THE GATEKEEPER OF GROUND ZERO FESTIVAL

An interview with Ilja Reiman 

If we trace back the history of Dutch rave culture, an individual stands exemplary for its rise. Ilja Reiman, founder of Multigroove, claimed the night as his natural habitat and established a collection of unique events. Among them is the hardest hardcore event in Europe and the only night festival in the Netherlands: Ground Zero, organized together with UDC Events. Celebrating 15 Years of Darkness, it was an absolute must to hear him out. What was the idea behind Ground Zero? How did its musical core evolve? And what to expect of the legacy edition? Read the interview here.     

“Hardcore means all-in.” Ilja’s vision on the genre is bold and pure, which lines up perfectly with the sense of adventure that he connects to the way in which we can experience music. “As far as I can remember, I lived during the night. I visited the first house parties, dating back to 1988. From there on, we started doing Multigroove. It covers the better part of my life. The night is where the exciting stuff happens. It holds a sense of mystery. Here we can be free.” It comes as no surprise that he would find an opportunity to translate this journey of freedom to the outdoors.   

 GROUND ZERO: AN ODE TO THE NIGHT 

“We’re living in a country where night festivals are nonexistent. It encouraged us to use this fact as a pillar. We wanted to create a festival, and it had to be during the night.” And so, Ground Zero was forged back in 2006. Whereas many festivals are planned and prepared up to a year in advance, Ground Zero started out differently. As Ilja explains, “The first edition of Ground Zero was organized within three months. And when we succeeded, it was an incredible kick. We immediately felt: this could become something great.” In terms of the approach, he notes, “We searched for the cutting edge. It had to be underground and real, but in an accessible way – in order to unite 15.000 people.

“To me, Ground Zero is what a rave should be like. It takes place in nature, under a starry sky and it’s veiled in darkness. You can see the sun set in the evening and rise again in the morning. At night, our senses are sparked and myths are born.” Ilja goes on to underline what differentiates this concept from the rest of the landscape: “We didn’t want to become a ‘thirteen-a-dozen’ festival or standardized event. You can see this in everything we do, from the line-up to the materials we use for the stages and decors. These are elements that you don’t see represented at other hardcore festivals. And most of all: we’ve got the night instead of the day.” 

A key feature of Ground Zero’s look and feel is the beautiful location that has formed its base since the beginning, Recreation Area Bussloo. Ilja recognizes the many advantages that it holds: “Bussloo has all the aspects that we needed. It has a forest, a beach and waters. It’s where Ground Zero belongs.” The location is much more than just a practical surface. Or, as Ilja describes it, “We use the environment as an organic part of the experience. At night, a lot of new possibilities open up that can’t be applied during the day. If you work the lights creatively and put a stroboscope up in a tree, it spreads a really cool effect. We once had the entire waterline filled with pyrotechnics, from left to right. I bet that on that night we used more fuel than an average gas station can provide.”    

MUSIC: STAYING CLOSE TO THE CORE  

Ground Zero is known for its original and unconventional line-ups. This was always the intention, yet there’s more to it. Ilja clarifies this aspect: “The truth is that, to a certain extent, we were forced into this position by the big organizations and became the underdog. From this angle, we took matters into our own hands and set out to stay close to the core. In doing so, we specifically looked for artists that you wouldn’t see at all the other festivals. And if you would, they were hidden away in the smaller areas. In turn, we booked them for the Ground Zero mainstage. 

Since the beginning, we shaped room for new sounds while also displaying the heroes of the golden eras. Going against the stream, determined to do our own thing.” Focusing on what’s essential, he adds, “We aim to do justice to styles and eras. At the Hellbound area, for example, you’ll hear the real early hardcore sound, packed with 909 kickdrums. Multigroove brings out the true rave feeling, where solid techno flows seamlessly into oldschool coupled with the most ancient hardstyle – without being labeled as one particular sound. You’ll find a terror act at the mainstage and an entire area dedicated to the sound and not just confined to a couple of containers. We embrace the underground subgenres in hardcore. We refuse to ignore what this music is really about.” At times, this also involves picking sides. As Ilja explains, “A few years back, we decided to let go of commercial hardstyle and freestyle, simply because we didn’t feel it anymore. Hardcore in itself had developed and it was time to make a statement.”   

Despite the underground mentality, you’ll also see artists like Partyraiser and Dr. Peacock entertaining the crowd at Ground Zero – and there’s nothing paradoxical about that. Ilja points out a mutual understanding: “We challenge them to do something different and show a darker version of themselves. A lot of artists are really happy to have this space. It’s also a matter of inspiring one another with ideas to create something new by working together.” One can only wonder what this means for the upcoming legacy edition. 

15 YEARS OF DARKNESS 

The celebration of 15 Years of Darkness marks a get-together of all the people, artists and aspects that make Ground Zero. Ilja explains that the stronghold is ready: “Because of the relation that we’ve built over the years, all the artists are very eager to play at 15 years of Ground Zero. Take Dr. Peacock, who’s stoked to bring terror at the mainstage and tell an original story without being restricted. And don’t forget hosting partners like RGB and PRSPCT, who’ve shown true passion for Ground Zero and feel at home here.”  

More than ever, Ilja believes that the festival’s identity and core values are solidly integrated and in tune with the fans. His duty is clear: “It’s my role to defend them, like a gatekeeper. All the values and elements that characterize Ground Zero will be represented at the 15 years edition.” On a strong note, he rounds off: “What it comes down to is authenticity – no-nonsense and straight-forward. That’s the true intention of hardcore.”    

We thank Ilja Reiman for sharing a piece of history and vision on Ground Zero. 

We look forward to seeing you all at 15 Years of Darkness.