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// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Code Black a DJ? Does he crack the code to spinning tracks?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Code Black
Corey Soljan at Airbeat One 2015
Corey Soljan at Airbeat One 2015
Background information
Also known asCode Black
Born
Corey Soljan

1987 (age 38–39)
Sydney, Australia
OriginAustralia
GenreHardstyle
Occupations
Instruments
Years active2011-present
LabelWE R Music
Member ofBioweapon
WebsiteCodeBlackMedia.nl

Corey Soljan (born 1987), better known by his artistic name Code Black, is an Australian hardstyle-DJ and music producer.[1]

As a member of the act Bioweapon, along with Audiofreq, he travelled the world. Finding success in the Netherlands, he began a solo career stopping his duo act in 2011. He has played at various events including Mysteryland, Tomorrowland, HardBass, Decibel, Euphoria and both of the Defqon.1 music festivals held in The Netherlands and Australia.[2] He mainly produces and plays euphoric hardstyle tracks, but also produces and plays some rawstyle tracks.

Career

[edit]

2008-2011: Rise of Bioweapon, Subsequent Split

[edit]

Corey Soljan met Sam Gonzalez in Sydney in the late 2000s. They started producing as a new duo act titled Bioweapon in 2008. Prior to producing hardstyle, the pair had experimented with producing a number of hard-dance sounds, and had a number of other aliases. They produced a handful of popular tracks which were released on the "Aussie Hardstyle" label.[3]

After gaining the attention of Scantraxx Recordz, and releasing more popular tracks, the pair secured a move to the Netherlands, the locus of the hardstyle scene. They would go on to play at a number of popular events, such as Bassleader in 2010.[3] However, shortly after their move, and a packed festival season in 2011 where they played 40 events[4], the duo went their separate ways at the end of the year.[5] They later explained that they felt they were experiencing a lot of pressure, both as friends and roommates, but also professionally and artistically. Soljan and Gonzalez had diverging visions for their respective projects, putting strain on their collaborative efforts until they had no choice but to separate, not only as collaborators but also as friends.[6]

Soljan subsequently signed with Fusion Records at the end of 2011, under the alias Code Black. His first solo release, "Red Planet" in the same year, experienced great success within the hardstyle community.

2012-2014: Start of Solo Career, Founding WE R Music

[edit]

In 2012 Code Black performed a mix on the Kutski show for BBC Radio 1.[7] The following year, he was voted as the 15th most popular DJ in the Australian website InTheMix's "National Top 50 DJs" list. He placed ahead of fellow hardstyle producer Toneshifterz.[8]

In 2013, Brennan Heart joined forced with three Australian artists: Toneshifterz, Code Black and Outbreak,[9] to found the label WE R Music. The label was originally launched as a sub-label of Be Yourself Music, whom were also hosting sub-labels from fellow hardstyle artists Frontliner and Wildstylez.[10] "Brighter Day", one of Code Black's most commercially successful songs, was the first release on the new label, in April of 2013. It reached number 28 on the Dutch Dance Chart,[11] and peaked at 8th in SLAM! FMs Top 40 Playlist.[12]

The following year, Code Black was tasked with producing the anthem for Defqon.1's Australian Edition.[13] His subsequent release, "Pandora", was considered a hit song in the hardstyle community.[14] During this period of his career, he frequently collaborated with Atmozfears, who both shared a passion for Euphoric Hardstyle.[9] The pair went on to release the highly euphoric XXLerator anthem, "Accelerate".[15]

At the end of 2014, Code Black was listed in DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list for the first and only time, polling at #92.[14] While producing for Code Black, Soljan claimed that he was spending up to 70% of his time in the studio working on producing other music outside of the alias, citing his lack of focus on the project as a key reason why he hadn't begun working on a studio album at this time.[6]

2015-2018: Return of Bioweapon, Debut Album

[edit]

Towards the end of 2015, Bioweapon returned after 4 years. Code Black and Audiofreq (Sam Gonzalez's independent alias) had been slowly working on the personal rift between each other, and returned to the studio to produce new Bioweapon music. While they performed a few shows, and released three new songs, including an EP which was released on WE R Music in 2016,[6] the duo made it clear that their focus was on their solo careers and that they would be working on Bioweapon as a side project.[16]

