The ‘Resurrected’ – An overview of Headhunterz’ triumphant return

Turbulent, yet incredibly ambitious, Headhunterz has unquestionably faced years of on-going scrutiny from his fans, former fans and of course, both House and Hardstyle scenes. From the moment he burst into Hardstyle’s stratosphere, this bald-headed legend was seemingly folding in explicit messages to his tracks, as well as voicing his sentiments on his Hard With Style podcast. Controversy has followed Rebergen, as earlier tracks such as “Doomed,” “From Within” and “Just Say My Name” all included messages about the general scene. Headhunterz worked incredibly hard to earn respect from the Hardstyle scene, and with a legacy as audacious as his, there were bound to be plenty of ‘haters.’

In a way, maybe the Hardstyle scene itself pushed Headhunterz away into the arms of House music. The countless spiteful comments online towards his musical expansion could’ve been a forcing factor behind his switch of genres, and maybe this unwelcoming attitude from ‘fans’ played a significant role in him officially leaving Hardstyle behind in 2014. Whatever you believe, or want to believe, I think a lot of us found a way to be at peace with Headhunterz following his heart and his dreams.

Something particularly heart-warming to see was the immense support Headhunterz received from Hardstyle fans regarding his current House releases. Although slower BPM’s may not be most fans’ usual cup of tea, a large portion of the Hardstyle scene found themselves mesmerised by just how talented of a producer Rebergen is, regardless of what genre he’s exploring. Retaining the incredible production quality he’s known for, Headhunterz seemingly did a lot of great things for House music –a genre that was in dire need of his skills.

Ever-changing, expanding and always kept on his toes, 2016 saw Headhunterz taking yet another interesting career turn…

Setting foot back on the Defqon.1 mainstage

Visitors of Defqon.1 (The Netherlands) were left in absolute awe when Heady made a surprise appearance as part of the Defqon.1 Legends set, alongside fellow legends Technoboy and The Prophet. This performance was an emotional experience for every single soul on the festival’s terrain; countless tears were shed as visitors had to pinch themselves to make sure that this reality wasn’t just fantasy… Still to this day, that Defqon.1 legends set is a cherished memory for thousands of fans, and not to mention, one of the most beautiful moments the Hardstyle scene has ever witnessed.

Following this performance, Headhunterz expressed his gratitude through social media, in which he thanked his fans for their on-going compassion, love and appreciation. Taking it to Facebook, he stated: “(…) to the unforgettable experience of being welcomed with open arms once more by my hardstyle family at Defqon.1. All confusion, all negativity, all judgement and frustration just completely melted and I felt connected to all of you like I have never ever in my life felt connected with people.”

Although it seemed as though all had been forgiven, I for one couldn’t move past the fact that fans who’d previously insulted Headhunterz were now praising him, without an apology. Sure, maybe people were angry that he decided to follow his creativity, but all of a sudden these former ‘haters’ were now Heady’s #1 supporters. It all felt a little too hypocritical for my liking, but that’s simply my two cents.

Hairhunterz no more

Hot off the press from his appearance at Defqon.1, just one week later Willem posted a controversial image on his Instagram account. Usually when one gets a haircut, it’s no big deal, however when Headhunterz ditched his head of hair to revert back to his former style the Hard Dance community was sent into an absolute frenzy! And this was only just the beginning…

Fantasy or reality…

For fans that weren’t already feeling the warm and fuzzy nostalgia yet, this definitely changed when super-act Project One was announced as part of the Qlimax 2016 line-up. A monumental moment for the harder styles, this resurrected legacy shook the scene and saw tickets for the event exhausted within a matter of hours. With this performance just days away, Wildstylez and Headhunterz are certainly facing one of the most memorable nights of their lives as they’re now in the final stages of preparing for this game-changing restoration.

Just when fans thought that Project One’s re-appearance would be a one-time thing, shock-waves were sent through the Hard Dance world when Australian organisation HSU announced Project One to perform at the colossal Knockout Circuz concept in December. This comprised another significant moment for the pair, who were overwhelmed with heart-warming messages from fans and welcomed back with open arms.

However, with a triumphant return comes a big risk; Hardstyle fans are always left wanting MORE and may feel disappointed if they’re not delivered exclusive Headhunterz or Project One performances on the regular. Must I add that these performances are an exclusive, special occurrence and although we’re all excited as ever, it’s important to not impose such pressure and great expectations on Rebergen’s ‘return.’

’30 Years The Prophet’

Just last weekend, Mr. Scantraxx, aka The Prophet celebrated 30 years of devotion to Hard Dance music and it wouldn’t be a night to remember without a massive bombshell! Aside from gathering a stellar line-up of names that have been influential within The Prophet’s long and prosperous career, he had an extra surprise up his sleeve, which was delivered in the form of our resurrected hero, Headhunterz.

Live-streams, photos, videos and status updates bombarded my Facebook timeline as visitors of the event were yet again left in awe at Headhunterz triumphant return to his roots.

However, his appearance at ’30 Years The Prophet’ did get me thinking… Leading up to the event, especially when the line-up was revealed, there were a handful of comments from fans who disappointingly stated that they were expecting Headhunterz (and even Showtek) to be on this line-up. This is an example of what I was speaking about earlier when I mentioned how ‘risky’ Willem’s return could be. Fans are now blatantly ‘expecting’ Headhunterz to be programmed on every major line-up, without even taking his current stance into consideration.

It’s important that we cherish these majestic moments, however we shouldn’t be taking Headhunterz and his surprise appearances for granted and always demanding for more. Because at the end of the day, we still have to respect his creative process and wherever it leads him, whether it’s back into the arms of Hardstyle, or further down the House music path…

Let’s take it to our readers; what are your thoughts on Headhunterz’ triumphant 2016 and return to the harder styles? Let us know what you think in the comments below!