RECAP: Grounds are still shaking from Rampage Open Air 2025 in Belgium
- The Filthy Beat Inspectors
- 2 hours ago
- 8 min read
4 Days. 7 Stages. 1 FBI tent featuring Zomboy, HOL!, Nimda, Aweminus b2b Dr. Ushuu, beastboi., Blankface b2b Decimate, Jub b2b roi*, IITYX & Finnuh.
Last year, we told you Rampage Open Air had established dominance. We saw a burgeoning dubstep community in Europe, and it motivated us. It left us wanting more.
In the fall, when we got the call asking Dubstep FBI back to host the Storm Stage, the answer was an immediate yes.
So much anticipation and planning led up to this past weekend's festival, and with over 300 international artists, seven stages, a theme park, a skate zone and yummy food villages, Rampage proved once again why us Americans should make the pilgrimage out to Europe every July.
The festival grounds of Kristalpark Lommel hold a special place in our hearts for many reasons. One of them being the type of people this event attracts: They are genuine, welcoming and make us feel like we have family in Europe.
Another reason this festival is "GOATED" is due to the tastefully and meticulously curated lineup. You can tell the festival's talent buyers have a keen pulse on the bass music scene, and they curate each stage in ways that spark curiosity among fans.
We just want to give a special thank you to the Rampage festival team, including Murdock, Daan, Sjoerd and Rory, who have given us a new home in Belgium. The past two years of stage hostings have changed our lives and allowed us to show our American audience how it's done overseas.
We also want to say thank you to all of the Europeans who made us feel like dubstep princesses. People like BASSBOX, SYN LDN, Misu & Cripta, Ragner, our photographer Jil Kuhl, Fishy, DJ Nex!xen and so many others went out of their way to host us, buy us drinks, show us around and make us feel loved.
Was this trip one of the craziest weekends of our lives? Yes. Are we biased? Also yes. But, we’re not wrong.
The ground might still be shaking in Kristalpark, Lommel.
Day 1: Straight off vacation and into the fire
We landed in Brussels straight from a relaxing week in Austria — and Rampage wasted zero time snapping us out of vacation mode. The bass was booming before we even picked up our credentials.
We arrived just in time to catch the end of SweetTooth b2b Lev3l b2b Jmoss, and they were going nuclear. They brought out DMZ News Official to premiere an unreleased SweetTooth x DMZ collab, and we can neither confirm nor deny that the Beat Intelligence Network may be leaking this one soon. (Okay fine, yes.)
VKTM switched up his usual style with a deeper, more vibey set, leaning into that Nocturnal sound (his collab with Tape B).
Then, Codd Dubz turned the Storm Stage into a training ground for cardio warriors — pits open; high knees activated; feral mode on. He chopped it up for an hour straight, showing us all why he's the Six-Deck Slice-and-Dice Master of the universe with a set that sounded new compared to recent performances.
SHIVERZ b2b Obey was pure, lawless energy, no warning, no brakes, just riddim. And yes, SHIVERZ escaped again. Back on the FBI’s Most Wanted list.
In between sets we were on duty. RiddimNYC and DMZ got arrested behind the Storm Stage, and for no good reason, just because we felt like it. Shoutout to both of them for doing such amazing coverage all weekend, cool to see them crushing it and helping spread the word.
Infekt proved, once again, that riddim does have lyrics — they’re just screamed by crowds in unison, half with carrots in their mouths. A healthy set. But chaotic and just what we needed.
Ray Volpe followed with a closing set so strong it felt like a main stage moment. Laserbeam echoed across the tent, everyone screaming like they were in a stadium. The energy he brought to this set was enough to power an Icelandic village through the winter.
But what would the world's largest dubstep and drum n bass festival be without our lord and savior? We ran to the massive Dome Stage for Excision, because it was our duty.
There’s something surreal about seeing him in Europe. He had the festival's biggest stage slammed from shoulder-to-shoulder. We stood in awe, watching his monstrous visuals unfold as we threw our X's up with new and old friends.
This feral first night wrapped up at the silent disco, which once again proved itself to be elite. Two channels: one for the bass goblins, the other for the DnB freaks. We blasted riddim on the red channel and danced until 4 a.m. with the homies DMZ News Official and DJ Nex!xen.
Ray Volpe b2b Infekt brought out the best energy, both in our headphones and in the pit. Then Codd Dubz b2b Obey b2b Stoog3s brought pure chaos to cap it off. Moshpits. Chanting. Hugging strangers. Nothing but love.
Rampage Open Air has proven once again that they have the best silent disco on the planet.
Day 2: Espresso, uptempo and TikTok core
We woke up questioning all our life decisions — until caffeine brought us back from the grave. Red Bull & espresso shots might’ve been the real headliner.
Travel delays had us missing Madcore b2b Elle Rich and MAD DUBZ, but we made it just in time for STOOG3S, who summoned immediate madness. That trio makes riddim feel like an Olympic sport, and they all should be detained after dropping their new collab with John Summit ;) (iykyk).
