20 Nov 2014 
Posted by Cassi Catsaros
“The top 10 anticipated acts of the new wave of hardstyle”
By: Cassi Catsaros.
Most of us are aware of the big names in the hardstyle scene, you know, the dudes who are rolling into their 30’s, 40’s and even celebrating their 50th birthdays! These guys pulled their sticks out and wrote their names in the pavement of hardstyle music, with their names forever to be remembered and embraced whenever we hear that glorious kick and bass. Names such as The Prophet, Technoboy, Zany, Noisecontrollers and DJ Isaac probably ding at the bells in our mind when we think of the big experts who’s music made so many parties, festivals and record labels possible. That’s all very noble and noteworthy how the “godfathers” of hardstyle have intrinsically arranged the building blocks of hard dance music to grow from, planting the seeds in which one spectacular and diverse flower has emerged from… The veterans have laid the foundations, given practical “birth” to the genre, but what about the future…?
What about the future generation? What about the artists who grab the baton and keep running the beautiful journey of creative expression? Well, I guess that is the very purpose of this piece of writing – to give you all the rundown on what the lovely gush of late generation Y producers are going to bring to the table. This fresh wave of new producers behold the responsibility of keeping the spirit of hard dance music alive, keeping the originality flowing and most importantly, keeping us listeners dancing with smiles on our faces for hours on end.
Speaking of responsibility, I took the request to investigate the most anticipated up and coming hardstyle producers of the moment – shedding light onto the beaming talent of this “new generation”. After retreating to a lot of glorious listening time, various research and also just generally engaging in conversation with active members of the hardstyle community I came up with some personal predictions of artists that I believe have that “original spark” that will produce banger after banger and keep us die-hard fans coming back for more and more time on the dance floor.
So here it is, I’m going to introduce (in no particular order) the top 1 to 10 “young guns” in the hardstyle scene.
So without further adieu…
1. Rebourne
Fresh, beautiful, spine shivering tracks consisting of mind blowing melodies are the first thing I think of when somebody mentions the name Rebourne.
Other than being extremely down-to-Earth and humble about his achievements, 20 year old Dutch producer Timon Van Merriënboer is also setting the standards to a sky rocketing high for the future of hardstyle. His dedication and audacious approach to hardstyle has paid off from day one and his versatile and experimental view on music is admirable. The story began when Timon released a few tracks onto YouTube in 2010, somebody must have been so impressed by these tracks that they sent them to long standing record label Fusion, and very soon he received a message from Fusion inviting him to have a meeting.
At the ripe young age of just 17, Timon broke the record as the youngest artist to be signed to Fusion, and after his first release “Split Second” under his former name “Profite”, he generated such a great response that some even became threatened of this young gun. Within a week of Split Second’s release, another hardstyle artist with a slightly similar name contacted Fusion, requesting Timon to change his name. Fortunately, the ‘name change’ is all old news now – so let’s take a look into the present…
After settling into the new name of Rebourne, Timon has created such powerful and emotive tracks that never fail to euphorically evoke listeners such as “Leaving” and “Reality”, a collaboration he did with Neilio. One person who is particularly under Rebourne’s musical spell is veteran Headhunterz, who couldn’t help but to have the pleasure of releasing tracks “Trigger” and “Horizon” (2014) under his new label Hard With Style – also inviting Timon to play at the Hard With Style night in March, 2014, alongside himself and Audiofreq. Not to mention, Rebourne recently tore apart the decks of the USA at Basscon presents: Hard With Style in Los Angeles. Timon’s versatile and exceptional sound is highly enduring as he gives justice to this upcoming generation of musical legends.
This young gun is someone we should all definitely keep our ears peeled for… If you want to experience shivers up your spine, I recommend you jump onto his Soundcloud ASAP and soak up the “feels”!
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2. Adrenalize
Malthe Mehlskov, AKA Adrenalize is the definition of a truly gifted musician. The newly 18 year old Danish young gun exploded into the scene as Scantraxx’s youngest artist at the age of just 14 years old! This energetic genius is known for his passionate, uplifting melodies and tracks that have the ability to keep listeners wanting more!
After playing at Headhunterz presents Hard With Style in late 2012, this would have been one of Malthe’s big explosions into his musical career which has already seen him traveling to many countries, playing at Defqon 1, Bass Control in Sydney, Australia, Tomorrowland at the beloved Q-Dance stage and also recently to the US and Canada. Wowing crowds with his musical ability wherever he goes, it is no wonder why this blue-eyed genius is in high demand this coming festival season!
