THANK YOU, HSU – THIS WAS KNOCKOUT 2014.

*Disclaimer – All photographs retain credit to Luke Davids Photography*

By: Cassi Catsaros

“We entered the realms of the mountain, explored the enchanted forest, fought our souls through the thunderstorm, stumbled across the zombie graveyards and landed right upon the express elevator to hell.”

On Saturday the 12th of July, the batteries of approximately 2000 souls were energised, the minds of 2000 souls were transported into the third dimension, the feet of 2000 souls aggressively hit the dance floor like it was Thunderdome 1996 and the hearts of these 2000 souls came alive as we all united under one roof for our one true love.

Hard dance music.

Although the hangovers of these 2000 souls are most likely still lurking and many of us are discovering miscellaneous bruises and injuries from last Saturday night, I must say that all injuries aside, this night was an incredibly extraordinary night that has just hit one of the top spots in my memory bank.

Saturday, the 12th of July not only was a chilly night where the winter stars shone amongst the Harbour Bridge, revitalizing the beautiful city of Sydney, for these 2000 souls, it marked a highly special night on the side of life lived at 150BPM and beyond.

For those of you lucky enough to witness the action in full force, well, let’s just say that it’s time to relive the party.

For those of you who were tossing up whether to go or not, but unfortunately allowed your bank account to win in the end, prepare to experience a whirlwind of emotions such as: jealously, sadness, FOMO (fear of missing out) and a determination to attend next time.
For those who are simply reading this out of curiosity with no real connection to hardstyle or hardcore music, yes, it is completely normal to be questioning where you have been for your entire life as you ponder on why you have wasted your time attending other mediocre productions…

So readers, prepare, as I take you on a little journey through one of the biggest and most successful parties to date that undoubtedly tore Sydney a new one.

As a little treat, I have also prepared a playlist that will transport you back to last Saturday, so I suggest that you hit play, read this article and experience the magic once again.

First impressions:

6:35PM: As I scurried out of the taxi and approached the colossal smile of Luna Park, I felt a wave of adrenaline invigorate my soul as I approached the entrance to The Big Top which was nursing a line of many excited ravers with their tickets out and ready to be scanned. Looking around, I saw many partygoers giving “zero-fucks” about the Winter chill breezing it’s course through Sydney harbour. By the looks of the smiles on everybody in the line already, it was evident that absolutely nothing was going to ruin the excitement, even the fact that there may or may not have been icicles making a home on my hands.

6:45PM: Walking into the Mainstage of Knockout, a refreshing breeze of good vibrations hit me square in the face. It feels almost like I am standing in a massive underground warehouse, and I mean this in a good way. It’s not often that you experience the feeling of partying in a warehouse, it felt so supernatural and industrial and the production was unquestionably beyond it’s years. The venue, Big Top at Luna Park was definitely a perfect place to hold such a huge production with such exquisite equipment. I have been to previous events (not run by HSU) at The Big Top, but the vibe I felt from Knockout was so superior and unique to the other events that have been held here.

Amongst my vision, I am greeted with the amazing view of the mainstage. The stage is absolutely huge and set up perfectly with three screens displaying artistic visuals. I was also impressed by the set up of the lights too, I knew that although the lights were already great at this stage, they were only going to get better when the first international act was set to play. At this stage, SDEE and Kid Finley were tearing up the decks with some well loved reverse bass to get us all in the mood to welcome the first international act, Omegatypez, up to the decks at 7:15pm.
So already we know that Knockout was an amazing indoor event. But it wasn’t just any event…

Knockout is based around a highly thematic storyline that comprises of the most intricate elements of being on a “journey”. The video screens behind the stage, the voice-over introductions to each international DJ and the production as a whole had been outsourced by an ongoing story of being involved in a supernatural and extraordinary journey, taking us from the beauty and serenity of the mountains and rainforest, through a wild thunderstorm that washes us up unexpectedly into the graveyards proceeding to jump on the express elevator to hell!
To be honest, myself and many other party-goers were expecting a fucking awesome party with great music and a fresh line-up, but we received so much more than that.

