When we think about some of vorite DJ's over the past Hardwell is one we enjoy when he was at our favorite
our fadecade, seeing venues!
In this age of being committed to taking the time we need, self-care and mental health, Hardwell took 3 years off to take a break, fugure himself out as an artist and came back to the scene with a new album REBELS NEVER DIE, a tour of the same name and of course he launched it at Ultra Music Festival earlier this year! We wanted to get to know more about his process, about the importance of his hometown in Breda, Netherlands, how he is approaching touring and more! ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you fall in love with music? HARDWELL: I discovered music super early, I actually started playing piano when I was 4 years old, but my love for DJing began when I was 12. AM: What was the moment that you realized that you wanted to be a DJ? H: I knew early on that it was a passion of mine. I started out playing hip hop when I was 12, before discovering electronic music when I was 13/14, which then became this huge part of my life and thankfully still is today. AM: You’re from Breda which is a small city, but it has birthed a number of artists from yourself, Tiësto and even Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker! What is the music scene like in Breda? H: It’s crazy right! A small city with this deep musical history. We actually have a very small scene, so it’s not what people often think it will be. But because its small everyone knows each other and this is perhaps why it helps Breda artists to grow. AM: How would you define your sound?
H: This new Hardwell REBELS NEVER DIE sound is me. It’s the raw, uncut version of who I am as an artist. It draws on all my influences from the moment I got into electronic dance music right through to what I am all about today. It is everything from big room to trance to electro to techno. I needed to free myself up from big labelled as one type of sound, so I could infuse everything into one sound, which is what fans are experiencing now. AM: In terms of creating new music, what’s your process? H: I feel most at home in my own studio. It’s a space that is custom built to fit my specific needs. I bring a lot of inspiration from life, travelling and the atmosphere of our scene into my creative process. But equally I don’t fixate on following the same process each time. It was why I took some time out because I need to recharge and free up my creativity to come back with something completely new and fresh. AM: You’ve done some amazing collaborations, what do you look for when it comes to partnering with someone else to create music? H: What makes the magic happen is that connection. When you work with a singer or another producer and there’s a creative connection where you’re vibing off the same ideas, that is usually a very positive sign. I like to connect with other artists who are open to trying new directions, freeing up the structure of a song and then seeing what will come out the other end. AM: I’ve been a fan for years and have enjoyed your music, you’ve been a 2X #1 DJ, you’ve headlined many major festivals and you have travelled extensively and then in 2018, you decided to take an indefinite hiatus. Even though that was back in 2018, at that time it was a shock as mental health wasn’t really talked about and in the way that it is now. In