While the 2011 edition of Defqon.1 features plenty of returning heroes, one headliner who’s making his Australian debut on the towering RED Stage is Belgian sensation Coone. As a producer, DJ and label boss of Dirty Workz, Coone is one of the brightest talents in hardstyle. We caught up with Coone to hear what he’s got in store for Defqon.1 next month.

Mr. Dirty Workz! What have you been up to?
Not much! No, seriously, I’ve been very busy with my album, which turned out much better than I had ever expected and of course the very busy festival season here in Europe. After the busy summer, I’ll be hosting a brand new Coone & The Gang event on 22 October, which I’m really looking forward to.

I want to start talking about your latest album The Challenge. For those who don’t know this album had to be created in 30 days with collaborations from DJs from different countries…
Yes! It was a very busy 30 days. I met a lot of cool people, but of course it was very tiring. When the album finally saw the light of day, it was met with so much enthusiasm from the scene, which was a thrilling experience. I’m extremely satisfied with the result.

Check out the trailer for The Challenge below, then head here to see the video episodes from the 30 days.

Did you in fact eat as much fast food as you thought you would? If you did, how did you feel after 30 days?
It was actually my camera man who convinced me to eat as much fast food as possible. Fortunately, I didn’t gain any extra weight. But when I was in Italy with Zatox, I did get to eat some traditional Italian food – which was in itself a whole new challenge for me after all that fast food.

Of all the tracks on the album, I especially enjoy The Words, which teams you up with Psyko Punkz. Is there any particular song that you are most proud of?
I also really like The Words. The lyrics and the way every second word is the opposite of the previous word is really cool. It’s really difficult to choose a personal favourite because Traveling has a magical break filled with so much emotion, and Audio Attack is about the hardstyle fans and their love for this kind of music. Universal Language is really special for me because the lyrics are about bringing everyone together using music as your guide. The melody in that track has some emotional meaning for me. Like I said: hard to choose!

Now, to your record label Dirty Workz. What made you decide you are going to take the step and create your own label?
It all started for me so that I could do my thing in complete freedom with the music I love. But now Dirty Workz has grown into such a mature label with many different artists, each bringing their own unique sound into the scene. It’s just one big family now.