T.H.E Interview – Headhunterz

If anything, Headhunterz has made impact on the hardstyle scene. From the moment his first records hit in, his unique melodic and energetic take on the genre has stood out.

Going strong for 15+ years, he kick-started a new movement within the international music scene, flying the flag for hardstyle music. Headhunterz made a rise that’s unparalleled, driven by a strong sense of belonging. And still today, he continues to take hardstyle to new heights.

We caught up with Headhunterz to discuss his track “Dragonborn”, performing at Defqon.1 and more. Read our chat here!

Aditya – You’ve been the most prominent figure in the hardstyle music scene, how can you describe your artistic journey and evolution of your sound throughout your career?

Headhunterz – It’s a marathon, not a sprint – mountains and valleys, ups and downs. It’s all one big learning process.

Aditya – Your track ‘Dragonborn’, became an instant hit, and is also regarded as the anthem in hardstyle community. Could you share the story behind the creation of this track?

Headhunterz – I was playing Skyrim with my cousin every night on the couch. We had a good time, but it’s a one-player game so we switched places and when he was playing, I heard the beautiful soundtrack, and I told him like, “Hey, should I try something?”. So I grabbed my laptop and I made that melody on the couch, while we were playing the game. On the way to Chili on the plane I continued working on it and that was the birth of Dragonborn.

Aditya – You’ve performed at Defqon.1 multiple times, how have you seen the festival evolve?

Headhunterz – I was there in 2004, so I’ve been there almost from the start. Of course, it felt big back in the day but that’s nothing compared to what it is now. It’s literally the home of hardstyle, it’s a place in the world and also a place in time that keeps hardstyle listeners connected all over the world, whether they are there or not.

Aditya – Throughout your career, you’ve been at the forefront of pushing boundaries within the hardstyle genre. How do you approach innovation and experimentation while still maintaining the core elements of hardstyle?

Headhunterz – I take a lot of time to explore, I kind of have the luxury of not releasing a track every month – even though people would want that from me as an artist. It gives me the time and space to contemplate what I’m doing and explore new ways and techniques. As a producer, I’m very geeky myself, that kind of goes hand in hand with learning and pushing boundaries. That’s what I like to do and get a lot of satisfaction out of. In the end, even if I try, the first thing when people hear my music is like, “Oh yeah, I can tell it’s you”, even if I thought they wouldn’t be able to hear it because I was trying something else. So I think there is inherently something… some kind of signature, the way I hear music, that always finds its way to my sound.