3 minute read
Coone
Focus on Glorious Sunday
Mainstage | 17h50 - 18h50
A Belgian native and relentless advocate of hardstyle music, Coone has been a mainstay of Tomorrowland’s hard dance programming for years. Now, at Planaxis, his biggest dream is finally coming true: he is set to play a Mainstage set during Weekend 1, besides his own stage hosting in Weekend 2. Here are his thoughts on these two weekends of high-BPM, heavy-hitting madness.
It’s finally happening: hardstyle, and hardstyle by Coone no less, at Tomorrowland’s Mainstage. Bringing hardstyle to the masses has always been your goal, and now you’re finally there. What went through your head when you heard that you got the gig?
“I honestly couldn’t believe what I heard. I remember my first reaction was quite lame, because I was so overwhelmed! And then moments later I realized what was actually happening. It was quite emotional, to be honest.”
Leading up to Tomorrowland, you’ve been releasing a documentary series called ‘Trip to Tomorrow’. What is it like being followed around by a camera crew all the time? How do you decide what ends up in the series?
“Minutes after I heard the news of playing at the Mainstage, we came up with this idea. Everyone liked the idea, but of course we were aware about the amount of work that would come with it. I really don’t mind being followed by the camera crew all the time. Especially because I know the guys really well, so I never feel awkward or anything. The only challenge was to shoot so much relevant content in such a short period of time. I’m really happy with the episodes so far, and the feedback from the fans is better than what I could have hoped for.”
A true family man, you once named a track after your daughter Faye and in Trip to Tomorrow, we witness you taking her to her first day at school. How do you balance touring life and family? Do you sometimes take them with you?
“We try to plan the shows and tours as efficiently as possible. This way, we create the right balance between my family and my life as a DJ. I rarely take them with me on tour, because it’s pretty hectic. I’d rather fly home directly after my shows to spend quality time with them there instead.”
Back to hardstyle at the Mainstage – for those that don’t know, what is hardstyle music like, and why should they take the time to check out your set?
“Hardstyle is something different in many ways. It’s not just faster or harder than the average EDM we all know. Hardstyle is an experience. The best way to be introduced to this music is through witnessing a live performance. This way you see how the crowd reacts to it. The combination of uplifting melodies and a powerful bass is just the best of both worlds, I guess! There is only one thing I can say for sure about this genre: once you’ve got a taste of it, you’ll be wanting more.”
You’ve done some house-oriented collabs in the past. Do you feel that hardstyle should remain a genre of its own, or will we be hearing more crossover sounds from you?
“Hardstyle will remain a genre of its own, a home base for the core elements of the sound. But this doesn’t mean we should avoid collabs with artists from different genres. I believe this will only give hardstyle a bigger and broader platform. Working together with names from other genres allows us to introduce our sound to new listeners. Right now I have a new track together with Ummet Ozcan, for example. This track is full-on hardstyle, so working together with names like Ummet doesn’t necessarily mean we step away from our sound. As a matter of fact, most ‘outside’ names are reaching out to hardstyle producers because they see what this music can do when played live.”
Besides the Mainstage show, you will be hosting your own stage during Weekend 2. How does the line-up for a thing like that come together? What role do you play in the organization of it all?
“Hosting my own stage at Tomorrowland was also something I never could have dreamt of. Last year we did the first edition of Coone and the Gang and it was such a success. I’m still very grateful for the opportunity that Tomorrowland gave me. This year the Gang returns! The hosting will be held at the amazing Freedom stage. Everyone is very excited about it. Together with management we came up with the line-up for this day. Tomorrowland instantly approved the line-up, so we couldn’t be happier. This year we specifically selected acts with an international fanbase and a signature sound. This creates a more interesting dynamic throughout the day. All artists, myself included, are very excited!”
