Friction, the first large-scale zaag event organized by Invaderz and ALBINO, is completely sold out three months before the date. The organization is therefore opening a second stage. While zaag is regularly criticized within the scene, the artists believe that its success proves that the genre is underestimated.
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“Friction stands for doing what others don’t do, for forging your own path,” says Invaderz. He and ALBINO see that their music is doing very well at festivals and online, yet they get very few bookings in the Netherlands. “There is definitely a demand for zaag in our country, but the market still needs to warm up to it,” says ALBINO. For example, at the pop-up zaag acts at Decibel Outdoor and Defqon.1, fans gathered far beyond the stage to catch some of the sets. A remix by German artist Noiseflow was even part of the Defqon.1 endshow. “Many people are afraid that we want to take out their genre, but that’s just not true.”
“We also just sit for hours making melodies”
Within the harder styles, the genre is often critisised. The songs are extreme and kicks can come across as one-sided. This can make the niche feel inaccessible. ALBINO counters the criticism: “Okay, so the drop and kick are super intense. But we also spend hours working on melodies. It still has to work on the dance floor.”
“I knew in advance that we would sell out”
With Friction, the artists aim to establish the genre on the Dutch market. “There is a wide range of zaag, including some uptempo, rawstyle, and even a dubstep artist. Whether you want to try zaag for the first time, or are a diehard fan of the niche, Friction is the place to be.” The fact that the event sold out completely three months beforehand, proves that there is demand for the genre.
“I knew in advance that we would sell out,” says Invaderz. The fact that there is a large following for the genre, not only abroad but also in our own country is proven when the artists reveal that 93% of the tickets went to Dutch people. “People are sleeping on zaag. But you have to start somewhere, so we’re doing it.”
Area 1 Hosted by MC Flo
Area 2 Hosted by MC Serra
Second stage open: 400 tickets extra available
The organization says it is pulling out all the stops for the first edition: “No expense is being spared.” The event sold out completely after just three weeks, so a second area is being opened. Friction will take place on May 2 at Doornroosje in Nijmegen. More information about the line-up, location, and times can be found on the party’s Instagram page. Additional tickets for the second area will go on sale on February 24 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available on the event website.
