Adaro on the future festival season, new collabs and the REBiRTH Festival anthem
Adaro’s career is on full speed and is as busy as ever. He just finished his REBiRTH anthem and is working on new music and collaborations. Next to that he made lots of new tracks as Gunz for Hire which he and Ran-D still love to invest a lot of time in. “But everything goes according to plan”, he says with a smile.
The Haunter of the Dark already has several anthems to his name. With his raw but melodic view on hardstyle, it always delivers awesome anthems. Because of this, producing anthems is the perfect opportunity to show the audience what he is capable of. “I have made a complete roadmap for producing the anthem, just like I did for the Hard Bass anthem in 2018 and the Intents Festival anthem together with Digital Punk in 2017.”
The making of 'I'm Alive'
But how does he actually do it? It all starts with the vibe of the festival. It’s the basis for the anthem. “REBiRTH Festival really is symbolic for the start of the festival season, hoping for sunny weather. This involves a positive vibe/feeling, a real summer anthem with the theme Rebirth, the rebirth.” The melody is most important, so this is where Thijs (Adaro) spends at least a few days on. “I make around twenty melodies that I like and then finally choose the one that I think fits REBiRTH best and ultimately like the most.”
He mainly gets his inspiration from pop music from the eighties. “For inspiration, I’ve listened a lot to bands that really have that stadium sound, to get into the real anthem ambiance.” In addition, it must be cheerful but not over the top in cheerfulness and euphoria, because that’s not what Adaro likes. “This is a balance that’s hard to explain; you really have to feel it. Often, it is that melancholic edge that I really love.”
Once the melody was set, he wrote the lyrics and started looking for the right voice for the song. Eventually he came across the very friendly and talented American singer Nick Ray. “We have worked together a few days via Facetime to get the vocals perfect. It was a great collaboration and I’m really happy with his input and the results. His sound is one that I don’t think I’ve heard before in hardstyle. I really get a kick out of it.”
He then spent several weeks producing the track. “This track is the one I’ve been working on the longest. I wanted to get everything done the best way possible. Perfecting the lead really took days. Laying and equalizing was quite a battle, but I’m definitely satisfied now.” When the track was almost finished, it still needed a rap verse. “As a punchline, I wanted to use the famous REBiRTH vocal in a verse. LXCPR executed this idea perfectly.”
The entire process took two months to finish. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that great work takes a long time”, Adaro says. “But creating this track involved a lot of work. And of course you try extra hard, because you know all eyes are on an anthem like that of REBiRTH.”
So the basis of the anthem really is the vibe, especially for a festival like REBiRTH’s. “Looking back on previous REBiRTH anthems, the one produced by Ran-D and B-Front would be my favourite. It really is a record that still fits well in the livesets of today. It would be nice if my anthem has the same effect. I would love it if I can still play the record in two or three years.”
![rebirthfestival-anthem2019]()
With his anthem, Adaro got a big audience, because REBiRTH Festival is bigger than ever. An extra day has been added and two new stages and a festival camping ground are part of this year’s edition. Also Adaro is expecting a lot. “You notice that everyone in the scene is really looking forward to it. There are many special performances and hostings by artists. In the beginning of April, all eyes are definitely on REBiRTH. ”
And that makes a lot of sense for Thijs. “Every year, REBiRTH Festival is a highlight for me, and I hear the same thing from many people around me. It is the kick-off of the festival season and last year, again, it was amazing. You catch the vibe as soon as you enter the festival site; happiness everywhere. The weather already was really nice this February, so I think that will be alright again in April. ”
![adaro-q-base]()
![adaro-3]()
The anthem is complete, and Adaro is already busy with new projects. And that includes a lot of new music. A record will be released soon, which he collaborated on with Kronos: ‘Blackout’. He also made a 200-bpm bootleg of ‘Fast – Scars’ for carnaval that works really well. "I will certainly be playing that one in future performances." From Gunz For Hire there will also be a few new tracks, such as ‘Sicario’ and ‘The Gates of Orion’. “Oh, and with Ran-D and Frequencerz I made the track ‘Battleborn’, which will be released soon. So many collabs, but I'm also going to work on new solo tracks soon!”