In late 2016, Code Black released a hardstyle remix of Florence + The Machine's cover of Candi Stanton's 1986 track "You Got the Love". Around the same time, social media posts from Belgian hardstyle DJ and founder of label Dirty Workz DJ Coone indicated that him and Code Black were in the studio together working on new music.[17] The following year, the pair released a remix of the Gareth Emery track "Concrete Angel", which was subsequently named as the Mixmag "Tune of the Month" for September 2017.[18] That same year, Code Black announced he was working on his debut album.[19]

The following year, Journey was released, containing 18 tracks. Critics marvelled at the diversity of sounds available on the album, ranging from melodic, euphoric tracks he became well known for, to darker tracks and high energy basslines. The album featured collaborations with Da Tweekaz, Darren Styles, Wasted Penguinz and compatriot Toneshifterz.[20] Discussions about a Bioweapon album were also entertained, although no official announcement was ever made confirming this.[4]

2019-Present: 3 BLOKES, Blackout, Bioweapon Album

[edit]

From 2020-2021, during the COVID-19 Pandemic, hardstyle performances ceased due to government enforced limits on public gatherings. This gave producers, including Code Black, the opportunity to spend more time in the studio thinking about what music they wanted to make. It was around this time that Code Black decided to pursue a darker, more raw, underground sound, accepting criticisms that his more recent music catered to a "commercial sound".[21]

3 BLOKES was a satirical music collaboration between compatriot hardstyle producers Code Black, his Bioweapon collaborator Audiofreq, and label-mate Toneshifterz. The act played on Australian bogan stereotypes, with the trio wearing very tacky casual clothes and fake mullets during their performances.[21] 3 BLOKES was short lived, debuting at EDC Vegas in 2022,[22] before playing at a handful of Australian events and two years at the UV stage of Defqon.1 before their last performance in 2024. When asked about the project in 2023, Audiofreq said:

"The 3 Blokes is a concept where we really wanted to dive into Australiana. We wanted not to take ourselves too seriously and to have fun with part of us. The best performances and the best acts really reflect part of the artists or artists themselves. It’s not just a completely made-up thing, there’s a fundamental part of who they are, and they exaggerate a little bit. That’s exactly what 3 Blokes is, right?"[23]

At the start of 2023, speculation reemerged that Code Black and Audiofreq, while concurrently performing together as 3 BLOKES, had begun working on the long awaited Bioweapon album.[21] An instagram post of Audiofreq in the studio with the caption "It's album time" gave fans hope that a Bioweapon album was finally coming to fruition, over 14 years since the duo started making music together.[24]

In the middle of 2023, Code Black teased new music from his rawstyle inspired "Blackout" project at EDC Las Vegas, playing at the wasteLAND stage. The new live act, which featured a black masked outfit and hard kicks reminiscent of his older production style,[21][25] was debuted at Intents Festival a few weeks after the EDC performance. The set was performed on the mainstage of Intents Fesitval, as well as the Blue Stage at Defqon.1, a rawstyle stage which was previously uncharted territory for the Australian.[26][27]

In 2025 Bioweapon announced the release of their 14-track album Time Capsule, which revitalizes the "old familiar" hardstyle sound.[28]

Discography

[edit]

Albums

[edit]

2018

EPs

[edit]

2012

  • Activated / Your Moment (with Wasted Penguinz)

2018

  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3

Singles

[edit]

2011

  • Visions
  • Red Planet

2012

  • F.E.A.R.
  • Can't Hold Me Back
  • About The Music

2013

  • Brighter Day
  • R.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.
  • I.N.C.O.N.T.R.O.L.
  • Feels Good

2014

  • Pandora
  • Tonight Will Never Die (with Brennan Heart)
  • Accelerate (Official XXlerator Anthem 2014) (with Atmozfears)
  • Starting Over (with Atmozfears)
  • Unleash The Beast (Defqon.1 Australia Anthem 2014)[31]
  • Tonight Will Never Die (Audiotricz Remix) (with Brennan Heart)

2015

  • Draw Me Closer
  • Accelerate (Darren Styles Edit) (with Atmozfears)
  • New World (ft. Chris Madin)
  • End Like This (with Wasted Penguinz, ft. Insali)
  • Kick It Up Now (with Toneshifterz)
  • Triangle
  • Predator

2016

  • See The Light (with Da Tweekaz and Paradise)
  • Dragonblood (Defqon.1 Australia Anthem 2016) (with Audiofreq and Toneshifterz)
  • Are You Ready

2017

2018

  • Sparks (with Darren Styles)

2019

  • GTFO (with Hard Driver)
  • Lowr U Go[32]

2020

On Albums

[edit]

2018

  • Before You Go (with Toneshifterz, on Toneshifterz - Shifting To The Source)

