X-Qlusive Technoboy: La musica si muove appena...

X-Qlusive Technoboy: La musica si muove appena...

Unbelievable, a beautiful girl is standing on the DJ booth stirring up the crowd and in stead of enjoying her naked legs, all my attention is focused on this message that some guy sent me last week on Partyflock. ‘Times have changed’ is what is going through my mind repeatedly while I see dozens of memories flash before my eyes. I think back to all those party’s where I didn’t have a good time because I was so demanding that I forgot to actually just enjoy. I think back to referring to hardstyle as music with no soul.

I think back to all the negativity that I hurled on the internet, probably spoiling other people’s moods. I think back to the Jacqueline I was. Times have changed.

I don’t even hear anymore what the last record is that Stephy is spinning, everything seems so far away. Sweat is dripping off my forehead and the moment the silence falls in my stomach turns. Because I know that the same music I once despised will be running through my veins this night. My lungs will fill itself with hardstyle, I will breathe it in and breathe it out and it won’t be poisoning but feeding me. Every cell in my body will vibrate at about 152 BPM. Five years ago I would have laughed at the people standing here waiting for that simple and inanimate music and now I’m one of them. Times have changed. Everything is different now.

And the reason for this will be walking down that catwalk in a couple of minutes.

I try to concentrate on the big screen that fills itself with flashing visuals but I can’t stop the thoughts of running through my brain like kaleidoscopic images, so quickly that they are gone before I can really capture them. How I went from hating hardstyle to writing lyrics for a hardstyle track. How I transformed from saying “that fucking hardstyle ruined the whole party” to writing “hardstyle was my wave and the DJ was my tide". How everything changed after that interview I did in the middle of the rain, washing away all my prejudices and making me realise hardstyle DID have a soul.

And while millions of white shreds of papers are being shot into the air and the personification of this soul walks down the catwalk, I can’t stop some tears from falling down my face. And like all the other people around me, I clap my hands. With goose bumps all over my body, I clap my hands until they hurt. Because I’m thankful. Because I’m proud. Because this guy deserves every pair of hands in this HMH applauding at him.

Cristiano Giusberti a.k.a. Technoboy. Tonight he will make times change again.

I’m overwhelmed by the entrance of Cristiano, looking amazing in his Armani suit and totally owning that catwalk. I’m stunned by the beauty of the models that are showing wonderful creations of Sheguang Hu. I’m galvanized by the lights and visuals that seem to be everywhere around me. But the air rolling out off the woofers, making me feel nauseous, brings me back to planet Hardstyle.

My body wants to totally adapt to ‘Builder – Her Voice (Headhunterz Remix)’ but my feet feel like they’re glued to the floor. Still hundreds of thoughts keep hitting my brain, obstructing me to let myself go. I think of the Jacqueline I used to be and all the people here today that are also like that girl. I can already see in front of me the complaints on Internet five minutes after the party: “Why didn’t Technoboy spin the original version of ‘Her Voice’!”. How ironic, now that I finally realize this life is really about enjoying every moment, I can’t seem to do it because I think of all the people that haven’t seen the light yet. I think of the people that will write down “Glad that Technoboy took over ‘cause that Stephy girl can’t mix”. How they won’t realize that this same Technoboy used to be a newcomer too about ten years ago. I think of the story he told me about spinning on his first Qlimax in this same HMH in 2001. How nervous he was and how little experience he had in performing as a DJ. How every DJ had to jump over an abyss to reach the rocket they had to play in and how all he could think was “Please, don’t let me fall down! Please, don’t let me push the wrong button. Please, don’t let the people stop dancing!”.

Everybody has to start somewhere. While the beats of Superdisco make the floor drill I hope people will respect Cristiano for ascribing the chances he has been given to other newcomers as well now.

How Stephy was given the opportunity to demonstrate she’s a girl with balls: climbing on the DJ booth on her first performance in the HMH, demanding people to dance for her, showed she believes in herself and she has every reason too. And how other new names in the hardstyle scene were permitted to show how they will make times change. How Cristiano took a risk inviting them, ‘cause of course they aren’t all mixing experts like Pavo and Isaac.

It was not playing safe creating this line-up. It was, like this whole night so far, typical Technoboy. It was looking ahead and doing something different. Showing his trust in some talented DJ’s and producers and allowing them to expose themselves to a big crowd. Like he showed his trust years ago when he spoke about Tatanka in every interview as one of the names to keep an eye on. And now that same Tatanka is one of the headliners of this party.

