Headhunterz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Headhunterz
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Willem Rebergen |
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| Born | 12 September 1985 |
| Origin | Veenendaal, Netherlands |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
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Willem Rebergen (born September 12, 1985) is a famous Dutch DJ and music producer. He is best known by his stage name, Headhunterz. Willem also works as a voice actor. He has lent his voice to many films and TV series in Dutch. He began his music career in 2005, focusing on hardstyle music.
Headhunterz has performed at major music festivals. These include Qlimax, Defqon.1, Q-Base, Electric Daisy Carnival, and Tomorrowland.
He first released his music on Scantraxx through his own sub-label, Scantraxx Reloaded. In 2013, he started his own record label called HARD with STYLE. Later that year, he signed with Ultra Music, a big electronic dance label in North America. He left his own label in 2015. In June 2017, he officially returned to the hardstyle music scene. This happened at the closing of Defqon.1 Weekend Festival 2017.
In 2018, Headhunterz and fellow DJ Wildstylez launched a new hardstyle label. They named it Art of Creation.
Contents
About Headhunterz: Early Life and Music Career
Willem Rebergen was born on September 12, 1985, in Veenendaal, Netherlands. From a young age, Willem loved music. He faced bullying at school, so he joined a local kids' choir to find happiness. This was his first time in a professional studio. He recorded Christmas albums with the choir. This experience made Willem very interested in how music is made.
In 2003, while working at a clothing store, friends gave him tickets to Qlimax. They couldn't go themselves. This was Willem's first time hearing hardstyle music. This event inspired him to start a music career. He said he became "devoted to hardstyle" and wanted to learn how to make it.
He bought turntables and connected them to his mixer. He practiced DJing and also made music using FL Studio, a digital audio program. Willem started sending demo songs to music labels. He used the name Nasty D-Tuners, a duo project with his friend Bobby van Putten. In 2004, Nasty D-Tuners won the Defqon.1 DJ contest. This earned them a spot to perform at the festival that year.
In 2005, Nasty D-Tuners signed with Hardcontrol Records. They had two successful releases. Their music was played by popular hardstyle producers and DJs. Also in 2005, Willem and Bobby started a DJ class at the Rock Academy in the Netherlands. Willem found the academy frustrating. They didn't encourage hardstyle music and often reacted negatively to the genre.
Feeling out of place, Willem kept sending Nasty D-Tuners demos to other labels. One demo reached Dov Elkabas, also known as The Prophet, who founded Scantraxx. The Prophet saw promise in the young duo. He had heard about their Defqon.1 performance. So, 'Nasty D-Tuners' signed with Scantraxx in late 2005. They couldn't keep the name 'Nasty D-Tuners' due to issues with their old label. So, they chose the name Headhunterz. By the end of 2005, Willem and Bobby had played at big hardstyle events. These included Defqon.1, Q-Base, and The Prophet's X-Qlusive. These shows helped them become more famous in the hardstyle scene.
Building the Headhunterz Name (2006-2007)
In 2006, Headhunterz released their first songs, "Aiming for Your Brain/ Left Some Answers." This was on Scantraxx Special. Their next release was "The Sacrifice/D-Tuned." "The Sacrifice" became their biggest hit so far. Willem remembers how happy The Prophet was when he first heard it.
Soon, problems arose. Willem realized he couldn't perform for Scantraxx and finish his course at the Rock Academy at the same time. He decided to leave the Academy. He hoped Bobby would join him and commit to Headhunterz and Scantraxx. Bobby made the tough choice to leave Headhunterz and continue his music studies.
Willem's first solo performance as Headhunterz was at Defqon.1 in 2006. After the last Headhunterz songs with Bobby were released, Scantraxx gave Willem his own sub-label. It was called Scantraxx Reloaded, and he would manage it. Headhunterz' first release on Scantraxx Reloaded was the Victim of My Rage EP in late 2006. The Prophet kept helping Willem. He invited Headhunterz to perform with him at Qlimax, a popular annual Q-Dance event.
