Noisecontrollers Are Hardstyle 4 Lyfe

We predict that hardstyle is going to take over America in 2014. Who can resist those monster kickdrums and psychotic drops? It is truly the ragiest, mouth-frothingest EDM genre around. In anticipation of Dutch hard dance brand Q-Dance touching down in the USA with their Sound of Q-Dance event (October 5 at the Shrine in Los Angeles), we’re profiling some of the biggest DJs playing at the fest. Now when your friends ask you six months from now if you’ve heard of Headhunterz or Psyko Punkz you can be all, “Duh. Who hasn’t?”

If you’ve gone to any massive EDM festival in the last few years then at some point you have probably felt like a tiny creature lost inside a Lord of the Rings or Narnia movie. And if you haven’t, then just listen to the Noisecontrollers track above and prepare for an adventure. At first I thought Shrump was some sort of Belgian version of a Smurf, but come to find out it refers to either a bump in the dirt that a mushroom lives under or the piece of penis skin where the scrot meets the shaft. Since Noisecontrollers already have other tunes with names like “Crump,” “Shreek,” and “Rushroom” we’re going to hope this one is mushroom-related, and leave the penis jokes in the dirt where they belong.

Noisecontrollers is the duo of Arjan Terpstra and Bas Oskam. Since 2005, they have been combining euphoric melodies and dome-crushing kicks into some of the most inventive hardstyle around, full of the kind of intense breakdowns that make you feel like you’re starring in your own fantasy movie. These two Dutch dudes grew up in the countryside but their music is anything but pastoral. We tracked them down before their appearance at Sound of Q-Dance in L.A. and they told us about dropping down from the ceiling to DJ and their love of Donkey Rollers.

When you were 10 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Bas: I never thought much about my occupation when growing up, but I have had a keen interest in music production from a young age. If you would have asked me then, I would have definitely answered producer.
Arjan: I remember clearly that i wanted to be a soccer player, but then computers and music came into my life, and everything changed.

How did you choose your DJ name?
Bas: I remember us talking about it. We were intrigued by creating sounds and noises, but even more by controlling them. Noisecontrollers sounded very logical to us.

What were some DJ names you thought of before you chose the one you have now?
Arjan: One of the coolest names to us was Donkey Rollers; they are legends in Hardstyle and a big inspiration to us. But besides that we basically came up with Noisecontrollers first, and that hit the spot right away

Where did you grow up and what is it like?
Bas: I grew up in a little village in the Netherlands on a farm. I still love the outdoors and nature as a whole. I try to visit as much as possible.
Arjan : I also grew up in a small town in the north of the Netherlands. It was a close community, and a lot of my friends still live there.

Who is the best cartoon character of all time and why?
Bas: Roadrunner. It is a perfect example of karma in action.
Arjan: Cartman from South Park. he’s the funniest cartoon character ever.

What are you going to be for Halloween?
Bas: As long the suit is scary, I’ll wear it.
Arjan: I’m going to dress up like Jason from Friday the 13th.

If someone never heard hardstyle before, what track would you recommend they listen to and why?
Bas: Donkey Rollers “Followers.” It might not totally represent our sound, but it is still my all-time favorite hardstyle track. From our own discography, it would probably be Noisecontrollers “So High.”

What is the scariest thing you’ve seen at a hardstyle rave?
Bas: Myself and Arjan dropping down from the roof on a wire kicking off our own show at X-qlusive Noisecontrollers.

There are a lot of brands in the hardstyle space. What is Q-Dance known for?
Bas: They throw the best hardstyle parties out there! You can’t miss them.
Arjan: They’re famous for their next-level production, sound quality, high-end visuals, and so on. They always try to improve themselves and raise the bar!

Are you ever simply just too tired to be hardstyle?
Bas: Never.
Arjan: If you are too tired, hardstyle will wake you up!

What’s your best dance move?
Bas: Mine are all bad!
Arjan: I don’t have one.

What’s the one thing you are really excited to do while you are in California for Q-Dance?
Bas: To me the most amazing thing is always to play for the fans. This time will be no exception!
Arjan: For me as well… and I hope to enjoy the sun a bit more!