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?"Despite having "Punkz" in their name, Psyko Punkz's Sven Siperda and Wietse Amersfoot are huge fans of suit jackets and tight t-shirts; from their press photos, they look straight from the VIP section of that models-and-bottles club that you couldn't get into because you were wearing shorts. You know these guys be getting mad bitches at the afterparty, bitches who may or may not know that their music sounds like jumping on a bouncy castle while a giant unicorn in the sky pisses candy-flavored rainbow urine into your gaping mouth. If you don't believe us about any of these points, then watch their video for "Trippy Hippie"—and make sure you fast-forward to the middle for the sexy bits. This must be a song about a strain of weed from Amsterdam because it sure as hell has got nothing to do with hippies.Psyko Punkz are pretty massive in the Q-Dance-iverse, frequently headlining massive events like Defqon.1 and Qlimax, and even writing the 2012 Qlimax anthem, "Fate or Fortune." We asked them a little bit about Halloween and gabbers and raver girls, but we forgot to ask them why hardstylers are obsessed with the letter "Z." Oh well.When you were 10 years old, what did you want to be when you grew up?
We wanted to be something in music, our hearts were always within the music. We grew up with TMF, MTV, DJs, EDM, and, of course, all the raves we had in our country.Teach us a phrase in your native language and tell us what it means.
Hey ouwe, alles goed? This means, "Yo man, everything all right?"How did you choose your DJ name?
We just made a big list of names. We had about 100 names written down. Psyko Punkz covered everything we are.What were some DJ names you thought of before you chose the one you have now?
SleepWalkerz and Unreal DreamzWhere did you grow up and what is it like?
Wietse: I grew up in Utrecht, a really nice city in the middle of Holland. Utrecht has a lot of churches, canals, and old buildings. Still living there and no plans to move.Who is the best cartoon character of all time and why?
That is definitely Cartman, the fatty of South Park. No doubt. He is super funny, super rude, and he always makes me laugh!What is your favorite quality in a raver girl? What is your least favorite quality?
Our favorite quality of a raver girl is that they know how to party. They party like us! I can't name a quality that we dislike! So two thumbs up for all y'all raver girls!What are you going to be for Halloween?
We gonna be a grandpa with Halloween. A trippy hippie grandpa.If someone never heard hardstyle before, what track would you recommend they listen to and why?
They should listen to "BassBoom," our biggest hit from 2010. It represents the sound really well without being too hard. It is an easy-listening hardstyle track with an energetic kick.What is the scariest thing you've seen at a hardstyle rave?
Maybe you won't believe this, but we have never seen anything scary at a rave. Only party people and good vibrations.Who is the hardest person you know and why?
Rambo. He's just bad ass! Have you not seen the movies?!There are a lot of brands in the hardstyle space. What is Q-Dance known for?
Q stands for quality. Quality on every level: show, music, stage design, just the whole experience of going to an event. Q-dance always comes through and somehow they manage to amaze us time after time, which is why they're well-known globally.Are you ever simply just too tired to be hardstyle?
No, never. Hardstyle is a lifestyle. We live and breathe it.What's your best dance move?
Gabber is the name you use for our move. In Holland, we say "hakken."
Advertisement
We wanted to be something in music, our hearts were always within the music. We grew up with TMF, MTV, DJs, EDM, and, of course, all the raves we had in our country.Teach us a phrase in your native language and tell us what it means.
Hey ouwe, alles goed? This means, "Yo man, everything all right?"
Advertisement
We just made a big list of names. We had about 100 names written down. Psyko Punkz covered everything we are.What were some DJ names you thought of before you chose the one you have now?
SleepWalkerz and Unreal DreamzWhere did you grow up and what is it like?
Wietse: I grew up in Utrecht, a really nice city in the middle of Holland. Utrecht has a lot of churches, canals, and old buildings. Still living there and no plans to move.Who is the best cartoon character of all time and why?
That is definitely Cartman, the fatty of South Park. No doubt. He is super funny, super rude, and he always makes me laugh!What is your favorite quality in a raver girl? What is your least favorite quality?
Our favorite quality of a raver girl is that they know how to party. They party like us! I can't name a quality that we dislike! So two thumbs up for all y'all raver girls!What are you going to be for Halloween?
We gonna be a grandpa with Halloween. A trippy hippie grandpa.If someone never heard hardstyle before, what track would you recommend they listen to and why?
They should listen to "BassBoom," our biggest hit from 2010. It represents the sound really well without being too hard. It is an easy-listening hardstyle track with an energetic kick.What is the scariest thing you've seen at a hardstyle rave?
Maybe you won't believe this, but we have never seen anything scary at a rave. Only party people and good vibrations.
Advertisement
Rambo. He's just bad ass! Have you not seen the movies?!There are a lot of brands in the hardstyle space. What is Q-Dance known for?
Q stands for quality. Quality on every level: show, music, stage design, just the whole experience of going to an event. Q-dance always comes through and somehow they manage to amaze us time after time, which is why they're well-known globally.Are you ever simply just too tired to be hardstyle?
No, never. Hardstyle is a lifestyle. We live and breathe it.What's your best dance move?
Gabber is the name you use for our move. In Holland, we say "hakken."