After the unforgettable Australian debut of Defqon.1 in 2009 and their repeated success in 2010, many wondered if it was possible for Q-dance out-do their previous efforts and amaze us for a third round of musical mayhem? The answer is yes, unquestionably. This premier organisation knows how to unite a crowd and offer them a spectacular, musical wasteland of visual awe and ear-pounding delight. This year, 8 unique stages featuring an array of infamous international artists and a wide selection of local DJs meant that more tastes were catered for than ever before. And on the 17th of September 2011, a stunningly warm day shone upon us as Q-dance unleashed their production brilliance once more. As myself and thousands of the excited revellers journeyed along the path into Sydney’s International Regatta Centre, we hurried our step as the distant thundering bass became louder when we approached the entrance of Defqon.1.

In true Q-dance style, everything was very well organised; entry was fast, tokens were easily purchased, bar queues moved quickly, a roving sunscreen-dispensing team helped us stay unburnt, and free water quenched our thirst. Their diligence with these amenities ensured that all attendees were well prepared for the huge day ahead. After equipping ourselves, we made our way to the heart of the festival: the Red stage. As you became closer, the utter magnificence of the main stage overwhelmed you with its detailed construction, statuesque size and grandeur. It resembled a cyber-industrial castle with sharp edges and recycled waste forming the structure, sheltering the booming towers of speakers, which projected crystal clear sound. The huge stage shadowed most of the horizon, but nestled in the centre of it was the main tower that housed the headlining DJs and the vibrant MC DV8. Upon our arrival, the Belgian DJ Coone welcomed us with an energetic, bouncy set, which had the crowd eating from the palm of his hands. Tightly mixing tracks like his own Million Miles and Headhunterz vs Psyko Punkz’ Disrespect, he created a frenzy of fist pumping as he interacted with his fans and made them feel appreciated.

After scoping out the Red stage and all of its glory, I headed over to the Black tent to watch Kasparov (NL) play a short set of his productions. The enclosed stage was as hot as a furnace but it added to the atmosphere of the décor; bits of debris, chains and old car tyres were piled high to form the base of the stage. And tall pillars with red lighting and walls of cooling fans sat behind it. The audience embraced the heat and danced freely in their sweatiness as Kasparov dropped tunes like Alpha² vs Wildstylez – Atrocious (Kasparov Remix), Noisecontrollers – Unite (Tha Playah Remix) and his own track Pitch Black. Following on from Kasparov was the highly respected Catscan, who took the crowd on a harder and rougher trip that annihilated the crowd’s ears. It was a major treat for fans of the darker and filthier hardcore style to hear these sounds so early in the day. And it was great to see a crowd that was completely up for it. Catscan knew when to bring the mainstream tracks back into his set, however he wound up with a return to the harder, grittier sounds. His set was bringing a diverse range of tracks from artists such as Negative A, Miosa, Angerfist, Meccano Twins and of course productions from the man himself. The talented DJ dished up a wide-ranging, tightly bound set of truly powerful hardcore for the gabbering fans that were aching for a day of hardcore. It was certainly one of the highlights of the festival so far.

UK artists Wragg & Log:one were tearing the Orange stage apart with true finesse as they showcased some of their high-quality hard trance productions as well as some renewed classics. A huge crowd gathered around the brilliantly decorated stage that was an open dome made of scaffolding, spiked with orange cones and silver scythes, encasing the DJ within. When Wragg & Log:one dropped their array of hard trance bombs, a mashup of Scot Project tracks and their massive tune Creatures, the people rocked out in unison un-relentlessly, leaving them begging for more. However, it was time to check out the Green stage for a change of pace. The whole stage seemed like it was taken from a psychedelic rave in a forest due to the tangled web of green fabric that sheltered the dance floor below. Talented German-based artist Tommy Four Seven had the crowd hypnotised with deep, rhythmic techno, which offered great respite for those who needed a break from the harder styles on other stages. 



As the sun began to set, it was time to revisit the Orange stage to see one of the most seasoned DJs of Q-dance, DJ Fausto. As a man who encompasses so many different styles of music through his productions and his Crossover show on Q-dance radio, it was a joy to see him in the flesh showcasing his diversity that has made him a loved DJ all over the world. He settled in with some older hard trance tracks from DJ Slideout and Kai Jaxx before getting into some of more recent hard trance. All the while keeping a massive smile on his face and feeding the positive energy to the crowd who loved every second of it, even with a slight technical difficulty half way through the set. Back on the Red stage, the Noisecontrollers had left their imprint upon their adoring Aussie fans with a typically enjoyable set that featured the Alpha²’s remixes of Tonight and Yellow Minute, as well as their well known tracks Shreek (Edit) and Gimme Love. And to our surprise, for the first time the pyrotechnic show launched into the air and thrilled the dancing masses. During the Noisecontrollers set giant jets of flames shot from the sides of the main stage towers, which teased our curiosity for what the end show would bring.

