New kicks, new genres and artists suddenly appearing on bigger stages: change within the harder styles regularly sparks discussion. Dr Donk knows all about it. With his zaagkicks and ZAAGSTEP, the German artist has faced plenty of criticism, but he believes innovation is essential for a healthy scene. “People are often scared of new things because they feel comfortable in the bubble they’re in.”
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In the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST, Dr Donk discusses the criticism that new music within the harder styles can sometimes receive. With a healthy dose of self-deprecation, he sums up some of the reactions to his own music. “I constantly ruin the hardstyle scene,” he jokes. Still, he tries not to let those comments affect him too much. “I do it for myself, not for them. If they don’t like it, that’s fine. But I enjoy what I’m doing and there are also a lot of people who enjoy it.”
“It’s good that things change”
Dr Donk sees the same discussion arise when festivals give new sounds and artists a place on their biggest stages. “There are always people who think: this is the mainstage, I’ve been standing here for the past five years and this isn’t what the mainstage used to be,” he explains. “But that’s actually a good thing. It’s good that things change, that we innovate and put new music there.”
According to Dr Donk, there is nothing wrong with simply not liking a certain sound. But that does not mean an artist should not be allowed to play that music on a major stage. “If there’s an artist you like and the next artist is someone you don’t like, just go to another stage. I don’t understand why you then have to hate that artist or say they’re ruining the scene or the festival.”
He also points out what a booking like that can mean to an artist. “Imagine how happy someone is when they finally get booked for a bigger stage at a festival. And then someone behind a keyboard tells you that you don’t belong there just because they don’t like your music.”
Dr Donk witnessed that excitement firsthand with GPF. He was at his house when the call came in that GPF would get to perform on the RED at Defqon.1. “Just seeing the happiness on his face when he realized it was actually going to happen. They had been working towards that moment for years.”
“Experience it live first”
Above all, Dr Donk hopes that visitors will continue to give new music a chance. He believes this is particularly important with his own music, as heavy zaagkicks sound completely different through a phone or small speakers compared to a festival sound system. “A lot of people already say they don’t like something when they might have only heard it in an Instagram clip through their phone speaker. Try experiencing it live first.”
He says he has spoken to plenty of visitors who initially did not care for his music, but changed their perspective after seeing him perform. “My music is made to be experienced live. It’s not only about what you hear, but also about what that huge amount of bass physically does to you.”
That does not mean everyone has to become a fan afterwards. Dr Donk simply hopes there will always be room for experimentation within the harder styles, even if not everything appeals to everyone. “If it ultimately isn’t your thing, that’s completely fine. But try approaching new music from a different perspective.”
More from Dr Donk in PLAFONDDIENST
Besides ZAAGSTEP, Dr Donk talks extensively about his unusual journey through the harder styles in the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST. He discusses discovering uptempo through GPF, his recent performance at Decibel outdoor and his upcoming debut in the United States. The full episode with Dr Donk is available to watch and listen to now via your favorite podcast platforms.
