After his shock departure from the Hardstyle genre in 2015, hard edm fans worlwide have somewhat felt an empty space in their hearts… that is until now. It’s official. Headhunterz is back and going harder than ever!
While fans were just learning to be at peace that the hardstyle DJ/producer would only return to hardstyle for a special Legends set at Defqon.1, they got more than they bargained for when he hit the stage with an epic, full-force return to the hard dance scene over the weekend.
Showtek, The Prophet, Noisecontrollers, D-Block & S-te-Fan, Wildstylez and Donkey Rollers made up the hardcore lineup, but when Headhunterz hit the stage and “Sacrifice” started to play the crowd erupted, and he completely stole the show.
A familiar voice rang out into the crowd:
“Dear members of the hardstyle community. Exactly one year ago I stood before you. And it was a life-changing experience for me. In this world you can be anyone doing anything if you fight for it. But I’m done fighting, done running. Whatever is out there in the world to achieve. There is only one thing left for me to do. And that, is to surrender. To who I really am. Thank you, for showing me the way.”
After the performance which had the world talking; a special letter was passed out to fans in the crowd, detailing the hardstyle legend’s return:
“Dear hardstyle family member,
Yes, this letter is for you, one of Defqon.1’s weekend warriors. Remember the picture on this poster (omslagfoto van dit bericht)? It was taken exactly one year ago, a moment in time that changed my life.
2014 – I was learning a lot of new techniques as a producer, seeing new places and standing on my own feet, out there in the big bad world. Despite not having found what I was hoping for, I was doing pretty well. I thought…
When I appeared before you at Defqon.1 2016, I literally broke down. My world fell apart and I saw the bigger picture. Suddenly feeling so tired of going against the stream of my true nature, all the pieces of my puzzle fell together. I had left home only to set out on a journey back to where I started. But now I have been given the answers I was looking for. I did not fall in love with hardstyle just because I grew up with it. It was love at first sight with hardstyle and myself! I fell in love because it was the only music in the world that connected with every part of me that made me human. Raw emotion and energy, uncontaminated and right underneath the surface of our rapidly moving society that consumes everything in its path. It has united people like nothing I have ever seen in my life and it has made even the toughest men shed tears at times, like it did at that moment in time.
That day changed me as a person. I no longer felt the need to prove myself and the world that I could do it all. The illusion that something else better than this is out there evaporated. I made it to the elephant graveyard and back. Thank you for showing me the way home. Thank you for always leaving the door open. I hereby return as a humbled member of the community, offering my works, commited to spreading the word.
One day, sooner of later, we see this music is our destiny.
Willem”