He is really excited about the festival season. “I am really looking forward to continuing along this road. The last year and a half have been really good for me. I’m back in the studio with a super positive feeling, I no longer think too much about what I produce and have broaden my style, which gives me the advantages that I encounter less creative barriers. I’m really building on my career.” His positivity is not only felt in his rock-solid releases, but also definitely during his performances.
But despite the fact that we are all working hard towards the summer, Adaro really believes that the magic of the night should not be forgotten. “The festival season is better for your health because of the day's rhythm, but originally I am a night owl who loves to rave at night. In the end it doesn’t matter that much to me, as long as I just can play my records and let loose. But I’ll always have a weak spot for the indoor season. So that’s what I’m going to enjoy for now.”
At the moment he is very busy working on the new record in collaboration with MYST for the QAPITAL EP, and the first ideas for a new collab with Digital Punk have already been set up. “There’s also a number of nice collaborations planned to come during this year! But until then: REBiRTH Festival! Thank you, Hardstyle Report, and I hope to see you all the second weekend of April, at REBiRTH Festival, or at another event this summer.”
The REBiRTH anthem of 2019, "Adaro - I 'm Alive", will be released tomorrow. Are you curious about more news about The Haunter or The Dark? Then don't forget to keep an eye on his social channels.
The Haunter of the Dark already has several anthems to his name. With his raw but melodic view on hardstyle, it always delivers awesome anthems. Because of this, producing anthems is the perfect opportunity to show the audience what he is capable of. “I have made a complete roadmap for producing the anthem, just like I did for the Hard Bass anthem in 2018 and the Intents Festival anthem together with Digital Punk in 2017.”
The making of 'I'm Alive'
But how does he actually do it? It all starts with the vibe of the festival. It’s the basis for the anthem. “REBiRTH Festival really is symbolic for the start of the festival season, hoping for sunny weather. This involves a positive vibe/feeling, a real summer anthem with the theme Rebirth, the rebirth.” The melody is most important, so this is where Thijs (Adaro) spends at least a few days on. “I make around twenty melodies that I like and then finally choose the one that I think fits REBiRTH best and ultimately like the most.” He mainly gets his inspiration from pop music from the eighties. “For inspiration, I’ve listened a lot to bands that really have that stadium sound, to get into the real anthem ambiance.” In addition, it must be cheerful but not over the top in cheerfulness and euphoria, because that’s not what Adaro likes. “This is a balance that’s hard to explain; you really have to feel it. Often, it is that melancholic edge that I really love.”
Once the melody was set, he wrote the lyrics and started looking for the right voice for the song. Eventually he came across the very friendly and talented American singer Nick Ray. “We have worked together a few days via Facetime to get the vocals perfect. It was a great collaboration and I’m really happy with his input and the results. His sound is one that I don’t think I’ve heard before in hardstyle. I really get a kick out of it.”
“ OFTEN, IT IS THAT MELANCHOLIC EDGE THAT I REALLY LOVE.”
He then spent several weeks producing the track. “This track is the one I’ve been working on the longest. I wanted to get everything done the best way possible. Perfecting the lead really took days. Laying and equalizing was quite a battle, but I’m definitely satisfied now.” When the track was almost finished, it still needed a rap verse. “As a punchline, I wanted to use the famous REBiRTH vocal in a verse. LXCPR executed this idea perfectly.”
The entire process took two months to finish. “That doesn’t necessarily mean that great work takes a long time”, Adaro says. “But creating this track involved a lot of work. And of course you try extra hard, because you know all eyes are on an anthem like that of REBiRTH.”
