When Mathame walked onto the Freedom Stage for their newest creation, NEO, they were not simply launching another Tomorrowland performance. “It’s not really a show. It is and will be an expanded cinema, a story that will always have new details and easter eggs. It tells what NEO is. A bit like a visual sacred text,” they share with Angelo De Guzman, EDMNOMAD’s editorial head in an exclusive interview. By calling it a sacred text, they reframed the experience as something enduring, filled with mysteries that audiences would continue uncovering.
The duo resisted calling it a show because that word suggested entertainment designed to end once the stage lights dimmed. Instead, they presented a narrative meant to grow and evolve, carrying forward from one performance to the next. Their approach insisted on continuity, not closure. Festivalgoers were not attending a spectacle, but entering a story that lives across cities and stages. By doing so, Mathame transformed Tomorrowland into an apparatus for their NEO philosophy. The Freedom Stage became less of a festival platform and more of a sanctuary where music and visuals unfolded like scripture. The difference was clear: this was not an ending but a beginning. Audiences stepped into a world that would only deepen with time.
Continuity, Community, and the Statue That Watches Back
Mathame explained that the heart of their creation lies in continuity. “It’s continuity. Neo as an event was born to return to a physical dimension of the collective ritual of dance. The statue is real, gigantic, it looks at you, it’s alive. What Mathame does on certain stages with this concept of expanded cinema is what explains and narrates what NEO represents in our imagination and in our community.”
The statue, towering and animate, gave their philosophy tangible form. By fixing its gaze on the crowd, it reversed the roles of stage and audience. It was not a background figure but a living presence, watching, questioning, and reminding every dancer of their place in the ritual. That detail turned the show into a mythic exchange. The audience no longer looked only at Mathame. They looked back at something greater, something alive in their collective imagination.
Continuity, in this sense, extended beyond technical repetition. It carried the weight of mythology, where each edition of NEO adds new chapters. Mathame refuses to close their story, reflecting a larger belief that community itself is never finished and at Tomorrowland, surrounded by thousands, the NEO idea resonated powerfully. Their continuity is not repetition but a way of ensuring that every gathering deepens the community’s shared mythos.
Unfinished Work and the Beauty of Incompletion
Asked if doubt ever shadowed their Tomorrowland preparations, Mathame responded with certainty. “Honestly, no. By its nature of visual research in techniques and content, there is never an end. Only when the technical time runs out. It’s kind of an approach we have with many things. In a show business world where everything must be thought out, optimized, clean, perfect, the beauty of the unfinished becomes even more deafening.”
Their answer revealed an unusual philosophy for artists performing on one of the most polished stages in electronic music. Most acts chase seamless execution, perfect cues, and flawless transitions. Mathame embraced the opposite, seeing power in incompletion. That unfinished quality became part of the show’s aesthetic. It invited imagination, leaving space for interpretation instead of closing every loop.
In many ways, their philosophy recalls traditions where imperfection is a sign of life and authenticity. At Tomorrowland, a place known for its precision, their approach stood out dramatically. By highlighting unfinished work as beautiful, they created a sharp contrast with the festival’s reputation for immaculate production. Yet that contrast made their set more striking. The audience was not handed perfection but invited to experience something alive, still in motion, still becoming.
Cinema on the LED Wall and the Language of Sound
Mathame’s visuals have always stood apart from mere decorative stage design. They described their philosophy directly. “Definitely the intro. It’s where we started thinking of the LED wall as expanded cinema and no longer just as a display of gimmicks and clickbait tricks.” That rejection of shallow spectacle explained much about their aesthetic. They sought depth where others might settle for surface.
By redefining the LED wall as cinema, they reframed how audiences should interact with technology. It was no longer a canvas for quick distraction, but a screen carrying layered narrative. The intro was not a prelude but a cinematic doorway into the performance. The music and visuals intertwined, pushing the boundaries of what a festival stage could deliver.
This philosophy elevated them beyond stage designers into something closer to filmmakers. Mathame treated their visuals as narrative devices, not supporting effects. Their set became an audiovisual dialogue where sound and image shared equal weight. In doing so, they shifted the festival’s focus. Through Mathame and NEO, Tomorrowland was projecting a cinematic world through its LED walls. The intro established this clearly: audiences were not watching decoration, they were entering a story told with light and sound.
Love Somebody and the Desire for Manifestos
The release of Love Somebody became a pivotal point in their creative journey. “It’s a new beginning. We have ideas to rebuild a unique sound. After the dissolution of so many genres, I think the desire has returned to have a manifesto, an aesthetic, a new direction.”
Mathame’s choice of words revealed ambition beyond singles or trends. They wanted to build something more substantial, something capable of reshaping direction in a fragmented musical landscape. The track was not just another addition to their catalog but a symbolic reset. Their longing for a manifesto connected to techno’s history, where music often carried philosophy as well as rhythm.
They reinforced this vision by describing the track’s role within their set. “We always have very clear ideas about the emotional weight that music carries within the set, since our sets are already very loaded with information and emotions. Yes, Love Somebody was still central.” Central placement confirmed its importance as a statement of intent. By anchoring their Tomorrowland set with Love Somebody, Mathame placed their NEO manifesto at the heart of their expanded cinema. It was not just a track but the emotional declaration of a new chapter.
Tension, Innovation, and the Proof of Crowd Feedback
Tomorrowland often magnifies pressure for artists who debut ambitious projects. Mathame admitted how deeply they felt it. “The pre-show tension. We were very nervous that people wouldn’t understand this new approach. We knew that this set, even if not as explosive as others, would carry an important innovative charge. And the results, the feedback from the crowd, proved us right.”
Their nerves revealed the risks of deviating from Tomorrowland’s explosive tradition. Instead of fireworks and relentless drops, they offered subtlety, narrative, and unfinished beauty. The possibility of misunderstanding weighed heavily. Yet the crowd’s embrace confirmed that audiences were ready for complexity. Feedback became proof that their innovation did not alienate, it resonated.
This was an important moment for both artist and festival. Tomorrowland has often faced criticism for spectacle overshadowing experimentation. Mathame’s set proved that innovation and subtlety could find space on its grandest stages. Their relief captured that tension perfectly: a show that carried innovation rather than bombast could still ignite the crowd. For Mathame, feedback confirmed that risk had transformed into momentum. For Tomorrowland, it proved that the appetite for evolution remained strong.
Healing the Soul with Sound and Machines
Mathame’s final reflection summarized the philosophy driving their work. “The atmosphere remains. The sensation and realization of being somewhere else, of forgetting problems at home and for that damn hour just enjoying the moment in all its forms. Because that’s what we do, we’re like doctors healing the soul with huge machines firing acoustic waves at 100+ dB in a space.”
By calling themselves doctors of the soul, they captured how deeply they view music as medicine. At Tomorrowland, that analogy felt literal. Their machines delivered therapy in waves of sound and light, creating moments where problems dissolved into pure atmosphere. That atmosphere was their true stage design, far beyond visuals or tracklists.
Their claim tied them back to techno’s origins as both cultural expression and collective healing. The machines, the visuals, the unfinished beauty, all served one purpose, to realign spirit through sound. In describing themselves as healers, they made clear that entertainment was never their goal. They sought transformation. Across Ibiza, Istanbul, and beyond, audiences will continue experiencing NEO not as another tour, but as a treatment for collective consciousness. Tomorrowland revealed the first glimpse of that promise, and its resonance confirmed Mathame’s vision as both daring and necessary.
Follow their journey here.
