"An Insane Rollercoaster Ride": Headhunterz and D-Block & S-te-Fan Discuss 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 observe 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 tune. It felt “pure” after hanging out with one another, they inform EDM.com.

“We had every been pursuing our careers facet by facet for therefore a few years, after which throughout 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 incredible remix of ‘Twilight Zone,’ and most significantly, we had an important vibe hanging out that day and found how a lot we expect alike. It felt pure to agree on a collaboration.”

“All of it started with the vocals. After we acquired them, we had been immediately captivated by them and instantly thought that this may very well be the beginning of the collaboration with Headhunterz. That is what the tune needed to be about—our folks, 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 greater than 20 years in the past and has continued on with its tonal kicks, fast-paced tempos and unrelenting synths ever since. Numerous fads and kinds have come and gone, however the basic vitality and love for the style haven’t pale. The truth is, hardstyle music seems to be rising in reputation.

“For us, Hardstyle started even earlier with the likes of Isaac, Scot Undertaking 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 keeping with the latter, when melodies turned the spine of the cacophonous style.

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

And regardless of hardstyle’s progress in reputation over the previous few years, Headhunterz would not imagine it is turning into mainstream. As a substitute, 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 imagine it’s extra of a self-confirmation bias that individuals who love exhausting dance have. They at all times wish to assume it’s up-and-coming, and that individuals will need to promote it that approach. Nevertheless, I’ve seen one thing else that brings me way more happiness.”

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

“It has been an insane rollercoaster trip 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 be taught. After we began making music, we had been carefree; there have been no expectations, neither from us nor from the gang. We merely made music for the enjoyment of it.”

“Nevertheless, as we gained reputation, achieved success and encountered bigger crowds, performed at huge festivals and launched into hectic excursions, it turned straightforward to lose sight of what actually issues.” the duo continued. “It is essential to remain linked 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 shortly.”

The commercialization of music oftentimes results in important 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 artistic ventures and join with followers in progressive methods.

“It’s modified rather a lot 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 nearly yearly. Nevertheless, total, hardstyle has demonstrated a remarkably sturdy basis, offering a platform for all of us to navigate and specific our creativity. It’s undoubtedly rising, nevertheless it has not but reached its peak, and maybe that’s for the higher. Our scene is already lovely as it’s, the right atmosphere for each the sound and the folks. We wouldn’t need to change something about it.”

“It’s a really regular scene that hasn’t skilled excessive peaks, and that’s really for the higher,” Headhunterz provides. “It’s additionally the explanation why we now have managed to remain round for therefore 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 challenge, DBSTF shouldn’t be, so there’s an added ingredient of balancing what will get permitted and what would not. Managing the music’s path, work schedules and inventive endeavors will get tougher, however DBSTF have figured it out. They adhere to 2 easy guidelines, which they admit will be tough to observe at occasions.

“One is that we each agree that we now have the perfect curiosity of our model and music. Two is that if one in all 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 effectively as a result of Stefan has a stronger sense of commercialism, whereas Diederik has a higher inclination in the direction of musicality. This enables us to create one thing that appeals not solely to musicians but additionally to the viewers. Since we come from totally different views, it offers 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.”

Massive transitions in an artist’s sound aren’t at all times welcomed by longtime followers. Within the case of Headhunterz, nevertheless, 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 type of music turns into adopted by the mainstream, it adjustments, will get consumed after which discarded,” Headhunterz says. “So, I believe we must be very joyful that it has stayed beneath the radar for the plenty. It’s really part of what hardstyle is all about in my view.”

Striving to innovate and preserve issues contemporary in a style that has remained stagnant over time 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 grow to be extra resilient and make the perfect music of their careers.

“Firstly 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 more difficult. I’ve definitely 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 have the ability to surpass my earlier work.”

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

“Over time, I’ve engaged in plenty of introspection and have at all times discovered this to be an intriguing subject,” Headhunterz explains. “I’ve realized an important deal from it, and I can proudly say that I’ve achieved the purpose 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 creating 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 performed. Over the course of the previous decade, his music has grow to be more and more common 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 shouldn’t be the philosophy that I’ve in my thoughts after 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 folks 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 definitely labored out, and the long run is shiny 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 ingredient of shock. DBSTF, on the hand, should not as secretive.

The duo have quite a lot of 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 observe “Reignite,” which they hope to launch quickly.