This year it should have been the biggest event in the field of electronic music again: the Amsterdam Dance Event. While it has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors from dozens of countries in recent years, this year it is digital because of corona, with live streams and workshops.
ADE is not only about parties, but also about networking, says DJ Sam Feldt. “Many young guys who want to become a DJ and work in the dance world come to such events to hear their great heroes talk. I know all sides of ADE: I used to go there to give my demo to DJs, and wanted to go there this year as a label owner to find new talent. ” That ‘bit of serious’, as he calls it, will also be dropped this year.
DJ Reinier Zonneveld also went to ADE in 2007 for the same reason: to party, but also to give his demo to artists. “It is a special network for everyone in the dance world. Beginners try to give a demo to their great hero. Besides being a party, you can really give your business card there.”
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This year there is no looser mood to talk about deals. That is killing for new talent.
According to Feldt, a lot of deals are normally made at the event, but that is now dropped. “Most deals are settled at such a party and not at a conference table. This year there is no looser mood to talk about deals. killing for new talents. “
No chance for new artists
DJ duo Lucas & Steve recognize this. In 2012 they were on their way to Amsterdam with a CD folder. “We knew we could have our music heard by record labels and dance greats. That one-on-one conversation, which is incredibly difficult throughout the year because everyone is scattered around the world, is very important. new artists now gone. “
In previous years the duo showed as many new records as possible during ADE. “You show what you have in store for the dance world. It is not only important for the promoters, but also for the fans, so that they can see what they can expect from you in the coming year.”
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Online never has the same effect as actually meeting thousands of people.
Feldt and Zonneveld run this week for ADE livestreams. That feels strange, says Zonneveld. “Online never has the same effect as actually meeting thousands of people, but those are the concessions we have to make this year.” According to Zonneveld, the online version is better than canceling the entire event. “That way you keep the atmosphere alive in a community where so many people have become unemployed. That’s a good gesture.”
Still, Feldt wonders whether it will work. “I wonder how many people turn on the live stream and actually dance in their living room.”
ADE party, but at home
Then Feldt does not yet know 29-year-old Randall Jordan: he is excited this weekend. “I go to several ADE parties every year, because it is always my birthday that week. This year I am bringing the party to me”, he says. “I’ll turn on the ADE livestream and invite some people.”
Jordan is really there as a ‘party consumer’, he does not go to the workshops. “I always celebrate my birthday this way. This year is no different. Or well, I spend less money on booze,” he laughs.
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We certainly want to do a festival in a drive-in cinema more often. It is temporarily the perfect solution.
What the future looks like in the dance world is unclear. Creative alternatives to dance events come from various quarters. Such was the release of the album Letters to Remember from Lucas and Steve in a drive-in cinema. “You want to create an amazing event, but you have to make do with what you have. At first we thought: is that all? But when we were there, it was so cool.”
Dozens of cars stood in front of a stage and a screen of the cinema. To hear the music, you had to tune in to a special FM station. “Cars honked, they blinked their lights. We had special effects and fireworks. We definitely want to do this more often. It is temporarily the perfect solution.”
Feldt and Zonneveld do not know what the future will bring. “The problem is uncertainty. We need more guidance from the government. It feels like a time-out, but we don’t know when it will end,” says Feldt. “What is certain is that the demand continues to be high. People are more excited than ever to party.”