At the age of 17, most teenagers spend their Saturday nights in, but not Malthe. The fact that he was able to enter clubs underage is pretty decent and his busy tour schedule and great studio time is guaranteeing a bright future. Adrenalize has received enormous support from many veteran artists within the scene but particularly from his mentor Headhunterz; and not to mention his remix of “From Within”, was the very first release on the label Hard With Style. Releasing also two new incredible tracks very recently on Scantraxx, “Cloudy Memory” and “Crystal”, Adrenalize is certainly a remarkable talent who we definitely need to keep on our radar!
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3. Outlander
Lander Deloffer, AKA Outlander, the 21 year old Belgian based (and also cat obsessed) melody genius is making his mark on the scene with an amazingly divergent sound comprising of supernatural inspired melodies that will send you on a journey in space. There are high hopes for this cat loving producer as he has landed himself already playing at huge events such as Rebirth, Reverze, Defqon 1, Bassleader and Xxlerator.
Outlander’s outstanding ability to create music that is suitable for the dance floor and also deep listening is outstanding as he demonstrates his highly sophisticated skills in a very experimental and bold manner, somewhere where many artists would never dare to venture to.
After producing “jump” for some time in his younger years, Lander found instant inspiration from Headhunterz “The Sacrifice” and from then on, he fell head over heels in love with hardstyle and shifted his focus onto creating various EP’s which veteran Coone stumbled upon – landing him signed with Dirty Workz in 2011.
Evidently, no track that comes out of Outlander’s Belgian studio is dull, in fact, I could probably listen to “Transit” on repeat and never get bored – the glistening originality and simplicity of this track (and every other track he creates) can put me on cloud nine. Sitting down and really listening to Outlander’s tracks truly takes you on a journey, reminding you that the key to creation comes from within and you can hear that this young man has put his heart and soul into every second of every track – this is a dedication that is timeless…
You may of heard a few of his tracks on Hard With Style such as “Flying Space Monster”, “Telepathy”, and “Our World,” and to put it plainly, this Belgian perfectionist never falls short! His originality and versatility is exactly what the scene needs to carry on as Outlander never fails to deliver and amaze his listeners! When Headhunterz described Outlander’s track “Telepathy” on Hard With Style to have the ability “to get stuck in your head”, myself and probably many of you who have heard this track have been astonished to find that for the next few days, you’ll be humming this one out loud, and for those of you who don’t believe me, go and jump on YouTube or Sound cloud and check his music out!
While you’re at it, be sure to check out his lovely selection of “selfies” with his cat on Instagram, you’ll soon see that this down to earth producer is the full package!
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4. Phuture Noize
Raw emotion, invigorating energy, unique musical storylines and timelessly impeccable, high quality productions can be a precise sum up of what the next generation pioneers Phuture Noize bring to the phuture of hardstyle.
Signed with Dirty Workz Anarchy, Marco Spronk and Antoine Kraaij are the masterminds behind the Dutch act, who are renowned for using their creative and freshly innovative approach to broaden the boundaries of the conventional ‘rawstyle’ sound. Heavily inspired by many musical genres, especially drum and bass, this duo is known to generate a powerful and undying energy with every track they create and perfect.
And let me tell you, this Dutch duo’s hard work has paid off as the boys are out to grab the baton of hardstyle and keep the spirit alive. Up amongst the best, these guys were given the honour of representing “Team Red” at the 2014 edition of Hard Bass alongside rawstyle veterans Titan and Adaro. Demonstrating their production skills and undying creativity, their entire collection of tracks are packed with intense emotion, never failing to surround their listeners with an energetic and raw vibe. It’s no wonder that this duo keeps party-goers on the dance floor for hours and listeners craving for some more “noize.” Their musical individuality and intelligent productions ensured more and more bookings at some of the best events including Intents Festival, Sunrise Festival, Megabase Outdoor, Loudness, Defqon 1 and recently at D7 HQ in Sydney, Australia.
After releasing their kickass album “Music Rules the Noize,” in late 2013, the boys hit the highs again by releasing two EP’s “Wrong Attitude” and “The Heat.” In recent times, the guys are working on a brand new EP “Phuture Propaganda,” which we cannot wait to get our hands on!
Speaking of phuture – we cannot wait to see what these guys have in store for us!
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5. Dillytek
“Abandoned, You Got it, Our Legacy, No Limitation and that famously fantastic I Could Be The One remix” definitely did justice for the Dillytek boys, as every Australian is sure to have their flags flying high for this powerhouse duo! Aaron Tilse & Aaron Grace (yes, both of their names are Aaron) comprise this energetic and musically unique Aussie hardstyle duo, who have been friends since their school days, tightening their bond through their passion for hardstyle and sharing their music with the world.