The year 2007 was very successful for Headhunterz. He worked with other Scantraxx artists, The Prophet and Abject (DJ Frontliner). Headhunterz also released popular solo tracks like "Forever Az One" and "Rock Civilization." "Rock Civilization" is his most popular song on Spotify. Headhunterz then performed at Q-Base and Qlimax in 2007. He also created his first major anthem for Qlimax 2007, called "The Power of the Mind." Headhunterz then had his first solo performance at Qlimax. He played alongside DJs he admired, like Technoboy and The Prophet.
Project One: A New Collaboration (2008)
In 2008, Headhunterz teamed up with fellow Scantraxx artist Wildstylez. Their first song, "Blame It On the Music / Project 1," came out in March and was a hit. This success led them to start a new project and create an album together, called Project One.
They finished the 13-track album in less than three months, making about one song a week. The album was supposed to debut at In Qontrol with a special one-hour show. But this show was canceled because Headhunterz had appendicitis. The album officially debuted at Defqon.1 2008. It was released shortly after on July 25, in both CD and digital formats. Ruud van Eijk, a Dutch graphic designer, created the artwork.
Project One was very well-received by the hardstyle community. Songs like "Life Beyond Earth," "The Art of Creation," and "The Story Unfolds" were popular on the dance floor. The album greatly influenced hardstyle music in the years that followed. It focused on melodies inspired by trance music and used strong, pitched kicks. A Project One Tour followed, along with several album samplers released on Scantraxx Reloaded. Besides Project One, Headhunterz also had three solo releases. These included popular songs "Just Say My Name," "Subsonic," and "Reloaded Part 2." He also collaborated for the first time with Italian Hardstyle DJ Tatanka on "Call It Music."
New Albums and Global Reach (2009-2011)
In 2009, Headhunterz released seven new songs or EPs. One of these was the 2009 Defqon.1 Anthem, "Scrap Attack." Making this anthem allowed Headhunterz to close the Mainstage of Defqon.1 for the first time. He said that night he achieved a long-term goal and felt "complete happiness."
2009 was also important for Headhunterz's collaborations. He worked with Wildstylez and Noisecontrollers to create the very popular anthem "Tonight." In a 2013 poll, "Tonight" was voted the second-best hardstyle song. He also made "The Summer of Hardstyle" with The Prophet, which became an instant hit. This song was different from his recent work, focusing on reverse bass and simple scratching sounds. The Project One Tour ended with a first-time visit to Australia. The duo played multiple shows at "Transmission" events in Sydney and Brisbane.
In 2010, Headhunterz and hardstyle music became more popular worldwide. Headhunterz said that in 2010, his international bookings became more frequent than his national ones.
At the start of 2010, Headhunterz was asked to host his own X-Qlusive event. It took place on January 30 at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam. X-Qlusive:Headhunterz featured Wildstylez, The Prophet, Noisecontrollers, and Brennan Heart joining Headhunterz on the main stage. Headhunterz called X-Qlusive the highlight of 2010. He said, "It was an amazing night - a milestone in my career and personal life. I could have never imagined getting so far."
Before X-Qlusive, Headhunterz announced his first studio album, Studio Sessions. It was released on March 8. Studio Sessions had 15 tracks, including new songs, collaborations, and remixes. After the album, he went on a world tour. He visited the United States, Australia, Russia, and Canada, and played many shows in the Netherlands. For the second year in a row, Headhunterz was asked to make a Defqon.1 Anthem. This time it was for the Australian edition, called "Save Your Scrap for Victory."
In 2010, Headhunterz also appeared on DJ Mag's yearly top 100 DJ list for the first time. He ranked 36th, the highest hardstyle DJ on the list. It was the first year hardstyle artists were featured.
At the beginning of 2011, Headhunterz received awards for his achievements. He won Best European Hard Dance DJ, Best International DJ, and Best Track at the 8th annual Hard Dance Awards. He thanked his fans, saying he felt "so much recognition for my work."
