About CORE, his friendship with Konstantin Sibold, and performing at the MainStage
Synergy is a cherished phenomenon in which the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It happens sporadically, but when it does, it is magical.
And as it happens, Kevin de Vries and Konstantin Sibold’s b2b set at Tomorrowland’s CORE stage in 2022 stands as a key example of musical synergy. Both the artists involved and the ravers who witnessed it still talk about it to this day.
And here they are performing together once again, on Tomorrowland Winter’s mythical MainStage on Wednesday. The Tomorrowland Today newspaper had the pleasure to talk to one of these two legends: Afterlife signee Kevin de Vries.
"
Living in Berlin helped me a lot to find my own sound.
Kevin de Vries
How do you look back on that legendary set with Konstantin Sibold at CORE?
“We’ve been playing b2b sets for a few years now and we are eager to improve ourselves and get better every time. We love challenges and playing different venues, but always try to deliver the same energy."
"What helps is that we have a great bond and friendship in place, which makes it easier for us to understand each other while playing. During this particular set at CORE, lots of things came together, and that moment when the fireworks took off… I will never forget this one!”
What have you got in store for Tomorrowland Winter’s MainStage on Wednesday?
“This is a big honour for us and we immediately accepted the challenge. We simply can’t wait for this show. We will play, as always, some unreleased tracks and of course some of our own productions. The MainStage last year was a spectacular sight. I can’t wait to see what it looks like this year.”
How did you and Konstantin get acquainted?
“When I started to release my first tracks, Konstantin was already a successful touring DJ on the back of releasing his tracks ‘Mutter’ and ‘Madeleine’. I listened to his tracks in clubs as other DJs played them and became a fan of his work. At some point, I reached out and we started sending each other music, following that up with feedback sessions. He then remixed my track ‘Sciamachy’ in 2018, which was my first release on Afterlife.”
You are based in Berlin, one of the key techno cities in the world. How does that work for you inspiration-wise?
“I lived in Berlin for the past eight years and it has had a major influence on myself and my sound throughout the years. Having so many amazing clubs and venues in one city is overwhelming."
"I moved to Berlin to chase my musical dreams. It was the perfect place to go out and network, meet other artists and observe DJs playing extended sets for up to nine or ten hours. Inspiration comes from all these aspects, and it all helped me a lot to find my own sound.”
Can there be such a thing as being surrounded by too much techno? Have you ever experienced an overkill?
“When I moved to Berlin I didn’t think so. I was a bit younger and loved going out. Now, eight years later, I am very grateful to have a busy schedule of shows but I always seek some quiet time in between them. It's very important for people in our industry to look out for each other and to always take breaks.”
You’ve now come to the point in your career where people say your sets are among their very favourites. How does that feel and what would you like to say to the people giving you all of this praise?
“This means a lot to me and I’m very grateful for it. I put a lot of time and energy into the curation of my sets, so having this kind of feedback is just amazing, and it motivates me to keep doing what I do.”
