What’s it like to be the world’s No.1 DJ? Every day’s a party, says Hardwell

EVERY day’s a party for superstar DJ Hardwell, but with sellout concerts and A-list collaborations to focus on don’t expect him to get wasted.

What’s it like to be the world’s No.1 DJ?

ROBBERT van de Corput — aka Hardwell — ascended to top spot in DJ Mag’s poll last year. Before bringing I Am Hardwell to Australia, he chatted to Mikey Cahill.

Listen up: Hardwell on YouTube

You’re in Breda, working on your album, I read an interview with you recently that said you were 40 per cent done. How far in are you now?

Well the thing is (pauses). It sounds weird but we are in the studio and more than 100 per cent done. We have songs and sketches of songs but I’m gonna pick the songs that work and finish them off.

UK singer La Roux for National Hit only

So you’re not quite done. Are there any dance albums you’d like to emulate in terms of the sequencing and the journey?

I’m looking for the right combination. I still want to make a Hardwell album. It needs to be. Errr. Well, I don’t wanna shock my fans and make a pop album. Y’know what I’m saying? (rounded vowel Dutch inflection) Really good songs, beautiful music, I want to listen to my album in 10 years time. I’m looking for the right balance of club tracks, instrumentals, more vocal stuff, a bit deeper.

First record you ever bought?

Marco V Simulated. Then I started making my own songs, like really s----y songs, but ya gotta start somewhere (laughs).

What are your favourite electronic dance albums?

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

When it comes to writing the instrumental tracks, how do you become a composer who is writing beautiful music that people can listen to at home as opposed to something that will rev 40,000 people up and make them lose their minds?

Every single song in my album I can play live in my sets. It’s dancefloor-minded in some way, even if it’s a full vocal track … you can still play it at a festival. On the other hand I don’t want to make an album that’s only for festivals, exactly as you said there needs to be beauty in there as well.

Do you have a name for the album, Robbert?

I have a name but I can’t announce it yet (laughs).

Can you give me a hint?

I came up with the name because a lot of fans have always said it in a certain way to me. Like what Tomorrowland is saying as a quote, dance music is the most universal language in the world right now. It comes with love, unity, everyone’s connected.

I’ve got a feeling that it’s going to be Go Hardwell Or Go Home or maybe Peace Love Unity Respect.

No (laughs). It’s not Go Hardwell Or Go Home.

Speaking of having a universal presence, I notice you have six million likes on your Facebook. I like that picture of you in the crowd saying ‘I love my fans’ as you’re rocking the mic down in the front row. How often do you get on the mic?

Not very often, I think the music should speak for itself. That was at the end of the show and I had just played three hours and I was like “Yo, that was the opening party of Ushuaia, Ibiza, and I want to thank you guys so much, it’s great to have my first residency here, I’ll see you guys next week.” Just a small way to show my appreciation.

Back to that other Dutch superstar DJ, Tiesto, you have said that he’s like a big brother to you in the past, do you feel a healthy rivalry with him now?

Yeah, we’ve been through so many stuff. I helped him on his latest album A Town Called Paradise, we have a new collaboration coming up on my album. There’s no pressure, we have so much fun.

Outside of trance, you’ve spoken highly of Foster the People, who else?

I love the new Coldplay album Ghost Stories, it’s amazing. They asked me to do the official remix of A Sky Full of Stars and I had been listening to the album non-stop! My manager called me up. I was like ‘No waaaay!’ (stoked Dutch).

How do you stay fresh when everyone is asking you to come to afterparties and offering you “things”?

I think you’ve gotta stay focused if you wanna achieve something. Every day is a party, it’s hard to say no but I’m not the type to go to afterparties and get wasted every day.

The I Am Hardwell production looks monu-fricking-mental. The LCD screens etc. How hands-on are you?

Everything, I came up with the whole idea of the stage and the visuals … and obviously the music. We’ve done the I Am Hardwell concert in 22 countries now and every one was sold out, it’s the next step for DJs, to have your own concert, you’re more like an artist. I’m so happy to come to Australia.

Dutch DJ Hardwell for National Hit only

You’ve smashed it as the headliner at F uture Music Festival the last two years…

I love it. What I love about it is you travel with all the artists. All of these collabs come up. That’s where I met Pharrell Williams for the first time.

Will there be a collab with Pharrell on the record?

I don’t know. Maybe. (coy Dutch laugh).

How much do you change your sets each night and do you keep fans happy with hits like Dare You featuring Matthew Koma and Encoded?

I change my set every single night. I play the same records because fans want to hear certain songs of mine. Last Tuesday I only played deep house and tech house for the first half an hour because that was the vibe in Ibiza.

■ See Hardwell at Melbourne’s Sidney Myer Music Bowl, October 3; The Domain, Sydney, October 4 and The Riverstage, Brisbane, October 5. Tickets from ticketmaster.com.au.

Originally published as What’s it like to be the world’s No.1 DJ? Every day’s a party, says Hardwell