In aim to represent the land down under, these boys deservingly burst into the scene, releasing tracks under ‘Dutch Master Works’ and working their way up to support artists such as D Block & S-Te-Fan at their Sydney show in 2013 and also tearing apart the Mainstage at Defqon. 1 Australia, 2013.
2014 has been yet another crazy year for Dillytek as they have represented the green and gold at both Defqon.1 in The Netherlands alongside Toneshifterz and also at the mainstage at the Australian edition!
Since forming in 2010, the boys have indeed done Australia justice, as they produced innovative and highly perfected tracks one after another, giving performances their absolute all as the boys appear to be having just as much fun as the crowd!
Aaron and Aaron have also recently received enormous support from “The Melodyman” himself, Frontliner – who chose the duo to collaborate with as a part of his Australian tour in May, 2014 presented by Q-Dance. This collaboration put these guys high flying on the hardstyle radar and also on Frontliner’s radar too. The Melodyman was so impressed with the boys’ tracks and ability in the studio, that they were invited to join Frontliner’s label “Keep it Up Music,” with their first release “Feeling” released in June!
Speaking of keeping it up, keep up the fantastic work guys! Australia is sure to be supporting you in this coming festival season and I’m sure that the best is yet to come!
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6. Neilio
The first thing that I think about when somebody mentions the name Neilio to me are the Goosebumps that pop up on all of my limbs every time I hear his track “WINMY” (Wish I Never Met You).
Although Irish born Neil Bourke, 25, was only signed to Dirty Workz less in March 2013, he has already captured thousands of fans into his grippingly emotive music that will have you humming the melodies for days on end. His social media has been skyrocketing over the last year with more and more fans discovering Neil’s undeniable knack for creating something beautiful.
I know for sure that I find myself caught up singing “I Wish I Never Met You,” one of his most mind grasping tracks and also such a simplistic storyline that we can definitely all relate to.
That is what makes his music so beautiful – it’s timeless, skilful and evokes passion to all listeners.
Immersing himself within various collaborations with other budding young guns such as Omegatypez and Rebourne, Neilio is definitely proving his immense musical skills, creating melodies that are so transcendent and thrilling to all listeners, that it is no wonder that he is receiving such huge support from podcasts such as Hard With Style, WE R Hardstyle and Slam Harder.
I’m sure if I had a crystal ball to predict this young star’s future it would be very bright with plenty of exciting festivals, enthusiasm and most importantly, some bloody great music!
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7. Omegatypez:
You may have seen 21 year old Fabian Schmidt AKA Omegatypez partying amongst the crowd at various hard dance festivals after finishing his set, and if you haven’t caught him in amongst the crowd, you probably have seen him up behind the decks giving it his absolute all.
No performance is dull when this guy is around and he is not Germany’s number one hard dance act for no reason. His originality shines through every “feel good” track that comes out of his studio and it is no wonder that Fabian is in high demand for this coming festival season.
The act Omegatypez originally consisted of Fabian and also his buddy Johannes Zech. The boys released huge hits such as “Dirty Style” and “Calling” with The Vision that skyrocketed their way onto various podcasts and straight into Headhunterz’ Qlimax set in 2011 which was a huge milestone for the act.
However, the duo act Omegatypez came to a split at the end of 2013 when musical priorities changed and Fabian found that he was managing the majority of the productions and studio work. Despite the split, the boys still remain friends and Johannes has since launched his solo project “Faizar”.
All old news aside, since the split, Fabian has been on absolute fire – literary! Pumping out quality track after quality track, including his infamous bootleg of Tove Lo’s “Habits,” he has proved himself to be a producer with exquisite expertise through his playful and enjoyable sound that never disappoints listeners.
I think it’s safe to say that if Fabian continues to keep up his unbreakable dedication and also his astounding tracks flowing from the studio, the hardstyle scene has some great representation for many years ahead!
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8. Kronos:
When we think of rawstyle, we think of encompassing kicks that have the ability to cause a 8.9 magnitude earthquake, powerhouse bass that shakes the world around us and powerful screeches that have the ability to make even the highest of the Gods dance in joy. Producing quality rawstyle is not easy and it is definitely easy to get it wrong – which gives this next artist even greater recognition as he is reaching musical heights that many artists strive to achieve for many years.
