A Wolverine’s Guide to HARDWELL: 11/29 @ NECTO
Thanks to Necto Voltage, it’s safe to say that the University of Michigan has had the most consistent (and epic) line of talent come in to Ann Arbor this fall semester. After the results of DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJ poll were revealed (take these results with a grain of salt), it looks as if we hit the jackpot with Avicii at #6, Laidback Luke at #20, Cosmic Gate at #43, and Martin Solveig at #29. We also can’t forget about Zedd’s stunning performance and the Tiesto & Porter Robinson show in Ypsilanti. Next up we have Hardwell, the highest Dutch new entry at #24, who will massacre the dancefloor this Tuesday (Nov 29) at Necto nightclub in Ann Arbor! Get your tickets here for only $20! Also, Michigan’s very own Chobot and Chicago-based firecracker David Chang will get the blood pumping before! Check out D.Chang’s soundcloud here and my previous post on Chobot here.
Seeing as Hardwell is one of my favorite producers and DJs, I’m going to shed light on the Dutch phenom. Starting to DJ at the tender age of 13, and now killing it at 23, the young Dutch star has already made a name for himself with his own record label called Revealed Recordings and radioshow Hardwell On Air. His run started with an innovative “Show Me Love vs Be” bootleg, and then picked up momentum with his sweltering mash-up called “Show One Love”. From then on, we witnessed the ascension of Hardwell and have noted his consistency to deliver fuego in the form of colossal original mixes (Move It To The Drum, Molotov, Smoke, Voyage, Asteroid, Encoded, The World) and creative remixing. Hardwell’s collaboration with Tiesto on “Zero 76″, of which went #1 on Beatport and has been hard-hitting anthem for some time now, marked his 2011 onslaught. His filthy video teaser to “Encoded“, which happens to be my favorite track, had over 500,000 views on YouTube.
His identity in progressive house can be collectively described as “big-room sound”, of which punishes the dancefloor with punchy progressions and an agressive bombardment of charged drops and arena-style synths. In my opinion, Hardwell has been thee best producer in progressive house of 2011 with his exceptional technical skills, variety of music (see remixes below) and that added personal touch make him stand out–and he’s ready to bring this to the masses. I know it’s quite the bold statement, but I stand behind it with my evidence below. Before and after Electric Zoo, Hardwell was at the top of my lists of ‘artists to see’ and ‘best sets at Zoo’. For the hour and fifteen minutes he had up on Red Bull Riverside, Hardwell did not disappoint –delivering a mindful selection of stampeding progressive/electro house while previewing upcoming bombs (now known to be Future Folk, Beta and Munster) for the first time. I’m going to make it clear in saying that Hardwell isn’t just a producer but also an amazing DJ who understands the crowd’s energy and the dynamics of a set. Listen and download his blistering set from Electric Zoo and check out his setlist HERE.
Familiarize yourself with Hardwell’s clubby big-room sound. You can buy most of these tracks on his Beatport page here! Show some love.
His emergence:
Steve Angello & Laidback Luke vs Robin S – Be vs Show Me Love (Hardwell’s Bootleg Mix)
Swedish House Mafia – Show One Love (Hardwell Did It Again Bootleg)
Hardwell – Molotov (Original Mix)
Chuckie & Hardwell feat. Ambush – Move It 2 The Drum (Original Mix)
An assortment of remixes during his ascension:
DJ Fresh feat. Sian Evans – Louder (Hardwell Remix)
Martin Solveig – Ready 2 Go feat. Kele (Hardwell Club Mix)
Gareth Emery & Jerome Isma-Ae – Stars (Hardwell Remix)
Bella – Nobody Loves Me (Hardwell Remix)
Clokx – Catch Your Fall (Hardwell Club Mix)
Flo Rida feat. Akon – Who Dat Girl (Hardwell Club Mix)
Adrian Lux feat. Rebecca & Fiona – Boy (Hardwell Remix)
Original FUEGO of 2011:
Tiesto & Hardwell – Zero 76 (Original Mix)
Hardwell – Encoded (Original Mix)
Hardwell – The World (Original Mix)
Hardwell & Nicky Romero – Beta (Original Mix)
Hardwell & JoeySuki – Munster (Original Mix)
Oven-fresh:
Avicii – Levels (Hardwell Bootleg)
Tiesto feat. BT – Love Comes Again (Hardwell 2011 Rework)
Here’s a video I took of Hardwell dropping Tommy Trash’s “Future Folk” during Electric Zoo this summer. Obviously I was a bit too close, woops.
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