Netsky knows how to win over a crowd.
During the Warriors vs Eels game last weekend, the Belgian drum and bass producer unleashed a Kiwi classic. Perched within an enclosed platform where the west and north grandstands meet at Mount Smart Stadium, he included “Bliss” in his set with a little help from Peter Ulrich, Th’ Dudes’ lead singer.
Warriors’ fans embraced him as the first major international DJ to play a halftime show, jumping to their feet as the 1980 hit lifted the atmosphere.
With Netsky lost in the moment, bright lights shining onto the stage stopped him from being able to see the crowd looking back at him. It wasn’t until he saw the footage afterwards that the feelings taken on in that moment hit him hard.
“It was really cool. So much connection to what seems like real Kiwi heritage from the game to that song. It was beautiful to see it all come together,” he tells Rolling Stone AU/NZ. “It’s just been such a wholesome tour so far. That was the highlight of it.”
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The experience is indicative of the kind of connection Netsky seeks when visiting Aotearoa.
For the past 16 years, the electronic superstar has solidified himself as a fixture on radio stations like George FM, becoming a regular on the bills of the country’s biggest music events.
He’s immensely proud of the mutually beneficial relationship that has allowed him to fit neatly within New Zealand’s music landscape, and is always intent on delivering a showcase better than the last.
Netsky’s fondness for the country began in 2010 when he ventured to the sun-kissed vineyards of Waiohika Estate in Gisborne for Rhythm and Vines.
Organisers had been looking for something new to include on the lineup and stumbled upon the then 21-year-old music producer; the team quickly put an offer in for him and the stars aligned.
Surrounded by rolling green hills and revelers soaking in the moment, Netsky made such an impression with his set that he was invited back in 2011. He’s yet to miss a year in New Zealand since, transforming the ritual into a yearly reunion.
Netsky says his relationship with New Zealand drum and bass fans goes beyond the vibes at his events.
“There’s definitely times where I feel like I’ve got closer connections here than in my home country where I’m from,” he explains. “Over the years, we’ve met so many incredible people. The Kiwi mentality is my favourite mentality. It’s something I hope to get more of the rest of my life, for sure.”
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With appearances at Rhythm and Vines, Bay Dreams, Mardi Gras, and Snow Machine this Saturday (September 13th) as well as his own headliner shows, he’s building a legacy one show at a time.
While major pop artists who travel with dancers, bands, and crew struggled to tour during the pandemic with restrictions on who can enter the country, an opportunity arose for DJs like Netsky who could travel with minimal equipment while following the isolation rules.
After helping welcome in the 2021 New Year, he went on to play Spark Arena with his Netsky and Friends (Glasshouse) showcase, which gave Kiwi acts a chance to open for a major artist in trying times.
This time around, he stopped into Wellington for his Full Circle 360 Experience while bringing his Black Box 2.0 to Auckland and Christchurch — boosting last year’s tour of version one of the same name.
The show was literally taken to the next level when he was positioned above the crowd with a custom-made riser that he was hooked onto.
“That’s been just hugely successful in terms of aesthetics, how it looks, but also the show elements we can build around that and really create depth in a room,” he says. “That stage actually rises up quite high. And we’ve got all these other elements that create the shapes behind and in front of it, where we’ve attached flames and lasers everywhere.
“The cool part about all of this is just like you create so much depth in a room. And that’s what’s quite hard to do, creating a stage in the middle. So I think we solved that with this version.”
Throughout his career, Netsky has been able to harness an enviable series of collaborations with incredible vocalists.
Together with Becky Hill, he reminded listeners what to look forward to amidst the gloom and uncertainty of the tough times with “Hold On”; with Rita Ora he released “Barricades”, thanks to help from Norwegian production and songwriting duo Stargate; his collaboration with Hybrid Minds, “Let Me Hold You”, was an uplifting anthem that never fails to inspire.
Now, Netsky has a new hit with the illustrious Bebe Rexha, “Light That Leads Me”.
“She’s one, a superstar, but two, an incredible writer, and three, an incredible voice. She’s the real full package,” he says of his collaborator.
While technology might allow remote collaboration, the pair were set on linking up in person.
“It was actually a very quick process, which doesn’t happen often,” he reveals. “We got in contact, and from contact to release, I think it must have been about five to six months. We got together in London at a studio at Tileyard, and there was another writer involved, Mia Kirkland, who was incredible.
“It was really cool to see those two worlds collide because she was excited to get a record out with a drum bass drop for the first time. It’s an honour to do that with her, for sure.
“It was my first time really deeply talking with Bebe Rexha, and hearing what she’s all about. I think it’s super important to have that human aspect and element of it, where you actually get to know each other and find out what could be the right way to roll out a song or how to keep working.”
Netsky says their work together far exceeds the recording process.
“We’re still sending over stuff to each other and she’s still sending me vocals… I met other producers and that would only happen if that’s human contact, not over email.”
As synonymous as he is with New Zealand, Netsky is also playing the stages of the world’s biggest electronic music festivals just as frequently.
Among them, Tomorrowland, held annually in his own home country of Belgium, which draws in 400,000 revelers over two weekends.
This year the event was devastated by a fire amidst the final process of the stage build coming together just one day out from opening.
“It was heartbreaking,” Netsky says.
Netsky’s set on another stage went ahead as scheduled, and being surrounded by the positivity of the remarkable turnaround had a profound impact.
“We were super impressed, obviously, by the team. It’s a miracle, to be honest. They put together something really incredible,” he notes.
“The respect from the crowd for the technical crew was on another level this year, which is so nice to see because people that know me know that I spent most of my time at Tomorrowland in the front of house or at the technical side of it because I’m so interested in it.
“Seeing them getting more love than normal was just something really cool to see for me. There was definitely a moment where I thought this was not going to happen, which would have been devastating.
“It’s such an important part of the summer.”
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With the majority of shows in this run behind him, Netsky reflects on what moment he’s proud of the most.
“I was watching this video from Wellington, and I think I counted like three phones in the front row,” he says.
“Everyone was just… having fun, and there was so much amazing energy there. I think our show has a really really fun crowd and we just got the most amazing fans to be honest.
“People come in such big groups and have such a big day out together. That’s the most important part still. There’s no production in the world that can change that.”
Netsky plays Snow Machine Queenstown this Saturday, September 13th. More information here.
