A biography for Hardwellhasn’t been written yet.
“Back in 2008, nobody wanted to listen to or play my music. They called it trance. There was no market for it, but I just kept going.”
“I have to enjoy the music I'm making, so it's also important for me that, if I'm working on a track with someone, I have a good connection with them - which is why I often stick to working with buddies of mine.”
“My goal has always been to push the boundaries, to aim for the stars.”
“I grew up with dance music and all of the sudden people started calling it EDM.”
“The electronic music world is such a tight-knit community. We're all hanging out at different festivals and such.”
“To produce a proper album, you have to be in the studio and collaborate with all your singers. It takes a lot of time.”
“In the end when we're on stage, we push buttons, but when we're in the studio we're actually creating music that we play in gigs.”
“Before I became the No.1 DJ in the world, people came to see me - they knew my sound. They were straight-up fans. After that, you have to deal with the pressure and knowing at a certain point you're not going to be No.1.”
“India is such a great host to not just me, but so many other DJs.”
“I was named Hardwell by my dad when I was 12 and the name just stuck.”
“I played in every single bar and small club in Holland and I've been DJing and producing for more than 12 years.”
“Yes, after I finished my primary school, I went to the Rock Academy. I was only there for one year. I wanted to focus on my own music instead of making music for the school. So, I quit and started my own label.”
“I think my album, 'United We Are,' was the perfect blend or radio- and festival-friendly songs. I try to combine both.”
“That's one of the most powerful things in dance music - the DJs are so connected and help each other.”
“Dance music has no gender, class or creeds.”
“I love the process of collaborating on music, mostly for the creativity that comes out of it.”
“I think you've gotta stay focused if you wanna achieve something.”
“I've been running my own record label and doing my weekly radio shows, but people don't see the work. People only see your rise instead of the whole thing.”
“My music, I think, takes elements from a lot of different genres, progressive, electro but is still quite clearly defined as my sound.”
“I think the impact my music has had on dance music fans is to bring out their inner love for dancing and having a good time.”