2011 also saw the start of the monthly podcast, HARDwithSTYLE. It launched on May 27, 2011, on iTunes, SoundCloud, and YouTube. The hour-long podcast aimed to showcase Headhunterz's favorite tracks. Many new songs were first played on HARDwithSTYLE. The podcast quickly became one of the most popular electronic music podcasts. Headhunterz again ranked in DJ Mag's top 100 DJs list, reaching 17th place. This confirmed his spot as one of the most popular hardstyle DJs.
Headhunterz had fewer releases in 2011. This was because he was working hard on his third studio album, planned for 2012. His last solo release on Scantraxx Reloaded was the EP "From Within / The Message is Hardstyle." "The Message Is Hardstyle" received mixed reactions. Many disliked its soft kicks and lyrics. The track "Make it Loud (Headhunterz Remix)" was also released. Headhunterz performed at many notable events in 2011. These included Decibel, Defqon.1, and Thrillogy. He also toured the US and Mexico, visiting 18 cities. He performed at the first Mysteryland held outside the Netherlands, in Chile.
New Sounds and Ultra Records (2012-2015)
In 2012, Headhunterz released his second studio album, Sacrifice, on March 15. The 10-track album was the result of his work in 2011. Headhunterz donated all profits to Dance4Life. This group helps young people fight the spread of HIV/AIDS. The album included new songs, edits, and collaborations.
Some standout tracks were "Dragonborn," inspired by the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. "Doomed" was a song made in response to criticism about his music direction. It featured lyrics that made fun of his 'haters'. Other highlights included "Back In the Days," the 2012 Hardbass Anthem "Eternalize," and a collaboration with Psyko Punkz called "Disrespect."
Headhunterz also recorded and released remixes for popular house artists. He said, "Doing remixes for other genres makes so much more sense than remixing stuff in your own genre... it gave me a whole different approach in producing hardstyle." His first song release on Ultra Music was a remix of "Lessons in Love" by Kaskade. He also remixed the Hardwell song "Spaceman." He remixed two songs for German House producer Zedd, "Spectrum" and "Clarity." Lastly, he remixed Nicky Romero's popular 2011 track "Toulouse." These remixes became very popular. They helped him gain attention outside of hardstyle music.
Headhunterz, Wildstylez, and Noisecontrollers worked together to produce the 2012 Defqon.1 Anthem. This was for the Dutch festival. "World of Madness" was released on August 16. The song's intro included parts of the three previous Defqon.1 Anthems.
Headhunterz climbed higher on DJ Mag's top 100 DJ list again, reaching 11th place. This showed how much hardstyle was growing in the dance music scene. In October 2012, Headhunterz hosted and performed at another Q-Dance event. It was called Q-Dance presents: Headhunterz - HARDwithSTYLE. Held at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, the event sold out. It featured artists who had been on the HARDwithSTYLE podcast. Headhunterz also performed at Defqon.1 in Australia and the Netherlands. He played at Mysteryland, Tomorrowland, and Electric Daisy Carnival.
In February 2013, Headhunterz signed with the major dance music label Ultra Music. This was a big moment for hardstyle music. It showed the genre's growth both in the Netherlands and worldwide. Headhunterz had been a leader in this growth. He said about signing, "The deal with Ultra Music is a turning point in my career. Having complete creative control will allow me to stay true to hardstyle. I can also spread my music on a larger scale with their help. I am thrilled to start this new adventure."
On August 30, Headhunterz had his first official solo release on Ultra Music. It was his track, "Colors" (Feat. TaTu). It reached number 5 on the Dutch iTunes Top 100. A remix of "Colors" by trap group Yellow Claw followed. In November, he released a collaboration with fellow label artist Krewella. Their track was "United Kids of the World." This song launched in partnership with DoSomething.org. This group aims to motivate young people to take action against cyberbullying.
