It’s not every day a track from nearly two decades ago comes roaring back to dominate global dancefloors, but then again, ‘FTS’ was never just any track. First exploding onto the scene at Qlimax in 2006 and officially released in 2007, Showtek’s Hardstyle anthem ‘FTS’ quickly became a cult phenomenon, revered for its larger than life energy and rebellious spirit.
Fast forward to 2025, and ‘FTS’ is experiencing a jaw-dropping resurgence. This time, it’s not only Hardstyle artists keeping the flame alive, Techno titans like Charlotte De Witte and Reinier Zonneveld (who recently remixed the track), as well as Trance icon Armin van Buuren, have dropped the track in their sets, igniting a new wave of dancefloor chaos. This beautiful cross-genre embrace has turned ‘FTS’ into a timeless masterpiece for a new generation of ravers.
Showtek released a video exploring the track’s roots and cultural impact. With a series of remixes dropping, like Sub Zero Project’s remix set for release on 30 May, ‘FTS’ is a certified classic. We caught up with Showtek to talk about the rebirth of ‘FTS’, the track’s journey through time and what it’s like watching their anthem unite dance music’s past, present and future. 
How did the idea behind ‘FTS’ come about, and while working on the track did either of you sense its potential to blow up like it did?
We never knew and expected the song to be this big, but we quickly noticed how it gained so much popularity after its release all over the world. We just wanted to create something different and unique. And to create something as timeless as this one, is not something you can plan to happen, but if you really produce and create something that you personally love and can stand behind from a creative perspective all you can do is just put it out there and see if people connect with it. And it happened.
When we created it we wanted to tell a story about why we all gather every weekend together at festivals and events, to forget about our daily BS and frustration we have to deal with. Dance music is created to unite and come together and be in harmony. That message has not changed and is still current. Life is hard enough sometimes, and to be able to release negative energy all together is a unique experience that doesn’t age.
Stream ‘FTS’ below:
‘FTS’ is currently experiencing a massive renaissance, and has been played by the likes of Armin van Buuren, Hardwell, Charlotte De Witte, Marlon Hoffstadt, Yellow Claw and many more, while it’s also been remixed by Reinier Zonneveld among others. What about the track do you think makes it so universal and relevant today?
First of all we’re incredibly grateful for all the support on our music. It is now our most popular song on Beatport and on Spotify. Also, aside from the lyrics that everyone is screaming along, we always try to create a lot of different emotions and energy into the songs by making unique melodies and anthemy riffs.. The riff that I played here (Wouter) was more a way of hitting a punching bag, or basically a fist pumpy type of release thing you want to practice after the dramatic monologue. And of course, chant along with the riff is practically the chorus. Most of our songs you can very easily ‘tu du du du;’ along with. Lol
How does the forthcoming Sub Zero Project remix hit you, and what do you think it adds to the legacy of ‘FTS’?
They are incredible producers, and kept the essence of the song in place but added incredible new elements making it super 2025. We love them as people and as producers and find them incredibly inspiring. I think with their remix and with Reinier’s remix we introduce ‘FTS’ to an even broader crowd. The message is still there, but with a different creative twist and approach.
As a duo that’s performed on the main stages of festivals like Coachella, Red Rocks, EDC Las Vegas and Ultra Music Festival, what’s one festival moment that still gives you chills?
It’s incredible to play at the major festivals, but for us what’s most special regardless of what kind of venue it is or the size of it, is people’s energy and smiles when we are playing. Singing and jumping along, having a great time and creating lifelong memories. That never gets old! So for us it’s an accumulation of experiences making our life and career so special.
You’ve been a powerhouse in the electronic music scene for over two decades, witnessing the rise and fall of genres, the shift from underground raves to massive festivals, and the explosion of digital platforms like Spotify and TikTok. How have you navigated and adapted to these shifts?
It has been challenging to be honest. We have had ups and downs, but that’s what a career entails. Although ups and downs isn’t really the way to describe it. There’s moments where the energy is flowing more crazy, but these can also be the times when you lose focus and track a bit. At the moments you feel it’s a bit harder to connect with the market or industry, it’s important to stay true to yourself. Do what makes you happy and create what you feel.
The more experience, the more you tend to overthink, so we usually try to make decisions as we’re 16 years old. With no expectation just with passion and a bit of impulsive energy. Social media is a great way to market your music and we’re still learning how to be as present as possible without becoming some goof-heads losing the essence of what we’re doing here.
What’s one lesson from your early days that you still carry with you, and how has it impacted your career so far?
Just have fun with it, make music you like from the heart. That resonates with people. Our biggest songs to date ( ‘FTS’, ‘Booyah’ and ‘Bad’) were made with no intention other than just good vocals with good melodies, and no intention of being popular or ‘’nr1’’. Music is mostly a capture of a creative moment of where you are in your life and what stage. You cant plan it too much( other then marketing the shit out of it).We just want to create music pieces that are slightly different with fusion of different music genres and ideas.
How has your sound evolved in recent years?
The core of music will never change. The way we approach production is different but similar in a way that the 2006 Showtek sound is so popular now with the new generation. There’s new production techniques and ways to make music now, but it hasn’t changed on a creative level. We try to just have as much fun every day with it and not make it too serious.
Making music at your level means balancing massive highs – like headlining festivals or seeing a track blow up, as well as inevitable lows, like creative blocks, criticism, or the pressure to stay relevant. How have you learnt to manage these highs and lows over the course of your career?
Most of this stuff happens in one’s own head. Your fans are incredible people that embrace you for a lifetime, you create memories with them through your career and their lives, and it takes a lot to lose them. So to mess that up you would have to go to extreme lengths. We did change genres a couple of times, and nowadays this is common, but back in 2012 that was hard for our core Hardstyle fans seeing us work with Tïesto and David Guetta.
And maybe they felt disconnected, and were sad to see us evolve, but in the end we as Showtek have to be happy and excited for us to make good music that people resonate with. So we followed our hearts. It enabled us to learn so many new things and evolve and it enabled us to put that new experience back into our new music. Resulting in our latest 360 Blue Hardstyle album being all fresh and new again. In the end we just want to make music and share this with the world. Sometimes it clicks and sometimes it doesn’t, that’s just how it is. We don’t want to think about it too much, it will ruin a lot.
Where do you see hardstyle fitting in today’s EDM world?
We just did a Hardstyle set at EDC and the energy is just something else. Its pure dediction and passion filling up the room. Unbelievable experience. For us, Hardstyle became more than a genre, it’s an energy that we also brought to our EDM productions and now Techno.
What’s next for Showtek? What do you have coming up in the near future, and where can your fans catch you playing next?
We are working on more music and even more variety. We gotta keep it fresh for ourselves to feel like we can showcase our growth into the music. We are also planning a North American tour for the fall in 2025 which will be exciting!
Watch Showtek talking about the legacy and impact of ‘FTS’ below:
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