In between sets, we ran over to the Rampage sign and took a group photo with some of our besties from the weekend. The BASSBOX Germany founder, Marvin, gathered us all together alongside Vastive, SweetTooth, DMZ and so many awesome people for a family photo.
We were craving some meme-level ridiculous when Explorers of the Internet took the Tunnel Stage. It was like being trapped in TikTok (in the best way). They rinsed meme edits, bananas were flying across the crowd and they even played a savage take on the Excision vs Getter beef — complete with custom visuals. We couldn’t help but laugh and headbang.
Liquid Stranger took us on a nostalgic ride with a rare throwback set that felt like a history lesson in bass. We smiled as vibes at the Dome Stage were high. We raged with the SYN LDN family and set the tone for another incredible night.
We sprinted back to the Tunnel Stage for GPF and our dose of ungodly uptempo. If you know, you know. People were bouncing like cartoon characters — Greazy Pussy F***ers might be a ridiculous name, but the set was full of illegal activity. We even tracked down the mad man later on and handed him the citation he deserved.
Vastive and PhaseOne each brought out the metal-dubstep hybrid we crave. Both of them have a signature sound that had the mosh pits circling the Storm Stage, everyone was happy and full of energy this evening.
As the sun dipped, we hit the VIP deck just in time for Hedex b2b Bou, and the crowd erupted when MHITR dropped. Pure drum and bass ecstasy. One of the best sets of the weekend, and their MC absolutely killed it.
Sullivan King followed to close the night, and as expected, he didn’t just play any old set. He brought full production with pyro, lasers and CO2, showing everyone why he's one of the leaders of the scene.
Day 3: FBI's Storm Stage takeover begins
Sunday hit different. This was the day we waited months for. The Dubstep FBI takeover began at the Storm Stage, and trust us, we did not come to play.
We kicked things off with Finnuh, the Rampage DJ contest winner, and a future prodigy for every festival lineup. Fresh off his I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED EP drop on Beat Intelligence Network, he set the tone with a heavy, slamming riddim set full of sneaky doubles and bouncy energy. If this man doesn’t blow up soon, we’re blaming the algorithm.
IITYX, one of Belgium’s own, brought serious hometown pride and a set full of unreleased heat. He closed with a filthy new ID that may or may not be dropping via the Beat Intelligence Network soon. If you've read this far, you know we don't like keeping secrets. ;)
Jub b2b roi* was up next and they were the definition of healthy riddim. We're talking satisfying doubles, crowd chants and surprise drops. A blend of weird and wonderful, we truly couldn't get enough. Another forthcoming release on BIN was rinsed out during this set.
We tracked them both down in the artist lounge and made sure everyone knew how much trouble they were in with the Dubstep Law.
From there, Blankface b2b Decimate kicked the energy up ten notches. Their chemistry on stage is unmatched, and they made it clear that throwing down doesn’t have to be serious, but it does have to be savage. Banger after banger, smiles all around and a pit that never stopped moving.
Then, it was time for beastboi., making his European debut. The second he touched the decks, it was clear he came to prove something — and he did. The riddim he played was top notch, and he remains criminally underrated, while officially on watch.
Aweminus b2b Dr. Ushuu was next and we couldn't help but issue a safety warning. It was loud, aggressive, completely unhinged, and somehow still perfectly mixed. This was the most unexpectedly fun set, and we bounced up and down in the crowd with all our friends.
Switching gears, Dirtyphonics delivered a signature blend of hybrid bass and drum & bass that reminded everyone why they’re legends. Clean transitions, wild switch-ups, and a deep catalogue of classics made their set a refreshing curveball. They even opened a pit and brought out our favorite french boy, IVORY, to rinse their collab.
But it was Nimda who tore the Storm Stage to absolute shreds. That UK tearout heat had the crowd screaming "TATATATATATATA" louder than the speakers. Kids were climbing rigs, pits were being spread and the most insane set of our lives took place right in front of our eyes.
We’re still not sure if the stage has been fully reassembled. This was one of the most anticipated sets of the weekend, and he sure delivered.
And finally… HOL!. When he walked on stage, it felt like the crowd collectively leveled up. From Mind Pluck to Country Riddim to Somewhere, he delivered anthem after anthem, controlling the Storm tent like a seasoned general.
Just when we thought things couldn’t go any harder, Zomboy stormed in to shut the whole thing down. The visuals were perfectly time-coded, the energy was higher than the moon and he was doing high knees on stage — it felt like we all had collectively peaked.
The perfect ending to a historic day.
Thank You, Rampage
Massive love to the entire Rampage Open Air team for bringing us back and trusting us with another stage takeover. This festival is a true celebration of the global bass community, and it means everything to us to be part of it.
From the production to the people, it’s unmatched. If you are thinking about making the trip to Rampage Open Air in 2026, save the dates for July 2-5.
We’ll be back. Maybe even bigger.
Dubstep FBI Co-Founders Chrissy & Yesi can be found on socials.
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