Slowly the express train of thoughts in my head is becoming a locomotive. I know every single song by name and title and it makes me laugh. Who would have ever seen this coming years ago. I like almost every track that Cristiano picks and I’m happily surprised to hear not only Saifam stuff popping out of his cd map. I hear Project One, Wildstylez, Scope DJ and Noise-controllers being fired at the partypeople.

I’m already sure that this will also mean people will pop up on the party forums tomorrow saying they didn’t hear enough Italian. Or that they didn’t like the build-up of the party because Technoboy should’ve started with early hardstyle and that his first set was too hard. I’m also sure there will be others saying exactly the opposite and they will conclude the music was too soft. And of course some people will say Technoboy can’t mix. That he should be scratching with twenty turning tables ‘cause that’s what DJ’ing is about and that he shouldn’t use the intro’s and outro’s of those tracks.

And I know I will be talking to a wall when I will reply that when I was backstage I’ve seen there were problems with one of the cd players that night and that I heard some DJ’s speak about technical problems causing troubles in mixing. The same wall I will be talking to when I will try to explain that Cristiano is not only a DJ but a producer too, one that stands behind every part of the tracks he creates so why shouldn’t he expose his tracks as a whole?

Maybe I shouldn’t be reading those forums you will think now, right? But I can’t call my mom and tell her how cool it was to hear ‘I Shot The Blender’ again ‘cause she wouldn’t understand. And besides that, I have something to make up after years of being a Jacqueline I rather forget about. I’m so thankful my life took a change and that guys like the one hosting this party tonight made me realize how much this music and dance scene in general is about celebrating life.

He shows the beauty of life through his music, I decided to do the same through words. And I guess that means having to put up with all the negativity on the Internet, hoping some day those people will meet someone or experience something that will make them cherish what they have a little more as well.

I can’t even really blame them honestly. Q-dance tonight shows once again that we have the highest quality in parties existing on earth here in Holland. They top every party with another one and the risk of this is that if one thing lacks (like the sounds seems to do a bit on this edition of X-Qlusive), it will feel right away as only ‘good’ in stead of ‘fantastic’. While even with twenty things lacking, everything would still be beyond fantastic. And not only the quality, but also the quantity of the party’s adds to this phenomenon. With fifty hardstyle party’s to choose from every weekend, people forget that it’s actually a privilege to be able to party at all.

Whereas I’m becoming a little bit sad of all the scenario’s that I’m creating while I should actually enjoy the music, the changing point of the night arrives. I hear how ‘Dragon’s Lair’ switches to another track and at that moment my brain blacks out and my heart takes over. This is what I mean when I speak about the soul of hardstyle. It’s the new Technoboy track and this is were thinking changes into feeling. I feel it! I feel you! Ti Sento!

One of my best friends feels the same and without words he understands where I wanna be in this moment. He lifts me up on his shoulders and the last parts of concern I had smash down to the ground. I snatch in my bag and take out the sparklers I smuggled inside the HMH. I light two of them and when the break falls in, I start singing like it’s my last day on earth. Everywhere around me I see people raising their hands into the sky. I see smiling faces. And I’m smiling myself as well. Every fibre of my body is smiling.

And at the moment one of the most beautiful melodies I ever heard in hardstyle history fills the HMH and everyone in front and behind me, on the right and the left, younger and older, male and female, black and white, starts dancing, I know nothing can take this night away from me. No negative comment, no mixing mistake, no record that I didn’t hear and wanted to hear, no record I did hear and didn’t want to hear, no 25 lasers in stead of 30, nothing. ‘Cause there, on top of my friend’s neck, I realise this is HIS night. The man that meant a change for me.

And I thank him for every track he plays, for every DJ he invites to the podium, for his set together with Antonio Donà (better known as Tuneboy) and letting him take the credits he deserves as well, for every beer someone spills on me, for every smelly sweaty body that touches my clothes, for every single moment of that night. Until the very last record. And I’m 100% sure I’m not the only one thanking him. ‘Cause after a dream of seven hours history repeats itself and all the people around me clap their hands. And I clap them as well. Until they hurt.

Grazie Cristiano Giusberti, for making this X-Qlusive a night to never ever forget!!!