On Saturday, December 19, Zany will have Eindhoven’s Klokgebouw almost entirely to himself. During a special edition of Memorylane, the hardstyle pioneer will play an eight-hour solo set. It gives him the opportunity not only to look back on his own career, but also to tell the story of a genre whose entire evolution he has witnessed from up close. “Eight hours… that gives you the chance to tell a complete story, from A to Z. I think that’s going to be really cool!”
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Memorylane already put Zany in the spotlight in 2023 to celebrate his 25th anniversary. Back then, the program featured several back-to-back sets, with Zany closing the event with a two-hour B2B set. This year, the organization is taking things several steps further. No extensive line-up featuring different artists, but one DJ behind the decks for eight hours straight.
For Raoul van Grinsven, better known as Zany, it also represents a major challenge. That is exactly why he did not want to settle for a shorter solo set. “As far as I know, nobody has ever just played for eight hours straight like this. I also wanted to challenge myself, so I thought: I’m not going to do four, five or six hours. We’re just going for eight. Basically a full working day behind the decks. I felt like doing that.”
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From early hardstyle to the sound of today
Those eight hours give Zany the opportunity to dive much deeper into hardstyle history than he could during a regular festival set. Memorylane describes the event as a ‘journey through hardstyle’, featuring everything from the biggest classics to forgotten gems. From early hardstyle all the way to music from today’s scene.
Zany experienced virtually all of those eras himself. As one of the founders of Fusion Records and a member of Donkey Rollers, he played an important role in the development and growth of hardstyle. His career even began before the genre evolved into the form we know today. “I was one of the people who was really there from the very beginning. And I’m still here. I’ve experienced everything: all that amazing music, the different styles and all the evolutions.”
That history is exactly what he wants to draw from during his eight-hour set. According to Zany, it is not simply about playing as many well-known classics as possible. Instead, he wants to find the right tracks and play them at exactly the right moments to bring back memories for the crowd. “Hopefully, it will also tell the story of the people who will be there. You have to try to find those gems, those tracks, and play them at exactly the right moment. I’m sure there will be people in there thinking: ‘Yes, man! This one… oh, this is amazing.’”
A new chapter in Zany’s career
The solo set adds another remarkable milestone to a career that already spans several decades. Zany has previously had two X-Qlusive events dedicated to him and created anthems for both Qlimax and Defqon.1. Through Fusion Records and Donkey Rollers, he also left his mark on an important part of hardstyle history.
On December 19, that history will come together at the Klokgebouw. Jowan will kick things off with the warm-up from 14:30, before Zany takes control for eight hours. MC Dash will host the special edition of Memorylane, which comes to an end at 23:30.
Memorylane presents: Zany takes place on Saturday, December 19, 2026, at the Klokgebouw in Eindhoven. Tickets and more information are available via the official Memorylane website.
Images via: Memorylane
