From: Drunen, The Netherlands

DJ style: “House / melodic / main stage.”

Best known for: “Tracks like ‘Electric Elephants’, ‘Wizard’ with Martin Garrix and my melodies.”
 

It’s been just over a decade since main stage mainstay and EDM maestro Jay Hardway burst onto the scene via his Martin Garrix collab ‘Registration Code’, a tune that set him on the path to becoming a regular headliner at legendary clubs and global events like Tomorrowland, Pacha and EDC New York, AMF, Mysteryland and Omnia Las Vegas.

Becoming a father last year has meant Hardway has been focusing on maintaining that all-important work/life balance: “In my personal life I made sure to spend a lot of time with my family and it’s been amazing being a father. I still love doing shows worldwide, but I’ve made sure to plan my tours in such a way that I’m not on the road 24/7.”

It’s an approach that’s clearly working as 2023 has seen the Dutch DJ/producer continue to deliver high-impact dancefloor gold, including his big Spinnin’ Records collab with Tujamo featuring Bay-C ‘Energy’, high-drama Emo-DM tear-jerker ‘Lost Souls’ with Jeffrey Sutorius on Revealed, and fresh vocal track ‘On Fire’ featuring Nadia Gattas on Rave Culture, with Hardway’s solo releases like ‘The Sound’ and ‘Red Alert' all picking up strong DJ support too. 
 

Hero of 2023: “My daughter Noa.”

Fave tune of 2023: “John Summit & Hayla ‘Where You Are’.”
 

Best DJ set you’ve seen in 2023: “Martin Garrix b2b Alesso at Tomorrowland 2023.”
 

What was the most exciting tech development of 2023? “FL Studio stem separation is a good example of how AI is implemented in music production, and it’s going to change the way we sample music.”
 

Rising star DJ/producer of 2023: “Odd Mob.”
 

What gives you hope for 2024? “Seeing crowds react to music they don’t know, other genres and the overall vibe at live shows.”