He is truly one of the biggest Hardstyle pioneers. For decades now, his music has been shaping the sounds of Hardstyle as we know it today and as we knew it back in the days. Hardstyle Mag was granted the opportunity to meet Coone for an interview. If you want to know what he thinks of the Hardstyle scene and why he sees himself as a Lion – you should continue to read.
Hey, thank you for speaking with us today! We’re really excited to have you here.
Thanks for having me!
You are more than welcome. Let’s start with an off-topic question: How did you celebrate new year’s eve 2020?
I celebrated New Year’s Eve in Myanmar this year. I did a show in Yangon which was incredible! It’s awesome to see there’s a dedicated Hardstyle scene in Myanmar. Besides that, it’s always a pleasure to celebrate New Year with thousands of party people.
You have been part of the Hardstyle scene for such a long time now, what is your source of inspiration that enables you to still create new music even after so many years and tracks?
I think my main source of inspiration is that I love what I do. I’m having so much fun producing Hardstyle, even after all these years. When I’m in my studio, I enjoy every second of the creative process. I think having fun in what you do is one of the most important elements that keeps you creative and motivated.
For many, you count as a legend who has tremendously formed the Hardstyle Scene from its beginning. How do you see the Hardstyle scene nowadays compared to – maybe – the scene back in 2012?
First of all, this scene clearly has grown in multiple markets. Hardstyle is operating worldwide right now, which is great for the scene! Also, the quality of the productions has improved massively. If you compare tracks from 2012 with tracks from 2019 and 2020, you can hear the difference. It’s a good development – Hardstyle is being globally recognized!
Has a Coone ever considered to try other styles like Frenchcore or even maybe Pop music?
To be honest, I never thought of producing other styles than Hardstyle. I’m musically open-minded and I’m always interested to collaborate with artists from other genres, but at the moment I only want to release Hardstyle music.
For 2020 are there any plans or projects coming up you can maybe share with us?
I’ve got a lot of exciting music to release this year and I can’t wait to share it with the world. Both big collabs as solo tracks. Besides that, I’ll be playing heaps of cool events around the world. Every year it’s a big pleasure to perform worldwide.
You have already achieved what many Artists are dreaming of – but are there still goals even you as a musician are dreaming of?
My main goal is to keep improving as a musician and as a person. I’ve experienced a lot of incredible milestones in my career, like being the first Hardstyle DJ ever to play at Tomorrowland and Sziget Festival. But it’s not that those milestones were specific goals. I believe if I keep improving myself, more of these opportunities will show themselves at some point and turn into new milestones.
The Hardstyle scene seems to continue its growth, and it feels like more and more producers are coming up. What would you recommend to an upcoming talent, he should take good care of – to increase his chances of being noticed?
Produce, produce and produce! Of course, nowadays it’s also important to have a broad network and a decent following on social media, but your main focus should be on your music. If you keep improving yourself and build a signature sound, the fans and organizations will eventually notice you. Making a lot of studio hours and create your own sound is incredibly important as an upcoming talent.
When you look back your long career, are there any things you really regret?
I guess this is going to one of those political correct answers, but no, haha. Sure, I might have made a few mistakes in my career, but that’s life. In the end, those mistakes and regrets also make you who you are, right?
What does a Coone do in his spare time?
Spending time with my family. The best remedy after a long tour or a long studio day is spending time with my loved ones – no doubt! Also, I love going to the gym. As a Dj it can be difficult to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle, but I think it’s important to try your best to maintain this as much as possible.
A maybe uncommon question – but if you would describe your person and mentality as an animal – what would you be? And why?
I’m going for a lion. I always try to push harder and get the best out of every situation – no matter the difficulties ahead. But when I’m having a day off, I can be that lazy lion as well; chilling in the grass and doing absolutely nothing, haha!
Is there a message you would like to send to your fanbase now?
Thank you for supporting me for all those years. I’m so proud of this global family. I grew as an artist because of you and you guys keep me motivated to make sure, every year, more and more people Join Hardstyle!