Element is known for his raw sound and uncompromising energy on stage. The rawstyle artist, Martijn Beelman, has brought his signature style to major festivals across the country. In the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST, he opens up about his journey in the scene, the moment he stared death in the face, and his views on opinions and criticism within the hardstyle world.
ALSO READ: Sound Rush: “There’s not much focus on an old-school build-up”
“For such a rare scene, there’s a lot of complaining”
Element doesn’t shy away from speaking his mind about the atmosphere in the hardstyle community. While he’s proud of the quality and diversity of Dutch events and artists, there’s a side of the scene that frustrates him. “I do think there could be a bit more positivity,” he says. “And we should be less judgmental. For a scene this rare, with such unique quality, there’s an awful lot of complaining going on.”
He compares it to a simple situation in a restaurant: “When you’re in a restaurant and you see two dishes – one you love, and one you don’t… you’re not going to yell at the waiter because you don’t like that one dish, right? You just order what you do like.” He’s clear that criticism is okay, but the constant negativity gets to him. “Sure, you can say something’s not your thing, or that you prefer something else. But don’t go all anti and start trashing what you don’t enjoy.”
A distorted view of the classics
Element experienced that kind of negativity first-hand after a set at REBELLiON. “It was right after the latest Qlimax, where a lot of legends performed. Deepack played The Prophecy — one of the sickest tracks ever made in my opinion, it’s insanely hard. The track literally says, ‘the prophecy of the harder styles’.” Inspired, he decided to open his REBELLiON set with a selection of gated hardstyle classics. “But the average visitor, who’s maybe 18 or 19, probably doesn’t know those tracks – and that’s totally fine. But after my set, I got a DM from some guy who started threatening me.”
The message was aggressive and misplaced: “Bro, listen up. If you’re gonna play that… techno, just fuck off to Verknipt (a techno event) like Kruelty. You’re ruining hardstyle.” Element explains: “He called those tracks techno, just because they’re now also being played at techno events. But just because they’re being played there doesn’t mean they are techno. These are hardstyle classics.”
To Element, it’s simple: not everything has to be your taste, but respecting each other’s style and the history of the genre is the least you can do. Especially in a scene this rich and diverse, he believes the focus should shift back to the positive.
Element in a new episode of PLAFONDDIENST – The Hardstyle Podcast
In the newest episode of PLAFONDDIENST – The Hardstyle Podcast, Element dives deeper into how he found his way into the hardstyle world. He also opens up about his intense experiences with COVID and why positivity in the scene matters more than ever. Listen to the full episode now on YouTube or your favorite podcast-platform.
