“Who are you?” This common question is often answered by stating a certain name; a weird answer. With it, we assume that the stranger should be able to decipher who we are; as our whole being is exposed to the other with the mentioning of a few words. However, do not underestimate the power of the name. A name can gives hints about one’s place of birth, ethnicity, nationality, religious preference and lineage. Consequently, our name is a vital representation of our identity. It indicates who we are and therefore it is the first thing we answer when someone asks: “who are you?”
As our name exposes so much of our identity, artists need to choose an alias that clearly indicates who they want to be as an artist. It needs to incorporate the vision of the artist and this process can be extremely complicated, as success is not guaranteed. Our curiosity grew and we became eager to learn more about this process.
It is no coincidence that we asked Vincent auf der Haar aka ‘Reloaded’ to help us explored the limits and possibilities of this process. Many of you already know that recently, he abandoned his old alias ‘The Vision’ and addressed a new one ‘Reloaded’; a process expressed in his new track “Identity” and now further elaborated on.
Last summer Vincent experienced one of his personal highlights as an artist. Under his old alias ‘The Vision’ he was granted to play on Defqon.1 Festival. A unique experience but also reason for reflection, as he stated: “my pleasure in producing slowly decreased last summer. I was losing the connection with Hardstyle. I did not want to quit, because I love Hardstyle; producing, and making people happy with my music. After my performance on Defqon.1 I knew I wanted to continue, but with a new formula. By closing the chapter of ‘The Vision’ and opening that of ‘Reloaded’ I found back the energy I was longing for.”
With this statement the importance of a suitable name for one’s identity illuminates. By changing one’s alias, an artist can escape from the rut caused by the older identity and find a new source of energy. ‘Reloaded’ in this sense is not a restart but a new beginning; a beginning that started on the 9th of April at Rebirth Festival 2017.
Commenting on his first performance as Reloaded: “I enjoyed every moment. The crowd’s reaction during and after the set was great. To hear that people enjoyed my performance and appreciated that I opened up a new chapter only gave more motivation to continue on the new path I am wandering down.”
So what’s new about Reloaded? “My goal is to bring back the meaning in tracks. To reconnect those who may have lost the connection with Hardstyle over the last couple of years. People who have experienced the same struggle as I. Unity is a strong element of Hardstyle and I want to revive this feeling – it needs to be ‘reloaded’.”
As we focus heavily on the alias of the artist, we almost forget that there are more elements that form the identity of the artist. “It is also important to have a clear vision and that your identity stands for something. The music one produces, just as the name, needs to tell a certain story; it needs to represent an idea. My kicks and mid-sounds will be rough to provide people with an extra dimension while partying. The tracks will incorporate a certain feeling, as my melodies, breaks and vocals are designed to generate goosebumps. Also, no track will be made without a certain meaning. The vocals I use need to tell a story or message. Lastly, quality is essential. In short, my tracks will inject the harder side of Hardstyle with the needed meaning and quality.”
The story of Vincent, aka Reloaded, shows the importance of a name for one’s identity. When the name of an artist no longer matches his vision, his identity, this can cause a deadlock with no other option than to open up a new chapter. Reloaded is this new chapter. With this new alias he retrieved his connection with Hardstyle. A finding he wants to share with each and every one.
Currently working on collaborations with ‘Break Zero’ and ‘Pulse’ among others, we’ve only just seen a glimpse of what Reloaded is holding for us. So make sure you check this guy out when you have the chance, because he might be the fresh wind you’ve been longing for.
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