After being away from the hardstyle scene for nearly three years, DJ The Prophet is looking at the genre with a fresh perspective. The pioneer, who recently announced his comeback, believes that extremes have increasingly become the norm within hardstyle. In the latest episode of PLAFONDDIENST, he shares his thoughts on the current sound and explains why he believes variety is what truly makes the difference.
ALSO READ: DJ The Prophet returns to the stage
“What a load of noise”
During the conversation, The Prophet reflects on the time he spent away from the scene. While he has been following the latest developments again, not everything he hears is to his taste. “I have to say, I think I stepped away at exactly the right time when I listen to today’s music. What a load of noise.”
He quickly puts that statement into perspective. It’s not that he’s criticizing the current generation, but rather that he believes extremes only work when they remain special. “I actually like everything. That’s kind of my problem. I love those moments that catch you off guard. I like the unexpected. But when one unexpected thing follows another, it stops being unexpected.”
“Then a normal track becomes the surprise”
According to The Prophet, the surprise factor in hardstyle has increasingly shifted towards more extreme kicks and unexpected sounds over the past few years. As a result, he sometimes misses the contrast within a set. “Then suddenly a normal track becomes the unexpected one.”
He sees the same development across multiple genres and says that’s exactly why he appreciates contrast. “I like the unexpected. But when you hear the same thing all night, it starts to bother me. That’s true for all music. Euphoric, raw, hard techno, house… it’s nice when things go up and down a bit.”
“We’ve become saturated with extremes”
The Prophet doesn’t believe hardstyle should become softer. Instead, he feels the scene has become increasingly focused on pushing boundaries, causing the element of surprise to slowly disappear. “We’ve become saturated with extremes. That’s the best way to describe it.”
“I love doing weird things. I want to be able to explore the entire spectrum.” That’s exactly what he hopes to keep seeing within hardstyle: not music that keeps getting harder or more extreme, but music that continues to surprise.
Listen to the extended PLAFONDDIENST episode with DJ The Prophet, where he speaks openly about his comeback, the future of Distorted Construct, the early days of hardstyle and his vision for today’s scene. The episode is now available on all major streaming platforms.
Footage via: The Prophet
