Big productions, special live acts and hard-hitting moments have become inseparable from Supremacy. One of the leading rawstyle events of recent years returned to the Brabanthallen with State of Distortion. However, there was one noticeable difference as soon as visitors entered the venue: this year’s edition traded the main hall for a smaller setting.
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Those who attended previous editions noticed the difference immediately. The characteristic entrance underneath the VIP deck, where the entire production suddenly unfolded in front of you, was no longer there. State of Distortion took place in a smaller hall of the Brabanthallen, meaning Supremacy visibly scaled down in size.
That didn’t mean the atmosphere took a step back as well. Visitors were closer together and closer to the stage, making the dancefloor look packed from early in the afternoon. Especially during the busier moments, the more compact setting created an intimate atmosphere reminiscent of earlier years of Supremacy.
Turning your eyes towards the stage, however, showed that Supremacy still maintained its high production standards. At the centre stood a giant dystopian eye, brought to life differently during each set through lasers, live camera footage and artist-specific visuals. Later in the evening, additional lasers appeared around the pupil, making it look as if the eye was literally scanning the Brabanthallen.
The new generation in sight
Supremacy also clearly had its eyes on the future with this year’s line-up. Supreme Talents Damaxy & Detailed were given a full hour to open State of Distortion, followed by live sets from Revelation and Infliction. The venue was already well filled early in the afternoon, immediately giving the new generation a prominent place at the event.
BMBERJCK also made his Supremacy debut with Temple of Raw. During ‘Doomsday Machine’, he finally got to play his collaboration with Omnya at Supremacy himself, introduced by a roaring “SUPREMACY!” The timetable then continued to showcase different sides of raw, with D-Sturb bringing his melodic side to Universe through tracks such as ‘Universe’ and ‘Legacy’, while Dual Damage brought a completely different kind of energy with Built 2 Break.
One eye on the past
While new names were given plenty of room, Supremacy didn’t lose sight of its past. Radical Redemption and Warface were both given 45 minutes to revisit different stages of their careers. During 15 Years of Radical Redemption, tracks such as ‘America’ and ‘Brutal 5.0’ took the crowd back in time, while there was plenty of room for new music as well. His RESURREXION anthem premiered during the set, alongside the brand-new Hard Bass anthem by Minus Militia.
Warface did something similar with The Best Of. Starting with the classic ‘Show Me Your Warface’, old and new tracks followed each other at a relentless pace. ‘GAME OVER’, for example, was followed by more recent material such as ‘The Last Airbender Edit’. The visuals also revisited several highlights from his career, turning the set into both a musical and visual retrospective.
All eyes on the anthem
One of the biggest show moments of the day came during Adjuzt. Supremacy went all out with the fireworks during ‘The State of Distortion’. Rocket lines flew across the venue during the screeches while massive bangs followed one another: exactly the kind of anthem moment Supremacy has distinguished itself with over the years.
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Raw in all its forms
Later in the day, the timetable continued to explore different sides of raw. The Saints took a more uplifting approach during their final Holy Dreams, premiering new music including collaborations with Mutilator and techno artist Resensed. Mutilator also brought new material to Rave Reactor, including a new collaboration with Cryex.
On the other side of the spectrum was the darker and more industrial side of raw. Chapter V and The Smiler both made their solo Supremacy debuts after appearing as part of Supreme Spoontechnicians a year earlier. Together with Omnya, they provided a clear contrast, before Kruelty & N-Vitral took that darkness even further towards the end with their joint Kalibr-II live act.
Closing State of Distortion was Kili, who brought one of his final Locked & Loaded sets and even prepared a special Supremacy tool for the occasion. During his collaboration with Bombsquad, ‘Unleash The Lazer’, the giant laser eye came fully alive one last time as it scanned across the venue.
Supremacy 2027?
What comes next for Supremacy after State of Distortion remains to be seen. A date for the next regular edition has not yet been confirmed. However, attention has already shifted towards Supremacy Classics, which is set to be the next Supremacy edition at Jaarbeurs.
Whether the regular edition of Supremacy will return next year therefore remains to be seen. What is clear is that despite its smaller scale, State of Distortion managed to retain much of the familiar Supremacy feeling. For now, the eye at the Brabanthallen has closed, without revealing when it will open again.
