04 Jul 2016 
Posted by Cassi Catsaros
Artist Of The Month – July, 2016!
When pondering over the past month and its events, it’s safe to say that June was one for the books! We were fortunate enough to experience an array of gorgeous moments on the frontline, bundles of new releases and even the revival of one of our fallen legends. Yep, June was incredible, however it’s time to look forth and conquer a brand new month with a burst of revitalizing energy – and what better way to kick off the month than to throw yet another deserving artist into the spotlight?!
Representing the ‘hottest’ (unless you live in The Netherlands) month of the year, this artist displays a legacy that extends into the roots of the genre, powerfully touches present times and is expected to continue well into the future… Ladies and gentlemen, we are proud to present our artist of the month for July, 2016 – the one, the only, THE Godfather… The Prophet!
Despite the name ‘Godfather’ being pasted up to describe Dov J. Elkabas, if you take a moment to think about the ample opportunities that this man has brought into the scene, you’d know exactly why he’s deemed as such an iconic figurehead. With such a rich history and legacy behind his name that extends for thirty years, we’re now going to take a quick look at some of The Prophet’s most defining career highlights.
Already sporting extensive knowledge of mixing after coming into touch with House music years before, in 1991 Dov set up ‘The Dreamteam,’ an infamous group who performed live at several events including Thunderdome and Mysteryland. With the ‘gabber’ movement in full-force and regular performances at the most illustrious events, it didn’t take long for The Prophet to rise to the top of the ‘rave’ scene – which is a far cry from his more ‘mellow’ Hardstyle productions nowadays! From the very beginning Dov’s been a true visionary and his productions, interesting outlook of the industry and down-to-Earth persona have allowed him to hold an unprecedented position within the Hard Dance movement. Another interesting fact about The Prophet’s earlier career is that not only did he pursue productions in Hardcore, but he also experimented creating techno, progressive house and even hip-hop, which were released under several other successful aliases.
Following up to his major success in the Hardcore world, The Prophet’s hands soon fell into working with lower BPM’s and various elements from Hard House, Trance and Hardcore as he created an eclectic mix that soon became what we know as early Hardstyle. To put it plainly, in some ways, The Prophet literally gave birth to the genre.
By the time 2002 rolled around, Dov embarked on his next journey, strolling down an avenue that ultimately marked his (and the scene’s) biggest triumphs to date – the conception of the world-renowned label Scantraxx Recordz. Serving as a platform for The Prophet’s productions, this label also became home and a stepping stone for other pioneering names like Headhunterz, Wildstylez, Frontliner, Scope DJ, D-Block & S-te-Fan and many more. Upholding such a strong legacy based around the core of high quality music, today Scantraxx is still deemed as one of the most important record labels and boasts one of the strongest pools of talent, giving artists like Devin Wild, Atmozfears, Energyzed, Noiseshock, Adrenalize and many more a solid career boost.
In 2005 and after many successful years in producing and performing, Dov was crowned with one of the biggest titles an artist can achieve… In conjunction with Q-dance he was given his own X-Qlusive event, which saw thousands of partygoers flooding into the Heineken Music Hall for a celebration like no other.
Let’s take a moment to cherish some of The Prophet’s stunning successes; who remembers timeless hits such as “Shizzle My Dizzle,” with DJ Duro, “Chubby,” “Cocain Bizznizz” and “Summer Of Hardstyle” as Proppy and Heady?! Or should I ask, who could forget these legendary masterpieces?! These earlier works paved the way for subsequent hits “Wake Up” with Brennan Heart, “Pitch Black,” “One Moment” and “Really Don’t Care” which are still known as widely successful hits today.
In recent times, 2014 brought a whole new adventure for The Prophet, who released his debut album “Louder,” a diverse body of work that contained some immense hits and showcased quite a broad spectrum of Hard Dance. Unforgettable tracks included “Tracking The Beat,” “I’m The King” with Adaro, “Conquer The World” with Audiotricz and the Bass Modulators’ remix of “One Moment.” And it didn’t stop there; the ‘Louder’ concept continued to grow into an innovative podcast concept that gives listeners their monthly dose of new tracks, old classics and full coverage of the harder styles.
The past year has been no less than jam-packed for Dov, who has released an array of powerful productions including “Jump Upp” with Darkraver, a remix for Scope DJ’s “Lockdown” “Reverse Bass,” “Mixmaster” and “Desire” among others. Despite having the title of ‘long-standing legend’ upon him, The Prophet was regularly booked for both ‘tribute’ concepts and modern concepts where he was able to unleash his contemporary productions. One particular concept that’s still fresh in everybody’s memory was his mind-blowing appearance during the Defqon.1 Legends slot with Technoboy and Headhunterz. The three delivered a next-level spectacle for all in the vicinity of the mainstage, marking yet another immense achievement within The Prophet’s career.
What’s next for The Prophet? Well, I’m sure he’s got some more tricks up his sleeve and plenty of bangin’ tunes to sustain us. But for now, we’d like to congratulate Dov for taking the ‘artist of the month’ title and wish him the best of luck with the rest of the silly season!
FOLLOW THE PROPHET
