07 Mar 2016 
Posted by Alive At Night
Never going out of ‘Styles’ – Talking travelling pro-tips, cross-genre remixes & more!
Darren Styles is without a doubt one of the biggest names in UK Hardcore. Seriously it seems as though this man can’t make a bad track! The creator of huge anthems like Come Running, You & I, Rest Of Your Life and many more, Darren Styles is constantly pumping out great music. Having been at the forefront of the UK Hardcore scene since the ‘90s, in recent times his sound has been crossing genre boundaries and attracting support from virtually every corner of the global dance music scene. We sat down with Darren to talk about his current projects, life on tour, and more.
– Your remix, in collaboration with Gammer, of Porter Robinson’s “Sad Machine” is currently taking the internet by storm. How did this remix project come about? Do you have any other remixes coming up that you can give us a hint at, and who are some artists you would like to remix in the future?
We’re HUGE fans of Porter and when we first heard his album ‘Worlds,’ we were blown away. We jokingly asked Porter over twitter if we could remix “Sad Machine.” Next thing we knew we had the parts! We jumped on the mix straight away and luckily he loved it. Both Gammer and I are still a little overwhelmed by the amazing reactions to the remix. To top it off, Kill The Noise heard Porter playing the track and then asked us to put our own spin on “All In My Head.” That remix will be released officially on OWSLA next month.
– While on the topic of remixes, Mija from Skrillex’s label Owsla remixed your track “Come Running” into a beautiful Happy Trapcore banger. How does it feel seeing artists in such different genres expressing their love for your music and even wanting to remix it?
It’s so awesome and so refreshing. For so many years our scene has been pretty small in terms of people looking in on us, but suddenly we seem to be getting interest from some fantastic artists from completely different genres. It turns out Mija actually used to throw raves in Arizona and has pure knowledge of the UK and Happy Hardcore scene. I really love how she turned “Come Running” into something so different but managed to keep that signature feeling of the original.
– Last year was a huge year for the new label Together We Rise which has quickly become a huge global brand for UK Hardcore. Can you tell us what’s coming up for the label this year?
We set the label up for a few reasons. First and foremost, we wanted to provide regular releases; at the moment we’re delivering a new release every two weeks. We also have some great new talent coming through who will definitely be making an impact on the scene this year. Aside from that, we’re also putting on events, trying to grow the brand and bringing as much awareness to this music as possible.
– Let’s take a little trip back. How did you get into Hard Dance music and begin producing UK Hardcore?
Way back in 1992 when I was still at school a friend of mine gave me a cassette tape with a set from Carl Cox at Fantasia. Until that point I’d never heard of ‘rave music’ so when I first listened to it I was immediately hooked! In a school of hundreds of kids there were only a handful of us who were into this music; it wasn’t surprising however, because the rave scene was in it’s infancy.
After investigating this style of music, I soon found out that one of the best clubs in the country for experiencing this music was practically on my doorstep (in my hometown). So me and a couple of my best mates decided to head there one Saturday night and that was it, I never looked back. I can still remember the bass hitting my chest for the first time, the like minded happy faces, the smell of the dry ice and most obviously, the music.
– You are part of the Hakkoda partnership that founded the label. What does Hakkoda mean, where did that name come from?
Myself and Dougal liked the idea of Hakkoda and how it looked on paper. It felt strong, so we had the logo designed, showed it to the other guys and everyone was down. Turns out that Hakkoda is a mountain range in Japan which is pretty cool.
– We have been hearing a lot of diversity in your recent productions, especially the remixes. What have been some of your recent influences?
I’m influenced by everything and I’m just a huge music fan in general. I’ve always said that UK Hardcore and Happy Hardcore is a melting pot of anything that feels good at that time and when I’m producing I could be inspired by a huge pop ballad or something completely underground – the fun part is making it work at 170BPM.
– Can you tell us about your studio set up? Do you have any favourite new equipment and is there any piece of technology you can’t live without?
My set up is pretty small these days. I mainly work from my home studio, which consists of an Imac, a midi keyboard, some speakers and a bunch of VST’s. My favourite plug ins right now are Serum & Spire.
