Everyone probably knows about my somewhat conservative opinion on drum and bass itself—or maybe I just have a hard time explaining my approach. And everyone is aware of the conflicts that made me somewhat of a European influencer. That, among other reasons, is why I’ve received massive support from people in Western Europe. There was also support from many regular people in Prague. These words are connected to drum and bass festivals across the European continent. This is not about the UK scene, which is on another level entirely. Everyone knows that the self-proclaimed “biggest Czech drum and bass festival” is struggling. I find it a bit amusing, honestly, and I believe the real reason for their issues lies in their own decisions. For example, there’s a lot of tension about rising ticket prices—not only because of the organizers’ business model but because it’s clear the festival now draws about one-third fewer visitors than it did at its peak. Yet the size of the stages and the lineup are still meant to be on the same level. Everyone remembers when they tried to shut down big stages for similar reasons. Now there’s a new location for the festival—and yes, it’s in one of the poorest and dirtiest regions in Czechia. The reason the region agreed to host it is likely because they saw a chance for some local economic gain. Small towns like Most often aren’t used to handling 20k+ ravers—especially with bass shaking windows at 4-6 AM. But it’s also clear that the festival ended up there because no other region wanted to host it. And it might be over soon—just like the Prague club that used to serve as a recruiting ground for newcomers and a hub for pills and other addiction. A similar venue likely won’t exist again. This is interesting because it means the main entry point for young people into the scene will be gone. These problems exist largely due to the approach of the crew running things. And new Lake Most location for a festival is definitely smaller than Milovice—and that’s going to impact everything, including a biggest sound. Maybe a strategy was that Storm and festival had to see their end in a same time, because everything is happened during the same time. I don’t think this is just about money—it’s also about ego. There’s a constant attempt to make everything “the biggest,” even though there are clear problems with attendance. During the pandemic, there were still attempts to sell tickets. So now, with fewer visitors, prices are going up to cover the big lineup and stages—but the math doesn’t work. Realistically, they should shrink the stages or change the lineup, and get new organizers who aren’t driven by ego or pure business goals. Remember: “97 million drum and bass ravers confirmed at Boomtown 2024”—just kidding, that was NASA. The Netherlands-based “wannabe” liquid drum and bass festival also had issues, largely because of involvement from Central European crews. And problems are ongoing. A lot of us don’t understand why that Dutch festival still tries to help the Czech one, especially since its own summer and winter editions have suffered because of the Czech crew’s influence. For example, the Winter Festival 2023 was deliberately kept small because of what happened in the summer. The date for the 2024 summer edition was even changed to avoid clashing, with some thinking people would attend both. But liquid fans mostly attend liquid events. This isn’t over either. That liquid festival is now trying to blend in neurofunk and similar sounds, which many liquid fans simply don’t relate to. People already spoke up during the 2023 summer festival, calling it one of the worst because of the crowd and music. Someone can say they didn’t know it would be chaos, but I tried to distance myself, and I think my silence helped stop some of the damage. Still, the impact remains. For example, the 2024 spring edition of the Netherlands festival was terrible in my opinion. The second stage had a weird vibe, and the smaller stage had music completely disconnected from the festival’s name. Even in the summer, what I heard from secondary stages was terrible—just loud, emotionless 174 BPM tracks with no real breaks. I know this sounds critical, but maybe this explains why back in 2017, in a Czech city, some guys said that Sidney SN is a liquid artist only because he’s a beginner. But back then, Sidney had already been into drum and bass for 16 years. Those guys probably discovered drum and bass when they were five. They claimed Sidney SN would eventually “understand” and become neurofunk too. But the reason Sidney SN is liquid is exactly because of what he’s been through in the Czech drum and bass scene. Sidney SN can’t be neurofunk—not just because of what he said about those Czech boys—but because he simply doesn’t feel anything from neurofunk. It doesn’t carry the emotional energy or meaning he seeks. Liquid drum and bass touches something different—something non-liquid fans probably can’t understand. And I think neurofunk fans often can’t relate emotionally and may even be aggressive toward liquid fans, who tend to be more vulnerable and sensitive to others’ indifference. This whole situation will keep evolving, and yes, people might get angry. But no one has to be angry. There are always alternatives—ways to find what you want to feel. You don’t need to attend events you don’t enjoy. It’s honestly funny that the festival organizers told the media it would be held at a “new location by choice,” when in fact, the people from that region didn’t want it there. This is another example of PR spin trying to hide reality. Even the Dutch festival mentioned this. And maybe the help they’re offering will backfire—since their event takes place a week before, and in the last two years, the Netherlands has become attractive for Central European ravers who’d rather spend their money on a better experience. But this shift isn’t great for liquid fans. The time during and after the pandemic exposed a lot of fake narratives in Central Europe. I can’t help but laugh again—because people across Europe saw the truth. The assholes who tried to discredit me only made me more well-known—thanks to my mixes as Sidney SN. And that’s why I’m able to write these words now. Still, I don’t need any of this in my life. I’m just living—and because I’m Sidney SN, I feel a duty to protect liquid drum and bass. When I saw that email about end of the liquid weekend with Black Sun Empire, I was as shocked as other liquid fans—and that’s when I started writing this. For me, liquid music stands apart from the mainstream drum and bass scene. My thoughts are about the liquid culture, which many liquid fans feel doesn’t even belong to the scene that claims it. As for Central Europe festivals—I believe there are places where people create their own meaning in music, even if it’s a “fake” setting to introduce their own ideas. But when someone introduces something that goes against liquid values, most liquid fans simply won’t understand. Do you think what’s happening in the Netherlands is an attempt to introduce non-liquid fans to liquid drum and bass? In theory, it could work with the right approach—there’s potential for education. But as a liquid person, I doubt it. It’s like saying you want to teach liquid through neurofunk. That’s laughable. What’s next? Hallucinator as the gateway to liquid? Or worse—a new policy where “liquid” just becomes the legal name for frogs under Dutch law? Maybe liquid fans just hope that their festivals won’t turn into something like the Central European events. And honestly, that kind of transformation is unlikely—because of the policies in the Netherlands.