Personally, a combination of the mind-blowing production including the flawless speaker quality, lightshow and set-out and also the thematic elements and narrative storyline is what has set Knockout aside from many other events that I have attended. It’s all well and good to gather a bunch of international artists, put on a cool lightshow and fill out any venue an organisation can get their hands on, however, the fact that HSU clearly thought out such an intricate storyline that accompanies the style of music played by each artist as well as a venue that made me literally feel as though we were all travelling on this journey in unison (rather than standing in a packed out club) is what truly sets this event apart from many others.

So the journey begins…

7:15pm: The well loved MC D jumps up upon us. “RAISE YOUR HANDS, AND WELCOME TO THE DECKS… OMEGATYPEZ!”
Suddenly, it was silent…

Then, the first voice-over began accompanied by supernatural visuals inspired by Lord Of The Rings’ natural and adventurous premise. “You suddenly find yourself in the air, clouds rush past… Have you left your mind, are you still in this earthly dimension? This place, as vast as space, as timeless… On the ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition…”

After a few seconds of silence again, the mayhem began as soon as Omegatypez emerged from underneath the decks and straight into a full throttle of energy.

The full blown production began when Fabian Schmidt (AKA Omegatypez) opened with one of his fantastic new tracks from 2014 “Good Love.” To say the least, this 21 year old German genius kept us highly entertained as he blew us away with such an energetic set which kept the vibe high, and rising…

As the first international to bless the decks, Omegatypez played such a great selection of tracks, consisting mostly of his own creations, such as “New Moon,” “Calling,” with the Vision, “Beyond my Power,” and his bootleg of “Habits,” by Tove Lo.

Also, after a few tears at Bass Control 2013 and repeated requests for Omegatypez to play my personal favourite “Digital Revolution,” my prayers were FINALLY answered… Unfortunately, (holding back another round of tears as I say this) this moment of pleasure was not experienced by myself as I was between conveniently checking out the other stage/drinking AGWA backstage/at the merchandise stand at the time.

Which brings me to the next point, Live 4 This, a new Australian merchandise concept hit things off at Knockout 2014 selling many fantastic items such as necklaces, t-shirts and jumpers. I was lucky enough to score one of these jumpers and my god, this jumper is like heaven on my skin… Perfect material for rugging up in after a night out and they look great too! No offence to some record label merchandise that just seem to stick a logo on a plain t-shirt, but Live 4 This has thoughtfully hit the nail on the head and I’m definitely looking forward to wearing their merchandise in the near future! If you’d like to check their page out: CLICK HERE

I still missed Digital Revolution however…
All tears aside, Omegatypez’s set was the definition of true enjoyment. The crowd really started coming together socially to unite over the beautiful hard bass (blasting through some damn good speakers!)

8:15PM: Voices of the crowd cease and dancing feet stop to a halt as the environment becomes dark with a slight undertone of eeriness. The only light is the serene visuals of a green rainforest on the screens amongst the stage… Suddenly, the next chapter of the journey begins…

This second voiceover was inspired by a particular scene in the movie “The Beach,” in which the main character eats magic mushrooms on the beach and begins wandering off before he finds himself lost (and hallucinating) the rainforest. The symbolism of the rainforest hit the nail square on the head as the second international act, Adrenalize, stepped up and bought us all aboard on a journey to the land of supernatural melodies and euphoria.

17 year old Danish young gun Malthe Mehlskov, AKA Adrenalize made many spines shiver with exhilaration as he played some of his most renowned masterpieces such as his opening track “City of Gold.” He proceeded to keep the vibes high with “Cloudy Memory,” “Crystal,” and “Island of Adventure”

8:30PM: “15 minutes into Adrenalize’s set and he is playing the happiest fucking stuff I have ever heard in my fucking life! Those melodies… Fuck… I’m going to cry soon…. It’s 8:30 and Cassi is already going to cry… Although I missed out on Digital Revolution…” I carelessly yelled into my voice recorder, almost breaking out into a stream of tears, mind you.

Dancing front and centre during Adrenalize’s set was definitely one remarkable highlight. Embracing life beneath the perfectly crafted lightshow amongst such a carefree and pleasant crowd also accompanied by the sweet sounds of hardstyle was simply priceless. Anyone who was there would place their hand to their heart and pledge the beauty of it all.