So the basis of the anthem really is the vibe, especially for a festival like REBiRTH’s. “Looking back on previous REBiRTH anthems, the one produced by Ran-D and B-Front would be my favourite. It really is a record that still fits well in the livesets of today. It would be nice if my anthem has the same effect. I would love it if I can still play the record in two or three years.”
With his anthem, Adaro got a big audience, because REBiRTH Festival is bigger than ever. An extra day has been added and two new stages and a festival camping ground are part of this year’s edition. Also Adaro is expecting a lot. “You notice that everyone in the scene is really looking forward to it. There are many special performances and hostings by artists. In the beginning of April, all eyes are definitely on REBiRTH. ”
And that makes a lot of sense for Thijs. “Every year, REBiRTH Festival is a highlight for me, and I hear the same thing from many people around me. It is the kick-off of the festival season and last year, again, it was amazing. You catch the vibe as soon as you enter the festival site; happiness everywhere. The weather already was really nice this February, so I think that will be alright again in April. ”
Do you want to hear the anthem live? Then there are plenty opportunities. Adaro is playing all three days at REBiRTH Festival. “Saturday is definitely most important to me. I’m going to perform my live act for the second time in my career. The anthem show will also be incorporated in this.” He will perform with the Roughstate Alliance (B-Front, Frequencerz, Adaro en Ran-D) on Friday and will play a classic set on Sunday. Also he’ll be there as Gunz for Hire, together with his good friend Ran-D. "We’ll even have some studio together for something for REBiRTH!" So plenty of chances to see him play.
The anthem is complete, and Adaro is already busy with new projects. And that includes a lot of new music. A record will be released soon, which he collaborated on with Kronos: ‘Blackout’. He also made a 200-bpm bootleg of ‘Fast – Scars’ for carnaval that works really well. "I will certainly be playing that one in future performances." From Gunz For Hire there will also be a few new tracks, such as ‘Sicario’ and ‘The Gates of Orion’. “Oh, and with Ran-D and Frequencerz I made the track ‘Battleborn’, which will be released soon. So many collabs, but I'm also going to work on new solo tracks soon!”
He is really excited about the festival season. “I am really looking forward to continuing along this road. The last year and a half have been really good for me. I’m back in the studio with a super positive feeling, I no longer think too much about what I produce and have broaden my style, which gives me the advantages that I encounter less creative barriers. I’m really building on my career.” His positivity is not only felt in his rock-solid releases, but also definitely during his performances.
“I have planned quite a few fun events again this summer”, he says proudly. With the bucket list item certainly being the set of Gunz for Hire on Defqon.1. “We’re playing on the mainstage on Sunday! Really a key moment of this year. We are going to rock the stage.” In addition, Adaro is especially proud that he has the opportunity to premier his new music on incredible stages. “There are also many international trips ahead. The hardstyle scene is currently growing enormously in so many countries. It’s wonderful to witness, and how cool to be a part of it!”
“I'M REALLY BUILDING ON MY CAREER.”
But despite the fact that we are all working hard towards the summer, Adaro really believes that the magic of the night should not be forgotten. “The festival season is better for your health because of the day's rhythm, but originally I am a night owl who loves to rave at night. In the end it doesn’t matter that much to me, as long as I just can play my records and let loose. But I’ll always have a weak spot for the indoor season. So that’s what I’m going to enjoy for now.”
At the moment he is very busy working on the new record in collaboration with MYST for the QAPITAL EP, and the first ideas for a new collab with Digital Punk have already been set up. “There’s also a number of nice collaborations planned to come during this year! But until then: REBiRTH Festival! Thank you, Hardstyle Report, and I hope to see you all the second weekend of April, at REBiRTH Festival, or at another event this summer.”
The REBiRTH anthem of 2019, "Adaro - I 'm Alive", will be released tomorrow. Are you curious about more news about The Haunter or The Dark? Then don't forget to keep an eye on his social channels.