Along with signing to Ultra Music, Headhunterz launched his own record label, HARDwithSTYLE Records. This label was not connected to Ultra. It focused on promoting harder styles of dance music from both famous and new artists. The label aimed to be very open. "We want to sign singles, no commitments other than artists giving us great music we love. No agenda, no-nonsense. Just music." The first release on HARDwithSTYLE was The Leaked EP by Headhunterz. It featured "Reignite" with vocals from Malukah and "The Power of Music." Headhunterz considers "The Power of Music" one of his best songs.
Headhunterz' first release for 2014 was "Breakout." This was his first collaboration with Australian Hardstyle artist Audiofreq. It was released in March. In Spring 2014, Willem announced he was working with the Breda duo, W&W. He then released 'Shocker'. This track had hardstyle kicks and synths mixed with W&W's house style. When W&W performed at Tomorrowland, they brought Headhunterz as a guest. They played 'Shocker' and a new song. The new song, 'We Control the Sound,' was released in November 2014. In late December, the #1 DJ Hardwell announced he would work with Willem. Their track for Hardwell's album United We Are was called "Nothing Can Hold Us Down." The song also featured Dutch singer Haris.
Despite some negative reactions from his fans, Willem decided to follow his creative freedom. In September, the Origins project began on his HARDwithSTYLE label. This was a collection of Headhunterz classics from eight years.
Creative Freedom and Return to Roots (2015-2017)
In early 2015, Headhunterz went on a six-week North American tour. This was part of Steve Aoki's Neon Future Experience Tour. His solo track, 'Once Again,' was released on Hardwell's Revealed Recordings. The Headhunterz remix of Armin van Buuren's "Another You" was released on Armada Music. At Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Steve Aoki invited Headhunterz on stage. They played their new collaboration, which was not yet released. Headhunterz's song with Crystal Lake, 'Live Your Life,' was released on Spinnin Records in May. It reached #3 on Beatport's overall charts.
In interviews, Headhunterz explained that his style changes were about finding his creative freedom. He said, "It was time for a change, to go back to experimenting and rediscovering my own, artistic boundaries. I was doing the same thing in hardstyle for more than 8 years and I needed a fresh breath of air. Not being limited to whatever style has given me lots of inspiration."
Even with his new creative direction, he continued to play hardstyle in his DJ sets. On June 26, 2016, Willem made a surprise appearance at Defqon.1 2016. He played alongside Technoboy and The Prophet. The crowd's reaction made him emotional. He promised to never forget his roots. That same day, Headhunterz and KSHMR released "Dharma" on Spinnin' Records.
At the end of 2016, Headhunterz returned with Wildstylez as Project One. They played some new songs at Qlimax 2016 and Knockout Circuz in Australia.
In late June 2017, Headhunterz returned to the main stage of Defqon.1 in the Netherlands. His song "Sacrifice" was playing. He gave a speech and made a post saying he would return to hardstyle. He announced that it was impossible for him to leave the hardstyle scene.
He shared, "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.”
Art of Creation and The Return of Headhunterz (2018)
On February 2, 2018, Headhunterz announced his new music label. It was a collaboration with Wildstylez, called Art of Creation. The label is described as "a dynamic platform where years of experience, friendship, talent and passion come together and spark new inspiration on the pursuit for quality and greatness in music." He also said that Sub Zero Project has some of the “Best Hardstyle Productions since his own.”
Headhunterz released his third studio album on March 2, 2018. It was titled The Return of Headhunterz. This album was called his "return to hardstyle production" by the music website Dancing Astronaut.
Voice Acting Roles
Willem Rebergen often dubs English-language films and TV series into Dutch.
| Production | Role |
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| The Land Before Time | LittleFoot |
| Harry Potter | Fred & George Weasley |
| Rocket Power | Sam Dullard |
Discography
- Headhunterz & Wildstylez Presents: Project 1 (2008)
- " The Best of Headhunterz (2009)
- Studio Sessions (2010)
- Sacrifice (2012)
- The Return of Headhunterz (2018)
Images for kids
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Headhunterz
See also
In Spanish: Headhunterz para niños
