Is this the year for euphoric hardstyle’s comeback? Surprisingly, none other than Adaro, the master of the “Dark Universe,” hopes so. “Although it’s not my playing or producing style, I sincerely hope that euphoric hardstyle will get more popular in the Netherlands again.”
A darker, harder form of hardstyle—rawstyle—has been dominating Holland’s festival mainstages for the past couple years. Perhaps it’s not surprising that in a country where hardstyle tracks regularly hit the top of the music charts, its tastes could, at times, trend darker and harder.
Adaro goes on to say, “What you see now is that the total scene has become smaller, but with a lot of dedication… This dedication is great, but if you look at the bigger picture, you need more than that. To have a good festival and indoor scene, you not only need dedicated people, but also people that only party three or four times a year.”
This got us thinking: What recent hardstyle tracks are crucial for a “euphoric” comeback? They should be hard enough to satisfy the faithful, but engaging enough to appeal to a whole new generation of festivalgoers. So, we picked the brains of top DJs Adaro, Lady Faith, and Phil Mackintosh. Here are some of the tracks they thought might set it off this summer.
DJ Issac “Burn”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSqPnBwqCH4]
Lady Faith suggested our first contender based on its deft weaving of mainstream EDM elements into the classic hardstyle format. It’s DJ Issac coming back with another one of his signature, foot-stomping, fist-pumping, bouncy, bass-bin blasters, bright and shiny for 2016.
Atmozfears ft. David Spekter “Release”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-7m0EfW7LM]
Adaro and Phil Mackintosh both agree that Atmozfears would be one of the first names you should look to this summer. This track had been bouncing around for years at festivals. Most recordings were only low-quality rips from people dancing in the crowd, but finally it got, erm, released.
Noisecontrollers & Bass Modulators “Solar”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4cRn5ykA2s]
This should clear something up for you: THIS IS THE SAXOPHONE TRACK! And as far as we know, it is the first hardstyle track to feature a saxophone solo.
Showtek ft. Technoboy & Tuneboy “Have You Been Mellow”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKKCmOag5vY]
Rips from the festival mixing boards revealed that the biggest tease of the summer was true: Showtek made a new hardstyle track! Says Lady Faith, “This is an old-school vibe created by the masters of hardstyle.”
Brennan Heart & Jonathan Mendelsohn “Be Here Now”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYzMBqZluP8]
Lady Faith recommended this song, and we thought, “OMG, this track is gooey with euphoric goodness.” But do you dance or hug to it? Turns out it’s both.
Ram & Susana “RAMelia” (Cyber Bootleg)
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuZXVkg2vlA]
What would summer be without an upstart bootleg track making the rounds? Reverse bass master Phil Mackintosh suggested this hardstyle take on the classic trance anthem Susana made with DJ RAM for his late wife, Amelia.
Coone & Dirtcaps “Sniper”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TqrnXlt_cl8]
This champion was suggested by Adaro. Not surprisingly, it’s still pretty hard, grabbing you by the collar and screaming “summer festival anthem” on every level.
Andy SVGE “Gravity”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9AKbaeecKI]
Adaro didn’t stop there. Check out this stormer he suggests from Andy SVGE. This track asks you to “sit back and enjoy the ride.” We just can’t help but dream of this track pulsing in the background when we gaze into a starry summer night sky.
Lady Faith “Basic Bitch”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlhZawbUCT8]
When we first queried Lady Faith about this list, she told us, “There is room in hardstyle for both euphoric and raw sounds, and the fans seem to be loving the diversity—especially in America, where the predominately euphoric sound brings in new fans every day.” This track of hers actually walks that fine line between the euphoric and raw quite nicely.
Brennan Heart & TNT “It’s My Style”
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-h0hvhVsvs]
We have to end the list with this track, because it could very well turn out to be the ultimate harsdstyle statement of the year.
