Tomorrowland's NYE Reigns Supreme

By Ryan Hayes

For the second time this year Tomorrowland has set a new gold standard for the industry, pushing the limits of what a digital festival can be. With twenty-four performances over four stages, the seven-hour festival exceeded its predecessor in every way. A slew of small details sold the festival’s authenticity.

The production and direction that went into editing over twenty-one hours of performances into a tight, true to life, festival experience is staggering. Gone were the close-up shots of horribly rendered CG crowds; replaced with panoramas from behind the DJ booth and sweeping footage of a packed, flag-filled, stadium. The audience got increasingly thinner the closer you got to the back of the venue, and when the stream did cut to a close up shots of festival-goers they were real extras dressed in full festival attire, singing along as they danced away to the DJs set.

Aside from the events stunning cinematography and impeccable stage design there were an array of new sounds which were implemented to magnify the viewers perceived sense of live immersion. Ambient noise plays a live part in all live recordings. From the pure white noise of crowds mulling around, to cheering/clapping/whistling, and singing along—this time around the sound design took a big leap forward. Everything popped at the appropriate time, whether it was a crowd reaction to pyro, or a spontaneous sing-along to a festival anthem.

The acts themselves seemingly felt more comfortable in their virtual setting. Altering their audience interactions; Armin repeated “let me feel those hands up,” more than once while also shouting out fans who were chair raving all around the world.

With Tomorrowland NYE the global brand has managed to successfully transfer their full relevancy and clout into the digital realm. The festival was taken seriously by the artists because it provided them with an unparalleled spotlight, and springboard into 2021. With four stages each lined with top tier talent scheduling was suddenly extremely important. Lost Frequencies held down opening duties, and for the first hour he was the only artist being broadcasted. He knew that all eyes were on him, he put in the work, and it showed.

Meduza played the beautiful Atmosphere Stage; a perfect iteration on July’s Freedom Stage. Brighter, and more immersive, the full realization of a virtual house super club. Meduza dropped 4 IDs during his set, positioning the trio for a strong start to 2021. Martin Garrix somehow topped himself—during July’s digital Tomorrowland he dropped 8 STMPD RCRD IDs—dropping a whopping 10 IDs, effectively showcasing the first quarter of his label’s 2021 release calendar. This was the largest stage to date for Tchami to showcase his diversified Year Zero sound; after years of waiting his debut album, Year Zero, dropped on October 23rd, and with no album tour Tomorrowland NYE was the albums largest release party.  

Even the festivals gimmicks received an upgrade. For its inaugural endeavour fans received a 15 minute performance by Katy Perry. This time everyone was treated to forty-five minutes with DJ Snoopadelic. He may not have been the most logical follow up to Duck Sauce, but clouds of digital smoke & a few Snoop Dogg classics can go a long way.   

Although Armin van Buuren’s set may not have been as riddled with as many IDs as his peers, the perennial favorite performed an impeccable set. High energy, easily accessible, and uplifting. Armin allowed synths to do the heavy lifting and cleanse our palates for the year to come. It has been years since I’ve placed Armin at the head of the pack, but he brought trance to Tomorrowland NYE in a big way, and it hit the right cord.

The main stage closed out the night with Charlotte de Witte, followed by Jack Back. It was the precise transition towards after hours energy the night needed. Ultimately Tomorrowland NYE was a big improvement on a predecessor that already stood leagues above the rest. The artists all brought their A-game, and an astute attention to detail made sure the festival delivered on its true to life virtual promise.

EDM is big business and what it could mean for fans and DJs in the future

Dancing Astronaut wrote another editorial describing the big players in the electronic dance music industry and their quest to buy up all of the major EDM companies.  Rumours are circulating that Robert Sillerman and Live Nation have set their targets on Insomniac (organizers of all Electric Daisy Carnival events and more), Pacha, Ultra Music, and blogs such as Dancing Astronaut. With the news that both Live Nation and Sillerman's SFX company are joining forces with ID&T to bring Tomorrowland (+ most likely Sensation) to North America we are heading towards a future where only a handful of players may control the vast American EDM market.

Dancing Astronaut paints a rosy picture at the end of the article stating that there is nothing to worry about:

"If and when you hear the news that your favorite festival or nightclub has been acquired — whether by SFX or Live Nation — do not panic. Sillerman and Rapino have been the cerebral forces to define the entertainment landscape as we know it, so it’s safe to trust them with our new-born baby of a movement."

Not so fast. It's still far too early in the game to conclude such an opinion on this acquisition binge of EDM properties. There is still a wide possibility of outcomes that could either strengthen or weaken the landscape as a result of all of this activity. If Insomniac, the company behind such events as EDC, Beyond Wonderland, Electric Forest, White Wonderland, etc, is purchased by either Live Nation or SFX in the future - pay close attention.

Here are two possible scenarios that could happen if Insomniac is bought out:

Higher Ticket Prices

If most of these major festivals are owned by one or two companies then there may be little incentive to continue competing on price. In a landscape of little to no competition, ticket prices could rise much higher. If you control all of the supply of festivals then both Live Nation and SFX have the freedom to set the future ticket prices.

DJ booking fees could stand still or decrease over time

With so few organizations controlling most of the festivals and events across the U.S., the negotiation position of DJs to ensure higher fees might be compromised. In the current landscape, your favourite DJ has the luxury of shopping their live performances to the highest bidder which has elevated the fees and made a lot of DJs rich. In a scenario where all of the major festivals are controlled by one or two players these bidding wars might become a thing of the past as Live Nation and SFX are put in an overwhelming position to set the booking rates as they see fit.

The biggest DJs in the land including Tiesto, Swedish House Mafia members, Deadmau5, Skrillex, Armin, Markus Schulz, and others will not likely be affected as much, as their participation is vital for any festival success. It might be the mid-tier names and future stars that may be impacted. It is unlikely that any booking agent will take the risk of employing strong negotiation tactics against a company that holds the key to so many festivals that are vital to any successful DJ career.

These two possible scenarios may be the reason why Robert Sillerman's SFX and Live Nation are in a race to control the vast majority of big EDM event companies in America. Owning one or two properties might be nice during the EDM boom but by owning most of them will give either player the power to set prices and fees. If they manage to do that without sparking a fan revolt, true fortunes will be made.

Armin Van Buuren talks about his next album

According to a DJ Mag interview (Via Inthemix):

“I’m really curious how my fans are going to react because it’s very different,” he told DJ Mag. “There are a few more safe tracks, and I’ve been road-testing a few of the more trance-y tracks off the new album, but making an artist album always allows you to experiment a little bit more.”

I don't get the idea of 'safe tracks'. I think in this day of age discerning Trance fans can actually tell the difference and if you create a track with the intention of it being 'safe', chances are it might not be as good as you want it to be. That being said, I'm excited to see what Armin has in store for us in 2013.

Click here to follow EDM Canada on Twitter to Stay on Top of all EDM News and Events