He’s been signed under Zatox’s huge hitting raw label “Unite” since 2013 and has already created a consisted selection of tracks that have the ability to create a natural disaster (in a good way), let me introduce you to…
KRONOS!
The Italian master, Jacopo Mariotti AKA Kronos is already nailing every concept of tearing dancefloors apart with his sound as he has released absolutely groundbreaking track after track… At the ripe young age of 22, Jacopo is bursting down the doors of the scene, making his mark and making it hard! He has even set the stakes high for other veteran producers that Zatox couldn’t help but take him under his wing! Both Kronos and Zatox collaborated to create “Kiss My Ass,” which has been released on Zatox’s new album “New World Order.”
For those of you who haven’t been infected by the intense sensations that arise when listening to Kronos’ tracks, then I suggest you prepare yourself to feel things that you probably have never felt before when listening to hardstyle. His music will leave you speechless, yet so full of life and emotion, and not to mention – he is definitely not a one-hit-wander. This guy has shown such dedication and love towards his tracks, that there are simply no faults behind what is coming out of his studio!
You can hear the absolute love and dedication shine through Jacopo’s every track, the complete perfection, shining originality and hard hitting kicks is what is going to ensure this young guns career go skyrocketing in the near future!
I have no more words to describe this powerhouse producer other than go and check some of his music out and let his tracks blow your mind!
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9. Raxtor
“All day, all night, keep the groove flowing…”
I think that “groove” would be a severe understatement when attempting to explain the bold experimentalist Raxtor’s music. Pushing the endless boundaries of hardstyle (in a good way), Alessandro Leotta, also known as Raxtor is daring and innovative, his distinctively bold sound has kept crowds dancing for longer and craving for MORE!
The now 22 year old Italian creative mind immersed himself in music from his younger years, instantly falling under the spell of early hardstyle instantly when he heard the beloved reverse bass. In 2009, Alessandro began producing hardstyle for fun, mainly inspired by this early sound and when he jokingly sent his demo’s to Italian hardstyle veteran Zatox, he received news back that his music “wasn’t bad” and with a little more time and heed his beats could become his lifestyle.
Alessandro grasped his advice and with all of his heart and dedication, he spent days, nights and ungodly hours of the morning perfecting his sound and creating something truly wonderful. His dedication and true passion did pay off by the time 2013 rolled around as he revealed his sound to the world under the name of “Raxtor”. Gaining support from his idol Zatox who signed him to Unite Records and also receiving support from various podcasts such as Hard With Style and Digital Punk’s Unleashed – it was evident that this Italian star truly created a truly gripping sound.
His tracks “V.I.B.E.” and more recently “Wild Skin,” hit it big as Raxtor gained immense popularity amongst the scene and applauded for his extremely individual and creative sound. Raxtor has also joined forces with Italian idol Zatox to create “Madness,” released on Zatox’s newly released album “New World Order.”
It is not easy for producers to keep a consistent and high quality distinct that flows through all of their tracks – but Alessandro has indeed nailed it and is doing Italy proud!
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10. Audiotricz
Last on the list, but definitely not least, is a dynamic duo who are already keeping arms flying through the air – these guys know passion and speak passion through every catchy melody that they craft. Let me introduce you all to… Audiotricz!
This versatile and fresh Dutch duo consist of Léon Benschop and Kenneth Kroes who have never failed to melt the hearts of thousands, with their perfectly tuned melodies and powerful vocals, these guys definitely know hardstyle and are setting the bar high for the future! Also gaining immense support from big guns such as Headhunterz, Wildstylez and Noisecontrollers, these guys have truly proved their talent! In 2014, Audiotricz collaborated with Italian hardstyle heavyweights TNT to create the smashing hit “Ghettoblaster” and also with The Prophet to create the kick-ass track “Conquer The World,” featured on his new album “Louder.”
Shortly after releasing the absolute masterpiece “This is The Time,” alongside Atmozfears, these guys absolutely skyrocketed, proving their studio skills and that they were not just a “one hit wonder”. Their melodies are definitely one of a kind and have the rare ability to allow the listener to drift off into a parallel universe, floating on a cloud of euphoria and joy. The energy and absolute love and attention these guys put into every single track is outstanding, and their hard work is definitely paying off as their agenda for this coming festival season is jam-packed full of spectacular events!
Melody veterans, watch out! These guys are thriving, original and here to stay!
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So there you have it! A little taste of what cards the next generation is going to bring to the table. Budding producers, let this article inspire you, as this could soon be you! As for the rest of you, I suggest that you begin updating your playlists and purchase those festival tickets!
