Firstly – what’s happening in the world of Headhunterz at the moment? How are you feeling about the upcoming Australian tour?
Actually there's a lot going on in ‘Headhunterz world’ at the moment. I was very busy for Qlimax, and now I’m mainly spending my time preparing my own edition of X-Qlusive in January, which of course I’m very exited about and I want it to be memorable!! Then there are the performances every weekend, sometimes during the week and meanwhile I am also moving to a new house and as if that’s not enough, moving my studio as well. So, I guess I’m pretty busy at the moment!
Has your life changed at all since the release of the album last year? There don’t seem to be many hardstyle artists releasing albums – why do you think this is? Has writing an album changed your creative approaches as an artist at all?
Well if you ask me there's plenty of albums coming out lately! Which is a good thing I think. Loads of new tracks to play, new people get reached and it leaves room for the producer to experiment a bit! The Project One album was absolutely an important thing for me. Consider that every single track is a learning process. Every track reveals new secrets while making it, and it never stops. So when you make 12 in a row you learn a lot! Every track I make now would have been different if I didn’t make that album.
How do you feel about the current state of hardstyle? There seem to be a lot of conflicting reports on it – some say its saturated, some say it’s just beginning to come into its own. What do you think? Have you always felt a connection with hardstyle music?
It depends on where you are. I think with hardstyle; other countries are always a bit behind compared to Holland. Tracks that are already 'not done' in Holland are huge hits in other countries right now. First runner up seems to be Australia, it seems hardstyle is getting really big there huh! About the complaining: They are right, there sure is an overkill of the same thing, but it's a classic story in (pop)music, a circle which seems unavoidable: a style is loved by a small group of people - the big crowd follows - the music gets more accessible and smoother (commercial) and the small group (the die-hards), disgust it, they've lost their own special style. They go back to their raw and unpolished roots - big crowd follows - raw gets smooth again - etcetera. I still enjoy hardstyle very much and while it's not going so quick, there is always progression and change going on. Compare some records from now with some from a few years ago and you will notice.
You’ve worked with your voice as both a singer and a voice actor from a very young age – what kind of impact do you think that background has on your work as a DJ and producer? Have you continued your career as a voice artist alongside the DJing?
The studio where I sang as a child was my first contact with electronic produced music and audio equipment, and directly drew my attention. I even did some recordings behind the mixer as a child! I'm pretty sure that it started my whole dream of being a musician one day. My voice career even had something to do with it. I bought my very first belt driven turntables with money I earned doing voiceovers. At the moment I don’t do voiceovers because I'm simply too busy being Headhunterz! But I make some exceptions. I still do Harry Potter for example.
You obviously came from a very strong musical background – but were you always going to be involved in dance music? Did you have any other ambitions? I read you got your first set of turntables at age twelve - what inspired you to get a pair of turntables?
In the 90's there was a time that hardcore music was very big in Holland. I was about 9 years old at that time and I was 100% gabber. Anyway that was my first love for electronic dance music. I love all kinds of music but I’ve always had this special thing with electronic music. Besides music I have had some short crushes on other professions like cameraman and professional skateboarder…. teenager hormones! About the turntables…. I think I was older when I got the turntables. But what I did get at 12 was a dj mixer, for my birthday. At that time I was still mixing the radio with the television…
How important is technology for you as an artist? You obviously began your career before DJing had reached the level of accessibility it
has now – do you feel obliged to keep your gear up-to-date? How about
as a producer?
Obligation is the excuse I make up to buy loads of expensive gear. I love buying new gear like a woman likes buying shoes. Sometimes when I’m stuck in a song I buy a new plug-in and it gives me just enough inspiration to finish it.
Throughout your career, collaboration seems to have played a significant role in your work – is this a fair comment? How was it when you had to adjust to working as a solo producer and DJ? Do you have a preferred method of working?
True, I love working together. Actually I never felt like I had to adjust when working together. When you are together you keep each other sharp and you consider things more. I have a preferred way of working but I'm always open for other methods.
What were the processes behind setting up Scantraxx Reloaded? How are you involved with the running of the label? What is it that separates Reloaded from Scantraxx?
Reloaded was created in the first place because I made that much music that I would occupy all Scantraxx, so that way I could release fast and organized. Basically reloaded is for my releases and sometimes I put on a track from another producer….when it comes to reloaded I decide! But I’m not involved in the managing and business part. I believe in doing one thing good instead of doing a lot of things half.
Are you surprised by how much you’ve achieved at such a relatively young age? What were your ambitions when you first entered into DJing and production?
I had a lot of great surprises and I realize how lucky I am to be able to live for and from music. On the other hand I cannot imagine my life being different than this, this is just the way it went, it’s the path I’m walking. But in the end it all makes me no more special than any other person. Everybody has got his own specialty. I look up to my accountant, how the hack does he manage to keep up with all those numbers! My ambitions when I entered started more at the production side. I literally locked myself up to master the techniques. Then when things started to work out and I got more and more gigs, dreams seemed to come true before I could even dream them!
What do you have planned for the future? Are there any ambitions left to accomplish or new ambitions that have evolved in recent years?
I can honestly say that I’m a very happy person so basically I would be super happy to just continue my life how it is at the moment, private and work. But of course I still have dreams…There are still parts of the world that never heard of hardstyle, so we are far from done spreading the virus! And honestly I dream of one day inventing a new style that had never been done before. But that is incredibly difficult I think.
