We skipped the soap opera in the ZiggoDome and RAGED SUPREME! [Supremacy 2017 review]

Before I went to Supremacy, I have to admit, I was kind of sceptical about this years’ approach. The line-up was outstanding. Name any leading (raw)artist and they were programmed for this event. Whether it be heavyweights Radical Redemption, Warface, E-Force or upcoming acts Killshot or Rebelion, the Supremacy 2017 line-up consisted of a fine and diverse blend of new and established names. Yet, such a full program of almost entirely live-acts is rare and no one could tell if this formula would work. After all, mixing loads of fine ingredients doesn’t necessarily make a ‘supreme’ dish…

We had to wait a while into the line, but as Killshot played his last tunes we finally entered the arena. It is tradition to immediately order a beer upon arrival, however after a couple of seconds the glass became painfully empty, so, of course, we ordered another round. While Sub Sonik and, after, Public Enemies filled the place with their sounds, we moved slowly closer to the front. When we finally found a comfortable spot it was time to witness the sound of this year’s anthem-maker Act of Rage.

One of Supremacy’s notorious features is the DJ booth rising above the crowd. Act of Rage pumped this year’s anthem into the ears of the crowd whilst soaring like an eagle above the heads of thousands of people; a majestic sight indeed! It’s features like this that give one the kind of thrills we are all addicted too and attend parties for. Mighty kicks blasting out of the speakers, combined with a show which leaves you into a state of awe: this is the ultimate Hard Dance experience. And then to think the evening had only just began…

Did I just start this review with saying that a combination of fine ingredients doesn’t make a good dish? “I have never been so wrong.” As artists only had 30 minutes to show the crowd their full potential, the pace of mixing was extraordinary high and energetic. This wasn’t disturbing. On the contrary, the energy of both artists and crowd was on its maximum. The heat got so intense, that sweet was dripping of the ceiling of the arena. This is what I call – in the awfully often brainlessly copied term – “dedication!”

But not only did the tracks follow each other up in a devastating tempo, also the live-acts seemed to flow naturally into one another. The result was that one did not witness separated acts, but multiple acts flowing organically into one another. One can say that the dish was not ruined by its many flavours, but each flavour was complementing the other.

One of the most striking ingredients of this supreme dish-of-a-night was the new live-act of Frequencerz, namely ‘Stealth Mode.’ This act comprised a mix of the well-known Freqz-sounds combined with some “new boys in town (e.g. Rebelion and Malice) influences,” thus making this act one of the highlights of the night. Keep this act on your radar, ‘cause it might be one of the best acts you have seen in a while…

Yet, the best flavors in the supreme dish came from two different artists. They have owned this scene for years now. While the other half of our scene was celebrating the return of a “legend” in the ZiggoDome, these two guys showed why Headhunterz is far from sure to retake his superior position. Of course I refer to Radical Redemption  and Warface. These men exhibited yet again that at this moment, they are the best this scene has to offer. You may dislike their sound, but their mixing skills, combined with the energy they produce, are out of this world. Every transition is so on-point, every tune serves a purpose and every kick smashes the very souls out of the audience. I hope those who celebrated the return of Headhunterz recognised that new legends already have filled the gap that arose when he left. It isn’t going to get any tastier soon than these two.

You know that feeling when the food is so good that you eat so much and you regret your greed afterwards? Well, Supremacy made me feel just like that. I have never been this exhausted (as well as fulfilled) at the end of an indoor event. The combination of all the different ingredients made one hell of a dish… Something far more sensational one could have imagined. All the different live-acts, mixed into one night, simply worked.

Art of Dance took a gamble and they won. Let us all pray they will come-up with a same sort of concept next year, with new surprising ingredients, turning into another supreme dish.