– The black metal scene in the nineties went through what we are going through now (+) – Dagsavisen

– From the time I experienced hardstyle for the first time abroad, there was no going back for me. I love the energy that the music brings, says Andri Papanicolas, one of the zealots for the rave event taking place at Kaddettangen in Sandvika this weekend.

Papanicolas has worked at Hardstyle DNA for a year and a half, almost full-time, although she also has a part-time job.

She says that hardstyle makes her happy, but also moved.

—

Hardstyle is a genre within electronic music, which arose as a mixture between hard trance and hardcore electronica. (NRK)

—

– Social status has nothing to do with it

– There are many emotions. Although electronic music is very comprehensive, and there are no lyrics, there are not always “set” thoughts about what the song is like – you rather create your own experience of it. And it can be anything from euphoria, where you dance and jump, to slightly angrier songs where you “fist bump” and show off your bass. And then the audience has everything to say. When everyone listens to the same beat, something very magical happens, she says.

Check Friday’s photos at the bottom of the issue

She believes the hardstyle environment is very inclusive.

– Gender, profession and social status have nothing to say – the music drowns out everything. You can meet any group you don’t know before, and farmerwithout caring about the materialistic things, says Papanicolas.

Also read: This is what the festival summer is like in Norway

– Same BPM as black metal

As a reviled and suspected culture, it is not difficult to see parallels to the Norwegian black metal scene – not just in terms of the double bass drums.

– There are many comparisons one can draw to the black metal community. The black metal community in the nineties went through what we are going through now. We must constantly defend ourselves against accusations, show that we are the stewards. Not everyone takes drugs, not everyone is a Satanist. In addition, yes beats per minute in hardstyle the same as in black metal. So I would say that we have a lot in common, she says.

The lowest BPM served in hardstyle is 150, while the highest is 180 plus.

—

Tempo is the speed at which music is played. Tempo is indicated as the number of beats per minute, with the designation BPM, which is therefore an abbreviation for the English “beats per minute”. At the tempo indication of 60 BPM, there will be 60 beats per minute. Beat here also means beat. (Large Norwegian encyclopedia)

—

Women more hardcore

– But we don’t play too hard at the festival itself. If you want to have a harder time, just get to the after party. And there are the ladies who excel today. There are a lot of “up tempo” and hardcore acts, says Papanicolas.

– The lineup for the festival shows one female DJ?

– But the headliner, Italian Animae, is the queen of hardcore and has been in the game for a long time. There are not that many female hardstyle artists, because the women in the environment play much harder than the men. So when they play, they play hardcore. And you can find them at the after party.

Papanicolas estimates that the gender percentage who attend Hardstyle DNA events is 70 to 30, in favor of men.

– I am a woman myself, and work actively to bring more women into the environment. More and more are coming, says Papanicolas.

Refuzion: – Taboo a few years ago

When you go through the lineup for the festival, you have to be quite a connoisseur of hardstyle to know the names of the DJs. But Papanicolas singles out Refuzion from Trønder, which has its tenth anniversary this year. He has played at festivals internationally that attract 400,000 participants.

– Refusion began with DNA. He celebrates ten years with us this weekend, says Andri Papanicolas.

– When I started with hardstyle and played in Norway, there were 150 people there. Now there are over 2,500. It has taken time to build up. Omar Haddouche should get all the credit for building this up, says Benjamin Sahba – better known as Refuzion.

Refuzion has made a living from music for the past five years, and is used to playing at festivals abroad that attract around half a million participants.

– But I love playing at home in Norway. Hardstyle was very taboo a few years ago, but if you come here, you see that this is a festival like any other, says Benjamin Sahba.

Hardstyle DNA has organized indoor festivals since 2009. Last year was the start of the first DNA Outdoor festival, which was held at Grünerløkka. It ended in complaints from neighbours, shouts from farm owners and criticism from politicians. That’s why DNA Outdoor will be at Kadettangen in Sandvika this year.

– This is a subculture that has been going on for a long time. But we notice that it is growing in popularity, so we took the plunge with an outdoor festival last year. There was a big uproar. We were very judged before we had a chance to show ourselves off. And you journalists are very fond of negative titles. We were really driven in the media, says Papanicolas.

This year, close to 2,500 people per day are expected – that is, in any case, what DNA Outdoor has capacity for at Kadettangen. And the weather is the best: 20 degrees and sunny. There will be a laser show and fireworks towards evening.

– It is for the better that we ended up here, says Papanicolas, who, together with many others, has rigged the festival, which costs over 7 million to produce.

The show, which lasts 12 hours per day, with 38 different acts, is spread over two days.

Not exactly Bruce Springsteen

– It’s not exactly Bruce Springsteen in Spektrum. We have loyal participants who have been there in the past, but we also expect quite a few new ravers. And now it is important for us to show very good festival etiquette: No pushing, no moshpits. We must treat each other well. We try to keep the authentic inclusive environment we have, she says.

But she also sees that the authentic nature of the environment is now going mainstream with DNA Outdoor.

– It is now happening. This is our time. It is now that we are growing up, after a long time of discrimination and outsiders in music culture, says Papanicolas.

She herself believes that she will be moved when she sees the festival participants.

– I am looking forward to spreading the experience and joy that I myself have gained abroad. We are a group of dedicated zealots, says Papanicolas, boasting about festival founder Omar Haddouche (31).

– We know we’re freaks

– Has being reviled also been good PR for you?

– Of course. We know we’re freaks. Now we’re going mainstream. But we have to keep the freak! We will never have mainstream artists here. Ballinciaga and Åge Aleksandersen will not be booked here – then there would have been a row.

She also wants to attract attention to the event.

– Now there are a lot of illegal drugs that abound in society. But it is no secret that intoxication also exists at hardstyle events. What do you think about it?

– There will be a full body search when people come in, says Papanicolas.

She says that there are many security guards who work for the festival, and that they cooperate well with the police and Bærum municipality.

– It is extra important for us to work with these things, because we are who we are. People are always going to associate intoxication with bass. But when it comes to handling those situations, we are better equipped than most. We have had to do it. Not because there is so much drunkenness – nor fighting. But because we are overlooked. We have never had any dangerous situations – but we are prepared, just in case it happens.

On Friday, 63 volunteers came to help with the festival, in addition to the 50 people who were already at work with rigging. The same number is expected on Saturday. We are talking about both fire wardens and civil wardens, in addition to others who work in the bar and with technical.

– As an organizer, safety and security are the focus. We should not have girls who are scratched, and homosexuals should not feel any discomfort, concludes Andri Papanicolas.

See photo series from DNA Outdoor here:

Keep yourself updated. Get a daily newsletter from Dagsavisen