– You’ve achieved crossover success into the mainstream music scene with your studio albums Skydivin’ and Feel The Pressure, while also making appearances at huge crossover events such as EDC Las Vegas. Do you think we will see more UK Hardcore crossover artists coming up through the ranks?
I truly hope so; in the past 12 months we’ve been receiving some fantastic new demo’s from brand new artists and even some from established producers who typically produce different styles of dance music and are now experimenting with some Hardcore. Jay Cosmic has just released a 170 version of “Ember Island” which is a breath of fresh air and Kayzo is also making some sick stuff. I’m excited to hear what will be coming in the future.
– A while back you posted a picture of you and Da Tweekaz working on a collab. They have also remixed a lot of your work. What is it like working with these guys, and how is the collab coming along?
I had a blast working with them and they’re such nice guys! They flew over to the UK for a week and we managed to come up with something pretty special. The collab is finished now, infact it was mastered just last week. You can hear more about this collaboration soon; both 150 and 170 versions will drop in May.
– Australian fans were over the moon to learn that you will be returning to play at HSU in Sydney for the third time in 18 months, this time with long-time collaborators Breeze and MC Whizzkid. We hear that you will be bringing a classics set on this tour; do the three of you have any plans to get in the studio together?
Sydney is one of my favourite cities in the world to play in and it always has been. That place is so vibrant and the ravers are so open to new music. This time I’m heading back with my friends Breeze & Whizzkid and we’re going to be bringing those classic feels with us. I’m pretty sure the last set I played with Breeze in Australia was in 2010, so we’re going to have some fun, that’s for sure! I’m also really looking forward to the event itself; HSU parties are incredible.
– We don’t see UK Hardcore on many line ups coupled with Hardstyle & Hard Dance artists in the U.S., but you recently ended a tour with Kutski for Keeping The Rave Alive over there. What was the overall reaction to it, and do you think they are ready for more big name UK Hardcore artists to come over?
It’s so refreshing to play on these line-ups. In the UK the majority of shows that I play are Hardcore line ups from start to finish, however generally in the U.S. and Australia, each show I play is generally Hardstyle, UK Hardcore and sometimes even Drum & Bass.
For me, it’s a noticeable difference playing at these type of events in terms of the crowds reaction. Every hour is a different tempo so I feel that it’s more exciting on the dancefloor. Without sounding too cliché, for me it’s more of a journey having varied styles of Hard Dance music playing at the same stage throughout the night.
– Where outside of its home base in the UK do you think UK Hardcore gets the most attention?
I’d say North America is where I get the majority of my overseas bookings. It’s funny because my soundcloud plays have actually shifted in the last 12 months; the majority of my plays used to come form the UK, they’re now coming from the U.S.
– What are your “pro tips” for long haul travel, what must-haves do you pack to get you through the long flight and the time away from home and studio?
Definitely noise cancelling headphones and eye drops; I couldn’t live without either of these when I’m touring. I’ve only just got into the noise canceling headphones, but they have seriously changed my long haul flight game. As soon as that noise cuts out on the plane it’s game over…
– Of course you have played at countless event over the years; which events stand out as the best memories, and why?
It’s such a difficult question to answer as there’s been so many. I’d say my best earliest memory was playing a Force & Styles set at Energy 97’, It was when 90’s Happy Hardcore was at it’s peak, 20,000 people and the atmosphere was incredible. It was a huge outdoor event and for once in the UK it didn’t rain. More recently though it would have to be my first EDC LV in 2013. I was so nervous and had no idea how it would go. I was pretty much convinced no one would even have a clue who I was and fully expected that stage to be empty. Luckily the crowd was incredible & that will stay with me forever.
– Lastly, as we always like to ask here at Alive At Night, what did you have for breakfast today?
Porridge & Berries… Nothing fancy going on here.
We thank Darren Styles for taking the time to do this interview with us and we certainly are looking forward to seeing what the future holds for this UK Hardcore legend! For those wanting to keep up to date on his sound and gigs, follow the social links below.
FOLLOW DARREN STYLES:
