"An Insane Rollercoaster Trip": Headhunterz and D-Block & S-te-Fan Talk about Hardstyle's Evolution

Hardstyle music has been across the block and again, making a perpetual imprint on numerous artists and paving the best way for contemporary digital music.

Pioneering the style and its encroachment are Headhunterz and D-Block & S-te-Fan, who just lately joined forces for the aptly-titled “Keepers of Our Legacy.” Their first-ever collaboration, the monitor is an ode to the persevering and tight-knit hardstyle group.

The concept behind “Keepers of Our Legacy” began at the start of the pandemic after Headhunterz and DBSTF realized they needed to collaborate on a track. It felt “pure” after hanging out with one another, they inform EDM.com.

“We had every been pursuing our careers aspect by aspect for thus a few years, after which in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, we reached out to Willem to remix our sequence ‘Enter Your Thoughts,'” stated D-Block & S-te-Fan. “He confirmed nice enthusiasm, delivering a improbable remix of ‘Twilight Zone,’ and most significantly, we had a fantastic vibe hanging out that day and found how a lot we predict alike. It felt pure to agree on a collaboration.”

“All of it started with the vocals. After we obtained them, we had been immediately captivated by them and instantly thought that this might be the beginning of the collaboration with Headhunterz. That is what the track needed to be about—our individuals, our scene. It needed to replicate how resilient we’re and the way a lot all of us contribute to this music.”

Hardstyle stomped its approach into followers’ playlists and libraries more than 20 years ago and has continued on with its tonal kicks, fast-paced tempos and unrelenting synths ever since. Numerous fads and types have come and gone, however the elementary vitality and love for the style haven’t pale. In actual fact, hardstyle music seems to be growing in popularity.

“For us, Hardstyle started even earlier with the likes of Isaac, Scot Challenge and plenty of different German and Italian influences earlier than Holland embraced it, with artists creating the sound we now confer with as hardstyle,” DBSTF added.

Headhunterz and DBSTF every began gaining traction practically twenty years in the past within the aughts, a time, in response to the latter, when melodies grew to become the spine of the cacophonous style.

“Us and Headhunterz began gaining traction round 2005 and 2006, the place the melodic sound influenced all the scene,” DBSTF reminisced. “It’s mind-boggling to ponder how a lot we’ve each grown as people and artists. It was lengthy overdue to solidify that course of by way of collaboration, and what higher solution to pay tribute to all of us Hardstyle lovers who’re maintaining the legacy of this glorious music and scene alive.”

And regardless of hardstyle’s development in recognition over the previous few years, Headhunterz does not consider it is changing into mainstream. As an alternative, he believes it is extra of a “self-confirmation bias.”

“To be trustworthy, I don’t actually assume there’s an upward pattern of hardstyle,” Headhunterz explains. “I consider it’s extra of a self-confirmation bias that individuals who love exhausting dance have. They at all times prefer to assume it’s up-and-coming, and that individuals will need to promote it that approach. Nonetheless, I’ve seen one thing else that brings me rather more happiness.”

Maybe hardstyle isn’t rising in popularity, however extra numerous as more artists enter the genre and create their very own aggressive sound and magnificence. Regardless of these fixed adjustments, the style has, in response to D-Block & S-te-Fan, “demonstrated a remarkably sturdy basis.” This bedrock of assist from a loyal fanbase permits producers to really discover the bounds of their artistry with out the harsh criticism that comes with their want to develop artistically.

“It has been an insane rollercoaster experience for the previous 15 years,” DBSTF gushed. “It is typically unusual to see how a lot has modified and but how a lot has remained the identical. You reside and also you study. After we began making music, we had been carefree; there have been no expectations, neither from us nor from the group. We merely made music for the enjoyment of it.”

“Nonetheless, as we gained recognition, achieved success and encountered bigger crowds, performed at huge festivals and launched into hectic excursions, it grew to become simple to lose sight of what actually issues.” the duo continued. “It is essential to remain related to your self whereas evolving and to at all times have enjoyable! These key components are issues we wrestle with alongside the best way and should embrace much more rapidly.”

The commercialization of music oftentimes results in vital adjustments in an artist’s sound. And that fluidity typically results in happiness, regardless of the hole opinions of followers. A revamped sound is new and thrilling, enabling them to check the waters of untapped creative ventures and connect with fans in innovative ways.

