Hardstyle sound is starting to gain traction in mainstream EDM music

​As you listen to new music from multiple genres all day you start seeing some musical trends gaining influence. Sometimes when you hear a track you can tell it was inspired by another genre or a certain producer. If this is done correctly these type of cross-genre tracks can help expose fans of either genre to start exploring music beyond their usual brand of EDM; but it also can go all wrong if a producer creates a track which fails to attribute a sample from another producer which then causes a public outrage. That being said I have noticed a strong trend develop in my recent listening experience that suggests that the genre known as Hardstyle, which is absolutely huge in Europe, is starting to make waves into wider mainstream EDM music. Here's the proof:

The new Dada Life album ​will feature a Hardstyle inspired track called 'Boing Clash Boom':

Flosstradamus recently released part 2 of their latest EP that features hardstyle influenced trap music:

These 3 tracks could be a sign of more Hardstyle infused tracks to come. It couldn't have come at a better time as I feel producers have already pushed what the progressive house sound to its limit and some of the savvier artists are starting to experiment with what works best from other genres and implement it into their own tracks.  ​

Hardstyle is already well established in Western Canada with many of the top DJs in the game like Headhunterz, Zatox, Psyko Punkz being booked on a regular basis in places like Vancouver, Edmonton, and Calgary​. Hardstyle is on the rise in North America so make sure to brush up on your Hakken, Melbourne Shuffle, and Jumpstyle moves so you'll be ready to move whenever a hardstyle styled track is dropped at a future event.

Quirky Madeon Interview by Pop Justice

If you like Madeon then you will really enjoy this interview. ​

 "I was told when I started doing my choppy disco style that there was no market for it because it couldn’t exist in the club world and wasn’t pop enough to exist in the pop charts. I was told there was no market, but I kept doing it because I really loved it and because I wanted to work in music somewhere and I thought it would be useful somehow in the long run, even if I ended up doing something less exciting than what I wanted to do. I started to live with the idea that it wouldn’t catch on, then it started to catch on and now people want a piece of it.​.."

Madeon is so articulate that I find it hard to believe that he's only 18 years old and actually taught himself English. Click here to read the entire interview. ​

(Source: Pop Justice)​

Annie Mac Interview (Clash)

I learned a lot​ from this interview of Annie Mac by Clash.

..."since dance music has got so big now, it’s quite ironic that the Calvin Harris ‘Spectrum’ remix is what got Florence to number 1, not the original. So remixes are crucial now to artists, and they can be what propel artists to fame, rather than just being a tool for DJs. But when you look at the top 40 or something, pop music is dance music now."​

Read about what she thinks of David Guetta, ​Skream and Benga's diverse live sets, and Britain's role in the worldwide EDM boom.

(Source: Clash)​

Nero - Won't You (Be There) - Baauer Remix (Updated: Bonus Remix by Club Cheval)

Found this first from Electrojams​:

This remix probably came about when Baauer opened for Nero in Europe last month. ​

Update: Soon after posting the Baauer remix I visited the MTA Records Soundcloud and found this absolute gem. It's the same Nero track but this time it's remixed by Club Cheval:​

Music is entirely a subjective experience but when I compare both of these tracks I think the Club Cheval remix wins hands down. It's also probably the best remix I've heard in quite a while.