Majors are not a place for art.”

Can you tell us something about your hats? How many do you have? Do you have a favourite one? And do you ever leave the house without one?

“I only wear the fedora when I’m performing. The silhouette reminds me of film noir. I’ve got around thirty of them at home. But soon there will be more: I’ve started working on a Kölsch hat, so keep an eye out for my website! They will be for sale soon.”

OK, but only if you give up a secret. Name a track that you will 100% play at Tomorrowland and why?

“I will play ‘Gate’, my collab with Kevin de Vries, for sure. It was actually conceived at Tomorrowland Winter, so it is very special to me.”

And what’s a favourite of yours from the early days of house and techno?

The album features a collab with Jane’s Addiction lead singer Perry Farrell. How did that come about?

“I randomly met a friend of Perry’s and learned that he is crazy about electronic music. Perry was already working on several electronic songs, so the team asked if we wanted to do something together. Obviously, I said yes!”

You’ve been releasing music on Kompakt Records since 2010. That’s kind of unusual in the industry. What’s your relationship with the label?

“Kompakt is family to me. Michael Mayer was the first one to believe in me back then, so I feel Kompakt is my home. They always give me absolute freedom and encourage me to experiment. I’ve released on major labels before, and it was mentally

“My absolute favourite techno track of all time is Galaxy to Galaxy’s ‘Journey of the Dragon’. It encompasses everything I love about electronic music. It has so much emotion. Every time I encounter someone who doubts there is emotion in techno, I play them that piece. It usually shuts them up. I can safely say it has changed my life.”

PROGRAMME

Rave Cave

Daybreak Sessions

Laidback Luke Presents Wayback Luke

MAINSTAGE | 12:00

A huge soundsystem, plenty of space to ease peacefully into the day or jump around as you like, and one of the most knowledgeable and skilful DJs on the planet to provide you with the soundtrack... that’s today’s Daybreak Session with Laidback Luke for you. Laidback Luke’s love for electronic music goes a long way back, and he’s kind enough to teach us a little rave lesson today at Tomorrowland’s magical Mainstage.

Probably the most admired EDM DJ among underground music heads, there’s a reason for the peculiar position between the mainstream and indie scenes that Laidback Luke holds. He first started getting into dance music during the early nineties when various genres of electronic music including techno, trance and house were championed at the very same raves. The sounds soon started to become associated with different scenes and fan bases with widely diverging lifestyles, even views on life. Not a fan of these pigeonholing practices, Luke never lost the old, versatile approach to loving and playing music, so when EDM came along, he also embraced the grandness of that sound. Due to his extensive musical knowledge, Laidback Luke’s sets are stuffed with goodies from all genres and eras, with various intensities and tempos. Too experienced to be bothered about going with the latest trends for the sake of it, Luke plays whatever he sees fit. Luke’s love for electronic music is stronger than ever, and that’s why this performance is set to be a one-of-a-kind Daybreak Session that is not to be missed.

The Rose Garden

RISE BY

Q-DANCE

Warrior Workout

MAINSTAGE | 14:45

Crystal Garden

Do you believe dancing to hardstyle is the perfect way to keep your body in shape? Then we’ve got some great news for you: Q-dance is bringing its infamous Warrior Workout to Tomorrowland. Head to the Mainstage at 14:45 on Saturday and prepare to sweat your pants off to the sweet and distorted sound of the hottest new hardstyle tunes. And gym rats beware – all of this is going down under the professional guidance of a music freak who also happens to be a personal trainer.

The Library

STMPD RCRDS X TOMORROWLAND MUSIC

Terra

Moose Bar

Martin Garrix And Friends

THE