“It’s modified so much and never a lot on the identical time,” D-Block & S-te-Fan add. “Sounds and subcultures inside hardstyle have been rising and fading, evolving virtually yearly. Nonetheless, general, hardstyle has demonstrated a remarkably sturdy basis, offering a platform for all of us to navigate and specific our creativity. It’s undoubtedly rising, however it has not but reached its peak, and maybe that’s for the higher. Our scene is already stunning as it’s, the proper surroundings for each the sound and the individuals. We wouldn’t need to change something about it.”

“It’s a really regular scene that hasn’t skilled excessive peaks, and that’s truly for the higher,” Headhunterz provides. “It’s additionally the explanation why we’ve managed to remain round for thus a few years. Artists are in a position to have careers that final over a decade with out being forgotten and on the identical time, preserve the music pure for the followers.”

Whereas Headhunterz is a solo mission, DBSTF just isn’t, so there’s an added factor of balancing what will get accepted and what does not. Managing the music’s route, work schedules and inventive endeavors will get tougher, however DBSTF have figured it out. They adhere to 2 easy guidelines, which they admit may be troublesome to comply with at instances.

“One is that we each agree that we’ve the most effective curiosity of our model and music. Two is that if one among us isn’t feeling it, it’s not taking place. Each of us should be in full settlement that that is what we wish. In our case, it really works nicely as a result of Stefan has a stronger sense of commercialism, whereas Diederik has a better inclination in direction of musicality. This permits us to create one thing that appeals not solely to musicians but additionally to the viewers. Since we come from completely different views, it gives us with cool insights within the studio. It is merely an ideal match, and we’re delighted that we began working collectively all these years in the past.”

Huge transitions in an artist’s sound aren’t at all times welcomed by longtime followers. Within the case of Headhunterz, nonetheless, he’s maintained an extended and profitable profession by innovating inside his personal hardstyle group—and followers have caught round.

“As soon as a sure model of music turns into adopted by the mainstream, it adjustments, will get consumed after which discarded,” Headhunterz says. “So, I feel we needs to be very completely happy that it has stayed underneath the radar for the lots. It’s truly part of what hardstyle is all about for my part.”

Striving to innovate and preserve issues contemporary in a style that has remained stagnant through the years has its personal set of distinctive struggles. However the problem of making one thing new has allowed Headhunterz and D-Block & S-te-Fan to change into extra resilient and make the most effective music of their careers.

“At the start of your profession, you don’t have anything to lose, so you possibly can solely enhance,” Headhunterz says. “Every time, you try to surpass your self and exceed expectations, however as time goes on, it turns into tougher. I’ve actually skilled moments when it was each difficult and even scary to create one thing and current it to the viewers, fearing that I wouldn’t be capable to surpass my earlier work.”

These demons inside Headhunterz had been mitigated with deep introspection, he says.

“Over time, I’ve engaged in a number of introspection and have at all times discovered this to be an intriguing matter,” Headhunterz explains. “I’ve discovered a fantastic deal from it, and I can proudly say that I’ve achieved the objective of reconnecting with the purpose the place music not looks like work. For some time, it did really feel like work, however I’ve rediscovered the pleasure of constructing music purely from my coronary heart. I’m immensely grateful for locating that pleasure as a result of, for me, that is what it is all about.”

And discovering pleasure in creating music is precisely what Headhunterz has finished. Over the course of the previous decade, his music has change into more and more standard across the globe, fueling dancefloors and festivals.

“When creating music, I don’t rationally take into consideration what I’m going to create. It comes from a visceral place,” he says. “I solely discover out what my music is appropriate for afterward. My music isn’t actually made for the dancefloor, though it finally ends up that approach in the long run. However creating music for a dancefloor just isn’t the philosophy that I’ve in my thoughts once I’m within the studio. I make music as a result of I need to get in contact with my feelings and in addition hope that different individuals will really feel the identical after they hear my music, however that’s at all times a guess. Till now it is labored out!”

It’s most actually labored out, and the long run is vibrant for each Headhunterz and his beloved hardstyle style. When requested about his upcoming collaborations and initiatives, he says he enjoys remaining quiet and utilizing the factor of shock. DBSTF, on the hand, usually are not as secretive.

The duo have numerous thrilling releases popping out on Scantraxx, a hardstyle label based by The Prophet), who carries the title of “Godfather of Hardstyle.” They’ve additionally completed a remix of Headhunterz’s traditional monitor “Reignite,” which they hope to launch quickly.