Absolutely Fresh delivers another stunning edition of SUPERBASH! [Review]
On the 5th of November, one of the biggest Hardstyle concepts on the Eastern side of The Netherlands opened its doors for a brand new edition of… wait for it… SUPERBASH! With fresh Hardstyle live-acts Warforce and Public Enemies programmed to perform, this years’ line-up was completed with rated artists such as Brennan Heart, Bass Modulators, Requiem, Da Tweekaz and many more. Promising to be no less than spectacular, Superbash had a great reputation to be upheld as one of the leading contenders in indoor events.
Pioneered by event heavyweights Absolutely Fresh, this organisation is behind numerous successful concepts such as Fantasy Island, Freshtival, Unity, Hardfest and Airforce Festival, in collaboration with Art of Dance. Renowned for their stunning stages, tantalising productions and A-class line-ups, it’s no secret that Absolutely Fresh is one of the most successful unions in the festival game.
Although heavily competing with Radical Redemption, who’s ‘Militant Mayhem’ was currently destroying the Heineken Music Hall, Superbash proved to be a worthy contestant. Being one of those parties that’s characterised by its relatively small surface, Superbash never ceases to generate a strong collectivist feeling in the crowd – you know, that family feeling that’s sometimes lost at larger parties. However, it was quite a shame that the air-conditioning was working to its fullest potential, because the cold seemed to slightly freeze some of the cosier sensations. Anyway, when it is cold it’s just more incentive to dance harder and kick those Air Max high up into the air!
And damn… One thing I totally commend Superbash on was their insane sound system! It’s no secret that I have a major fetish for on-point, fresh, crispy bass and it’s a shame that a handful of festivals fall short of providing blistering kicks and majestic melodies through the right speakers. However, Superbash managed to blast a perfect – call it marvellous – balanced sound into the ears of its visitors. For me this made the night already worth it and if I must quote Frozen, the cold never bothered me anyway…
Let us now turn to the acts of the evening. The artists who had me the most excited were Public Enemies and War Force. From their announcement to their debut at Q-BASE, Public Enemies have been both cherished and despised. Surely, songs like ‘You’re All Going To Die’ and ‘Crank Up The Fuckin’ Volume’ are nothing short of awesomeness, however, the image of rebels from the underground fighting against the public seems to be quite… well, uncreative. Although I agree with the latter, their performance at Superbash was out of this world! The kicks within some of their tracks were (literally) cracking skulls, whilst the melodies of others were cutting right through skin and bone – just how I like it. These perfectly balanced sounds were guided by two DJ’s filled with energy, as their gigantic banner floated over the hands of the audience and awesome torches. These thirty minutes have ceased all the scepticism in me.
Oh, and before I forget… What about War Force? These guys unquestionably deserve a mention! For all those die-hards who like it rougher than rough, this live-act comes straight out of heaven. F*** they completely blew the audience away! Although many in the scene are highly critical about the continuously sprouting live-acts, I believe we should be blessed by the quality that these two live-acts inject in our scene. Both sporting a kick-ass look, Earth-shattering tracks and a bad-ass performance to match it, I actually feel quite lucky to have witnessed both of these acts in one night! So thanks to Superbash for making it happen.
Between these two live-acts, kicks were brutally belted through the venue by Fusion Records phenomenon Requiem. As Superbash is held in his hometown, (Enschede) his family came to watch his performance. Sitting behind the DJ booth and completely hidden from the audience, his parents must have felt so proud of their son had the ‘power’ to make so many party-goers go crazy… At the end, these are moments we should cherish the most.
Another honourable mention goes to the awesome closing battle that saw Adaro, Digital Punk and B-Front behind the wheels of steel! However, I must add that I got so caught up in the moment – read ‘turnt’ – that I have little to no recollection of their actual set. I hang my head in shame as I write this, but must I add that it’s probably a positive that even the journalists attending Superbash couldn’t help but enjoy the evening to its fullest potential!
All in all, Superbash is one of those parties that surprised me, as well as upheld its pristine reputation. The only thing I have left to say is make sure you don’t miss it next year! Thanks to Absolutely Fresh for having me at their awesome event.