On Compilations

[edit]

2012

  • About The Music (with Toneshifterz, on Hard With Style)

2013

  • Running Late (Brennan Heart & Code Black MF Earthquake Rawmix) (with Brennan Heart, on Be Yourself Dance Vol. 2)

2016

  • Survive (with DV8 Rocks! and Zany, on Gary D. pres. 50 D.Techno Traxx)

Remixes

[edit]

2012

  • Black & White - Get Ya Hands Up

2017

  • Gareth Emery ft. Christina Novelli - Concrete Angel (with Coone)[18]

2020

  • Let There Be Light, Code Black remix (with Audiotricz)

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "Code Black". UK Festivals Guide. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  2. ↑ "Partyflock.nl: Code Black". Archived from the original on 27 March 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 HardstyleMag (12 February 2015). "Throwback Thursday: Bioweapon". Hardstyle Mag. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  4. 1 2 Vink, Wouter de (28 September 2017). "Bioweapon album officialy [sic] announced". Hard News. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  5. ↑ "Bioweapon". Hardstyle Daily. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Vink, Wouter de (7 December 2015). "Interview: Bioweapon is back and here to stay! |". Hard News. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "BBC Radio 1 - Radio 1's Residency, Kutski with Code Black and Andy Whitby". BBC. 31 August 2012. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  8. ↑ "Sydney Morning Herald: Who is Australia's number one DJ?". Archived from the original on 7 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  9. 1 2 Vink, Wouter de (8 December 2014). "Interview with: WE R Music (Brennan Heart, Code Black, Outbreak and Toneshifterz)". Hard News. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  10. ↑ "WE R - Be Yourself Music". Be Yourself Music. Retrieved 30 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "DutchCharts.nl: Code Black - "Brighter Day" page". Archived from the original on 12 June 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "Artists: Code Black". Hardstyle.com. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  13. ↑ HardstyleMag (21 July 2014). "Code Black - Unleash The Beast". Hardstyle Mag. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  14. 1 2 McGraw, Euan (2014). "Code Black - Top 100 DJs 2014". DJ Mag. Archived from the original on 15 March 2015. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  15. ↑ HardstyleMag (4 January 2015). "Top 6 Hardstyle Anthems of 2014". Hardstyle Mag. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  16. ↑ HardstyleMag (13 March 2017). "Throwback: Random Bits about Hardstyle". Hardstyle Mag. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  17. ↑ Vink, Wouter de (5 December 2016). "Code Black & Coone join forces". Hard News. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  18. 1 2 Whitby, Andy (September 2017). "Tune of the Month". Mixmag (316).
  19. ↑ Vink, Wouter de (5 July 2017). "Code Black revealed his very first album". Hard News. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  20. ↑ "Code Black – Artists". Insomniac. Retrieved 2 September 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 4 Hawn, Jaide (2 June 2023). "Code Black Dimmed Lights to Unveil His BLACKOUT Project". EDM Identity. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  22. ↑ "Explore The Harder Styles Found At EDCLV's WasteLAND Stage | EDM Identity". 1 May 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  23. ↑ "Audiofreq Confesses About Hardcore And The Scene | EDM Identity". 31 May 2023. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  24. ↑ Vink, Wouter de (11 January 2023). "Audiofreq & Code Black are back in the studio for new Bioweapon album". Hard News. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  25. ↑ Hawn, Jaide (26 May 2023). "Six Fantastic Moments at EDC Las Vegas 2023". EDM Identity. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  26. ↑ Vink, Wouter de (17 May 2023). "Code Black enters a new era with a new musical direction". Hard News. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  27. ↑ Vink, Wouter de (5 June 2023). "Code Black opens new chapter for massive Intents mainstage". Hard News. Retrieved 13 September 2026.
  28. ↑ Wouter de Vink (9 January 2025). "Audiofreq & Code Black finally release their Bioweapon album". Hard News. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  29. ↑ Köbel, Adam (4 September 2018). "Code Black's 'Journey' Tells the Story of His Musical Self-Reinvention in Hardstyle". EDM Identity. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  30. ↑ Mandel, Alan (16 October 2018). "Code Black Dives Deep Into The Future of Hardstyle". EDM.com. Archived from the original on 11 January 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  31. ↑ "Code Black – Unleash The Beast". HardStyleMag.com. 21 July 2014. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2025.
  32. ↑ Whitby, Andy (April 2019). "Lowr U Go". Mixmag. 335.
[edit]
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