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Writer's pictureMartin van Zeelandt / TCD

Steve-D @ Defqon.1 Festival 2024 (Gold Stage)


Defqon.1. An event I've never been to, but yet I've seen so many videos, heard so many livesets on Soundcloud, and read so much about. I've just never had the opportunity to visit. And by the time I realise tickets were released, I would always be too damn late, as this event always sells out quickly. Truth be told, I've got one complaint, which is the fact that it's mostly a daytime event, which I don't like. I come from an era when parties were at night, and laser lights work well in the night, not the daytime. But that would be the only complaint.

But nothing else would bother me. When it comes to the line-up, it's up there. Maybe even the best line-up ever. They always have a lot of acts, and they are always the best of the best. And Steve-D was one of those playing at this year's Defqon.1. You might be thinking ''who the Hell is Steve-D?'' ''Is that Bass-D's brother?''. Well, it is actually Dr. Peacock's alias. Whereas Dr. Peacock plays Frenchcore, Steve-D plays early Rave/Trance/Hardstyle/Hardcore. If you wanted to see Dr. Peacock, you should have gone on a different day. Both aliases played at Defqon.1, but seeing as I'm more into the early stuff, I do prefer his Steve-D set (sorry Dr. Peacock).


The early stuff cannot be beaten. Sorry, but not sorry. And after having a quick look at the tracklist, it certainly made me extremely happy. A lot of well known, a few obscure anthems, and a few anthems I've not heard in a while (but totally loved when they were released). And when it's literally a mix and match of everything early, that is an added bonus I wasn't expecting.


You will look at the tracklist and immediately feel the same way as I did. This isn't your bog standard Hardcore set. And today, that's exactly the kind of set I wanted to hear!


  1. 50% Of The Dreamteam - Open Sesame (Theme From Hell) (Buzzy Goes BZRK Early Mix)

  2. Mo' Jive - Dixieland (Renata Ricciardi's Radikal Remix)

  3. Wedlock - The Tower

  4. Simtec vs Slamdog - The Truth

  5. Zenith - Flowers Of Intelligence (Live Edit)

  6. DJ Promo - Undaground Wayz

  7. DJ Hixxy & Lady Trixxy - One Spliff

  8. DJ Weirdo & DJ Sim - Go Get Busy (Extended Rave Version)

  9. 3 Steps Ahead - Paint It Black

  10. Steve-D - Floating In Space

  11. Lenny Dee - Forgotten Moments

  12. Ravers Religion Hardcore Force - Do You Know

  13. R. Wagner - Listen Carefully

  14. Monty - Techno Trip

  15. 3 Steps Ahead - Money In My Pocket

  16. The DJ Producer - 21st Century Core - Research Pt. 2 (Orchestrations For The End Of The World)

  17. Resonant Squad & Xqruciator - Bongo Binky

  18. GTI - Camel

  19. Hellcreator - Sea Of Dreams

  20. Gabba Front Berlin - Lacrima Mosa Est


It goes literally all over the place. From your happier stuff to the extreme, to the slower, to the roughest. Steve-D plays these tunes, and I can imagine a sea of people in front of him, having a great time. No MC, just music. And this 40+ year old man is sitting here, feeling like a teenager again. Oh, how music can make you feel young. Even though the music I listen to is classed as 'boom boom boom' music.


I don't know what his thinking process was, to select these random anthems, but I do love it. The set itself is a funny one. It builds up nicely, and at the end the pace is just insane. He only played 57 minutes, but within those minutes, he makes sure you leave Defqon.1 with blisters.


There's a shit ton of excellent tracks in here, but not sure about 'Bongo Binky'. Wouldn't be my first choice. Wouldn't be a choice at all.


But as most of you know, I do love my early stuff. And you would expect me to pick a favourite, and that favourite would be the one you expect from me, like a 3 Steps Ahead track, or Lenny Dee's ''Forgotten Moments'', or ''One Spliff'', but the answer is NO. My favourite one is so weird, quirky, and fast as fuck... it's Gabba Front Berlin's track. The last. And what a way to end your set.


A very nice set. Not standard, but who wants standard? But I would have left 'Bongo Binky' in the bag...


DJ: Steve-D

Genre/Style: Hardcore, Rave, Speedcore, Happy Hardcore, Gabber

Liveset Info: Recorded @ Defqon.1 2024

Length Liveset: 00:57:51

Tracks: 20 (twenty)

Download/Listen (via Soundcloud): STREAM HERE

File Size: unknown

File Type: unknown

Audio: Stereo

Sample Rate: unknown

Release Year: 2024



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