We recently chatted with the authors of one of the modern Hardstyle anthems.
If you have even the smallest notion of Hardstyle, you will have heard the name D-Block & S-Te-Fan, one of the veteran duos who shaped the genre into what it has been like for years. Also if you have some notion of Hardstyle, you will have heard the name Sub Zero Project, another duo who entered the genre quite a while ago, and who have been constantly pushing the sound of Hard, particularly with their iconic pushing kicks that escape the usual kickdrums.
The four minds have worked together in the past with their ‘Darkest Hour’ collaboration, which made the rounds and became one of the most awaited sing-alongs at an infinity of events a few years ago. And this year, they released their follow-up, ‘Change To Follow‘. We had a chat with them all following this release, to discuss their legacy and current sound, how trends have changed in the genre, and more. Read on.
You guys [DBSTF] have always delivered intense beats and hard-hitting tracks throughout the history of Hardstyle, while also giving the crowd catchy and euphoric melodies to sing along to. How do you do that, managing to combine both qualities in your songs so seamlessly?
Most of our songs are driven by passion. For hard beats, for this genre, and for melodies. It is not just what we love, it is in our veins. Over the years we have always stayed true to the concept of what Hardstyle is for us; powerful but melodic music. We think that resonates deeply in our songs, making us stand out from everyone else. Bringing all these elements together in a song is by now second nature, it’s like riding a bike. We start a song and ride the wave.
What aspects of Hardstyle make you feel at home? I remember back in the day you took a small detour and brought your sound to EDM and the Big Room movement around 10–12 years ago, and then came back to Hard. Is it the crowd, the artists—what is it?
Although EDM and Hardstyle are two different genres, back then the most natural flow in our music was to divert to EDM. The big room stuff was basically more closely related to the music we were making than the direction Hardstyle was taking. When Big Room declined, and EDM shifted towards tropical house and groovier sounds, making it feel even further apart from what we wanted to create, so we shifted back to a higher BPM. It was a choice to actually stay as close to what we like making rather than to follow success. But as you see these days, for example, with (hard) techno or bouncy trance… music genres merge more and more and an artist should not always be labelled or tied down by boundaries. We don’t follow the crowd though, we follow our artistic flow. One day, that connects more to a hard crowd, and another day it may connect more to a different crowd. We create and then it’s up to the people from whatever background or scene to enjoy it or not.
‘Change To Follow’ was born as a follow-up to your earlier collaboration, ‘Darkest Hour’. Back then I guess you figured out how your sounds combined in the studio. How different (or how similar) do you feel the chemistry and ease of work between you was this time around? Was it easier and more natural, or were there any challenges arising from merging your sounds?
DBSTF: The only challenge we had this time was how to do justice to such a “classic” as ‘Darkest Hour’. We quickly figured out it needed to be something very different from what people would expect—the vibe or the “pre-drop” that made ‘Darkest Hour’ what it is today. Besides that, the process and the connection in the studio was as natural as it was in 2018 when we created ‘Darkest Hour’. When you put people together who have a track record of great stuff, you can easily let go of doubt and just let it flow. You just know we’re all capable of pushing stuff to the next level. We are very proud of the result from those studio days with ‘Change To Follow’.
SZP: Actually it was just the same as last time. We have such a good connection with Diederik & Stefan (D-Block & S-te-Fan), both on a personal and professional level. This makes going into the studio together always easier and more fun. The whole process of ‘Change To Follow’ went really smooth, also because our visions while making music are aligned so much, so everything we do makes sense and with every decision we make together we’re on the same page. It’s a unique chemistry.
What’s one sonic characteristic you love about each other’s sound?
DBSTF on SZP: For us, they stand for innovative sound design and structure. They always know how to surprise other artists and crowds with something unique. It’s not very often an artist reaches the levels SZP has been reaching over and over the last 10 years. The scene can be grateful to have such talented artists dedicating themselves to this genre.
SZP on DBSTF: There’s so much to like about their sound in our opinion, so it’s hard to choose haha. We really like the way they approach melodies. It’s always full of energy and always sounds fresh. They really understand what works on the dance floor.
Recently, we’ve seen a surge in how many more mainstream, global festivals include Hardstyle acts as part of their lineup, even listing some for their main stages. Do you see the same trend? Has it been a steady rise to the main stages, and do you think people are more inclined to listen to Hardstyle now?
DBSTF: Yes and no. Hardstyle has been increasingly accepted over the years, but many promoters are still hesitant to program it or instead take elements of Hardstyle and rebrand them under different genres. It’s almost insane how much Hardstyle trends, sounds, and kicks you can hear across so many genres these days, with organisations pushing those genres but not Hardstyle itself. It is sometimes sad to see, but for us, we’ve accepted it, and maybe that’s what makes the Hardstyle scene what it is. A very dedicated and passionate group of people that stand for this music and hold it in their hearts for a lifetime. Maybe it is actually as nice as it should be the way it is now.
Final Words
Thank you so much to both duos and the team who made this possible. You can now listen to ‘Change To Follow’ by hitting the ‘Play‘ button on the Spotify player below. Be sure to follow our page to stay up to date on the latest news and views regarding our beloved Dance music industry.
*Cover image credit: Martin Hols