“For me, it’s like having your own star on the Hollywood walk of fame” – B-Front on his X-Qlusive

Headhunterz, Showtek, Wildstylez, Dana, The Prophet, Noisecontrollers, Technoboy, Zany, Brennan Heart, Frontliner, D-Block & S-te-Fan and Pavo all have one special thing in common. Yes, they’ve all been a prominent name in hardstyle at some stage, however this handful of artists are bound together by one superior, astonishing experience…

X-Qlusive.

It’s all in the name really. X-Qlusive marks an artist’s long-term commitment to hard dance music; it’s a night to rejoice their accomplishments and also innately signifies their position in the scene. Having their name on the line-up for events like Qlimax or Hard Bass is something many artists fantasise about, however having the honour to throw their own X-Qlusive is a stellar milestone that’s on a whole other level.

On the 14th of October, Bob van der Palen strolled into the Q-Dance office with the expectation that he’d simply be catching up with the organisation for a casual meeting. Little did he know that this meeting would signify a huge landmark in his career and lead him to pilot his very own X-Qlusive.

“I went to Q-Dance for a meeting and they literally began the conversation with ‘Hey Bob, we want to do X-Qlusive with you.’ I really had no idea that they had this planned for me, it was such a surprise. I recall saying the word ‘bizarre’ about twenty times that day and even today it still feels so bizarre – I have my own X-Qlusive!”

X-Qlusive is usually an event that marks some degree of commercial success for a hardstyle artist. When you look at the guys like Noisecontrollers, Wildstylez and Frontliner, they are artists with a very strong brand and an accessible sound. B-Front however, has always been classified as more of a ‘dark knight’ in hardstyle. Going on to say that he doesn’t see himself as a ‘commercial’ guy that spends time ‘selling himself,’ B-Front is delighted that his authentic approach to music is also worthy of an X-Qlusive.

“You see the other artists who have had their own X-Qlusive and it’s amazing to be up there next to them. For me, it’s like having your own star on Sunset Boulevard in LA alongside so many big names.”

The line-up

Q-Dance referred to B-Front as the “past, present and future,” four words that sum up this devoted and creative individual perfectly. Many new hardstyle fans wouldn’t exactly recognise B-Front as a long-standing name, however with his first release “Motherfucking Psycho” at the age of 17, he’s now successfully reached the 11 year mark in his career. X-Qlusive will focus on the “past, present and future” of B-Front which will be represented through the various label showcases by Fusion Records, A2 Records and of course, Roughstate. Revealing that he is aiming to play every single track he’s released throughout the night, he also gave some scoop on what you can expect from the line-up.

“The concept of my past, present and future is why I chose to do label showcases; I’ve worked with a lot of artists and this way you can see the whole timeline of my career. For example, I’m going to ask Zany to play some older tracks to represent that old ‘Fusion’ sound that really fits my musical vision. The second room is made for talented guys and also artists who really deserve to take that step further. For example, guys like Prefix & Density, Phuture Noize and Degos & Re-Done are names that I really support and this is what I want to give back to them. I also have three MC’s that I really like, (MC Da Syndrome, DV8 and Nolz) they will all get a segment each.”

However, creating your own line-up comes with some down-falls as B-Front admits that he didn’t want to let anybody down. Going on to say that he initially had around 20 other names that he would’ve liked to invite and that he would’ve loved to have everybody perform in the main room, he had to knuckle down and really ask himself what X-Qlusive means to him.

“Maybe I could fit all of the artists in for a three day X-Qlusive B-Front!” He joked.

In light of the event, B-Front invited up and comers to remix his track “Face The Truth” in order to obtain a place on the line-up. At the moment, he has cut the selection of approximately 90 remixes down to 18 stand-outs before picking the winning remix that he feels is the most creative and original.

Surprises on the night!

The theme of the night, “Inner Conflict” resembles not only B-Front’s hard, but melodic music, but also signifies him as a person. The poster for the event represents these two sides: the easy-going Bob in everyday life and B-Front’s lively on-stage persona. Music-wise, the night is going to consist of his signature raw and hard, yet supernatural and mysterious sound as well as party vibes with B-Freqz and some melodic tunes with B-Frontliner. When asked about any special information, B-Front excitedly began talking about his upcoming productions.

“I’ve got handful of new tracks that are ready! My new music is somewhat bringing back an older hardstyle vibe; for example, I’ve collaborated with Zany and the result is a dark, old ‘Fusion’ sounding track – it kind of reminds me of an old Donkey Rollers track. My collaboration with Hard Driver has a kind of Southstylers style going on, the Adaro collaboration brings forth more of a party vibe and furthermore I’ve been working in the studio with Ran-D, High Voltage and The Pitcher.”

Apart from these versatile collaborations, Bob also has three finished solo tracks and two that are still in the works!

“Bob from Veldhoven”

If B-Front is known for something aside from his music, it’s his extremely down-to-Earth and modest persona off-stage. Always taking time to meet and greet his fans, being humble is second nature for Bob, who admits that he just perceives himself as “Bob from Veldhoven.”

“Of course every artist has dreams and goals that they want to achieve, but I’m not going to say that I’m good or ‘deserve’ things; I’m just going to work hard and for me, that’s the key to success. Every success has an unseen story; artists go through a lot of stress and fans can be quite critical, it gets hard sometimes.”

Although humbled and in slight disbelief that his own X-Qlusive is just two weeks away, fans around the globe can vouch that he well and truly deserved this special night to celebrate his prosperous and wonderful career as a producer and DJ. His attitude and principles when it comes to his career are admirable and are more than worthy of celebrating.

“For everybody who’s coming to X-Qlusive B-Front, it’s going to be a night filled with goosebumps, emotion and energy! I’m so excited for it and I can’t wait to party with you all!”

Congratulations again to Bob for his very own X-Qlusive, which will be held in the Heineken Music Hall on the 30th of January. This event is selling quick, so for those who haven’t already secured their spot at this incredible event, CLICK HERE to purchase your tickets!