B-b-b-b-back To The Old-School – Is Old School Making A Comeback?

As of late, according to any hardstyle lovers Facebook news feed it has become a hot topic of the fact that many artists have suddenly jumped into a golden time machine, shuttling themselves back in time to roughly the year of 2009.

Apart from florescent coloured clothing and the rise of smart phones being a big hit circa pre 2010, this was also one golden musical era that consisted of gated kicks, reverse bass and of course, an abundance of beautifully flowing melodies. As hardstyle’s popularity dramatically multiplied over the years and more and more artists filled the genres agenda, the style began to evolve into a modernised sound that was well, different in comparison to the classic “old-school” sound.

In amongst the collection of menstruating and moody fans begging on their hands and knees for a repetitive stream of distorted kicks and deafening screeches and also complaining about how hardstyle has suddenly ‘morphed into soft house music,’ there is hope. Other than throwing these people a tampon and a block of chocolate, in amongst the mundane news, I came across a fresh reincarnation of the respected old-school sound.

Lately, this hopeful reincarnation has been floating around our news feeds in various preview videos from artists such as Wildstylez, Brennan Heart, TNT and even upcoming talents such as Cyber and Festuca. Keeping the sounds of 09′ alive is all well and good, but why exactly are artists suddenly opting towards these old-school production mechanisms?

What’s the big appeal about the old school sound?

Well to kick this off, I’ve compiled a short list of what the ‘big deal’ is about the old-school sound.

1. As a new genre, hardstyle had a distinctively unique sound: This sound was growing independently apart from its hard trance and hardcore roots. This newly celebrated 140-150BPM sound was cherished and prided by its smaller fan-base who were completely in awe of this style of music that they were previously unaware of.

2. ‘Rawstyle’ was almost unheard of: Apart from Crypsis with his killer “Statement Of Intent” album in 2009 and some other artists pushing boundaries such as Zatox, Ran-D and Zany. Back in 2009, the harder tracks were a great mix-up in the blend of melodies, however in 2014, finding a well-produced and good quality raw-style track is almost as probable as obtaining a beef burger in a vegetarian restaurant (#sorrynotsorry).

3. Warning, extremely addictive: The old-school melodies set off an array of bodily sensations such as pine shivers, tingles in hands and feet, an inability to wipe the smile from your face and let’s not forget the deepest of euphoric emotions.

4. The kicks are phenomenal: They were deep, wholesome and truly suited the atmosphere of the tracks.

5. It reminds listeners of when they first discovered hardstyle: The first time that you discover a new genre, it is an extremely magical experience that is a novelty. With time and effort that you spend paying attention to the finer details of the scene, your expectations of artist’s productions grow and you therefore become more difficult to impress. We all want to relive that initial feeling when you hear your very first hardstyle track – it’s inevitable.

6. The artists were truly out to create something beautiful: There were no ‘house’ remixes or no hits with big cheesy hook-lines, it was all about artists unleashing their inner creativity and producing whatever they felt like and celebrating this new born sound.

So I think that we get it by now, old-school is the sound that many hardstyle fans initially fell in love with and have based some of their greatest memories upon. The 2009 sound wasn’t just a hype within the scene either, many artists today such as Wildstylez, Noisecontrollers, Headhunterz and Technoboy still dedicate amounts of space within their sets for their older productions and organisations even throw legendary bashes such as X-Qlusive legends which saw an entire Heineken Music Hall packed to the brim with lovers of the old-school sound. There’s a reason why artists today are still producing old-school influenced tracks and dedicating their sets to the celebration of that sound – because these classics have truly transcended time and still have the ability to touch its listeners. Even at modern festivals and parties, the old-school sound is highly recognised and celebrated with various stages dedicated solely to the hardstyle classics.

*Decibel 2014’s Remember area saw A-lusion shaking up some memories*

It’s all well and good to put forward these arguments, but where do producers stand on this topic? Pioneers in the scene such as Technoboy, Headhunterz and Wildstylez practically birthed the old-school sound and have been making their mark in the scene ever since, but what about the next generation? Why exactly are the younger producers taking a special interest in incorporating these old-school elements into their tracks? Well to answer your questions, I caught up with young-gun Seraja Hilbrecht, or better known as DJ Cyber, to chat about his recent experimentation with this sound and a few of his thoughts on the possible reincarnation of the beloved gated kicks and reverse bass.

1. Thanks for chatting with me Seraja! So why exactly did you choose to create an old school sounding track?

Thanks for having me! For me as an melodic and euphoric producer, I focus mostly on melodies and I really love the vibe that produces injected into their melodies back in the 2009 – 2010 era. In my recent productions, I tried to capture that vibe.

2. Do you prefer old school to the newer tracks today?

I like both, however some of the newer tracks are really just the same concepts over and over again. So to put it plainly, I prefer old school. I absolutely love playing the older tracks in my sets and also enjoy listening to them in my spare time!

3. As a younger producer with great musical references, what are your hopes for other upcoming producers in terms of experimenting with the older sounds?

Pffmm.. That’s a hard one.. I hope that new producer’s realise that they have to make different sounding stuff to get recognised. Of course there are a lot of producers with the same style, but those who are standing out have their own sound. Finding your sound is extremely hard (I haven’t found mine either) but my hopes are that upcoming producers find a sound that they’re comfortable with.

4. What are your thoughts on artists experimenting with old school elements in tracks lately?

I personally think that they should do it more often. I also believe that artists should experiment with other genres and such. I don’t see any point in “Being a prisoner of your own style,”(As Armin Van Buuren said). As an artist, you have to develop your style and sound in different ways, which means trying out new things or you will get bored really easily.

5. Do you think that it will make a huge return?

It’s difficult to say, some producers might make an ‘old-schoolish’ track which gets some attention, but a lot of people really enjoy the recent productions and don’t particularly like the older stuff. It might return now or artists may just combine the modern and older sounds… Who knows?

So that’s an inch inside of the mind of a hardstyle producer, however what do you all think? Do you want the beloved old-school sound to make it’s big return within the mix of modern tracks or do you think that the past should remain as the past?

Let’s take it to the public! Join the conversation and tell us, what do YOU think?