9:00PM: Peering around to the left and the right of me, I saw so many dedicated fans who knew every kick and every melody of every song. Camera phones were out in full force to capture every priceless moment, hands were raised in unison and smiles were incredibly contagious.
One thing is for sure, the vibes I was absorbing left, right and centre were incredible and unique. It was true bliss and unison.

After Adrenalize’s set, and between another sandwich of vodka and soda, I put on my sensible journalistic face and caught up with both him and Omegatypez for a quick debriefing before we continued all the party.

By the looks of their smiles, the guys both appeared to be buzzing with excitement, and here is what they had to say…

So boys, you just stepped off stage at HSU presents Knockout. What was the feeling out there?
Malthe: It was really good, I really enjoyed it. It was my second time playing here in Sydney and the crowd was so amazing and dedicated.
Fabian: I enjoyed it so much, it was awesome. I played at 7:15pm and the people just came in out of nowhere and partied so hard. It was great!

Fabian, you were the first international to play tonight which thematically was also the start of the “journey,” did you feel as though your music was a good introduction to the night?
Fabian: I play more of the euphoric tracks, so it definitely makes sense to work your way up to the faster and more aggressive music. I was really happy to build up the crowd for when Angerfist played later on. I got great feedback from my set and I also really enjoyed it.
Were you surprised with the crowds feedback to your set?
Malthe: Yeah! Well, when I played some of my newer songs, everyone was just kind of listening and checking it out, but yeah, the feedback was great.

And Malthe, you played some unreleased stuff too, can you give us a little insight into when we’ll be hearing more of that?
Malthe: It’s a new track called City of Gold and it’s not finished yet actually. I’ve thought of adding some vocals to it, but we’ll see, I want to release it definitely this summer. It has the perfect Summer vibe.

In terms of the party, you’ve been hanging around the crowd and you’ve seen the production and the lights, what are your thoughts of the party overall?
Malthe: The production is really good, the production looks HUGE I loved the stage and the lights. The vibe is good so far, the party kicked off about two hours ago. I checked out a bit of Omegatypez set before I went onstage, the lightshow was good and I’m really excited to check out the rest of the party (and the afterparty!)
Fabian: I heard from many people that it will be much bigger and more crowded compared to when I played at Bass Control last year. It was crowded and had such a great vibe and atmosphere.

Malthe, you’re very young, 17, but you played an amazing set with a lot of older tracks in there, how do you have such incredible references from years ago? How do you know the music so well?
Malthe: I started listening to hardstyle around 5 years ago (2009) and I just remember that’s what I fell in love with. I still love the older tracks so much, more than some of the tracks being made now and I will never get tired of listening to and playing them.

Also, being 17, your legally not allowed to even be in a club. Do you still get adrenaline rush when you play at big events like this and see so many fans coming to watch you to listen and dance to your music?
Malthe: Of course. Every show I play at is different in a way. Every vibe at every party is so different every time I feel the vibe in a different way. I got goose bumps when I played some tracks tonight because I could just feel the crowds happiness.

So on a scale of 1 to 10, how much are you enjoying this party?
Malthe: 8.
Fabian: I would say a 7… Oh… No… Because it’s in Australia it’s really special, so I’m going to say 9… Actually… It’s a fucking 11… Just wait and interview me in two hours and it will be a fucking 12!

Thanks Fabian… Malthe, tough judge… Have you ever hit the 10?
Malthe: Ah… I think so? Yeah I did. Only once, at Tomorrowland 2013.

A huge thanks to both Adrenalize and Omegatypez. You guys did an amazing job at Knockout 2014 and also did amazing justice to the next generation of hardstyle artists! We hope to see both of you back in Australia to continue the party very soon!

Suddenly, a wild storm emerges from the depths of the underworld, consuming the entire territory and engulfing the population into the wild, violent thunder and lightning.

9:15: “RAN-D IS ABOUT TO COME ON!”
I am situated in the front of the crowd standing amongst thunderstorm visuals on the screens, which have been inspired by the Tower of Terror, Disneyland. Everybody around me is anxiously awaiting for the one and only Ran-D to appear before us and transport us to the next level. Screaming voices and moving feet dim to a very minimal as the voiceover introduction begins.

Everything turns dark, followed by the colossal sound-system blasting “IT’S JUST THE FUCKING BEGINNING MOTHERFUCKERS……WERE BACK!”
…

…
“FUCKING CRUMP.”

