Robbert van de Corput aka DJ Hardwell’s journey to success as one of the most sought-after DJs in the world, is nothing short of scintillating. Hardwell started playing the piano at the age of four. He began composing by 12 and would send out his pieces to radio stations. By 14, he was signed up by a record label. Hardwell was already playing at all the major clubs and festivals in Holland and Europe when he was just 17. His big break came when he played at Tomorrowland, one of the world’s biggest dance music festivals and he was just a year shy of 20.
“It’s what I’ve always dreamed of; being a DJ is the best job in the world,” said Hardwell, half hour before he stormed the stage at Supernova Arena, Yelahanka on September 21. With thrilling visuals accompanying his signature electro soundscapes, Hardwell entertained his audience for more than three hours.
On the India leg of his I Am Hardwell tour that started last year, Hardwell, now 25, will be back in home country Holland in October and already has his work cut out for him. He says, “I’ll get back to working on and releasing my new single. Though, when I’m not touring, I like to spend time with my family and catch up with friends, like everybody else.”
Hardwell is most famous for his tracks like Spaceman, Apollo, Zero76 and Encoded. “I always call my sound the Hardwell sound. It’s placed between progressive and electro music, it’s energetic and makes people happy.” The other thing he’s famous for is constantly reinventing his set. “I never ever play the same set twice. I’m always working on my music. I’m one of the few DJs who always like to play new music,” says Hardwell.
With his signature style of electro house and a growing international fan base, Hardwell was ranked number 6 in 2012 by DJ Mag. “Being a DJ always brings tremendous pressure with it. A lot of people are always looking at the numbers. The new list will be out three weeks from now. I saw everybody voting for me on twitter and Facebook, and I think I have had the best year of my career so far. So, let’s see where I end up,” says Hardwell.
The DJ, who released his new album Revealed Volume 4, is constantly collaborating, especiallyacross genres. “I just worked on a new collaborative piece with MAKJ, a DJ from Los Angeles. The track is called Countdown and it’s going to be released through my record label Revealed Records,” he says. Hardwell is also working on a new track with the band 30 Seconds to Mars for their upcoming album.
“I listen to every style of music. I think you can tell (that) from the way I produce my music. Like Apollo is different from whatever I’ve made before and then Never Say Goodbye is very different from Apollo. I listen to everything from rock to hip hop to house,” Hardwell says.
In 2010, he launched Revealed Recording as a platform to encourage budding artists, and followed it with Hardwell on Air, his own radio show and podcast, which airs at more than 25 international radio stations. Hardwell says, “People call it (Revealed Records) a record label. But I wanted to create a platform for new talent, a family. Many of these record labels are all about the business, business and just business. But at Revealed, we’re good friends making music and touring around the world.”