After revealing in an interview with us that he wanted to bring the positive vibes back to the genre, Wildstylez surely did stick to his word when he released his first solo album “Lose Control.” Since the release, my timeline has been spawned with positive remarks about the album and to be honest, there has barely been a negative word in sight. Wildstylez personally revealed that he didn’t attach as much of a special meaning to Lose Control like he did with the legendary Project One album and my opinion is that he was selling himself way too short!

After having a quiet 2014, Wildstylez knew that he had to bring something fresh back to the scene and remind fans that he was still here and not jumping on-board the “EDM” train anytime soon. Starting off as a bunch of unfinished demo’s, Wildstylez put his head down and was determined to finish these projects and release them all as an album and well, here we are!

Track by track:

#1 The first track on the album and collaboration with Max Enforcer “Get Down” is a perfect way to kick the album off with a bang. I instantly knew that Wildstylez had fulfilled his aim to bring some positive music into the scene when I heard the melody in this one. The track wasn’t overly technical or exciting but sometimes less is more and with such a pristine production quality, it’s a winner for us.

#2 The second track “Crashtest” actually reminded me a little bit of Audiotricz’ track “Infinite.” I think that it was that playful and happy atmosphere and the use of sounds throughout. I strongly feel that every album should have a track like this with no vocals, no singalongs, but just its own quirk.

#3 Track number three “One” featuring vocals from both E-Life and Noah Jacobs packs such a beautiful atmosphere and the cross between the two vocalists sounds incredible! Noah Jacobs voice brings more of that sing-a-long vibe as you sway in the sun and E-Life brings such a unique edge to this track, it’s a great crossover and a great example that the sky’s the limit.

#4 “Roots” is one track that will surely bring up some musical nostalgia. The melody is so contemplative and it packs in some 2009 vibes, which is something that every die-hard hardstyle fan is craving for and let’s not even get me started on the reverse bass intro! This one is definitely one of the big standout tracks on the album and with the combination between early influences and modern production, Wildstylez really hit the nail on the head when creating this perfect track. Seriously, so many feels.

#5 From old-school comes something a lot newer as Wildstylez teams up with newcomer Demi Kanon. This kid has proved himself with his first release “Supersonic” and with this killer collaboration under his belt, there’s definitely more to come. In terms of the track, it has a real fresh and powerful sound and when the main melody kicks in, all I could think was being at a Summer festival and dancing around with the suns rays penetrating my skin. A beautiful track with a beautiful melody!

#6&7 Next up was one that hit straight in the feels. “Every Step I Take” was not a standout track for me and to be honest, it didn’t really take me anywhere special. The vocals were a little too ‘melty’ for my liking, however that’s just one opinion. Next up is a track that resembles more of a ‘hard drop’ sound. “Play My Record” gave a real funky atmosphere and is a track that could be played on more than one stage.

#8 One of the most anticipated tracks on the album “Turn The Music Up” with Audiotricz was one that sparked quite some debate due to its progressive nature. To be honest, I absolutely love this track and after hearing it for the first time I couldn’t get it out of my head. Although it’s slower than everything on the album, I feel that artists should always have 1 or 2 tracks that are a little out of the box. This track even has potential for a hardstyle edit or something if an artist wants it at a higher tempo for live-play. The great thing about “Turn The Music Up” is that it’s gained so much support from some huge names in the EDM sphere yet it also has tremendous support from the hardstyle scene. As Wildstylez said himself “the track contains all of the elements that a hardstyle track would, even the kick” and we 100% agree.

#9&10 “Lies Or Truth” is a track that I had a bit of trouble deciding on. Was it too generic or was it one that would go off live? Maybe after a few more listens I will warm up to it a little more, but at the moment the the verdict is that this track also isn’t suited to my style as much as the others. The low doesn’t continue with the following track “Santiago” which also combines some older flavour throughout. The melody in this track is quirky and very cheeky and it almost reminds me of tiptoeing around the house when you’ve come home from a big night out. I think that the fans in Chile will be seriously happy about this…

#11&12 Zany and MC DV8 are some names that you don’t usually see Wildstylez teaming up nowadays, however the end result is outstanding! The standout element in this track is undoubtedly the reverse bass intro and I can imagine that this track is the one that makes fans go wild! “Ready To Go” is yet another fantastic track on this album and is followed by my personal favourite “Take Control” featuring Noisecontrollers. This melody is so god damn fantastic, the entire atmosphere that this track brings can really transform any bad day into a great one. For me, this is the best track on the album and I’d love to hear more Noisecontrollers and Wildstylez collaborations!

#13 The second last track on the album brings one of the most original twists to an modern classic. “Forever” was taken into the arms of the most notorious Italians ‘TNT’ and these guys managed to mesh their signature sound in without losing too much of the original concept. Not as melodic as the original version, however this remix packs a seriously powerful punch and guess what, I dig it! It’s always interesting to see a remix on albums, it truly shows how different artists can use their musical viewpoint for different purposes.

#14 Last but definitely not least is a killer collaboration with the the one and only MC Villain that goes by the name of “Let The Bass Go.” This track pretty much combines a hard and crunchy kick, an old-school inspired melody and not to mention, a shitload of drive and power. I really feel as though this is a versatile track that could be played at various festivals stages, it could open up a semi-raw artists set and could close down a melodic artists set. It’s definitely a win-win here and a bit of a harder way to close the album experience.

Overall, I’m sure that many listeners didn’t quite know what to expect from Wildstylez, I’m sure many artists expected to hear a bunch of cheesy and overly melodic tracks, however this is definitely not the case. Wildstylez really did prove that he was still a versatile and creative-minded artist and despite the fact that the Project One album will always be a part of many hardstyle fans, I feel as though many people will be making some room in their hearts for “Lose Control.”

Overall Rating: 7/10.