• Still slaps in 2024
• Oldschool lead, saws, kicks, everything!
• Consistently energetic
It’s hard not to be overtaken by nostalgia, as I (and surely many others reading this) grew up with these Revealed cover arts and Big Room sounds: Oldskool Sound” is kicking me right in the feels! But guys, what a banger!
Hardwell had the gorgeous idea for ringing in this year with a blast, reviving his “old-school” sound with a no-frills Big Room release— just like the good old days. A sign of a comeback perhaps? Doubtfully so, those days are gone and Big Room Techno is the new de facto standard; one shouldn’t forget his roots, however, and this is a beautiful gift for his longtime fans. I know there is a large chunk of listeners who kept insisting on Big Room in Revealed.
Let me admit that “Oldskool Sound” sounds, let’s say, ‘artificial’. It’s just “too” old-school, down to the fake grunge on the cover art (amazing idea, of course); the classic lead, and even a hyping pre-drop vocal. I would have loved something that said “Hey, we are in 2024!”, but it’s near-perfect anyway.
And let me add to this “comeback to the roots” trend, which has started happening lately: Don Diablo reworking “Cutting Shapes“, Showtek doing a Hardstyle album among others.
Counterfactually, if I heard this a decade back, “Oldskool Sound” would have turned me into a fanatic. And it’s not so different today: the drop is explosive, the main melody catchy, and thank God, something different than the usual Blasterjaxx-type lead in the structure. The build-up has the trademark supersaws we all love from Hardwell— maybe too simple— yet athletic enough for the climax: so in summary, solid and consistent Big Room. This has the energy and passion that gave me chills, discounting any nostalgia. It’s simply powerful, to say the least!
Even though it’s mostly meant to please veteran fans, “Oldskool Sound” would have razed dancefloors in 2014, and still is effective today. Great decision from the Revealed boss to bring it back one more time!