Nick Ward
In a recent interview with Pulse Radio, Hardwell talked about his upcoming music and his thoughts on the current scene. Being voted the best DJ in the world, whether you like it or not, Hardwell provides a unique perspective on the state of dance music. When speaking to Pulse Radio, Hardwell revealed what it is like being number 1:
“Well it naturally opens your name up to a whole new audience on a global scale but its not like I’ve become a demi-god or anything like that. Far from it. I’m very fortunate that the fans feel I’m their number one DJ and it’s been a great journey to share with them. But it’s not like the award takes over my life either, I’m still making the music I want to do, and playing the sets I’ve always tried to play, so a lot is still the same. I still have to work as hard as anyone else in the scene. Just because I’ve been honored by the fans to win the top 100 poll doesn’t mean you can take your foot off the gas – in fact I probably have to work even harder now to prove the doubters wrong.” – Hardwell
The real heart to heart came when Hardwell described his current views on the EDM industry and where it is heading:
“I think I speak for many when I say that there are a lot of people out there just wanting to pour cold water on this burning flame that is the popularity of electronic music, even from within our own scene. I’m not going to sit here and shoot an artist down because of the music they make, or the genre they like. There’s enough room in this scene for all of us to survive and retain your own community of fans. I love the fact you can go to a Tomorrowland or wherever and see a guy playing underground music or guy playing a mainstage set. That’s the beauty of our scene, it’s varied and (should be) open-minded. But naturally because of the gold rush in electronic music over the past few years there has been an influx of novelty/fake artists, which is a real shame against the true meaning of our scene. But should we be blaming them or should we be blaming the managers/promoters who book these djs? Who knows? But I do agree with guys from all sides of the scene that this kind of ‘in it for the glory’ kind of culture is negative for the longevity of the electronic music scene that so many of us have poured our hearts and souls into for years and years.”
With his recent announcement as headliner at this years TomorrowWorld, Hardwell is keeping his head held high as he gears up for summer festival season. You can read the full interview on Pulse Radio