R ecently we did visit Headhunterz in Köln, Boothaus. Yes, I’m not joking – oh my god, how could I go to Headhunterz with his pussy hardstyle and house music, although I’m from Hardstylemag.
Back in the past, when Headhunterz did announce he will go a different path from that point on, I think everyone, including me, needed to rest for at least 10 minutes, trying not die due to a heart attack. Since then Headhunterz claimed the biggest stages on various electro festival. He’s producing house music nowadays and it’s pretty rare that he plays a hardstyle only set. Correct me if I’m wrong, but the last one I did hear from him was at Qlimax 2014 and X-Qlusive Legends.
Musical Madness did always support him and his decision. They already brought him to different city’s here in Germany several times. So when I saw the announcement of Headhunterz coming back to Germany, I couldn’t resist to grab a few friends and visit the event. I was seriously curious what he has in store and how he would fill the 1.5h set time.
If you’re curious as well, keep on reading, I will show you guys, what a nowadays Headhunterz set is all about. F#ck the genres right?
We arrived around 12, teamed up with the group and friends, left our jacket and the wardrobe and moved our ass into the club. What I just noticed is, that we had basically two kinds of people – those with Headhunterz merchandise, hardstyle or even hardcore merchandise, clearly hoping for a hard night. And those who were just there, because fuck it, it’s Headhunterz, or maybe because of Mightyfools or the Partysquad. Those people who party to the normal club and electro sounds. Maybe with a the expectation of a ‘Tomorrowland similar’ set or feeling.
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Anyway, at the main floor Oliver Magenta was playing. He dropped some house tracks, with a slightly drum and bass touch. We went over to the second area, the BLCKBX. Shippo had the honour to play the opening set. It was a mix of Drum and Bass, House, Electro and a few more styles I guess.
After Shippo, The Partysquad jumped behind the turntables. While I was on my way to the Bootshaus, I texted the line up to my colleague Mitchell and he told me I have to check out The Partysquad, they’re doing a crazy job.
Now I know what he meant. Those guys are seriously crazy! First: The atmosphere and vibe they created was amazing. One guy was mixing, the other doing the MC and it worked so well. The whole floor went crazy by doing a mosh pit after another. Normally I’m not into that mosh pit thing you know, but why not – and it was so fun. Somehow someone had a garbage bucket in his hands, raising it up like he did won a cup or like the scene from The Lion King. What the hell was going on?!
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Second: The music! The BLCKBX was all about giving a fuck about genres. And The Partysquad nailed it. They did play House, Drum & Bass, R’N’B, Electro, Jump / Tek, Hardstyle and Hardcore! Sometimes you also had one of these typical radio songs in a remix playing – just awesome. I really liked it!
After their set we moved back to the main floor. The Mightyfools were playing and the crowd absolutely went insane! And I know, we always say the crowd went wild, because basically it does, but this time they went total nuts!
A few minutes later, the moment the whole club was waiting for just happened. Headhunterz hopped on stage. And I instantly started to scream, with a high female voice, ‘Headhunterz I love you!’. Okay, no, this did not happen, but I was very positively surprised by his set. Within the 1.5h set he played House for about 1h 10 minutes.
I really didn’t know the tracks that good, so I’m sorry that I can’t tell you which tracks he dropped. But I know for sure, that although he’s now producing house, his tracks still have this specific Headhunterz touch. The melodies, the vocals, the lead, the built up – everything sounds so familiar, which made it so easy to go crazy to the tracks. I really liked it! But he did play DBSTF’s – Beautiful World, pitched to 130 BPM.
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Yes, the moment when he just asked for some harder tracks and if we’re ready, I got Goosebumps everywhere. So he started playing hardstyle for the 20 minutes and the crowd loved it! It was pretty funny because there were some people like me, going really crazy to the hardstyle tracks, because we know them form the past and those who just stood there asking themselves what the fuck it going on. But I didn’t care and enjoyed the set.
He started right with colours, the whole club turned in to a rainbow and the lovely vocals came up. He cut off the euphoric atmosphere by playing the Colors / Skinners mash up during the second climax. After that a big phat reverse bass pumped through the speakers – it was the summer of hardstyle. One of his best tracks I think is the remix of Make It Loud, but he just skipped the main part and just let the reverse bass playing.
Then the vocals of Tonight came up, but underlined with quite different sounds and elements. It wasn’t the original Tonight, it wasn’t the Alpha2 remix, it was a mash up with his track Reignite. Which turned out to be really cool! Furthermore, he dropped another mash up of Dragonborn and Psychedelic and finally, as the last track he played his remix of Hardwell’s Spaceman.
The set was over and as a conclusion I really need to say, he’s still a highly appreciated artist, DJ and producer. He knows how to build up an awesome set, how to create a perfect atmosphere and he’s still fucking awesome when it comes to DJing!
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Thankfully in the second area they did continue with hardstyle. So, to end the night we moved to the second area and celebrated to tracks like the Defqon.1 anthem, SZP with their The Wave bootleg, Endymion’s The Kill remix, F#Ck EDM or Rockstars by Frequencerz.
I know this should be review about the event, but let me tell you guys this: STOP HATING on Headhunterz! Seriously, there is NO reason to do that! I can’t read it any longer in the comments of his posts, or even on the timeline of an event with Headhunterz as artist.
So let me ask you: If you would work in a job for about 10 years without a single change and if the chance comes up to gain more money by going abroad or just learn something additional to get new tasks, wouldn’t you take the chance as well? I would and that’s why I understand and respect Headhunterz decision.
So all in all I was really happy that I did visit Headhunterz. The event was awesome and I would love to thank Musical Madness, who made this night possible! Keep it up!
Ohh and btw: To the girl who just went totally crazy during the Defqon.1 No Guts No Glory anthem in the second area, in the back, right next to me, after Headhunterz and literally hakked her way through the ground – You are awesome! And to the group of people who just looked at her like she’s from another planet and started laughing – FUCK YOU!