Since the beginning of October most of the corona measures are gone which means we can finally party again! The clubs are open and parties can finally take place after several postponements. Tonight, our resident DJ’s Evolver and The Snatcher will finally play at public parties again since the beginning of Corona. During their busy upcoming schedule, we could quickly ask them a few questions.
How did you experience the corona period as a DJ?
Evolver: “To be honest, in the beginning, I kind of enjoyed the peace and quietness of the lockdown. Usually I’m quite busy. Besides being a DJ, I am also the promotor for Hardcore Maniacs, have a daily job as a project engineer, and I’m renovating my house. Because there were no parties, I suddenly had a lot of free time, so I made a lot of progress on the renovations that hopefully will be finished soon. During lockdown, I also started my own company, Evolver Media Productions, which will help other artists & organizations with their social media management.”
The Snatcher: “Corona affected the outdoor activities and parties in a way most of us never could imagine. At first we thought that this would only last for a few weeks or months, but in the end it took more than a year before things were looking good again. In the beginning, it felt like a needed break to be at home for a few weekends. The need for a party and some bookings came faster than expected. As for the livestreams, I already recorded or streamed some DJ sets at home, so I was already pretty much ready to go live on social media etc.”
We saw that you also did some livestreams. How was that compared to a real party?
Evolver: “Before corona, I did a few livestreams already, but not as much as during the lockdown. I mix a lot at home, just for fun or to practice for gigs, so I might as well turn on the camera and let people enjoy. The thing about livestreams is that the DJ is really the center point of attention because the camera is pointed in your face. Obviously I like real parties a lot more, but the important thing about the livestreams is that you stay ‘present’ on social media, so people don’t forget about you.”
The Snatcher: “Well, I already did some livestreams or set recordings in the past, so in fact I was already prepared. The thing as a DJ is, you have to keep your fans happy. They enjoyed the livestreams and so did I!”
On the other hand, was this an excellent moment to reflect on a musical level and to find new sources of inspiration?
Evolver: “It was indeed nice to have more time to produce tracks, but unfortunately there wasn’t an opportunity to test them on the dance floor yet. The cool thing about the lockdown was that my friend Anthony (Madnezz) used his free time to start a new hardcore label; New World Order records, that I signed with. During the corona period, I released one EP (Knock Down), two solo tracks (Pump It Fast and Fist Of Truth) and two collabs (Humanity with Madnezz and Genetic Mutations with The Snatcher). I’m also working hard to finish the last part of my house: the attic, which will be transformed to a huge man cave/music studio.”
The Snatcher: “The biggest benefit of staying home is that you suddenly have lots of spare time to do other things. Normally, I spend my free time preparing stuff for bookings, but now I could spend that time producing, searching for inspiration by listening to different styles of music besides hardcore. I also enjoyed my other hobbies (none of them outdoor, of course). For example, I finally had time to watch some series, movies and to play some video games that were on my wishlist. These games etc. were in fact a great source of inspiration for producing new tracks. And last but not least, I became a proud father in May 2021, so since then I didn’t always have spare time left.”
What do you think of the criticism that some festivals receive for simply taking the same line-up over and over again and not create opportunities for new talent?
Evolver: “Actually I didn’t know there is a lot of criticism on line-ups, it’s the first thing I hear about it. As the manager of Hardcore Maniacs, I have always given chances to new talents. Everyone has to start somewhere. What is also important is that upcoming talents shouldn’t expect to be playing at big festivals from day one. Be happy with every booking you get, even if it’s a warm-up set at the beginning of a party. It’s nice to see that some artists we booked as upcoming talents years ago worked their way up to become headliners. People need to understand that huge festivals are also commercial businesses that need to make money. When selecting artists, they look at what artists are popular at that time and will attract the most people. So it’s normal that popular artists are booked more often. For me it’s always about the music, I don’t buy tickets for a party or festival because there is a certain artist playing. But unfortunately, people are really spoiled nowadays, and they expect to see a lot of headliners at festivals.”
The Snatcher: “I don’t really know if there really is that much criticism on the festivals, but obviously the managers want to attract as many people as possible, which is the easiest with the bigger names if they have the budget. Of course, young and new talents deserve to show themselves on the big stages. At Hardcore Maniacs, for example, we always try to find a good balance between the new breed of talented DJ’s and the more known ones and eventually a big headliner. The mix of young talent and big names is a key factor of success for every event.”
How did you react when you heard that your first real gig in a very long time was a fact?
Evolver: “My first real gig was some weeks ago in France when I played at Raiden’s private party. There I already noticed that people are very excited to party again, so it was a good warm up. My first booking will be this evening at Outrage Indoor, I really look forward to this one because it has been postponed since 2020. I also played at their outdoor festival in 2019, and it was an awesome festival. The second one will be at Oldschool Nostalgia, also this evening, where I will be doing a vinyl set and the party is sold out, so it will be crazy. Then third one will be tomorrow at Rak Je Los in Antwerp. This one will also be crazy, and I’m happy that it will finally happen because Hans, the organizer, already had to postpone it for 2 or 3 times. I hope to see all my fans at one of the gigs tonight!”
The Snatcher: “Very happy and excited! I was especially glad the event sector didn’t forget me, haha! The best thing right now is that after more than a year, I get to play the tracks I produced and released for a proper audience, without many restrictions. And fingers crossed that the world never goes in lockdown again!”
Thanks a lot for this interview, and we know for sure that it will be one hell of a party tonight!
