Dutch techno producer and live performer Reinier Zonneveld has built his reputation through an energetic approach to electronic music and live production. During MDLBEAST Soundstorm in Saudi Arabia, Zonneveld experienced the enormous festival for the first time, although getting there proved unexpectedly difficult. A canceled flight delayed his arrival, leaving him with only hours to reach the event. The solution was suitably dramatic, a helicopter ride to the festival grounds. From above, Zonneveld was struck by Soundstorm’s enormous scale, describing the sprawling collection of stages as almost resembling a city.
Beyond the festival experience, Zonneveld shared the unusual creative story behind his track Super Strong. Sampling is not something he regularly builds his productions around, partly because of the creative and legal complications involved. This track proved different. Its sample connects to German producer DJ Tomekk and features vocals associated with American rapper Lil’ Kim. The German language elements at the beginning gave Zonneveld a foundation that immediately stood apart from his usual production process.
The idea developed during a late studio session with his girlfriend Kiki, who is German. After experimenting with the sample, Zonneveld discovered that it fit naturally with the direction he wanted to pursue. Instead of inserting it into an already completed composition, he effectively constructed the track around the sampled material. That process gave Super Strong a distinctive character and demonstrated how an existing recording can become the starting point for something creatively different.
Using samples, however, involves much more than finding the right sound. Artists generally need permission from the relevant rights holders before commercially releasing music containing protected recordings or compositions. Zonneveld explained that multiple people held rights connected to the material used in Super Strong, meaning the necessary approvals could take months. He prefers handling sampling officially, even though waiting for every party to agree can make the release process unpredictable.
That uncertainty is one reason Zonneveld usually prefers creating his own material rather than relying heavily on samples. A producer can spend significant time developing a track only to discover that permission for an essential sample cannot be secured. With Super Strong, the creative gamble ultimately became part of what made the production unusual for him. From an unexpected studio experiment to the massive stages of MDLBEAST Soundstorm, the track reflects Zonneveld’s willingness to explore new approaches while remaining careful about the practical realities behind electronic music production.
