Translated from French into English by Sab. Find the French version here.
This year has been quite atypical. While it was supposed to be full of festivities for Q-Dance and to feature the twentieth edition of Qlimax, all the organization players have busied themselves to offer instead an audiovisual performance worthy of its reputation. The label aroused our curiosity when explaining that it won’t be a simple live stream nor a virtual festival but an audiovisual journey. Spirits have been lifted and dazzled while speculating on what this digital experience could be. We closely tracked the event.
On Saturday, November 28th, Qlimax surprised us with a digital edition of the renowned festival Qlimax, the end of the year key event for all Hardstyle fans. Organizers got off to a flying start as soon as the beginning of the week by offering to experience again the sets that have most made an impression on us, only to finish with a grand finale on Saturday.
As a matter of fact, the experience started at 4 p.m. sharp with Qlimax: The Legacy, or in other words a four-hour show compiling the most epic moments of the festival between 2005 and 2019, the last edition. A best of anthems, end shows and light shows which have moved the most nostalgic ones of us.
It was followed by a countdown announcing the beginning of the ritual Qlimax The Source, accompanied by explanations about the concept and guidelines on how to listen to this unique audiovisual journey. Eyes riveted towards the screen, heart beating to the sound of the seconds ticking by, growing impatience, just like one can feel in the heart of the GelreDome – the show was about to start.
Mind-blowing pictures of dancers, fire jugglers and artists flashed up on the screen for no less than an hour, in rhythm with tracks exclusively composed by the said artists for the occasion.
The organization lived up to the previous editions’ reputation, on the one hand owing to putting MC Ruffian under the spotlight but on the other hand thanks to the costumes, the universe and the dark story which gives us the opportunity to face our inner demons to discover or rediscover who we really are.
After the incredible show The Source, Qlimax was not over yet for the viewers’ greatest pleasure. In fact, The Afterparty gathered as many as six artists: The Qreator, Sub Zero Project, Headhunterz, B-Front, Keltek et Sefa, all of it interspersed with Villain’s comments.
Recorded in the same location as the previous show, the sets were all greatly animated with sparks of energy. The DJs skillfully passed all of their passion, lust for life as well as a part of mystery, which the “e-festival-goers” are so keen on. Moreover, the laser show displayed fractal patterns – it allowed to highlight the musical universe of each artist during his set, making it an even more immersive experience than it already was.
After a three-hour picturesque mix, it was time to say our farewell to the show, all the while assisting to a last debriefing between the participating artists. An opportunity for them to share their feedback and impressions on this extraordinary night.
To put it in a nutshell, the night’s goal was to gather people around music despite the impossibility to go ahead with the festival. Although a few technical problems were encountered because of a server overload, Q-Dance made the heart of Qlimax beat by showing us, once again, the extent of its skills as well as the quality of the shows presented to us. You’ll soon be able to find all the tracks especially created for the occasion on your favorite platforms!
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