Then, it was time for arguably the biggest act of the Black stage to take place on the decks, Endymion. With the recent release of the new album Three, it was anticipated to be an exciting set showing off all new productions from the album. The best part about Endymion DJ Sets is that it always encompasses mainstream hardcore tracks amongst other more complex and banging hardcore and industrial. Today was no exception. Popular tracks such as Nosferatu & Endymion’s Face II Face and their remix of the Toneshifterz’ Defqon.1 Australia Anthem Psychedelic Wasteland were carefully weaved in amongst the darker tracks such as Enzyme X’s Superfly and the legendary Ophidian remix of Forgotten Moments by Lenny Dee. Classic Endymion tracks such as Payback, How Long and their remix of Scrap Attack also featured to please every type of hardcore fan in the Black tent.

 As the darkness engulfed the island, the atmosphere became electric as lights started peeking from the high towers on the Red stage. More and more people had rushed to the main stage area for Australia’s homegrown favourites Toneshifterz when all of a sudden streams of brightly coloured lasers fell upon the thousands of raised hands. The local heroes played all the tracks their fans had been waiting for including Electroshock, We Are The Future as well as Zatox’s Noisemaker (Code Black Remix) and Unborn. But the grandeur of the light and sound show was merely a taste of the upcoming end show that was due at the end of the festival.

Quickly racing to the Purple stage, we got to see two of Australia’s absolute rising stars Vazard and Delete make their debut. If you’re after a unique and refreshing take on hardstyle, these two gentlemen have got you covered. Deep booming kicks with quirky sounds and catchy melodies – it’s got everything. Their label, Spoontech Records, has hit the ground running since its inception in 2010 and the hard work has paid off with the Purple stage lapping up tracks from the label such as Delete’s Formula, Malfunction and Pulse as well as Vazard’s Sound Exposure and The Orange Tree. For me it was certainly the best local DJ set of the day. But then, the next act in the set of clashes demanded our attention. It was Crypsis playing at the Blue stage. 

This Polish wonder has created a massive following in a short period of time with his album Statement of Intent drawing in fans from all over the world.

The Blue stage was a little quieter than expected but it provided a comfortable platform to enjoy the absolute sheer talent of Crypsis for the next 90 minutes. Known as one of the DJs pushing the raw types of hardstyle, his performance was as raw, powerful and thrilling as we had seen all day. Highlights of the set were the Crypsis remix of Zero Vision’s Style Dropping, The R3bels’ Pattern 2 and Reactivating The Bionicle and tracks from the man himself which included Gangsta Shit, Nackt and Jealousy. But it was not just the tracks Crypsis played that were such a joy to see, it was the way that he purveyed them to his crowd with such talent, passion and gusto. With constant layering, cutting and absolute precision mixing, it was a performance that would’ve inspired every budding DJ in the crowd to go away and master their craft. 



Finally, it was time for the last hour of the day. We witnessed Italy’s Tommyknocker closing the Black stage with his signature sounds from his productions and the label he calls home, Traxtorm Records. If you are a die-hard Traxtorm fan, this set was heaven. Even if you weren’t, it was still very enjoyable with the solid, chunky and heavy sounds of artists such as Mad Dog, Amnesys and many of Tommy’s own tracks including Criminal, Who’s The Best and the remix of Demolition pumping out the speakers until the very end. To close the day off in style, The Prophet provided the perfect closing collection of music on the Red Stage partnered with the most astounding sensory explosion that Defqon.1 attendees were blown away by.

Flame and smoke cannons shot into the air rhythmically during the iconic DJ’s set, but in the remaining 15 minutes of the festival, utter magic occurred as Brennan Heart vs The Prophet’s track Wake Up played. After the melodic breakdown, the kick of the climax slammed through the speakers and suddenly, a beautiful cavalcade of fireworks exploded from the top of the main stage and continued right throughout Frontliner’s Dream Dust, Proppy & Heady’s Summer Of 2011 (Prophet’s Refixx) and this year’s Defqon.1 Anthem by the Toneshifterz, followed by the Endymion remixed version of the anthem Psychedelic Wasteland. The final bursts of fireworks were the biggest as shivers ran through your body and left you completely awe-struck. The spectacular show mesmerised your ears and eyes, making it difficult to accept that the perfect day was coming to a close.

Q-dance have yet again blessed us Aussies with an unforgettable day thanks to their outstanding management, visual productions, sound quality, hard work and dedication. There is no other event in Australia like this. I’m rendered speechless because there aren’t enough words to describe how much I love this party. I have already begun counting down the days until Defqon.1 2012. Have you?