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Headhunterz
Hard Dance Event is the ADE sub-conference that aims to connect professionals in the harder styles of dance music. It allows artists, promotors, entrepeneurs and other professionals to discuss, experience and continue current and new developments. This year, HDE’s showcases, lectures and talks move from ID&T’s headquarters to the Melkweg, right in the centre of Amsterdam. Hard dance is booming around the world and now it has been fully integrated in ADE.
studio working on new stuff.’ The heavy touring can take its toll on one’s creativity. ‘My girlfriend gave me a card that said: succes is not the key to happiness, but happiness is the key to succes. That made me think. So I went back to making music for me instead of for money. Trying to stay true to myself. I feel it’s the ultimate test for an artist.’ Rebergen also went for the higher-quality bookings instead of quantity. ‘One of the highlights was Electric Daisy Carnival and I’m looking forward to my trip to Australia, too.’
One of hard dance’s biggest stars is up for his biggest event ever. On 20 October, Q-dance presents Headhunterz at the brand new Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. It’s a big moment for 26-year-old Willem Rebergen AKA Headhunterz – and for hard dance music as a whole. The venue can house about 17,000 ravers, who can expect a very special showcase by Headhunterz. ‘I feel this is the next step towards a wider recognition, not just for me but for the whole scene in The Netherlands and around the world. A lot of people still don’t know what hardstyle is about, and I think this night can serve as inspiration for artists and DJs alike.’
Since his humble beginnings as a teenager playing in a club in the small village of Elst, Rebergen’s rise to fame has seen him winning a DJ contest for a spot at Defqon.1 to selling out Amsterdam’s Heineken Music Hall. ‘I think I was at the right place at the right time for hardstyle. Without really thinking about it, I started using more melodic features and other influences in my music.’ It was this innovation, and the fact that on stage he is a true performer that made Headhunterz a worldwide star. With the show at Ziggo Dome he’s now entering a new ‘even bigger room’ phase in his career. ‘It will be the ultimate collaboration between me and Q-Dance. The best of both worlds!’
In 2011, Headhunterz was ranked seventeenth in DJ Magazine’s Top 100. It was a crazy year with maybe just a tad too much of travelling and work. This year, for Rebergen, has been one of redefining his career. ‘I wanted to go back to the source, and that meant spending a lot of time in the
HDE takes place on Thursday 18 October. Tickets: € 25. Headhunterz plays Ziggo Dome on Saturday 20 October. Tickets: € 52,50. headhunterz.com