The titan of Hardstyle is back again! Last year Headhunterz made his Ultra Music debut with ‘Colors’ featuring Tatu, which broke into Holland’s top 5 on iTunes as did United Kids of the World, both tracks topped the Beatport Hard Dance chart and become a Hardstyle.com No.1 in less than an hour when released. In support of these monstrous track he toured throughout 2013 relentlessly, making Headhunterz a true diplomat of hardstyle and representing diverse crowds hungry to be pushed musically. Dan Prince checks in with the main man as he smashes 2014…
Willem welcome back to DMCWORLD young man…where in the world are you right now?
“Currently I’m in in the Netherlands, still buzzing from my HARD with STYLE show in the Melkweg we did last Friday. No rest for wicked, because I’m travelling to the US and Canada this weekend for performances in Pontiac, MI and Calgary.”
2013 was an incredible year for you, yet 2014 has started just where you left off with a brilliant tune smashing the world’s dancefloors apart. Talk us through the history of ‘Breakout’, the single you created with Audiofreq…
“Back in December, Bass Events asked Sam and me to produce the anthem for Reverze, which took place on February 22nd. Working together with Sam was great, but the more we got into the production, the more we asked ourselves whether the track would fit as an anthem. In their right, Bass Events didn’t want a too experimental track as an anthem, which I completely understand. Also, the vocals didn’t quite fit and the track would become too ‘forced’. After a discussion it was decided that Sam would produce the event’s anthem and we’d finish the track as a single together. We did however premier Breakout on Reverze. That really was an awesome moment. It came together as a track we both like and get psyched about.”
Audiofreq has admitted you are a musical hero of his, what are his qualities that helped you want to work with him?
“Sam’s album ‘Audioception’ is easily the hardstyle album of 2013. He doesn’t work per a standard formula and his experimentation with different styles has brought some great tracks. Also, he’s just crazy and serious at the same time. I love working with him.”
“We see ‘Breakout’ as a bit of a revolt against the onslaught of raw hardstyle?”. Discuss…
“While I do admit I think the current music coming out is getting a bit repetitive, Breakout did not come together as a revolt to the onslaught of raw hardstyle. We just started working on something and this is where it brought us.”
How long did it take to create the record and was it a smooth process?
“A smooth process? Haha, most definitely not! We worked on it constantly and it took us 1/1,5 month to finish it. There was a point at which we both though “what did we do? Why did we make this so complex and complicated for ourselves?”. Thoughts like “will this even work?” or “Will this be a good enough follow up for my last release?” did enter our minds. But we stepped over our fears, continued the work and we both love the result…”
Are there plans to collaborate in the future?
“For Sam and me? Who know what the future will bring. In the near future there will be an Audiofreq track out on HARD with STYLE on April 21st called ‘Warcry’. It’s an awesome, reverse bass, dance floor killer.”
What is the current top 10 you are spinning…
“These are some of the tracks I play, in no particular order:
- Crystal Lake – Welcome to the Zoo
- Rebourne – Trigger
- Headhunterz & Audiofreq – Breakout
- Headhunterz & TNT – Skincolors (Wildstylez Mashup)
- Geck-o – It’s What We Are (Headhunterz Edit)
- Headhunterz & TNT – Skincolors (Wildstylez Mashup)
- Headhunterz & Brennan Heart – The MF Point Of Perfection
- Audiofreq – Warcry
- Audiotricz ft. John Harris – Momentum
- Mako – Our Story (Audiotricz Bootleg)
Who are some of the Hardstyle producers you are giving high fives to at the moment?
“Audiofreq, Wildstylez, Noisecontrollers and Rebourne!”
Away from dance music, who are some of the artists you are into right now?
“I have the Flume Deluxe album on repeat. That guy nailed it, it’s one of those albums you just keep putting on and suits all different kinds of moods.”
You have some of the most protective/outspoken fans in the world, comments such as…”make a track for us that will leave all the haters in awe” are not uncommon. So for the thousands of readers around the world just getting into Hardstyle, what are your thoughts on your scene today. Is it healthy, what direction is it heading…?
“Fans in the hardstyle scene are very passionate. If you’re new to the scene, the music may sound a little aggressive at first. But once you visited an event you’ll see its great energy and positive vibes. People can forget about everyday worries. I don’t have a glass bowl, but what I do see is that the scene in the US and South America is growing with an enormous pace. From a music perspective I feel we all should keep an open mind and keep experimenting. The standard formula has been done too often and I think for all artists to keep it interesting to go back to the studio every day with passion, it’s important to break some boundaries. Personally I just want to make music which I like and like to play. That’s my only direction.”
Where are some of the stand out gigs you are looking forward to in 2014?
“This may sound cliché, but I really look forward to all of them. Whether it’s a massive festival like EDC Mexico or an intimate club gig, all have their charm and not one set is the same.”
Your 2014 resolution was to ‘celebrate life’. So what changes have you done to your life make this year a HAPPIER year? And finally, what is coming out next from you studio wise?
“I’m not letting any negativity get in the way of what I do. This keeps me focused and that much happier. Working out a lot and meditation brings me that same focus. A healthy body is a happy mind. As far as any future endeavours go, just follow and see…”
Headhunterz ft. Audiofreq ‘Breakout’ (Ultra) is out now.
Headhunterz ft. Krewella ‘United Kids Of The World (Remixes)’ (Ultra) is out now.
For more information on Headhunterz see below:
http://headhunterz.com/
https://www.facebook.com/djheadhunterz
https://twitter.com/djheadhunterz
https://soundcloud.com/headhunterz
