From: The Netherlands
DJ style: “Energetic dance music.”
Best known for: “‘Rave Culture’.”
Fave tune of 2022: “David Guetta feat. Bebe Rexha 'I’m Good’.”
Rising star DJ/producer of 2022: “AXMO.”
Having made the leap to go independent with their label Rave Culture last year, Willem and Wardt, aka W&W, haven't looked back. The Dutch duo have released high-powered bangers by Sandro Silva, Martin Jensen and NIVIRO in tandem with their own turbo-charged EDM anthems. With roots in trance, the pair have since evolved into big room producers. Their recent hard dance edit of Special D's 'Come With Me' conveys their aesthetic to a tee, aligned with the label's high-energy music policy.
Rounding off the year with a tour of Japan, the USA and Canada, W&W show no signs of slowing down. Under their NWYR alias, the pair pay homage to their trance beginnings, adding a futuristic take on the genre — check out their mutation 'Music In The Air'. W&W are into fashion too, with a selection of merchandise on offer via wandwmusic.com. With over 300,000 listeners tuning into their bi-weekly radio show on Dutch station SLAM!, it's no surprise the duo are once again well placed in this year's poll.
What’s the best DJ set you’ve seen this year?
“Fred again..’s Boiler Room set, what a vibe! But our most played set so far this year is Above & Beyond in Guatape, Colombia for Cercle.”
Name one great festival you played for the first time this year…
“We actually played this festival many years ago, but Electrobeach in France was absolutely insane this year.”
What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played?
“A 4.5-hour set, back in 2010 at this after-hours club in Montreal, Canada.
What’s one piece of studio hardware you wish you owned?
“Roland Jupiter 8! We recently connected a few hardware synths again, they give so much inspiration.”
What’s the last tune you bought?
“Lately, we’ve been buying a lot of old trance tracks for our collection.”
What’s the next big sound?
“Techno and house sounds are trending right now! Usually, after that, something more melodic that focuses on big riffs becomes popular, but this is always hard to predict.”
