We just caught up with the Dirty Workz boss Koen Bauweraerts better known by his stage name Coone at OLA Sunburn Festival 2017 before his debut India performance. Well if you don’t know, he has been producing dance music since the age of 15. He is the producer behind the annual ‘anthem’ for the Dutch festival Qlimax. Without a doubt, Coone lives and breathes Hardstyle. His passion shared by thousands of like-minded souls all over the world. He released his 2008 debut album, My Dirty Workz. He has collaborated with a number of hardstyle acts. His sets are full of hard hitting signature “Coone” sounds.

We got an exclusive opportunity to get personal with the Major driving force behind the global dance music scene:

1. You finally made your way to India, how did you find the country? What are you expecting from the crowd tonight, Any new tracks you’re planning to play for the evening?

Coone: Well, I just came like 2 days ago because I wanna see Pune and you know so far I love it. You know its like my first time in India, yeah I just love the culture and religion. You know, I went to a temple where Ganesha was the deity, well in my garden  there’s a big statue of Ganesha so I really love Hindu culture like its amazing that I’m here finally! Well, I just came like 2 days ago because I wanna see Pune and you know so far I love it.

2. What drove you to make your way to Sunburn Festival for your very first Indian performance?

Coone: Well, for over a years I got a lot of requests when you come to India and like people, fans asking “When is Coone coming?”, well I was just waiting for the right festival and Sunburn is a huge festival! You know what I mean, its not a small festival, you’ve got Martin Garrix, DVLM, you got the big ones. It just felt good, this is my time to shine and yes I’m curious, I’m excited.

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3. Growing up what were your early influences, which got you into dance music, to create your own euphoric hard style stuff?

Coone:  Ahh, Basically I grew up with Bonzai Records in Turnhout,Belgium & those kind of things with a lot of hard pounding music. Back in days it wasn’t called Hardstyle,it was just hard music, you know what I mean! Umm and later on it became hard trance like German hard trance and later I rolled it into hardstyle and I’m now one of the guys that made it bigger & I tried it to take it to a global level. For you its like you heard a hardstyle track and that you’re like “F#ck what is this!”, but it wasn’t the same with me, I just like it. You know I grew up with it, its in my blood, in my veins and this is what I do! (Laughs)

 

4. You’ve remixed a couple of KSHMR tracks recently. Can we expect any collaboration coming up with him?

Coone:  Well I love KSHMR thats why I remixed his two tracks. We have met a number of times like at Taipei. We haven’t talked about a collab yet because we’re really busy and If you wanna do something together it needs to be done rightly, at the right moment. You know, I don’t want to rush, we have a good connection, his sounds and my sounds are more logical & conceptual. But, never say never you know what I mean to say, there’s a possibility always!

5.How different is it to play in festivals like EDC,Tomorrowland etc where all genres are covered over playing at Hardstyle only festivals like QDance, Defqon etc?

Coone: Biggest difference between both the festivals is just the mainstream & hardstyle festival. Well, the hardstyle festival has a dedicated hardstyle crowd and at multi genre festivals, its harder to play something harder, out of the box you know! Well, you know my love for trap and its more easy to play a few trap inspired tracks at Sunburn instead of Defqon1. If you play a track like this at any hardstyle festival, you know what public will do they’ll start throwing bottles! (LAUGHS) Because you know my sound is my sound and you know the people are here for me and today I’m gonna do the same, looking at the crowd I’ll do the same.

6.We’ve heard that you’re a huge fan of Eminem. Any remix you would like to do from his new album?

Coone: I’m a big fan of him. Ah yes, his latest album I played it thousand times already, yeah there are a few tracks which I’m not gonna tell you now, its a deep secret now! My favorite is the one with Ed Sheeran, its the most commercial one right now. I think the last track of the album, also I love it. He’s not just an artist he’s the rap god man. When it comes to hip-hop, the album of G-Eazy which came out couple of weeks ago, the same man those guys are super talented! If I had to choose between both, Godamn its Slim Shady, that’s what I mean. I’m not a big fan of anybody, I love music and I just love its music. I’m not just fan but I’m a huge fan of Eminem because I love everything about him like the way he dresses, the way he looks, the way he does.

7.Who is standing out to you the most right now in the hardstyle scene- who should we be looking out for/listening to in your opinion?

Coone: When it comes to talents, well in 2017 there were a lot of talents. It was one of the best years in hardstyle, it’s a big thing to say. All of us took some of the big steps and guys like Cyber, Sephyx & more, I know are all of these are of Dirty Workz but you know I believe in them. I also love Crisis Era these guys are crazy, there are too many. All these guys are doing their thing, I mean they are not trying to copy things from a big act like me or Noisecontrollers or any global act.

8. What do you do to relax with such a busy schedule? What do you do to relax with such a busy schedule?

Coone: I don’t relax anymore, that’s my problem (LAUGHS). Umm, I love to spend some time with my family, you know Christmas & New Year’s Eve in between this I’m doing this. My daughter’s like “Daddy where are you going?” and “I’m like I’m going to India”, she doesn’t get that she’s too young to get it. Umm, so I spend most of the time with my family, besides that my hobby is movies, I love snow boarding. Its been like two years since I did snow-boarding, it’s been a busy schedule. Yes, but spending time with my family is what I do besides music.

 

9. As you know there’s a big hard style community in India, so is there any message to the hard style community from you?

Coone: Ahh, I don’t want to be the first and last hardstyle act to play here you know what I mean. I want to convince Sunburn, the people of India, hardstyle is f#cking great and people don’t know what it is. You know its my job, to educate the people not exactly educate but to bring the sound to India. You know I need to get it to the people because you know I love it and people love it whether you love or hate it, you need to listen it before you decide you like it or hate it, That’s what I’m trying to do!

 

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