And what a perfect song to kick off this wild and intense thunderstorm…

Everybody around me is going absolutely fucking mental! The crowd unites to dance wildly to the very first raw-style track that has been dropped on this stage tonight. The lightshow’s intensity is growing exponentially with every aggressive kick blasting relentlessly through the amazing sound-system that has not messed up once the entire night. Impressive.

I express my inner most thoughts in comparison to last year’s edition of Knockout: “THIS IS KNOCKOUT 2013… ON STEROIDS!!!”
9:20: “Ran-D drops Bolivia, in commemoration of Gunz For Hire. Every c*nt knows this song, and I mean EVERYONE. Even the undercover hipster ravers are belting out the lyrics [RAW LIKE COCAINE STRAIGHT FROM BOLIVIA] They hear my comment about them being hipsters and tell me that they are simply from Melbourne.”

It is truly amazing to see such dedicated fans from different states travel all the way to Sydney to attend this event. It’s moments like this that really dissolve the barriers of distance, culture and race. Moments like this where individuals from all walks of life, with different stories that comprise our souls all unite together and bond over the amazing sensory stimuli experienced in this split second.

10:00PM: After being blessed with 45 minutes of absolute filthy and aggressive raw-style, the excitement was definitely intense and the vibe around me was astounding.
“45 minutes into Ran-D’s set. The place is pretty much packed out and the lightshow is fucking crazy! Current track playing: Intents Festival Anthem – The Hunt. I seriously love a good anthem… I’m standing in the VIP area with Outblast while Angerfist does his signings and there are so many dedicated fans lining up to meet him. Dedication all around. On stage there’s smoke! Lights! Everything! Such a crazy party! I love a lightshow… WE love a lightshow… Outblast loves a lightshow!

*I turn to Outblast to confirm this announcement*
Marc (Outblast), do YOU love the lightshow?
Outblast: Yeah! It’s amazing!

All lightshows aside and down to the plain basics, I was blown away by Ran-D’s set. The energy that this pioneer of the scene brings to the stage every single performance is so flawless. You can tell that Ran-D truly cares about the hardstyle scene, the music he chooses to play and the crowd’s enjoyment. His connection with me and all dedicated ravers around myself was incredible. The set he treated us with was also jam-packed with highly energetic, raw and plainly amazing music that I had been craving for the entire night. My ears were delighted to hear my favourites such as “The Twilight Zone,” The 2014 Intents Anthem “The Hunt,” which blew the roof off and some filthy classics including his remix of Noisecontrollers “Crump,” “Swagger” by Gunz For Hire and E-force and Adaro’s slammer “Open the Gates.”

After Randy concluded his set, I had the chance to share the excitement and chat to this absolute legend about his experience at Knockout 2014.

So I’m joined by the one and only Ran-D, backstage at Knockout! So Randy, you’ve just played your set, was the response what you expected from the Australian crowd?
Randy: Um… Yeah! I guess so! Because I’ve played at Defqon Australia a few times before, I already knew the crowd a bit… Again, it’s a really energetic crowd and I think compared to the smaller events that I’ve played at, it was definitely the best! It was actually quite a big event though, I think there was about 3000 people here which surprised me a lot. Overall, the venue was great and it was an amazing gig! I really liked it!

Awesome! So in terms of the production, what were your thoughts on the stage design and the lightshow?
Randy: It looks really professional and I think that it was really good. You can see that the hardstyle scene is developing and becoming more mature… Yeah, it is a really professional event and it’s worth travelling 24 hours for, it was really cool!

So the crowd? You played a lot of Gunz For Hire tracks and a lot of your own tracks, were you surprised that so many people know your music and that it’s spread so far across the world?
Randy: Yes, it’s always kind of crazy to see that if you’re on the other side of the world that people are yelling along with every track, just the same as being home in Holland. So, yeah, it’s a great feeling!

Just one last message to HSU and everybody who is reading this:
Randy: Were going to be back [Adaro and I], as Gunz For Hire, I don’t know when, but were going to be back and when we are here, please come and have a fucking awesome party with us!

