Hardwell

As a producer, I have always made music to create memories and as a DJ, I've always been keen to share those good times with fellow like-minded individuals.

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.

I love the process of collaborating on music, mostly for the creativity that comes out of it.

I've been a huge fan of KSHMR since I first met him. He's an incredible talent and has a really cool sound which I love.

I was named Hardwell by my dad when I was 12 and the name just stuck.

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.

I played in every single bar and small club in Holland and I've been DJing and producing for more than 12 years.

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.

Music is music, and we all have a spot and a place to enjoy it.

The moment we started DJing in Vegas, back in 2011, the crowd had no idea what dance music was.

To produce a proper album, you have to be in the studio and collaborate with all your singers. It takes a lot of time.

Even in my Hardwell sets I've been playing Drake songs and even from the beginning I've been in love with his tracks. I love the way he raps and sings.

Everyone has to find his own path and don't worry about following trends.

What else is a more heartfelt inspiration than your own fans?

The waterfront in Manila is really popular and somewhere I enjoyed visiting.

I do all my social media myself.

At the moment when I come on stage and I hear the excitement, I can feel the excitement of the crowd. That's the most important thing to me.

You can have the best production, the best stage in the world, but without a crowd, the festival is nothing.

What the strength of events like Ultra have shown us is this thing we call, 'electronic music,' is not a passing trend, but a big industry of passionate artists, event organisers, fans etc.

Dance music has become global and it's here to stay.

I work really hard to keep my life in music focused on what needs to be done and to allow myself the freedom to be creative.

I love getting to travel and perform to different crowds because you're exposing yourself to new music, new cultures and the atmosphere is always so unique.

I actually listen to hip-hop to unwind, so that's really the music I use to clear my mind. I find listening to someone like Dr Dre helps me to take a break and find a groove again.

I love touring and I love being in the studio making music, so that's where my passion lies.

I can't ever see myself stopping DJing or producing.

I hate it when I have to disappoint my fans.

One time in Ecuador, fans actually surrounded the car we were in and started smashing the windows.

My goal has always been to push the boundaries, to aim for the stars.

My music, I think, takes elements from a lot of different genres, progressive, electro but is still quite clearly defined as my sound.

Every show I play, I try and make it unique. I don't pre-plan my sets and always try and drop new music from my label or artists I am supporting. Equally, I spend countless hours making edits and adding my own touch to the music I want to play.

The thing that I love about India is the diversity. Every city is different and offers something unique so it's hard to pick a favourite.

The Indian audience is so passionate, they know all the tunes and love to party. The atmosphere is always electric.

India has always held a special place in my heart, for all the love and energy the fans have given me.

I respect it if you're a really good DJ but you can't produce. What I hate is those who pretend to produce when they have a guy in another room doing all the work. Don't pretend. Everyone will figure it out at the end of the day.

I grew up with dance music and all of the sudden people started calling it EDM.

I'm not only a DJ. I run my own record label and I work out of my own productions.

There are different milestones in my career. Playing a festival at 16 was a milestone and I was really happy when I played my first show.

There is no reason to be afraid of a Hardwell show.

If I doubt whether a track works, I'm just going to play the instrumental version in my set and judge where the crowd takes it.

Apart from music, I like to relax with friends and family, watch a film, go out for some food.

I like to keep myself busy.

I'm always working on new music or I'm on the road.

I don't want be an underground DJ - don't get me wrong - I just wanna share my music with everybody.

I've been part of the EDC scene for a long time. It's one of the best festivals in the world and a real buzz to be there and to play.

I change my set every single night.

I think you've gotta stay focused if you wanna achieve something.

I really love Tiesto's album 'A Town Called Paradise' and Calvin Harris' '18 Months' album, he did an amazing job.

The only thing you create music with is your own creativity and your own ears. And it takes a lot of time to develop your own ears. It's really important, before you go to the studio, to realize yourself: What do I want to hear? What do I want to create?

It's okay to be inspired by somebody else, but don't copy somebody else.

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.