Bonzai All Stars
Bonzai All Stars are the DJ act of Bonzai Records, the Belgian label that helped define the sound of the nineties rave scene. Behind the decks are label founder Christian ‘Fly’ Pieters and his long-time friend Dany Van Der Rieten, aka DJ Steel. Their mission hasn’t changed in years: high-octane retro sets that bring the golden era of techno, trance and hard trance back to the dancefloor, played by the people who were there when it all began.
Fly started Bonzai in the back of an Antwerp record shop, and few could have predicted it would grow into one of the most iconic names in European dance music. In the DJ booth and in the label office, he helped launch anthems such as ‘The First Rebirth’, ‘The House Of House’ and ‘Universal Nation’. Those tracks still set crowds alight today and keep getting remixed by a new generation of DJs. Fly continues to carry the Bonzai legacy forward, nurturing new talent while giving the veterans the respect they deserve.
DJ Steel is a true member of the Bonzai family. He released tracks on the label’s sub-labels back in the day, and more recently joined forces with CJ Bolland and Steve Cop as O.R.B., bringing retro-flavoured techno to the After Dark label. Together, Fly and Steel combine decades of experience as DJs, producers and label men. You hear it in every set: they know these records inside out, and they know exactly when to drop them.
What started as a series of mix CDs packed with Bonzai classics has grown into a full live DJ show. Today Bonzai All Stars are a fixture on the biggest retro line-ups, from the Bonzai stage at Tomorrowland and Belgian festivals such as Laundry Day and Summerfestival to Nature One in Germany, Amsterdam Dance Event and Bonzai’s own label nights across Europe. Wherever they play, the formula is the same: pure rave energy, wall-to-wall classics and a crowd that doesn’t want to go home. Looking for an act with genuine nineties rave history behind the decks? Book Bonzai All Stars for your festival, club night or event through Ground Control Agency.