Speaking of a fucking awesome party, by 10:45 the party transformed from a filthy haven of a raw-style thunderstorm to winding up on the wrong side of a zombie graveyard.

The mood suddenly changed from energetic and spirited to slightly ominous, destructive and menacing (in a good way). Thousands of eager souls gathered around the mainstage when the clock struck 10:45PM to worship the one and only “god of hardcore,” Angerfist.

“When darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is closing, creatures crawl in search of blood, to terrorise your harder styles neighbourhood. The foul stench is in the air, the funk of forty-thousand years and grizzly goals of every tomb are closing in to seal your doom. And though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to shiver, for no mere mortal can resist the evil of ANGERFIST.”

And within that split second, the main arena transformed from an eerie space of anticipation into a fierce church of noise with every single person in the entire vicinity chanting:
“WHEN I SAY ANGER, YOU SAY FIST. ANGER-FIST. ANGER-FIST!”

Instantaneously, as the very first hardcore beat dropped, the dancing became crazier and faster as all “hakken” heroes showcased their finest kicks, claps and high jumps. In terms of Angerfist’s set, he delivered such an indestructible energy that infected every single soul standing amongst him. Although the entire party hosted an atmosphere of positivity and energy as well as a carefree and accepting attitude from all partygoers, there was something extremely special that happened when Angerfist took it to the stage. The energy throughout the previous hours of the party was highly memorable, but the roof was literally blown all the way to fucking Jupiter when the sweet sounds of hardcore invigorated every bone of my body.

As one of the most renowned producers in the world and being the “god of hardcore,” Angerfist did not let the crowd down for one second as he spiked our souls with ground-shaking tracks such as “Incoming,” “Dance With The Wolves,” “Street Fighter,” and “Pride and Pain.” Also, a lot of hardcore fans would have felt shivers run wild throughout their bodies when they’re ears were surprised to hear “Raw To The Floor,” by Evil Activities and The Viper.

As I have only experienced the mayhem of Angerfist once before, my excitement level before his set was sitting on around a 9/10 and after I had been blown away by the magic, I must add that my excitement to witness this man in action again is off the scale (12/10 to be precise).
Adding to the full blown earthquake that every single person in the crowd was experiencing, it was only about to get better for the grand finale.
In continuation of the transcending narrative we had all been ensnared in throughout the night, the last act ensured us on a wild ride on the express elevator to hell! This wildly evil finale put a spell of perseverance on the crowd and although our bodies were laboured from hours of untamed dancing, we refused to let down and let the fatigue win the battle. Every single crowd member was infected with a prevailing stamina that the music and atmosphere delivered and we knew that we would not stop dancing until the music ceased.

In unison, partner in crime, Outblast joined Angerfist on stage and together they created a menacing natural disaster that tore the entire crowd holes in all the right places. Words cannot describe this union other than an amazing concoction of filth, aggression and wonderful uniqueness. The crowd went absolutely wild as we all lost control of our feat to the heavenly 170 and above BPM.
Together, the pair dropped powerhouse tracks “Pride and Pain,” a masterpiece made by both artists as well as “Delusion,” and “Odious.” The atmosphere in the venue was one of intense determination to push right until the end, true worship for hardcore music and a true unity between all members of the party.

SUNDAY 12:30AM: After copious amounts of dancing, myself and many others were experiencing various aches and pains, a hanging cloud of depression otherwise known as “Post Knockout Depression,” (a legitimate clinical term that many psychologists will be treating patients for in the coming months) but we all shone with a satisfaction that all our wishes and prayers were answered.

Many lively partygoers scurried into busses that transported them straight to Masif Saturdays to continue the party, some to grab a sneaky midnight snack and some made the tremendous trek back home to their beds to recollect their minds that had evidently been blown on the journey through the rainforest, landing us all the way on an express elevator to hell…

I may wrap up this long recount by saying a huge thank you to HSU for putting on this incredibly flawless production. The night ran so smoothly and the hard work and planning over the previous months had definitely paid off.
Thank you to the international artists: Angerfist, Outblast, Ran-D, Adrenalize and Omegatypez for sitting on a plane for over 24 hours just to put a smile on our faces and also a big thank you for all the fantastic local artists who played on the night too!

Here’s a final thought: BRING ON KNOCKOUT Psycho Circus!