Actually there's a lot going on in ‘Headhunterz world’ at the moment. I was very busy for Qlimax, and now I’m mainly spending my time preparing my own edition of X-Qlusive in January, which of course I’m very exited about and I want it to be memorable!! Then there are the performances every weekend, sometimes during the week and meanwhile I am also moving to a new house and as if that’s not enough, moving my studio as well. So, I guess I’m pretty busy at the moment!
Has your life changed at all since the release of the album last year? There don’t seem to be many hardstyle artists releasing albums – why do you think this is? Has writing an album changed your creative approaches as an artist at all?
Well if you ask me there's plenty of albums coming out lately! Which is a good thing I think. Loads of new tracks to play, new people get reached and it leaves room for the producer to experiment a bit! The Project One album was absolutely an important thing for me. Consider that every single track is a learning process. Every track reveals new secrets while making it, and it never stops. So when you make 12 in a row you learn a lot! Every track I make now would have been different if I didn’t make that album.
How do you feel about the current state of hardstyle? There seem to be a lot of conflicting reports on it – some say its saturated, some say it’s just beginning to come into its own. What do you think? Have you always felt a connection with hardstyle music?
It depends on where you are. I think with hardstyle; other countries are always a bit behind compared to Holland. Tracks that are already 'not done' in Holland are huge hits in other countries right now. First runner up seems to be Australia, it seems hardstyle is getting really big there huh! About the complaining: They are right, there sure is an overkill of the same thing, but it's a classic story in (pop)music, a circle which seems unavoidable: a style is loved by a small group of people - the big crowd follows - the music gets more accessible and smoother (commercial) and the small group (the die-hards), disgust it, they've lost their own special style. They go back to their raw and unpolished roots - big crowd follows - raw gets smooth again - etcetera. I still enjoy hardstyle very much and while it's not going so quick, there is always progression and change going on. Compare some records from now with some from a few years ago and you will notice.
You’ve worked with your voice as both a singer and a voice actor from a very young age – what kind of impact do you think that background has on your work as a DJ and producer? Have you continued your career as a voice artist alongside the DJing?
The studio where I sang as a child was my first contact with electronic produced music and audio equipment, and directly drew my attention. I even did some recordings behind the mixer as a child! I'm pretty sure that it started my whole dream of being a musician one day. My voice career even had something to do with it. I bought my very first belt driven turntables with money I earned doing voiceovers. At the moment I don’t do voiceovers because I'm simply too busy being Headhunterz! But I make some exceptions. I still do Harry Potter for example.
You obviously came from a very strong musical background – but were you always going to be involved in dance music? Did you have any other ambitions? I read you got your first set of turntables at age twelve - what inspired you to get a pair of turntables?
In the 90's there was a time that hardcore music was very big in Holland. I was about 9 years old at that time and I was 100% gabber. Anyway that was my first love for electronic dance music. I love all kinds of music but I’ve always had this special thing with electronic music. Besides music I have had some short crushes on other professions like cameraman and professional skateboarder…. teenager hormones! About the turntables…. I think I was older when I got the turntables. But what I did get at 12 was a dj mixer, for my birthday. At that time I was still mixing the radio with the television…
How important is technology for you as an artist? You obviously began your career before DJing had reached the level of accessibility it
has now – do you feel obliged to keep your gear up-to-date? How about
as a producer?
Obligation is the excuse I make up to buy loads of expensive gear. I love buying new gear like a woman likes buying shoes. Sometimes when I’m stuck in a song I buy a new plug-in and it gives me just enough inspiration to finish it.
Throughout your career, collaboration seems to have played a significant role in your work – is this a fair comment? How was it when you had to adjust to working as a solo producer and DJ? Do you have a preferred method of working?
True, I love working together. Actually I never felt like I had to adjust when working together. When you are together you keep each other sharp and you consider things more. I have a preferred way of working but I'm always open for other methods.
What were the processes behind setting up Scantraxx Reloaded? How are you involved with the running of the label? What is it that separates Reloaded from Scantraxx?
Reloaded was created in the first place because I made that much music that I would occupy all Scantraxx, so that way I could release fast and organized. Basically reloaded is for my releases and sometimes I put on a track from another producer….when it comes to reloaded I decide! But I’m not involved in the managing and business part. I believe in doing one thing good instead of doing a lot of things half.
Are you surprised by how much you’ve achieved at such a relatively young age? What were your ambitions when you first entered into DJing and production?
I had a lot of great surprises and I realize how lucky I am to be able to live for and from music. On the other hand I cannot imagine my life being different than this, this is just the way it went, it’s the path I’m walking. But in the end it all makes me no more special than any other person. Everybody has got his own specialty. I look up to my accountant, how the hack does he manage to keep up with all those numbers! My ambitions when I entered started more at the production side. I literally locked myself up to master the techniques. Then when things started to work out and I got more and more gigs, dreams seemed to come true before I could even dream them!
What do you have planned for the future? Are there any ambitions left to accomplish or new ambitions that have evolved in recent years?
I can honestly say that I’m a very happy person so basically I would be super happy to just continue my life how it is at the moment, private and work. But of course I still have dreams…There are still parts of the world that never heard of hardstyle, so we are far from done spreading the virus! And honestly I dream of one day inventing a new style that had never been done before. But that is incredibly difficult I think.