Atmozfears has now been active in the hardstyle scene for almost 15 years and has seen the genre change significantly during that time. In the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST – De Hardstyle Podcast, Tim goes in-depth on the current state of hardstyle. Although he emphasizes that there is still plenty of high-quality music being released, he feels one important element is increasingly missing: authenticity.
READ ALSO: ‘Hearing protection is more important than ever’
“I hear so much noise that it’s become really hard for me to find the gems”, Atmozfears explains. According to him, the quality of new productions is definitely not bad, but a recognizable identity is becoming increasingly rare. “Back in the day, I could literally hear one millisecond of a track and immediately know who made it.”
“The saturation within hardstyle is something that keeps me thinking”
As an example, he mentions Dual Damage. The duo broke through with a strong and distinctive sound, but according to Atmozfears, others are often quick to follow the same direction. “Then the whole hardstyle scene starts following behind like: ‘That’s the style now, so we’re going to do it too.’ I think that’s such a shame.”
According to Tim, the issue goes beyond the music itself. The artist, branding and online visibility have all become increasingly important. “It’s more about the artist than the music itself”, he says. “I just think it’s such a shame that the music is no longer the main character. Sometimes it feels like I’m working in a factory.”
More experimentation: “Everything is well-produced, but as a fan you also want something new”
Interestingly, from a musical perspective he looks back on the pandemic period with a lot of enthusiasm. Festivals disappeared, commercial pressure changed and artists once again had more room to experiment. “We were trying things again and experimenting”, Tim explains. Around projects such as Qlimax – The Source, longer tracks, unusual structures and music emerged that was not necessarily designed to make an immediate impact within just a few seconds.
According to Atmozfears, the way people consume music today also plays a role. Tracks need to make an impact quickly and compete with shorter attention spans and algorithms. A track like ‘In The Cold’ lasts almost five minutes, while that is exactly the kind of music he would like to make more often. “I really want to make more things like that, to tell stories”, he explains. “But commercially speaking, it doesn’t really make much sense.”
Atmozfears on the future: “Just dare to take a few more risks”
He refuses to completely let go of that search himself. For Tim, (euphoric) hardstyle therefore does not simply need to ‘come back’. The genre needs to move forward. “I’m just looking for someone who can put me on edge”, Atmozfears says. Someone who can make him think again: “Holy shit, what the fuck is happening here?”
The new episode of PLAFONDDIENST with Atmozfears is now available to listen to on all major platforms. The episode ends with the message: 2027 will be the year of hardstyle. Do you agree? English subs available on YouTube.
Images via Atmozfears
